Do we really have a choice?

[hays1122]

In another thread the subject of Judas was discussed titled:
“Do you ever feel sorry for Judas Iscariot?”
While researching the question that came up because Jesus said “none of them is lost, but the SON OF PERDITION; that the scripture might be fulfilled”.
I felt that Judas was born to fulfill scripture,so he had no choice.
I came upon the part where Saul comes to know the Lord.
Saul didn’t decide to become a Christian. God himself spoke to him and blinded him. I’m guessing that the reason Saul had his vision taken away for a while was so he would do as he was told.
He was so full of hate for Christians. He probably would have just shook it off as a hallucination and continued on his way to arrest and kill Christians.
In the discussion about Judas we see that Judas was predestined as “the son of perdition”.
And Saul was predestined to become Paul the apostle,as told in Acts Chapter 22:14.
There are other bible verses where God says things like,“I knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb”.
In Romans the 9th Chapter are a few examples of how God says he makes the decisions on how people’s lives will pan out.
I’m thinking about how you might be Catholic and someone else is Protestant. Do we really have aright to say the other guy is wrong when God puts us where we are.
I am not protestant because I reject the Catholic church. I am protestant because my parents trained me in the way I should go.
Every religion has followers who feel just as strongly about what they have been trained to follow.
I find it hard to believe that most people follow a religion while thinking in the back of their mind “I don’t believe this but I’m going to act and talk like I mean it.”
You might say,“Hey your not a child you can decide for yourself now.” What about you? And I mean anyone out there that feels so strongly about their beliefs that they get angry and sometimes rude defending their religious convictions.
What makes us so different from these men like Saul , Judas, the pharaoh in Egypt ,or Esau. They did not have a choice,not from what I read in the bible.
There are a few people here that say Protestants or any non Catholic is doomed for hell. I’ve heard that said about Catholics.
I wish I was Saul but unfortunately I feel like Esau or even the pharaoh. I sure hope I’m not a Judas!

 

[Tic_Toc]

Hays,

I’m not really a believer in predestination. I can understand how one could get the idea that our lives are all predetermined by God, though, I think the Bible provides more evidence for free will than it does fate. I mean, sure, God is omniscient and all; however, if you’re going to go looking through the Bible for evidence to support your claim, then why not ask, if God knows everything, then why didn’t he just destroy all the various cities he does in the Old Testament before sending various prophets and people to give them a second chance? If He knew they wouldn’t repent, why not just destroy them in the first place?

Anyway, I think one has to take the Bible as a little more symbolic than literal. I’ve always tended to look at Saul’s blindness as more of a metaphorical, spiritual blindess. When he regains his vision, he is converted and, to borrow a cliche, sees the light, finally. So, go be Paul, I suppose; you can. (I think I’m borrowing Barack Obama’s slogan, give or take).

As for your religion question, I know where you’re coming from. Quite honestly, I believe Catholicism is probably the best way for me to relate to the Good Lord; though, when people start getting a little radical in it, then, well…that’s bad. Same with other religions. We could all be wrong and end up going to Hell. We don’t really know, and we’d be lying if we said that we could know with 100% certainty. Indeed, religion is as much a social construct as spiritual, so sometimes we can’t control what we believe in. I think you’ve just got to be the best person you can be.

 

[hays1122]

Hays,

I’m not really a believer in predestination. I can understand how one could get the idea that our lives are all predetermined by God, though, I think the Bible provides more evidence for free will than it does fate. I mean, sure, God is omniscient and all; however, if you’re going to go looking through the Bible for evidence to support your claim, then why not ask, if God knows everything, then why didn’t he just destroy all the various cities he does in the Old Testament before sending various prophets and people to give them a second chance? If He knew they wouldn’t repent, why not just destroy them in the first place?

