Catholics/non-Catholics and sin

[Lenten_ashes]

So this is a 2 part question I guess. I don’t even know what forum to place it in, but this one is high traffic so I’ll place it here

For Catholic converts from the Protestant side - since you converted and started going to confession, do you sin - less, the same or more than before?

For former Catholics who became Protestant - since you left the Sacrament of confession, do you sin less, the same or more?

I guess this requires a bit of honesty so don’t be in here sinning by lying just to bolster your side now lol . It also requires a answer as to did you honestly practice your faith to the best of your ability? Did you fully understand it and put your heart into it, no matter what branch of Christianity you started out on.

Anyway, I can honestly say I sin less as a Catholic. I still hated sin before, but there is just something about having to confess to another human being, or the alternative of not receiving Christ in the Eucharist that discourages me to avoid bad stuff a little more now. And it does seem to be a tangible effect taking place after you do the required penance. Like I have less desire to keep doing what I confessed.

Now I realize I just set myself up here, and as soon as I hit “submit new thread” about 10,000 new arrows from Satan are coming my way.

Hoping this is a interesting thread. Thanks in advance for your replies.

Pax

 

[drac16]

I’m a christian who recently came out of Islam (I was a muslim for six years). I can honestly say that my daily struggle with lust is much easier to deal with. When a desire to sin arises, I can set my mind on Jesus being crucified. I find myself greatly moved when I picture Him on the cross because it was my sin that nailed Him to the cross in the first place. In Islam, it’s all about you overcoming sin on your own. Whereas with Christianity, it’s about coming helplessly before the Lord and surrendering all. He alone can deliver me from my own pathetic efforts to fight sin.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

I’m a christian who recently came out of Islam (I was a muslim for six years). I can honestly say that my daily struggle with lust is much easier to deal with. When a desire to sin arises, I can set my mind on Jesus being crucified. I find myself greatly moved when I picture Him on the cross because it was my sin that nailed Him to the cross in the first place. In Islam, it’s all about you overcoming sin on your own. Whereas with Christianity, it’s about coming helplessly before the Lord and surrendering all. He alone can deliver me from my own pathetic efforts to fight sin.

Well first of all congratulations on becoming a Christian.

From my previous studies on Islam, it’s all about a person’s personal scale. You need the good to outweigh the bad to go to paradise. And even then it’s the will of Allah that’s important. He saves who he wills and damns who he wills. Is this fairly accurate?

 

[drac16]

Well first of all congratulations on becoming a Christian.

From my previous studies on Islam, it’s all about a person’s personal scale. You need the good to outweigh the bad to go to paradise. And even then it’s the will of Allah that’s important. He saves who he wills and damns who he wills. Is this fairly accurate?

Thanks.

The Qur’an does mention scales, but in a different way. It’s not that your good deeds must outweigh your sins-- it’s that your scale of good deeds must be heavy in general. Surah 101 talks about it. Those who have done lots of good deeds will have heavy scales on Judgment Day and they will be in Paradise. On the other hand, those whose scales are light [with good deeds] will be in Hell.

Pacticing Islam leads to either pride or despair. You’re either at a point where you think “I’ve done enough!” or you’re thinking “I’m not doing enough”. It never leads to peace.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

Thanks.

The Qur’an does mention scales, but in a different way. It’s not that your good deeds must outweigh your sins-- it’s that your scale of good deeds must be heavy in general. Surah 101 talks about it. Those who have done lots of good deeds will have heavy scales on Judgment Day and they will be in Paradise. On the other hand, those whose scales are light [with good deeds] will be in Hell.

Pacticing Islam leads to either pride or despair. You’re either at a point where you think "I’ve done enough!" or you’re thinking “I’m not doing enough”. It never leads to peace.

Thank you for the reply.

And I think the bolded part describes all works based faiths, imo.

In order for peace to be attained, it has to be grace alone with works being a result of that grace, not the individual meriting anything for himself in the strict sense.

 

[MaryT777]

drac 16,

Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. I like this question and am interested in the answers.

Mary.

 

[quandy57]

I am a young catholic and was born catholic so this might not exactly be the answer you are looking for…

For people who convert either way, would they not believe they sin less? In the sense that they believe they are making the right choice to follow God in a more precise manner. (Granted I do say, obviously, Catholicism is the One True religion that all should follow, but for the sake of answering from an objective point of view…) If you choose to not live the life that is true (whether you believe it to be protestant or catholic) then you would be living your life against the will of God knowingly.

But the stance in the sense of all sin, objectively. I would say we should all begin to sin less as we continue to seek God, so if we convert or not, we should be sinning less as time goes on, otherwise we are doing something wrong.

 

[pianistclare]

All people sin, no matter their belief system or even if they have none.
To compare religions and ask how much they sin is pointless.
Maybe a better question is: Are you now more aware of your own sinfulness? Or has your concept of sinning in everyday life changed since conversion?

 

[JonNC]

All people sin, no matter their belief system or even if they have none.
To compare religions and ask how much they sin is pointless.
Maybe a better question is: Are you now more aware of your own sinfulness? Or has your concept of sinning in everyday life changed since conversion?

