P
PRmerger
Guest
I suggest you read the Catholic Answers tracts, esp. on things which you find hard to accept.
catholic.com/quickquestions
- Status
I suggest you read the Catholic Answers tracts, esp. on things which you find hard to accept.
catholic.com/quickquestions
T
Third_Day
Guest
If you continue to commit a mortal sins then yes, you are human, BUT you are committing that sin because you are rejecting God’s grace.No one is tempted beyond their strength.
“No temptation has overtake you that is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape that you man be able to endure it.” 1 Cor. 10:13
God is providing you the grace, especially in the sacrament of Confession, but if you commit a mortal sin you do so because you freely reject God’s grace to avoid that sin. You would still be a slave to the flesh and not to the Spirit.
If you don’t believe that I wouldn’t call myself a “practicing” Catholic.
That is a heretical belief not found in scripture or sacred Tradition. You really need to reconsider this belief. It is a man-made tradition.
But it sounds like you "do want’ to sin again.
Why would it be hard to refrain from committing a mortal sin?
Once
.Jesus has paid the penalty in full but only if you turn to Him and reject the sinful nature that is possible through accepting God’s grace
You are wrong!. Please consider this scripture from the NIV translation of 1 John 4:6-9
“No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him…He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning…No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God”
If you continue to sin how can you say that you love God? .How can you say you have been born again?
S
steved12345
Guest
But everyone but Jesus sins. And this does not me you and I do not love Jesus. Until we get to heaven we have a sinful nature. And battle between our spirit and fleshly desire. So what you responded is not accurate or even compassionate.
I recognize my sin nature. And try and work hard not to continuie to sin. I do it for my love of Jesus over catholic church rules… Yet I do make sure o follow church rules and go to confession when this happens.
And to think a loving God would send me to hell because I am confused and seeking thr truth - and may question certain man made rules of the catholic faith.
Where does it say you go to hell for committing a mortal sin. Where does it clrearly define mowhat mortsal sin is in the bible. Where does it say or where and whom did St Paul confess his sins too. Why didn’t Paul or even Peter write about this in their letters ?
See why I am confused… I know the bible , I am catholic. And question some of its rules… Where in bible does it say Maty was assumed after death into heaven… Where does it explain the catholic doctorine of purgatory ?
I am not being sarcastic here… I just question what’s in the bile versus what you tell me is fac or the truth. I think Jesus would love that o am not blindly following rules without seeking in the bible and in him the truth. Again, I want to saty and follow allcatholic rules - whether I believe them or not… So my question is according to the ctholic church teaching and rulkes. Am I going to hell (I apologize for typos as I am writing on ny blackberry)
I recognize my sin nature. And try and work hard not to continuie to sin. I do it for my love of Jesus over catholic church rules… Yet I do make sure o follow church rules and go to confession when this happens.
And to think a loving God would send me to hell because I am confused and seeking thr truth - and may question certain man made rules of the catholic faith.
Where does it say you go to hell for committing a mortal sin. Where does it clrearly define mowhat mortsal sin is in the bible. Where does it say or where and whom did St Paul confess his sins too. Why didn’t Paul or even Peter write about this in their letters ?
See why I am confused… I know the bible , I am catholic. And question some of its rules… Where in bible does it say Maty was assumed after death into heaven… Where does it explain the catholic doctorine of purgatory ?
I am not being sarcastic here… I just question what’s in the bile versus what you tell me is fac or the truth. I think Jesus would love that o am not blindly following rules without seeking in the bible and in him the truth. Again, I want to saty and follow allcatholic rules - whether I believe them or not… So my question is according to the ctholic church teaching and rulkes. Am I going to hell (I apologize for typos as I am writing on ny blackberry)
P
PRmerger
Guest
I think you are poorly catechized, steve. What kind of catechesis have you had?
Best if you study, learn, read and pose questions here, so you will be better steeped in your faith.
I respectfully say that I don’t think you know the Bible very well at all.
Firstly, why does everything we believe have to be found explicitly in the Bible?
Where does the Bible say that?
J
JustaServant
Guest
Steve,
Pardon my suspicion.
But you asked a question, got an answer.
And now you keep asking the same question.
Do you want a different answer?