Anyway, I think one has to take the Bible as a little more symbolic than literal. I’ve always tended to look at Saul’s blindness as more of a metaphorical, spiritual blindess. When he regains his vision, he is converted and, to borrow a cliche, sees the light, finally. So, go be Paul, I suppose; you can. (I think I’m borrowing Barack Obama’s slogan, give or take).

As for your religion question, I know where you’re coming from. Quite honestly, I believe Catholicism is probably the best way for me to relate to the Good Lord; though, when people start getting a little radical in it, then, well…that’s bad. Same with other religions. We could all be wrong and end up going to Hell. We don’t really know, and we’d be lying if we said that we could know with 100% certainty. Indeed, religion is as much a social construct as spiritual, so sometimes we can’t control what we believe in. I think you’ve just got to be the best person you can be.

Thank you tic Toc,I do agree with what you say about we’ve just got to be the best person we can be.
I do pray and ask the Lord to guide me.
He does say,“seek and ye shall find”.
I am seeking.

 

[Mike_Dye]

Yes, we really have a choice. One thing God will never do is deny us our free will. I do believe God has a plan for each of us and we can say yes or no to that plan. When we say no that simply means that it is going to take a little more time for the Kingdom of God to be ushered in. You will not be chastised for your choice. I know from the depths of my heart I was called to Holy Orders, I told God no and will forever know that I did it with my own free will. That does not mean that the circumstances that influenced my decision were insurmountable I just thought they were. Regardless I still feel Gods love and know He understands.

 

[cath2lic4ever]

Hays,

I’m not really a believer in predestination. I can understand how one could get the idea that our lives are all predetermined by God, though, I think the Bible provides more evidence for free will than it does fate. I mean, sure, God is omniscient and all; however, if you’re going to go looking through the Bible for evidence to support your claim, then why not ask, if God knows everything, then why didn’t he just destroy all the various cities he does in the Old Testament before sending various prophets and people to give them a second chance? If He knew they wouldn’t repent, why not just destroy them in the first place?

Anyway, I think one has to take the Bible as a little more symbolic than literal. I’ve always tended to look at Saul’s blindness as more of a metaphorical, spiritual blindess. When he regains his vision, he is converted and, to borrow a cliche, sees the light, finally. So, go be Paul, I suppose; you can. (I think I’m borrowing Barack Obama’s slogan, give or take).

As for your religion question, I know where you’re coming from. Quite honestly, I believe Catholicism is probably the best way for me to relate to the Good Lord; though, when people start getting a little radical in it, then, well…that’s bad. Same with other religions. We could all be wrong and end up going to Hell. We don’t really know, and we’d be lying if we said that we could know with 100% certainty. Indeed, religion is as much a social construct as spiritual, so sometimes we can’t control what we believe in. I think you’ve just got to be the best person you can be.

excellent post tic toc. agreed on all points and i honestly believe that through prayers…we are being guided by THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT to be the best person we can be. GOD bless & prayers to all!

 

[Serap]

I 100% agree with all of the posts here. It’s so nice that this thread hasn’t been hijacked by a militant…‘thou must do’…

Being the best person you can be encompasses so much about the New Testament. It means offering an elderely person help with their groceries; smiling at a homeless person on the street when asking for money (if you don’t have any change on you); not biting back at someone when they bite at you; being a loving and gentle parent; not thinking that you are better than anyone else; being loyal and loving to your spouse; kindness; campassion…

I honestly believe that it’s these things that allow us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Protestant…Catholic…we are all entitled to our beliefs and anyone making a statement that someone is going to Hell in my opinion is no better than the Pharisees.

We are all raised with different beliefs and we should accept these differences without making judgements.

 

[hays1122]

I 100% agree with all of the posts here. It’s so nice that this thread hasn’t been hijacked by a militant…‘thou must do’…

Being the best person you can be encompasses so much about the New Testament. It means offering an elderely person help with their groceries; smiling at a homeless person on the street when asking for money (if you don’t have any change on you); not biting back at someone when they bite at you; being a loving and gentle parent; not thinking that you are better than anyone else; being loyal and loving to your spouse; kindness; campassion…

I honestly believe that it’s these things that allow us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Protestant…Catholic…we are all entitled to our beliefs and anyone making a statement that someone is going to Hell in my opinion is no better than the Pharisees.

