What I have been taught doesn’t gel with my bible.
Of course it doesn’t. Either you misunderstood what you were taught, or you were taught error, or you just to want it to. One of the three.
Whether or not it gels with catholic teaching is not clear because I know plenty of catholics who believe these things.
We’re trying to tell you what exactly that teaching is to educate you about your misconceptions. You’re choosing to believe error over the truth.
Here on catholic apologetics, everyone is trained with the answers to these questions,
When you come across the same accusations over, and over, and over, it becomes reflex. And since we have the answers, the truths about our faith, perhaps you should listen to what we have to say instead of settling for your misconceptions.
but the catholics I meet on the street and the ones in my family are still practicing the very things I am refering to.
If they are doing exactly the things you say then they are in the wrong. Statues are not to be worshipped. Period. We keep trying to tell you this, but I think the truth would force you out of your comfort zone and you’d rather hide behind the lies you’ve been taught.
Do you have any idea how many people carry around rosaries or a crucifix because they think it will protect them, even though they have very little faith in God?
Do you honestly have any idea? Because I don’t. I can’t read minds so therefore I’m forced to take everyone at their word and not assume what’s in their heart.
I carry a rosary. Does that mean I have little faith in God? Quite a nice rosary imho, I went to this website where you can make your own custom rosary. You can pick the beads, the links, crucifix, center, everything!
It’s ok though Newbie, I think I understand why you brush us all off. I’ll tell you why, but I know you’ll disagree. Agree or not, all I need is for you to read it.
You act this way because you’re affraid. Plain and simple. I think you know Catholicism much better than you’re letting on. You’d rather stick with your misconceptions than to look at any evidence to the contrary. Why? Because it just might make sense. And if that happened then you’d need to reevaluate your entire belief structure, and question every lie you’ve been told.
You need your misconceptions to be true to validate your beliefs. Much if not all of a protestant’s beliefs stem from his own interpretation. If that interpretation is thwarted, then that calls into question everything he has based on his interpretation. Solution? Shut your mind off to everything but what you make it to be. If you never listen then your beliefs can never be challenged. You’re safe.
But we’re saying that by hiding behind this wall of lies you’ve built for yourself, you’re stifling the initial grace of faith God gave to you. You’re acting like the servant who was given a gold coin and kept it wadded up in a napkin, never fully using or exploring what the king had given him. It’s your responsibility to pursue Truth, and to not be still until you’ve run out of questions to ask.
I know you’ll say that you have found exactly the Truth and how happy you are, blah blah blah. The reason why I strongly don’t think so is because to have made an informed decision, you need to be informed. You are obviously not informed about Catholicism. Therefore there are still unknown avenues of faith that you have not explored, which threatens to invalidate your decision. You don’t want to go through a spiritual wilderness again, you’re scared and so you shut yourself off from the truth, and you smother that little voice inside that says,“What if I’m wrong?”…
Lemme tell ya something; It would be a terrible thing to find out you were so very close to the truth, but lacked the courage to fully investigate it. If it’s not eating at you now then it will. You know full well you’ve left Catholicism unexplored. Even if it may not be the truth (not so) you know that risk isn’t worth taking. And you’d have no one to blame but yourself.
Come explore Catholicism with an open heart. Learn the true meanings and throw away your misconceptions. If it’s still not for you, then you’re no worse off. If you believe yourself unshakable in your faith then you have nothing to lose.
I went through something very similiar. So did Church Militant. I know where you’re at, and some of the things you may be feeling.
If you still disagree then that’s fine, I can’t say I didn’t try. Just so you know it’s not like we’re paid by the convert. We do this because we care. Arguing really isn’t that fun for me. But when someone’s immortal life could be on the line, it’s worth the trouble, imo.
I hope you think about what I and others have said. Have fun on your trip.
how scary my dh said you would have lost your cookies i said no i would have done the biggest pole vault over the castle wall you ever saw and I’m afraid of hights, but he said Moses took his rod and it turned into the biggest snake ever and ate up the other two 
just swallowed them down like two long noodles
Well he said who do you think has more power now?
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