Do you believe everything the Catholic Church teaches?

[dcdurel]

I wrote,
“I don’t recall the Pope teaching that murder or adultery can only be forgiven once. I recall certain Catholics believed that, but I never recall that belief was considered as part of God’s word, that is, either apostolic Tradition or scripture, and since the it was neither apostolic Tradition or Scripture, and the Pope never taught it, it cannot be Catholic Church teaching.”
Then you wrote:

Tertullian wrote about this teaching and practice in the 2nd century. It was not just the belief of an individual Catholic.
Your comment that “all the beliefs of Catholics are not the truth” is interesting. How do you know what fits in that category?

  It was not the belief of all Catholics.  And it certainly was not a belief handed down in apostolic Tradition.  The Pope clearly refuted Tertullian on this point, and that was one reason Tertullian eventually left the Church.     Again, I repeat,  all beliefs of all Catholics are not Church teachings. Some Catholics don't understand correctly, some knowingly reject  what the  Church teaches and some have been misled.  In the  early days, the God's word in apostolic Tradition can be distinguished by three ways. If all the Church fathers agreed on a teaching, then it is Church teaching handed down in apostolic Tradition.  Another way is that the Church fathers clearly said this belief was "apostolic Tradition", or they said, "this is what we have always believed" or "this is what has been handed down", or "this is taught in all the churches".  In other words, if they in some way distinguish the teaching as coming from the apostles rather than their own opinion, then it is apostolic Tradition.  The third way was Church authority.  
The idea of Tertullian that sins of  adultery could not be forgiven was never a belief of all Church fathers, nor was it ever taught as coming from the apostles.  If it was unclear to him, he should have listened to the Pope.  But his pride caused him to reject the clear teaching of the Pope.

Protestants (most of them) have it wrong because they place no value in tradition, which is a big reason they are so fragmented. There certainly is a role for tradition. My current view is basically Catholic, except I believe that only scripture is perfect. Personal perceptions of the Holy Spirit’s leading, tradition, and the Church are extremely helpful, but not infallible for reasons I’ve described previously.

Scripture is perfect, but scripture is only clear in salvation history. Scripture is NOT clear and explicit when it comes to teachings apart from Tradition. The reason Protestants have over 30,000 different Gospels from their interpretations of the bible is not because they are evil or sinful, but because the teachings in bible are not clear and explicit by themselves, apart from Church teachings.

Apostolic Tradition, because it came from God, is also perfect. The difference is that parts of apostolic Tradition are clear and explicit. That is because Jesus intended His teachings to be spread through teaching and preaching, that is apostolic Tradition. So these teachings had to be clear and explicit. Examples are baptism, the Eucharist, purgatory, etc. Scripture is clear and explicit on historical facts, salvation history. That is because Jesus intended salvation history to be spread through scripture.
Of course both of these are not sufficient. If you told a builder that you wanted a house on a certain lot, and he simply unloaded the bricks, lumber, wires, pipes and shingles on the lot and said, “there it is, pure house materials”. Well you might be able to fashon some kind of shelter, but it could hardly be called a house. The materials have to be put together in a certain way, by an expert builder , to make the house. Then it is complete and useful. In the same way the magisterium, the teaching authority, has to take God’s word and put it together to make it complete and understandable, as in the Catechisms. This is why Jesus founded a teaching authority and gave the Church the Holy Spirit. This is why we need all three, Tradition, Scripture and the magisterium.

 

[Christ_s_friend]

I want to click on 2 and then click on Vote Now

I will change the question and answers a little.

**What do you not see Scripturally supported as far as Catholic church teaching goes?

**1. I don’t think Mary is as important as the Church claims but I see her as a servant of God like everyone.

1. I don’t think I need to confess my sins to a priest but to God. I will confess to a priest (or in my case a pastor) the sins that I am struggling with that I need his help with.

I also do not believe birth control is wrong but that is because of tradtion; I never really studied it in the text. Until I do so I will not form a solid opinion.

 

[Theodred]

Christ's friend:

1. I don’t think Mary is as important as the Church claims but I see her as a servant of God like everyone.

This is unanswerable because no one can possibly know what you mean by “as important as the Church claims.” Unless you post specific Catholic doctrines on which you disagree no one here will be able to address this issue.
Christ's friend:

1. I don’t think I need to confess my sins to a priest but to God. I will confess to a priest (or in my case a pastor) the sins that I am struggling with that I need his help with.

John 20:21-23: Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

1 Cor 2:10-11: Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

Acts 19:18: Many also of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.

James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
Christ's friend:

…Until I do so I will not form a solid opinion.

Catholics don’t have to operate from personal opinion regarding the central tenants of our faith.

 

[Christ_s_friend]

1. You know Marian doctrines better then I do.
2. Now you have shown me verses that say to confess sins to men so they can help you with the battle and to forgive each other of our trespasses against one another. None of the verses say that we have to go to someone to confess our sins to a man to be forgive of them by God. We have to confess sins that we did against people to the people we did them against so they may forgive us of doing those sins to them.
3. I never studied birth control in Scripture and I am not implying that the Catholic teaching is from opinion. I am just saying I do not believe something until its backed by an absolute like Scripture. No mans mere words will convice me unless backed by Scripture.