We are all raised with different beliefs and we should accept these differences without making judgements.

Right, people making judgments is what makes a lot of people leave church.
Who is worst off,the person who rejects God all together or the “Christian” who doesn’t belong to the “right” church?
I pray that the Lord God will show us all “the way” since we are seeking him most fervently.

 

[Ruthie]

I’m worn out… I may come across as uncharitable, because I’m grumpy - but not at anyone here. (I’m having a bad fibromyalgia flareup.)

Let me divide this quote into two parts:

Protestant…Catholic…we are all entitled to our beliefs

Are you sure this isn’t relativism? “That may be true for you, but it isn’t for me.” Or is it a statement of rights? Me: relativism, I disagree; right to believe as we will, I agree.

I think it will matter, in the end, which church we belong to, because the Catholic church holds the fullness of truth. In other words, non-Catholic Christians (NCCs) have part of the truth, but we have as much of it as has been revealed.

and anyone making a statement that someone is going to Hell in my opinion is no better than the Pharisees.

Amen to that.

We don’t teach that all non-Catholics go to hell. In fact, we teach that we mere humans, including the Pope, cannot make that judgment about anyone, not even Hitler, except ourselves. And even then, we can be wrong.The Church can declare that someone is in Heaven; that is where we get our Saints. But that doesn’t mean that *only *the saints are in Heaven, either. I’m sure my Grandma is!

The closest we can come to judging that someone will go to hell is to say that someone committed grave sin. That’s the first requirement of mortal sin, which is the sin that leads to hell. The other two requirements are that we know, completely, that it is grave; and that we fully, of our own free will, choose to commit it anyway. Nobody but me and Jesus know whether those two are true, and sometimes I’m wrong.

So since NCCs have part of the truth, why don’t they have the fullness of truth? Two reasons, which are really two ends of a spectrum.

Either they were never taught it, which is not their fault. They have the part of the truth that they were taught, and will not be denied Heaven because of what they didn’t get.

The other end of the spectrum is that they have learned and have rejected the Church’s teachings, which is heresy, which is grave matter. But I have no way of knowing whether the other two requirements for mortal sin are met.

So anyone who says that all non-Catholics are going to hell is dangerously going where only Jesus can tread. You know what they say: fools rush in…

God bless us all,

Ruthie

“Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.” - the Fatima prayer

 

[hays1122]

I’m worn out… I may come across as uncharitable, because I’m grumpy - but not at anyone here. (I’m having a bad fibromyalgia flareup.)

Let me divide this quote into two parts:

Are you sure this isn’t relativism? “That may be true for you, but it isn’t for me.” Or is it a statement of rights? Me: relativism, I disagree; right to believe as we will, I agree.

I think it will matter, in the end, which church we belong to, because the Catholic church holds the fullness of truth. In other words, non-Catholic Christians (NCCs) have part of the truth, but we have as much of it as has been revealed.

Amen to that.

We don’t teach that all non-Catholics go to hell. In fact, we teach that we mere humans, including the Pope, cannot make that judgment about anyone, not even Hitler, except ourselves. And even then, we can be wrong.The Church can declare that someone is in Heaven; that is where we get our Saints. But that doesn’t mean that *only *the saints are in Heaven, either. I’m sure my Grandma is!

The closest we can come to judging that someone will go to hell is to say that someone committed grave sin. That’s the first requirement of mortal sin, which is the sin that leads to hell. The other two requirements are that we know, completely, that it is grave; and that we fully, of our own free will, choose to commit it anyway. Nobody but me and Jesus know whether those two are true, and sometimes I’m wrong.

So since NCCs have part of the truth, why don’t they have the fullness of truth? Two reasons, which are really two ends of a spectrum.

