Dissenters: Why do you call yourself a Catholic?

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I think that although many people dissent, they still may feel that they have no where to go. I believe many dissenters know that the Catholic Church is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that Christ established. In certain areas though, they are just unable to reconcile completely with the Church.
This is the contradiction inherent in that position: you cannot believe both that the Catholic Church is the church established by Christ and that she can be wrong on significant issues of faith and morals. One can accept either position but not both simultaneously.

Ender
 
This is the contradiction inherent in that position: you cannot believe both that the Catholic Church is the church established by Christ and that she can be wrong on significant issues of faith and morals. One can accept either position but not both simultaneously.

Ender
I have no argument with you. I am merely answering the original question as to why dissenters might call themselves Catholic. After all, I am sure there are many who do not fully agree or able to reconcile with all Church teaching. That being said, those same people (although disagreeing) may still think that the Catholic Church is much better, and has more to offer them than any non-Catholic Christian community.
 
I think the disagreement here goes far beyond a discussion of task management, You seem to view the Priesthood and ordination as a staffing issue.The Church doesnt.
I see no evidence of that at all. Faith and belief in God have nothing to do with the gender of the people in charge. I agree that “the church” sees it as more than a staffing issue. “The church” sees it as a struggle for the power and authority which has been reserved for only males for 2000 years and rooted in the belief that women have nothing to add to the magisterial.process.

Again, we don’t need to discuss this subject as I am well aware of all the arguments, explanations, and excuses. I am merely exploring the issue of why anyone would think this is a matter of faith and/or morals.
 
Maybe it’s just me but this comment from you automatically makes every other comment you utter meaningless. 2000 years of church teaching out the window because Spiritmeadow ‘personally doesn’t believe’. You’re a riot!🤷

Matthew 16:17-19

17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter,a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades**(“http://www.biblegateway.com/passage...=19&version=31&context=context#fen-NIV-23691b”)] will not overcome it.c] 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will bed] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will bee] loosed in heaven.”
Gosh I wasn’t aware that you paid any attention to any of my opinions in the first place. And they are my opinions. You might try a bit of biblical exegesis and discover that the statement “upon this rock I will build my church” is not considered an original statement of Jesus but a later Church addition though, of course you don’t value anything I say, so I’m sure you will not bother that exercise. . I think you are a riot as well. Have a good one.
 
You might try a bit of biblical exegesis and discover that the statement “upon this rock I will build my church” is not considered an original statement of Jesus but a later Church addition though,
This is true based on what authority?
 
I see no evidence of that at all. Faith and belief in God have nothing to do with the gender of the people in charge. I agree that “the church” sees it as more than a staffing issue. “The church” sees it as a struggle for the power and authority which has been reserved for only males for 2000 years and rooted in the belief that women have nothing to add to the magisterial.process.

Again, we don’t need to discuss this subject as I am well aware of all the arguments, explanations, and excuses. I am merely exploring the issue of why anyone would think this is a matter of faith and/or morals.
I think St Theresa and St Edith Stein-BOTH Doctors of the Church would disagree with you. I know my aunt, who was a Sister of Charity for over 60 years , would. You demean all the great women of of our Faith with comments like this. Trying to fit Catholic Women into the feminist notion of equality is specious.
 
The Church teaches that (e.g.) contraception is immoral. A lot of Catholics are familiar with that teaching but reject it; that is, their consciences tell them that the Church is wrong and therefore they use contraceptives. Assume for the moment that the Church is correct and that contraception is a sin. Anyone practicing contraception is committing a sin and the question therefore is: are they held accountable for that sin or are they absolved of their guilt because they were following their conscience?

Ender
Many people do not realize that many forms of contraception actually cause early abortions. Nor do many people realize that contraception has lead to divorces, ‘free’ sex, more STD’s, women as cheap ‘toys’, etc. along with selfishness. Society needs to wake up big time- the Church knows what’s going on!
 
I see no evidence of that at all. Faith and belief in God have nothing to do with the gender of the people in charge. I agree that “the church” sees it as more than a staffing issue. “The church” sees it as a struggle for the power and authority which has been reserved for only males for 2000 years and rooted in the belief that women have nothing to add to the magisterial.process.

Again, we don’t need to discuss this subject as I am well aware of all the arguments, explanations, and excuses. I am merely exploring the issue of why anyone would think this is a matter of faith and/or morals.
Surely Holy Orders, as a sacrament, and the priesthood are matters of faith.
 
Gosh I wasn’t aware that you paid any attention to any of my opinions in the first place. And they are my opinions. You might try a bit of biblical exegesis and discover that the statement “upon this rock I will build my church” is not considered an original statement of Jesus but a later Church addition though, of course you don’t value anything I say, so I’m sure you will not bother that exercise. . I think you are a riot as well. Have a good one.
That’s all well and good since it’s your opinion.