Because that’s the only answer you’re going to get.
Your posts are filled with “where’s that in the Bible”?
As a Catholic, you should know the Church does not teach the concept of “Scripture Alone”. Yet you keep going back to that. SA is a concept unknown to the Bible itself and the first 1500 years of Christianity.
You say you are Catholic…;yet your posts seem to indicate more of a knowledge of evangelical theory.
Pardon my suspicion.
But you asked a question, got an answer.
And now you keep asking the same question.
Do you want a different answer?
Because that’s the only answer you’re going to get.
Your posts are filled with “where’s that in the Bible”?
As a Catholic, you should know the Church does not teach the concept of “Scripture Alone”. Yet you keep going back to that. SA is a concept unknown to the Bible itself and the first 1500 years of Christianity.
You say you are Catholic…;yet your posts seem to indicate more of a knowledge of evangelical theory.
J
JustaServant
Guest
P
PRmerger
Guest
P
PRmerger
Guest
Steve, if you persist in asking this question you will be reported to the Mods.
It has been answered ad nauseum: the Catholic Church does not know if you are going to hell. And neither do we.
You may ask any other apologetics question and we will answer it or refer you to a site that does.
And you need to respond to questions posed to you as well.
J
Jerry-Jet
Guest
If you asked Jesus if you could be a Cafeteria Catholic and pick and choose which doctrines that the Catholic Church teaches what do you think Jesus would say?
It really is that simple!
To pick and choose is to MORTALLY sin!
If you were to die in that state what do you think would happen?
It is quite true that we can’t say how Jesus would judge.
It is true that we can say with certainty that if you die in a state of mortal sin that you will go to Hell!
I don’t wish you or anyone to go to Hell.
I maintain that to pick and choose when one has the knowledge of the truth of the Catholic faith is to MORTALLY sin.
If I am wrong about that then maybe someone will correct me.
It really is that simple!
To pick and choose is to MORTALLY sin!
If you were to die in that state what do you think would happen?
It is quite true that we can’t say how Jesus would judge.
It is true that we can say with certainty that if you die in a state of mortal sin that you will go to Hell!
I don’t wish you or anyone to go to Hell.
I maintain that to pick and choose when one has the knowledge of the truth of the Catholic faith is to MORTALLY sin.
If I am wrong about that then maybe someone will correct me.
P
PRmerger
Guest
You are correct, objectively speaking.
However, one cannot know what another’s “knowledge of the truth of the Catholic faith” is.
It appears that some folks here are abysmally ignorant of the faith.
It is much, much easier to live a life of love of Jesus when one has full knowledge of the truth of the Catholic faith…but to what degree someone knows the faith is not for us to say.
J
JustaServant
Guest
I gave up deciding who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell a long time ago. It’s “above my pay grade”.
OSAS innoculates that fear, that’s why it was hard for me to toss it aside when I reverted. It is a VERY inticing philosophy. But when I did give it up, I personally felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.
I would say for a devout Catholic, the fear of Hell is always there, but the concentratiion is on living a holy life, not on Hell. So the perspective is different.
For a cafeteria Catholic, most of them don’t believe in Hell anyway, so there is no fear.
It’s the KNOWLEDGE or what we THINK is knowledge that gets us into trouble.
And that is the foundation of OSAS.
I hope that makes sense. I’m still working on my second cup of coffee.
S
steved12345
Guest
Guys,
first off thank you so much for your replies. As you can see I am honestly confused. I see valid points from both sides. I do understand what the catholic doctorine states and teaches. I just do not know if I believe them to be truth (this is just my feelings and my feelings could be wrong). But to deny them, I would be a hypocrit. But despite all that I have shared, I have chosen to remain in the catholic church. And I practice the rules better then most catholics. Meaning if I mortally sin on occasion, I immediately confess to a priest (whether I believe this to be required for my salavation ofrnot). I follow the Holy Days of obligations. And I such in the cathesism why certain catholic rules exist. …
so I am not a cafeteria catholic, I actually spend the time, devotion and follow the rules of the church. (I simply have some doubts and am being honest with these doubts as I do not want to go to hell when I die for being wrong - meaning if the catholics are right, then I want to follow the truth that Jesus wants me to follow… but if Jesus alone saves, then I do not want to offend Jesus by beleiving that the church rules AND beleif in Jesus is needed for my salvation… am I making sense. If Jesus appeared to me today and told me the truth, I would listen and obey.