Either they were never taught it, which is not their fault. They have the part of the truth that they were taught, and will not be denied Heaven because of what they didn’t get.

The other end of the spectrum is that they have learned and have rejected the Church’s teachings, which is heresy, which is grave matter. But I have no way of knowing whether the other two requirements for mortal sin are met.

So anyone who says that all non-Catholics are going to hell is dangerously going where only Jesus can tread. You know what they say: fools rush in…

God bless us all,

Ruthie

“Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.” - the Fatima prayer

I am sorry about your
“fibromyalgia flareup”. May all who read this say a prayer for your health.
You didn’t sound grumpy at all. You obviously believe that you belong to the right church. I was not taught Catholicism. And it’s nice of you to say that it’s not right for anyone to condemn an "NCC " to hell. But it’s done. And not just by catholics or protestants. Anyone who belongs to any religion believes they are in the right religion.
What I’m trying to find out is what part does God play here?
Now God himself pointed Saul into the right direction. We don’t know if Saul would have become a Christian eventually. But God did intervene. Then there was Judas, God didn’t appear to him and blind him so he wouldn’t do the evil God knew he was about to do.
God knows all. He knows who will be saved.
So if you are “saved” and I am not. It isn’t because I reject Jesus or salvation. It is because I wasn’t born to the right parents which should have been catholic. There are babies being born to Muslim,Hindu, Buddhist,Wicca parents. Who put them there?
I feel sorry for anyone who wasn’t born into the right church. Which of course is the catholic church,as any good faithful catholic will say.
Should I ask for forgiveness because I’ve “committed grave sin” by not rejecting the religion my mother and grandfather taught me and made me believe that I’d burn in hell for all eternity if I didn’t stick with it till I die?

 

[Miss_Echo]

I’m a bit tired myself at the moment, but… :twocents:

I believe we have free will. Did God “predestine” Judas and Saul? I don’t think so. I think God knew (of course) what would happen, yes. But ultimately their decisions were their own. Judas’ betrayal may have been prophesied, but again it goes back to… God knows what each of us will do, and the prophets (through God) therefore knew what Judas would do long before Judas ever knew it himself.

In Saul’s case God certainly did intercede and convinced Saul to change. God knew Saul would convert. Doesn’t mean he MADE Saul convert; know what I mean? (Maybe God called 18 other men on the road to Damascus that day and Paul was the only one who “answered”! LOL!) No but really, why would God bother trying to convince somebody who He knows darn well isn’t going to respond?

Yes, we are all born in different circumstances. Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, white, black, rich, poor, etc. That still doesn’t take away our free will. Some suffer more than others. Some have a relatively easy ride. But we still have free will to make choices. God putting us in a certain family from birth doesn’t constitute predestination. What we do with our lives after our births determines where our destination will be.

Oh I’d love to go on but I’m typing with only one eye open at this point!

Good night & God bless, y’all!

 

[Ruthie]

Hays, thank you for your sympathy!

You said,

So if you are “saved” and I am not. It isn’t because I reject Jesus or salvation. It is because I wasn’t born to the right parents which should have been catholic. There are babies being born to Muslim,Hindu, Buddhist,Wicca parents. Who put them there?

You might have been being sarcastic; I can’t tell for sure. I am going to answer you straight.

First of all, I don’t know that I am “saved.” It’s an ongoing project. I hope with reasonable confidence, that I will eventually arrive in Heaven. My confidence comes from His grace. It’s ongoing, because it relies on my cooperation (Phil 2:12) and endurance (Mt 10:22 & 24:13).

Second, I was not born to Catholic parents! I’m a convert. (That’s what “Tiber swim team” means.) When I first looked into Catholicism 3 years ago, I had been Christian for about 15 years and had no intention of “converting,” but found myself agreeing heartily with what I learned, such as the above about salvation.

Third, babies usually arrive where God wants them to!

