You think I do know? You are respectfully wrong.
This should be a joyful event. One that takes the weight off your shoulders. I don’t understand why it is stressful.
is it possible there are roadblocks? As there were for me? I didn’t think it would ever happen just to get the call…
As you can see from the poll results, not everyone here represents the official Catholic POV. I’ve been a Catholic all my life and what I have been taught is that any person, whether Christian or not, can go to heaven, but it’s up to God to judge.
I suspect there are. Maybe those should be talked about.
Are you saying that in your faith, baptism includes speaking in tongues? Of course Catholic baptism is of and in the Holy Spirit, but not necessarily speaking in tongues. If a person began speaking in tongues during a baptism and another confirms the message, the Catholic Church would accept it, but speaking in tongues is not a necessary element in baptism.
I speak perhaps from a more absolute sense. It’s not that other people are not helpful, it’s just that at some point you do always have to make decisions for yourself. This is ultimately a very personal journey, it’s about your relationship with God and truly no one else is going to mediate that for you. Of course, as students starting out on a journey we look to others for help, guidance, suggestions. It’s because we feel ignorant and out of touch with God, we feel alone and fairly helpless. So I don’t mean to say that other people are irrelevant, but it’s just that when it comes to making your own decision on choosing a path to follow to salvation, it’s a decision you do have to make on your own. You don’t just take someone else’s advice and assume it’s best. In matters like this, when it comes down to those most important decisions, you’re not going to be moved and guided by someone else, you’re going to be moved and guided by God, and God will speak to you directly, to your heart and to the very core of who you are, not through someone else’s words. So by all means we can seek the guidance and wisdom of others, it’s valuable always to a certain point. But eventually we do all have to take responsibility for our own salvation, or rather we put that responsibility in the hands of God and just give in to that.
Since that’s what you think then I cannot take any opinion as infallible truth. How would you be so sure that your opinion is correct and infallible?
And we all know that Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ never stressed anyone out right.
They already know, they are the ones who wish to convert.
This comes back to an understanding of the nature of God. He does not exist in time. God sees yesterday, today and tomorrow simultaneously. His truths are eternal and don’t change so you don’t have to worry about God changing his mind.
You are right! God must have know about the Anglican Church (and all the other churches to come) 2000 years ago. Maybe he did not mention them and that he preferred some of the them at that time because it would have just confused us all?
Yes. You are responsible for your own decisions.
This is not true, however. There are many people who can mediate for you. This is what the Catholic concept of the communion of Saints is all about - helping one another reach heaven. You can’t get to heaven on your own. It must involve other people because getting to heaven is about loving others - which in theological terms is doing things for them without expecting anything in return.
Don’t dismiss the fact that God most often works through people. When Jesus resurrected from the dead, he did not appear to everyone - in fact, he appeared to about 500 people if you believe St. Paul and it was through those 500 witnesses that his message was spread - mostly through the efforts of the Apostles, who he commissioned for this task.
You are actually in agreement with Catholic teaching in this regard. Jesus did not die to keep us from suffering. He died to give meaning to our suffering. Life is a test to see whether we will chose to love others or simply serve ourselves. In everyone’s life there are good and bad things that happen to test us. When we are given good things, the test is to see how we use them and when bad things happen, the test is to see if we respond with love or anger and hatred. Jesus taught us how to love in even the cruelest situation and he commissioned a church to teach the truth about salvation and to administer the sacraments that give us the grace to live a life of love.
Remember, salvation requires love of God and neighbor and love is the opposite of being self-centered. And yes, we have free will and the decision to follow God is our own. But that doesn’t mean that we can or should approach God alone. Indeed, He established His Church for the very purpose of leading people to Himself. If it wasn’t for the Church, we would all be left to pondering life’s truths by staring up at the sky like neanderthals. But as it is, God sent his son, Jesus Christ, and the old testament prophets before Him, to illuminate us and it is their direct teachings about the nature of God that the Church passes down today.
You do realize how the Anglican church started right? King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife because she had not born him an heir. This is against the teaching of Jesus so the pope would not allow it. Henry’s response was to break from the Catholic Church and create the Church of England with himself as the head. Does is irrefutable historical fact. Does this seem like something God would approve of?
Sure, he told us to Love God with all our heart, mind, strength and soul and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
The eternal truths don’t change. What does change is our capacity and willingness to understand, accept and follow those truths.
Hello Openminded77,
Non-Catholic churches thought they had a better idea or wanted to worship more liberally and so over the years over 35,000+ other denominations “reinvented the wheel,” by “founding” their own brand of church. That is not to say that some Protestant religions are not following the precepts of the whole Bible. A few are.
