Catholics are legalists by default?

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Zaccheus said:
What hoops do you mean?
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Being a certain age, for one. Withholding the Sacraments from Catholics based on their age is ridiculous and dangerous. This is why so many kids / teens lose their Faith. If they had the graces of Confirmation from infancy the Church wouldn’t have such a huge problem with kids / teens / young adults losing their Faith and leaving the Church.
 
HopkinsReb said:
I find it bizarre that a Catholic would find it objectionable.
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Bizarre?? When you need every penny & are preparing to have a baby?!

As an aside, folks on this forum can be so insensitive. I’m seriously thinking of leaving. I appreciate the topics discussed but man! Who calls someone’s experience “bizarre”?! The picture in the Vatican of of the lady nursing a pig = bazaar. A pregnant newlywed worried about tithing a full 10% or Catholic families who don’t tithe because it’s simply outside their experience = not bizarre.
 
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nearlycatholic said:
Interesting how anyone who loves Jesus and desires to live a holy life because #1 it is pleasing to the God who loves and saves us & #2 He requires, it is branded legalistic. Well, go ahead and live according to the flesh instead of walking according to the Spirit. Sacred Scripture identifies both ways of living and their distinct reward. The “legalistic” game is observably played by the self centered. This comment is not directed at any specific individual. It is intended to address the “legalistic” dar
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Don’t be silly.
 
I’m feeling happy today; just moved into new house in new town!
 
Jen7 said:
A pregnant newlywed worried about tithing a full 10% or Catholic families who don’t tithe because it’s simply outside their experience = not bizarre.
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Once again, not what I said.

What I said is that I find it bizarre that someone would find giving 10% objectionable. Not that a person who can’t afford to do is is bizarre or that it’s somehow sinful not to do so.

Stop trying to get offended and read the actual words I write. I was not going after you at all, nor was I attacking people who can’t or don’t give exactly 10%.
 
As far as tithing, my husband and I haven’t tithed regularly for years. We have to accept help (food pantry, etc) to get by. The way we see it, if we have to get food from the food pantry, it would be ridiculous to take what little money we have and give it to the Church instead of paying our bills to keep the lights on and keep our children clothed.
 
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Brendan_64 said:
Can we rely on parents to catechise their children well about the sacraments, in line with Church teaching, as soon as they are able to start to understand?
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Kids learn best by example. If their parents are trying to become saints, the kids will try too. Better encouragement for parents and lifelong catechesis for adults should be the focus. It would help tremendously.
Brendan_64 said:
what is so wrong with them receiving catechesis from the parish? Do we really want children receiving the sacraments without a basic understanding of what the sacraments are, and believing all sorts of wrong things about the sacraments?
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Oh there’s nothing wrong with receiving catechesis from the parish… it’s the Sacraments being held hostage that is the issue. Catechism classes for all age levels is a great thing.

Kids grow into the knowledge of Christ and His Church. Receiving the Blessed Sacrament and Confirmation as a baby would help them grow!

We have the cart before the horse.
 
HopkinsReb said:
What I said is that I find it bizarre that someone would find giving 10% objectionable. Not that a person who can’t afford to do is is bizarre or that it’s somehow sinful not to do so.
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Well I don’t find it bizarre that someone would object to 10% even in comfortable financial situations. A bit stingy? Maybe. (Maybe not. I don’t know their life situation.) But bizarre? No way.

Adios, folks. I don’t need this in my life.
 
Jen7 said:
Well I don’t find it bizarre that someone would object to 10% even in comfortable financial situations. A bit stingy? Maybe. (Maybe not. I don’t know their life situation.) But bizarre? No way.
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I believe you’re misunderstanding what I mean by “finding it objectionable.” I do not mean, “objects to doing it himself.” I mean, “objects to it generally.”

I do not give 10% to the church. I do not object to doing so. It is a general objection to doing so that I find bizarre, not an aversion to doing so oneself. I’ve not been equivocal in my language on this in this thread.
 
Spot on. Thank you. Indeed, by legalism I mean salvation by works, not church rules.
 
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Thank you for that. In my view, the problem in modern times is precisely the lack of obedience to church authority. As a Catholic, I submit my heart, mind and will to my Lord within my church.
 
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DBRANDT said:
Spot on. Thank you. Indeed, by legalism I mean salvation by works, not church rules.
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Catholicism teaches salvation by the grace of God through faith AND works. If the definition of “legalism” is works’ being part of salvation, then yes, orthodox Catholics are indeed “legalists.”
 
rosejmj said:
The most important thing is the heart and the intentions, not how well one follows the letter of the law. Look at Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for being like that
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If you love me you will keep my commandments. Is that legalistic?
 
I was a Protestant for ten years and came back home to the Catholic Church. Tithing was indeed a very big deal. Just speaking for myself. The Catholic Church teaches charity in all its forms, with no particular emphasis on tithing or any other form of alms.
 
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Jen7 said:
most Catholics I know do not put a full 10% in the basket every Sunday.
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I doubt most would anyway. Even if you do a literal tithe it’s usually split up between different things, not just to the parish.
 
DBRANDT said:
The Catholic Church teaches charity in all its forms, with no particular emphasis on tithing or any other form of alms.
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Don’t think I’ve said otherwise anywhere in this thread.
DBRANDT said:
I was a Protestant for ten years and came back home to the Catholic Church. Tithing was indeed a very big deal. Just speaking for myself.
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Here we get into a common issue on this forum, as @JonNC likes to point out: Protestants are so varied that it doesn’t mean much to state or ask what Protestants believe on a topic.
 
I’m going to try and make this a gentle question. Please permit me … If a friend or family member came to me with the notion of holding the Sacraments hostage, if you will, in puzzling it out, I suppose I would ask them why they call themselves Catholic or participate in the liturgy. To be clear, I am not saying they should not still be in the church. It just gives me pause to wonder…I would be interested in hearing your reasons for staying in the Church. Thank you.
 
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The Church, of course, does not teach faith apart from works, which is a dead letter. Thank you.
 
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