And I hope I made it clear that I (along with the Church) do NOT believe that only Catholics will be saved. Even with the Church there’s no guarantee. And there’s no guarantee that someone - even an atheist - doesn’t have enough of the truth to get to Heaven. As I said, it starts with God’s grace. It ends there, too.

God bless us all,

Ruthie

 

[hays1122]

Hays, thank you for your sympathy!

You said,

You might have been being sarcastic; I can’t tell for sure. I am going to answer you straight.

First of all, I don’t know that I am “saved.” It’s an ongoing project. I hope with reasonable confidence, that I will eventually arrive in Heaven. My confidence comes from His grace. It’s ongoing, because it relies on my cooperation (Phil 2:12) and endurance (Mt 10:22 & 24:13).

Second, I was not born to Catholic parents! I’m a convert. (That’s what “Tiber swim team” means.) When I first looked into Catholicism 3 years ago, I had been Christian for about 15 years and had no intention of “converting,” but found myself agreeing heartily with what I learned, such as the above about salvation.

Third, babies usually arrive where God wants them to!

And I hope I made it clear that I (along with the Church) do NOT believe that only Catholics will be saved. Even with the Church there’s no guarantee. And there’s no guarantee that someone - even an atheist - doesn’t have enough of the truth to get to Heaven. As I said, it starts with God’s grace. It ends there, too.

God bless us all,

Ruthie

I was not being sarcastic. You’ve read enough posts here to know that Catholics say protestants are not following the true church. I have read many posts here where people say that if I am not Catholic I am not attending a real “church”. I might as well stay home.
My remark about babies “who puts them there”. My point is that some of us are not Catholics because we weren’t born into a catholic family. Thank God you found your way to the catholic church. You felt free to make the decision.
I don’t feel that freedom yet.
Those verses you point out make good points. But so does "For by grace are you saved through faith and not of yourself for it is a gift of God."Ehp 2:8
And Romans 5:1,“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
There are many verses in the bible that can be used to prove Salvation by faith. Just as you have those that say you must work out your salvation.
I don’t know what religion you belonged to before you converted but I find it hard to except the idea that Mary has so much power over Jesus.
Catholics believe Mary can save sinners. She can make Jesus do what she wants him to do.
“no one receives the gift of God but through Mary”
“no creature ever obtained any grace from God except through the dispensation of this Kind Mother.”
These are just two of thousands of such statements made about Mary.
How did you come to the point where you believe that Mary has such powers?

 

[Serap]

Catholics believe Mary can save sinners. She can make Jesus do what she wants him to do.
“no one receives the gift of God but through Mary”
“no creature ever obtained any grace from God except through the dispensation of this Kind Mother.”
These are just two of thousands of such statements made about Mary.
How did you come to the point where you believe that Mary has such powers?

I too struggled with the whole Blessed Mary concept. I too am a Catholic convert and I was born into protestant Church of England. The two are quite similar, so many of the concepts are the same. BUT…Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth was an entirely new concept to me.

SO…on Oct 7, it was Holy Rosary Day and I had never done the Rosary before. I downloaded the “how to” and recited the Rosary for the first time that evening (I did five Mysteries). After a few nights of doing one decade before going to bed, strange (good) things started to happen.

I have now begun to pray to Mary on a regular basis (in my own words also) and it’s so powerful. Blessing after blessing has been coming my way and at times it has scared me half to death.

I can only speak from my own experience, but the Blessed Mary is very powerful. I have also done extensive research on her past apparitions. She states over and over that she DOES intercede for us and that she does have a lot of power (and influence) over Jesus.

Do some research on the Lady of Fatima. It’s very powerful. Also, note the day that Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter’s square and how it relates to a prediction that the Lady of Fatima had given to the children of Fatima.

I can now say that I do believe in the power of Mary and I pray to her all the time. I feel her love for me and it has been a beautiful experience. Mary is so beautiful and she is my role model as a woman.

I had to open my heart to her in order to experience it for myself. Give it a try…you may be very pleasantly surprised.

