Co-operating With Other Religions

[LilyM]

No,not just monotheistic - some Ancient Egyptians were also worshippers of only one god. For them that one god was Aten the Sun God. Not the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Muslims, like the Jews,.can only be said to be worshipping together with us because it is the SAME God they worship, albeit both Jews and Muslims ignorantly deny some things like Christ’s divinity.

Again, this is settled Church teaching, not up for debate.

 

[Lavenderson]

Muslims, like the Jews,.can only be said to be worshipping with us because it is the SAME God they worship, albeit both Jews and Muslims ignorantly deny some things like Christ’s divinity.

Denying some things is basically to create something else. God isn’t like a cafeteria where you can pick and choose what you want to accept or deny.

Again, this is settled Church teaching, not up for debate.

I’ll refer you to earlier posts. Correct interpretation is crucial

 

[LilyM]

LilyM:

Muslims, like the Jews,.can only be said to be worshipping with us because it is the SAME God they worship, albeit both Jews and Muslims ignorantly deny some things like Christ’s divinity.

Denying some things is basically to create something else. God isn’t like a cafeteria where you can pick and choose what you want to accept or deny.

Again, this is settled Church teaching, not up for debate.

I’ll refer you to earlier posts. Correct interpretation is crucial

Again, they worship with us. They cannot be said, in any way shape or form, to be worshipping with us if they are, as you put it, basically worshiping something else. It’s illogical to assert that they are.

 

[thistle]

They certainly worship something, calling that something God is pushing it if Christ’s divinity is rejected.

They both worship the same God as Catholics, namely the God of Abraham.
They simply don’t understand the Trinity yet.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Well, here’s another scenario—you work in a nursing home and the local Presbyterian minister visits to do a service.
The residents need somebody to push their wheelchair to it, because they’re too frail to do it themselves.
Can a catholic nurses aid take his or her patient to the service?

 

[Lavenderson]

They both worship the same God as Catholics, namely the God of Abraham.
They simply don’t understand the Trinity yet.

Praying to God with an incorrect concept of God is like trying to call someone specific but dialing the wrong number. Whoever picks up won’t be the person you were looking for.

 

[Lavenderson]

Can a catholic nurses aid take his or her patient to the service?

Such a great question. Gets right to the gooey core. I cannot see how assisting anyone in furthering themselves within a false religion isn’t at the same time to passively condone that same false religion.

If this were in person, I’d be bracing myself for a slap to the face.

 

[Lou2U]

I’m not any religion. By your argument, I should not assist anyone in their religious beliefs.

Except I wouldn’t do that. I’d show some kindness and empathy. I would wake a person up if they wanted to pray at a certain time, I would take them to see their pastor if they wanted to. It’s just common human decency.

 

[thistle]

Praying to God with an incorrect concept of God is like trying to call someone specific but dialing the wrong number. Whoever picks up won’t be the person you were looking for.

The Church disagrees with you.

CCC 841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims . “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”

 

[BartholomewB]

Such a great question. Gets right to the gooey core. I cannot see how assisting anyone in furthering themselves within a false religion isn’t at the same time to passively condone that same false religion.

You must be equally disapproving of those Catholics — lay people, priests, bishops, and nuns — who willingly sheltered Jews in their homes, churches, and convents in occupied France, Poland, and other countries during World War 2.

The amazing Polish woman who hid and saved 16 Jews – and one German – in her house

***

www.haaretz.com

They Must Never Be Forgotten: Priests and Nuns Who Rescued People From the Holocaust

In those times of chaos, it was extremely dangerous and difficult to organize rescue activities. The Nazi Gestapo and secret police were vigilant and...

www.catholiceducation.org

 

[QwertyGirl]

Studies have shown there is great psychological benefit to be gained from engaging in the process of prayer, regardless of the religion. It helps with physical health and well being of the person praying.

I would never stand in the way of another person praying. If they asked for my help in the ways outlined in this thread, I would only be too happy to assist.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Praying to God with an incorrect concept of God is like trying to call someone specific but dialing the wrong number. Whoever picks up won’t be the person you were looking for.

By this reasoning, Jewish people, non-Trinitarian Protestants and anyone who has not been educated about the Holy Trinity or about God generally, also aren’t contacting “God” when they pray. An agnostic with no religious training who, in a moment of trying to connect with the Almighty, falls on his knees and prays, “God, if you really exist and are out there, hear my desperate prayer please” is not getting through to God.