 

[dennisknapp]

Christ's friend:

.

1. I never studied birth control in Scripture and I am not implying that the Catholic teaching is from opinion. I am just saying I do not believe something until its backed by an absolute like Scripture. No mans mere words will convice me unless backed by Scripture.

And where is that in Scripture?

 

[Theodred]

If you don’t know anything about Marian doctrines, how can you disagree with them?

2. Now you have shown me verses that say to confess sins to men so they can help you with the battle and to forgive each other of our trespasses against one another.

Where did you get “so they can help you with the battle and to forgive each other” from the above the Scripture quotes? You read that into them. Don’t accuse others of doing something that you, yourself, do.

None of the verses say that we have to go to someone to confess our sins to a man to be forgive of them by God.

Yes they do. Re-read them.

We have to confess sins that we did against people to the people we did them against so they may forgive us of doing those sins to them.

Where does it say that in the bible?

 

[Theodred]

dennisknapp:

And where is that in Scripture?

mmm-hmmm :yup:

Cf states that the quotes I provided do not say that sins should be confessed (but they clearly do in both Acts 19:18 and James 5:16), and that the ministers of the Church have the authority to forgive sins (but they clearly do in both John 20:23 and 1 Cor 2:11). Then he states something like that, which is clearly found no where in Scripture. :banghead:

 

[GaryZak]

No one can anwser this without noting, that the CATHOLIC CHURCH IS ALIVE and effectually dynamic, NOT static and dead words, in as much as the four GOSPELS of CHRIST HAVE a LIFE, are living creatures…

If your MINDSET is to corner an EARTHLY ANIMAL, not in COMMUNION with the HEAVENLY DEMENSE, then you WILL SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE:

EPH 4:7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

MT 7:2 For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

To fail to SEE the Catholic as ALIVE and in COMMUNION with the heavenly demense, could be fatal to GROWTH…

 

[Lisa4Catholics]

Yes I believe everything:thumbsup:

 

[WhatIf]

1. You know Marian doctrines better then I do.

1. Now you have shown me verses that say to confess sins to men so they can help you with the battle and to forgive each other of our trespasses against one another. None of the verses say that we have to go to someone to confess our sins to a man to be forgive of them by God. We have to confess sins that we did against people to the people we did them against so they may forgive us of doing those sins to them.
2. I never studied birth control in Scripture and I am not implying that the Catholic teaching is from opinion. I am just saying I do not believe something until its backed by an absolute like Scripture. No mans mere words will convice me unless backed by Scripture.

Just wondering “what absolute like scripture” shows approval of birth control. I don’t think you will find a single verse that states or implies any limiting of births is good or in our hands instead of God’s. Lots of verses “say” the opposite - that it is up to God. I don’t want to go too deep into it, but you may want to examine your motives for birth control belief because I think you’ll find that it isn’t based on scripture. It is based on selfishness or pride most likely just like the rest of us who have used it. It is when you turn to Scripture and what God is telling us about having children that you will change your views about birth control. For now, you are just following society on it and not Scripture.

 

[chevalier]

I’ve been in situations where I had to give answers, asked by non-Catholics or atheists, and had to come up with answers hoping before God (and sometimes praying) that I wouldn’t run into heresy… and after some time came across an encyclical or other document I never really read before only to recognise the arguments or even the wording I used when I had to reply.

If something looks strange, it’s probably my problem and not the Church’s problem. I have problems with some things theologists say from lay authors to certain things in Saint Thomas Aquinas. For example, I have a problem with people saying a kiss is sinful for including tongue, or masturbation can be right (e.g. if marital act doesn’t end in an orgasm for the wife according to one book approved by a prominent Cardinal), and a couple of other details in the moral area, but with nothing in the dogma. And I don’t get such feelings when reading papal encyclicals, either.

 

[reggie]

Where I see confusion is in the understanding of official Church Doctrine and Dogma and theological opinions of individuals. It is quite evident in history that there has been theology put forth by great thinkers that was eventually rejected by the Church. That is why the Magisterium is so important. One primary example of this is NT Scripture itself. There were many, many writings being passed around the early church. Because some of them were not in keeping with what the Church understood to be Jesus’s message, a council was called to determine which books were in fact divinely inspired and to be used by the whole Church for teaching and preaching. This illustrates that not everything written by a church theologian was approved to be binding on the faithful.

One of the examples of the church “changing” was that some churches can cancel Holy Days of Obligation. That was an incorrect assessment of current practice. These days are not cancelled; they may be moved to a Sunday because of a variety of reasons. Generally it is a logistical thing in that some people cannot make the mass, or if a parish is short handed priests or laymen to assist or if the costs would be burdensome to the parish budget. If a Catholic has access to a Mass on a Holy Day, it is required. If the Catholic has no such access, he does not sin. But to fulfill his obligation, he must attend Sunday.