 

[hays1122]

I too struggled with the whole Blessed Mary concept. I too am a Catholic convert and I was born into protestant Church of England. The two are quite similar, so many of the concepts are the same. BUT…Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth was an entirely new concept to me.

SO…on Oct 7, it was Holy Rosary Day and I had never done the Rosary before. I downloaded the “how to” and recited the Rosary for the first time that evening (I did five Mysteries). After a few nights of doing one decade before going to bed, strange (good) things started to happen.

I have now begun to pray to Mary on a regular basis (in my own words also) and it’s so powerful. Blessing after blessing has been coming my way and at times it has scared me half to death.

I can only speak from my own experience, but the Blessed Mary is very powerful. I have also done extensive research on her past apparitions. She states over and over that she DOES intercede for us and that she does have a lot of power (and influence) over Jesus.

Do some research on the Lady of Fatima. It’s very powerful. Also, note the day that Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter’s square and how it relates to a prediction that the Lady of Fatima had given to the children of Fatima.

I can now say that I do believe in the power of Mary and I pray to her all the time. I feel her love for me and it has been a beautiful experience. Mary is so beautiful and she is my role model as a woman.

I had to open my heart to her in order to experience it for myself. Give it a try…you may be very pleasantly surprised.

Thank you for sharing your testimony about your experience with saying the rosary. And all that’s happened to you through praying to Mary.
I actually have read up on many of the apparitions of Mary. All those reports are fascinating alright. I can understand why so many people love Mary. And she does tell the people to pray the rosary daily.
The only problem is my upbringing. I know it’s hard for some people to understand but there’s a deeply embedded fear of the catholic church and especially Mary in me.
When you wrote,“at times it has scared me half to death”,I got chill bumps. That’s how scared I am of Mary and the Catholic faith.
There must be a reason why I found this website and EWTN radio.
I have had questions about the Catholic church for many years and no way of getting answers. Now I am reading all I can and trying to understand the Catholic faith.
I do pray and ask the Lord to guide me in the way I should go.
Now I am so drawn to books on Catholicism. I have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. And a pamphlet on how to say the Rosary. Which I have read and like the prayers but the ones focused on Mary make me uncomfortable.
I listen to Catholic radio any chance I get. Father Corapi and Bishop Fulton Sheen are great. And Catholic Answers live has really helped me a lot.
I am trying to find my way,but I have blinders on which only the Lord can remove if he wishes.
And this is why I ask about choice. I was raised to believe that Jesus is the only way the truth and the life. “No one comes to the father but by me”. And if I should consider praying to Mary or becoming a Catholic, only God himself will be able to make me be converted.
As I write this now,my stomach is in a knot.

 

[po18guy]

A little off topic, but to those who have difficulty with Catholic teaching on Mary, know that it took 20 years for my last reservation to be melted by the warmth of the Lord. This was regarding her perpetual virginity.

Also, regarding the Rosary: It is a type of prayer known as “contemplative prayer” This is basically unknown outside of the Catholic (and Othodox?) churches. In saying the Rosary, you speak the “Hail Mary” and the Lord’s prayer to occupy your physical body and keep you on task, while you mentally contemplate each of the divine mysteries. Those mysteries were each created by God, and we rightly give Him praise as we contemplate them.

So, we do not worship Mary, we venerate (honor) her as we praise the Father for his mercy and Goodness in instituting the Divine Mysteries. I would suggest praying the Rosary along with Father Benedict Groeschel’s recording “The Rosary is a Place”. He wonderfully explains much behind each mystery. It will erase so many doubts.

 

[hays1122]

A little off topic, but to those who have difficulty with Catholic teaching on Mary, know that it took 20 years for my last reservation to be melted by the warmth of the Lord. This was regarding her perpetual virginity.