Patently ridiculous.

Acts 17:22-23 says,

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: “You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.

Paul is saying that these Athenians have been worshipping the Christian God all along. Clearly these Athenians didn’t have the “correct concept of God” till Paul showed up and explained it to them…but they were still worshipping God, albeit unknowingly, all that time. Therefore, it is possible to pray to God without having the “correct concept” of God.

 

[LilyM]

thistle:

They both worship the same God as Catholics, namely the God of Abraham.
They simply don’t understand the Trinity yet.

Praying to God with an incorrect concept of God is like trying to call someone specific but dialing the wrong number. Whoever picks up won’t be the person you were looking for.

Really? Someone sincerely albeit mistakenly searching for God with all their heart gets up at 2.39am to sacrifice slerp and pray and you think He says ‘nah, can’t be bothered listening’?

 

[Cricket13]

I prayed to God without having the “correct concept” of him, and here I am reconverted back to the faith. I suddenly had a change of heart after years of being open to him with some false beliefs in him.
I wouldn’t rule out that praying to an incorrect concept of God is a total loss or not worth it, because one never knows what will happen if we remain open to God. It lead to healing and saving my soul once again, and I still have more to learn. I look forward to learning as I live.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If you take one step towards God, God comes running to meet you. He is like the father coming to meet the Prodigal Son, who sees his son from a long way away and runs to meet him.

 

[meltzerboy2]

If you take this passage ONLY at face value, without consideration of who specifically it is addressed to, you are shortchanging the Jews of Jesus’ time and modern Judaism who did and do not accept Him, as well as the Gospel of John and Jesus Himself. Jesus was addressing the Pharisees, but NOT all the Pharisees, let alone other sects of Judaism, such as the Sadducees, Essenes, and so on. He was NOT addressing all the Jews of His era, even those who rejected Him. If He were, that would be a good case for rejecting Him as both the Messiah and G-d as it reveals not a G-d of peace and love but a G-d of conflict and hatred. Indeed Jewish apologetics does point this out as evidence of the lack of divinity within Jesus. The “Synagogue of Satan” does NOT refer to virtuous Jews who do not demean the synagogue. Yet this particular passage has often been used as a justification for antisemitism because, on a superficial level, it has the endorsement of Jesus Himself.

 

[meltzerboy2]

What about Protestants; do they qualify as worshipping the same G-d as Catholics? After all, most of them believe in the Trinity although they do not follow the Church. Are they acceptable in your view? The Church considers them separated BRETHREN.

 

[Mary888]

Wake him out of kindness and good will between people and if .my Christian conscience knocks than pray that God illumines him.
St. Gregory of Nissa wrote wonderful works about how everyone will be judged whether they believe ot not. Nonbelievers will be judged by conscience, Jews by the law of Moses, and Christians by the Law of Gift (because we received many a lot will be asked from us).
The Catholic view that there is no salvation outside the Church is something I cannot even imagine to begin with. It is too proud and iogical. Jesus wants to save everyone yet He forced no one. Who would be someone after Him to claim otherwise?
The Church can be revealed other truths that aren’t in the Bible but they cannot contradict the Bible. Saint Peter explained about the judgement of conscience, why do people persist in denying such a thing to happen? Christianity is not just we have a foot in Heaven because we know Jesus. We must do more with all the gifts the Holy Spirit sends. And rejoice at the idea that yes a nonChristian may be forgiven by God in His Judgement, not ours.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

They’re not “arguments”. They’re Catholic doctrine.

Some of them are just prudential judgement.

 

[Dovekin]

Praying to God with an incorrect concept of God is like trying to call someone specific but dialing the wrong number. Whoever picks up won’t be the person you were looking for.

A great image, but God is everywhere, so wherever you dial God, whatever mistakes you have made, God is there.

If, in our desire to respect a man’s freedom and dignity, his conversion to the true faith is not the immediate object of our dialogue with him, we nevertheless try to help him and to dispose him for a fuller sharing of ideas and convictions.
Our dialogue, therefore, presupposes that there exists in us a state of mind which we wish to communicate and to foster in those around us.
St Paul VI Ecclesiam Suam 79-80