It is not a matter of putting your trust in men. When you are a member of the Catholic Church, you are putting your trust in Jesus. Jesus promised the guidance of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. The Apostles then handed down to their successors what they were taught, and so on, and so on, and so on… Every generation brings a deeper understanding of the Gospel. Doctrine is not changed, but developed in light of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

People need to stop spouting what they believe is the official stance of the Church when they do not in fact know. Take the time to find out what the CCC teaches, then work from there. Just because a “Catholic” has written or espoused something, doesn’t mean that it official doctrine. Theology is presented to the Magisterium and over time, the Holy Spirit will guide them to know what is the truth.

To paraphrase the great Archbishop Sheen, there are not 100 people who hate the Catholic church, but there are thousands who hate what they think is the Catholic Church.

 

[gladtobe]

I don’t believe the average Catholic knows everything the Catholic church teaches.There’s just to much to absorb in one lifetime. I personally have trouble with offering money for indulgences. Prayers **without **monetary contributions are better. God does not need our money. I’m sure all of us do not understand all the teachings of the church and even Catholic divines argue among themselves over matters.

 

[robertjohn]

I believe in the church of the good samaritan. You may be surprised but even a few catholics and protestants are there.

j

 

[Stone_Cold]

Yes, I believe everything the one, holy, catholic, apostolic church teaches because she is founded by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the rock of St. Peter and the foundation of the Apostles.

 

[turboEDvo]

I believe everything. I might question something temporarily, but reserve judgement on the assumption that many more intelligent minds have discerned the church’s teaching. Why should I expect to have the ability to out-think hundreds of thinkers and theologians? My ego is definitely not that large.

Eamon

 

[antiaphrodite]

i believe all that the Catholic Church teaches.

 

[John_19_59]

The Church currently has a novel teaching (only since the 1960’s) that says Catholics and Muslims worship the same God.

That teaching is simply not true! It’s an impossiblity!

Because we both profess to worship a supreme being with some similar superfical professed characteristics does not mean they are the same God.

I have two arms, two legs, a head and some hair. So does my brother. I am not my brother though!

Do you believe that God sent Gabriel to Mohammed to dictate His word that explicitly denies Christ, his death, resurrection and salvation? This dictation of “Gods” word is the very foundation of their belief.

Of course you don’t believe it. The God we worship never did any such thing, so that makes the “God” they worship a liar. We know who the father of lies is.

Has any Muslim said that they worship the same God as us? Have they ever acknowleged the Father of Christ? The Son of God? The Holy Spirit?

Of course they haven’t. They don’t believe in the Trinity.

So how can a “God” who explicitly denies the Trinity be the same God as the Trinity?

What happened to the FIRST commandment?

Where does that leave us as regards Church teaching? Some Church teaching is defective - it’s as simple as that.

It is my belief that as in the days of the Arian crisis, the true Church will resurface and take up it’s true mission once again.

It is my belief that as in the days after the Arian crisis the defective teaching will be declared as defective - reasons will be found as to why it is defective and outside the true Magesterium - and authentic Catholic teaching will be restored.

This pan-religious madness must end.

 

[Gratias_Grace]

Yes, I believe everything the Church teaches! If I didn’t I would never have converted from lutheranism to catholisism. Generally I see the “pick and chose catholics” as catholics that don’t know their faith well. They have everything and give it away for the modern worlds wish to attack the Church. They don’t understand it, but as “pick and chose catholics” they are the wictims of the worlds propaganda. The devil winks and they grab his hand as it was some sort of candy!

Somtimes I wish that every catholic had to go through the same prosses as we, former protestants, did before we said YES to the Church. It wasn’t easy! May be our “jobs” are to remind the “pick and chose catholics” about that we are priveleged to be catolics, “members” in the ONE Church Jesus instituted!

John_19_59:

The Church currently has a novel teaching (only since the 1960’s) that says Catholics and Muslims worship the same God.

That teaching is simply not true! It’s an impossiblity!

Since there are only one God, and muslems claim to worship the only one God, it has to be the same God as we worship. There are no other gods! If we say that they worship another god, then we denies our own belief that there is only one God.

Their wiev of God, however, are distorted. They don’t understand the Trinity and they denie that Christ is the son of God the Father.

We can wonder who disturbed their understanding of God and we can pray for them to find their way to the Trinity, but we can’t say that that they have another God than the one and only God!

G.Grace

 

[John_19_59]

*Since there are only one God, and muslems claim to worship the only one God, it has to be the same God as we worship. *

That is a logical fallacy!

They worship a being who claims to be the one God. But he can’t be the one God because he explicitly denied Christ. Whoever talked to Mohammed mixed truth with lies - a tactic of the Devil.

*There are no other gods! *

Correct - the first commandment. There are however plenty of false gods who should not be worshipped. The Muslim god is one of those false gods. The Muslim god denies Christ, it is an anti-Christ. It is not our God.

If we say that they worship another god, then we denies our own belief that there is only one God.

No - we say they worship a false god not “another God”.

We worship the one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Anyone who denies the Son, denies the Father who sent Him.

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:22-23).

Face it - since 1965 the Church has be teaching an error. Just like the Arian crisis.

Why is the Church doing this?