This ^^

**And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all. **
James 2:10

To answer your revised question, hearing the Decalogue regularly in worship (as is the case in the Book of Common Prayer), has helped refocus my attention on His commands and my sinfulness.

Jon

 

[rinnie]

I’m a christian who recently came out of Islam (I was a muslim for six years). I can honestly say that my daily struggle with lust is much easier to deal with. When a desire to sin arises, I can set my mind on Jesus being crucified. I find myself greatly moved when I picture Him on the cross because it was my sin that nailed Him to the cross in the first place. In Islam, it’s all about you overcoming sin on your own. Whereas with Christianity, it’s about coming helplessly before the Lord and surrendering all. He alone can deliver me from my own pathetic efforts to fight sin.

What a beautiful response, its always such a WOW to see the Holy Spirit in action working through someone.

 

[rinnie]

All people sin, no matter their belief system or even if they have none.
To compare religions and ask how much they sin is pointless.
Maybe a better question is: Are you now more aware of your own sinfulness? Or has your concept of sinning in everyday life changed since conversion?

I have been RC all of my life, so I guess I don’t qualify. But I can say that for myself as I get older I seem to want learn more of God, and the more I learn the closer I seem to get and the less material and things that distant me from God have their appeal.

 

[Logical2]

The Catholic method /system is designed for baby’s as saint Paul said in 1 cor. 3. I could not talk to you as mature Christians. After you are “born from above” and function prophetic ly . the holy spirit gives u guidance. Just ask your “wife” she will tell you what you have done WRONG. Years ago

 

[Peter_J]

All people sin, no matter their belief system or even if they have none.
To compare religions and ask how much they sin is pointless.

I don’t know about that, I feel like this thread might be a worthwhile discussion starter. But I’ll tell you what I definitely hate, and that is when Catholics attribute their sins to their inner Protestant (or vice versa).

 

[Lenten_ashes]

I don’t know about that, I feel like this thread might be a worthwhile discussion starter. But I’ll tell you what I definitely hate, and that is when Catholics attribute their sins to their inner Protestant (or vice versa).

I dont agree with her contention either.

Disappointed hardly anyone contributed to the thread.

Certainly was not made as a gotcha thread or baiting anybody. I sincerely just want/wanted to hear people’s stories

 

[Peter_J]

It’s often a complete mystery to me why a given thread receives many responses or few. (The last thread I started took off like a Roman candle, but I won’t take credit because that apparently resulted from a mistake I made. )

 

[steve_b]

I’m a christian who recently came out of Islam (I was a muslim for six years). I can honestly say that my daily struggle with lust is much easier to deal with. When a desire to sin arises, I can set my mind on Jesus being crucified. I find myself greatly moved when I picture Him on the cross because it was my sin that nailed Him to the cross in the first place. In Islam, it’s all about you overcoming sin on your own. Whereas with Christianity, it’s about coming helplessly before the Lord and surrendering all. He alone can deliver me from my own pathetic efforts to fight sin.

If I could ask, what got you to consider Christianity? What were you before Islam?

 

[drac16]

If I could ask, what got you to consider Christianity? What were you before Islam?

OK, those are two very different questions.

1. What got me into Christianity was the fact that the crucifixion of Christ is, by every serious historian, accepted as a real event in history (Islam denies the crucifixion altogether). Moreover, there were things about Muhammad that I had a tough time explaining. For one thing, he said that all apostates should be killed. He also had nine wives at a time, even though the Qur’an allows only a maximum of four at a time. I look back on that and now I realize that it was the Holy Spirit guiding me to the truth of the matter; Muhammad was addicted to violence and sex.
2. Before I was a muslim, I was an atheist.

 

[MartinJordan]

OK, those are two very different questions.

1. What got me into Christianity was the fact that the crucifixion of Christ is, by every serious historian, accepted as a real event in history (Islam denies the crucifixion altogether). Moreover, there were things about Muhammad that I had a tough time explaining. For one thing, he said that all apostates should be killed. He also had nine wives at a time, even though the Qur’an allows only a maximum of four at a time. I look back on that and now I realize that it was the Holy Spirit guiding me to the truth of the matter; Muhammad was addicted to violence and sex.
2. Before I was a muslim, I was an atheist.

Drac, I am amazed to see all of this. Welcome.

If I seem to be obtrusive, please forgive me but does this mean you no longer believe that Ismael was taken to the mountain? That it was indeed Isaac?

God bless you and peace with you.

MJ

 

[drac16]

Drac, I am amazed to see all of this. Welcome.

If I seem to be obtrusive, please forgive me but does this mean you no longer believe that Ismael was taken to the mountain? That it was indeed Isaac?

God bless you and peace with you.

MJ

Yes, I believe it was Isaac because that’s what the Bible says. Paul talks about Isaac in the book of Galatians.

 

[MartinJordan]

Yes, I believe it was Isaac because that’s what the Bible says. Paul talks about Isaac in the book of Galatians.

Wonderful! As God said it, that’s why it is in the Bible. :yup:
And Paul knew his history.

MJ