I prefer to listen to the CCC (you know, our authority). You go ahead and live by Spiritmeadows opinion.:rolleyes:

**881 **The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the “rock” of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. “The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head.” This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church’s very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
 
Please provide a scripture or infallible declaration by the Church that this is so. Please note that private revelations are not infallible declarations of the Church.
When you consider the vast number of people who make themselves their own authorities and gods, and completely reject God’s authority, it’s not hard to make the conclusion that, barring a change of heart, many will go to hell. Recall it was satan who first said “I will not serve” and who rejected God’s authority.
 
Many people do not realize that many forms of contraception actually cause early abortions. Nor do many people realize that contraception has lead to divorces, ‘free’ sex, more STD’s, women as cheap ‘toys’, etc. along with selfishness. Society needs to wake up big time- the Church knows what’s going on!
I invite anyone who thinks contraception is ‘no big deal’ and OK to use, to visit omsoul.com This really clarifies WHY contraception is so wrong. Free talks are available: one called Contraception: Why Not? by Janet E. Smith PhD and another called Why Contraception Matters. It really makes people rethink the contraceptive mindset. They also have a sterlization reversal home page, with inspiring stories of those who have had vasecectomy reversals, etc. I have several of their pamphlets I distribute such as “What you shold know about birth control”, “connection between contraception and abortion”, etc. Very practical and logical.
Think too, that back in 1930 when Protestants started to accept contraception as OK, our Holy Spirit-inspired Church was SO wise and “beyond Her years” in seeing what damage contraception does, and that contraception’s mindset leads to abortion! Wow! People generally think ‘well, contraception isn’t as bad as abortion and it prevents abortion’ an idea with faulty half-truths which clearly were initiated by satan who hates human life.
 
When you consider the vast number of people who make themselves their own authorities and gods, and completely reject God’s authority, it’s not hard to make the conclusion that, barring a change of heart, many will go to hell. Recall it was satan who first said “I will not serve” and who rejected God’s authority.
I might also add that, although private revelations are not infallible, I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss them. Consider Fatima which has been approved by the Church after much investigation. Our Lady told the children “more souls go to hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason. So many go that they fall as snowflakes.” The ‘sins of the flesh’ in 1917 were nothing compared to now! Also, how could those innocent children have known anything about ‘sins of the flesh’? Hmm…makes you think, doesn’t it??
 
Please provide a scripture or infallible declaration by the Church that this is so. Please note that private revelations are not infallible declarations of the Church.
Matthew 7
13
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
14
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
 
Quite right, SpiritMeadow. It was a Beta test of the limits of Catholic humour; I wrote what I wrote with tongue in cheek!

There is a serious side to it however, since if using artificial contraception is a mortal sin, and if 85% of American Catholics (and perhaps even more Europeans) use it unrepentently, then either hell will be heavily populated with unrepentant contraceptive sinners, or there is wiggle room to repent of using if after menopause, or it’s not that sinful after all, or the God of the Bible doesn’t really distinguish between AC and NFP to begin with. Or the whole thing is a mystery!

Petrus
Of course, that statistic only applies to those Catholics that are alive today. If you factor in the number of Catholics that did not use artificial birth control throughout history, you’d probably get a different number.
 
This is true based on what authority?
It is based on no “authority” as I assume you mean it, but on the considered expert opinion of a goodly number of biblical exegetes. I am convinced by the number and quality of the arguement that references to church in the NT are almost always later additions. It should be remembered that this was not done for any nefarious reason, but was based on belief at the time and was added in the opinion of experts in order to make the text clear and unequivocal. That does not change the fact that most do not believe they were the exact words of Christ.
 
That’s all well and good since it’s your opinion.

I prefer to listen to the CCC (you know, our authority). You go ahead and live by Spiritmeadows opinion.:rolleyes:

**881 **The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the “rock” of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. “The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head.” This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church’s very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
Your attempts at sarcasm are duly noted. I shall refrain, and remind you that my opinions do not well up on their own, but are the result of examination of many and several well known biblical exegetes whose professional career is spent studying these issues. I am persuaded by the evidence that such analysis is correct. You may of course follow the CCC. I’ll refrain from the eye rolling as well. Have a good one.
 
Agreed.
I want to see the proof to back up this claim.

Where is it?
You misunderstand. I have no desire to convince you of anything. I was simply stating my opinion and where it came from. You may do your own research if you so desire. I have no need or desire to revisit old research. I might suggest you start with Anchor books on the individual books of the NT. Especially i would look at those passages referring to “and on this rock I will build my church.” If you go to Anchors web page you can discover the particular author and book associated with the particular NT book. I’m not sure without looking which one this particular reference comes from other than that it is from the Gospels certainly. You might also try Mier who did a 3 book study of Jesus.
 
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