Also, regarding the Rosary: It is a type of prayer known as “contemplative prayer” This is basically unknown outside of the Catholic (and Othodox?) churches. In saying the Rosary, you speak the “Hail Mary” and the Lord’s prayer to occupy your physical body and keep you on task, while you mentally contemplate each of the divine mysteries. Those mysteries were each created by God, and we rightly give Him praise as we contemplate them.

So, we do not worship Mary, we venerate (honor) her as we praise the Father for his mercy and Goodness in instituting the Divine Mysteries. I would suggest praying the Rosary along with Father Benedict Groeschel’s recording “The Rosary is a Place”. He wonderfully explains much behind each mystery. It will erase so many doubts.

Where did you find the quote,"“Woe unto those who rend Sacred Scripture asunder from the God-given Church authority which canonized it! They shall wander in confusion as sons of heresy and their unity forever be shattered unto ever smaller denominations” …who said it?

 

[po18guy]

Where did you find the quote,"“Woe unto those who rend Sacred Scripture asunder from the God-given Church authority which canonized it! They shall wander in confusion as sons of heresy and their unity forever be shattered unto ever smaller denominations” …who said it?

You can quote me. I did.

 

[Serap]

The only problem is my upbringing. I know it’s hard for some people to understand but there’s a deeply embedded fear of the catholic church and especially Mary in me.
When you wrote,“at times it has scared me half to death”,I got chill bumps. That’s how scared I am of Mary and the Catholic faith.
There must be a reason why I found this website and EWTN radio.
I have had questions about the Catholic church for many years and no way of getting answers. Now I am reading all I can and trying to understand the Catholic faith.
I do pray and ask the Lord to guide me in the way I should go.
Now I am so drawn to books on Catholicism. I have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. And a pamphlet on how to say the Rosary. Which I have read and like the prayers but the ones focused on Mary make me uncomfortable.
I listen to Catholic radio any chance I get. Father Corapi and Bishop Fulton Sheen are great. And Catholic Answers live has really helped me a lot.
I am trying to find my way,but I have blinders on which only the Lord can remove if he wishes.
And this is why I ask about choice. I was raised to believe that Jesus is the only way the truth and the life. “No one comes to the father but by me”. And if I should consider praying to Mary or becoming a Catholic, only God himself will be able to make me be converted.
As I write this now,my stomach is in a knot.

Your honesty and humbleness really comes through in your posts. Thanks for sharing your inner-most feelings.

I can relate to how you feel. The first thought that came to my mind about your fear of Mary and the Catholic church is that perhaps it is Satan that is instilling this fear in you? Because you are on a journey, Satan will be working hard to break your bond with God. I am sorry if this scares you further because I know you already feel afraid.

Fr. Vincent Serpa often advises people on CAF to spend an hour a day in front of the Blessed Sacrament and that this will remove your fears. If there is a Catholic church near-by your house, try it for even 15 minutes and perhaps your fears will begin to lift. Just a thought.

Now that I feel very close to the Holy Spirit and Mary, my fears are completely gone. I feel so much peace. I swam the Tiber in 1996 and it has taken me this long to really feel loved by God. It’s such a beautiful experience. My journey’s not over yet though. I still have so many questions and I think I am going to request to meet with my priest again.

Good for you that you are here and asking so many questions! You may not know it, but the Holy Spirit is guiding you and I think God has led you to the Catholic church, and you are beginning to come to that realization. Good luck on your journey…it’s beautiful. :bible1:

 

[AndyF]

Miss Echo:

I think this is where the desire of God and free choice are at odds.

Some Judas, a Judas, needed to play the role. Therefore perhaps not this Judas we are throwing stones at now would, but another would have taken his place.

Andy

 

[AndyF]

Miss Echo:

I think this is where the desire of God and free choice are at odds.

Some Judas, a Judas, needed to play the role. Therefore perhaps not this Judas we are throwing stones at now would, but another would have taken his place.

Judas’s trial must have been an attorney’s dream. Technicalities in favor of the defense would have needed to be surmounted for a prosecution.

Andy