I also feel that Christ alome may be able to save us… do I want to sin. of course not. Do I want to know the truth yes. I just feel that Jesus alone can save us. That we do not need a mediator between us and God as described in St Paul first letter to Timothy.
My question was simple, I wanted to know based on me having some doubt (yet still following the catholic faith as instructed), am I not a catholic or am I a heretic or hypocrit. Should I leave the church base on these doubts. Am at at risk of not being saved because I have these very real doubts… I doubt the once save , always save also… I am just confused. But why cant I get an answer on whether I should worry about staying inthe catholic church with these doubts, am I a heretic and is my salvation at risk.
Please help… can a priest answer this for me here online.
Steve
first off thank you so much for your replies. As you can see I am honestly confused. I see valid points from both sides. I do understand what the catholic doctorine states and teaches. I just do not know if I believe them to be truth (this is just my feelings and my feelings could be wrong). But to deny them, I would be a hypocrit. But despite all that I have shared, I have chosen to remain in the catholic church. And I practice the rules better then most catholics. Meaning if I mortally sin on occasion, I immediately confess to a priest (whether I believe this to be required for my salavation ofrnot). I follow the Holy Days of obligations. And I such in the cathesism why certain catholic rules exist. …
so I am not a cafeteria catholic, I actually spend the time, devotion and follow the rules of the church. (I simply have some doubts and am being honest with these doubts as I do not want to go to hell when I die for being wrong - meaning if the catholics are right, then I want to follow the truth that Jesus wants me to follow… but if Jesus alone saves, then I do not want to offend Jesus by beleiving that the church rules AND beleif in Jesus is needed for my salvation… am I making sense. If Jesus appeared to me today and told me the truth, I would listen and obey.
I also feel that Christ alome may be able to save us… do I want to sin. of course not. Do I want to know the truth yes. I just feel that Jesus alone can save us. That we do not need a mediator between us and God as described in St Paul first letter to Timothy.
My question was simple, I wanted to know based on me having some doubt (yet still following the catholic faith as instructed), am I not a catholic or am I a heretic or hypocrit. Should I leave the church base on these doubts. Am at at risk of not being saved because I have these very real doubts… I doubt the once save , always save also… I am just confused. But why cant I get an answer on whether I should worry about staying inthe catholic church with these doubts, am I a heretic and is my salvation at risk.
Please help… can a priest answer this for me here online.
Steve
P
PRmerger
Guest
No, you do not, steve.
You have not articulated a single correct explication of Catholic doctrine.
J
JustaServant
Guest
Steve,
Would you answer this please?
G
GreatergoodGod
Guest
Faith alone to me seems like faith in faith. Faith needs actions behind it.
S
steved12345
Guest
Yes this is me… WHY… can’t you see I have been confused for years. At times beleiving one thing, at times believing another… this is why I am writing and why I remain going to catholic mass and following the rules… I DO NOT want to be wrong either way. What if I beleive totally 100 percent the catholic church and I am wrong ? - I do not want to go to hell. But what if the catholic church is right as you all beleive (and I respect that). I then do not want to go to hell for having some doubts to my beliefs.
it’s almost like I have to make a choice… and both sides are saying “we are right” and if you do not beleive 100 percent of what we say, you will not go to heaven. So I am afraid of choosen wrong here… and why would I have to choose… I love Jesus and beleive in Jesus mercy and love for us SOOOO MUCH… my life has been changed from being an addict to now being sober and helping so many individuals - and many of them I have led to Christ.
So am I condemned because I may reject some of the catholic teaching. yet live my life so much trying to be like Christ lived His.
Simple can this be answered to help me… can I stay in the catholic church having some doubts as long as I follow all of its rules. And by doing so, am I risking going to heaven over these doubts - regardless if I follow all of its rules. this is all I am asking.
it’s almost like I have to make a choice… and both sides are saying “we are right” and if you do not beleive 100 percent of what we say, you will not go to heaven. So I am afraid of choosen wrong here… and why would I have to choose… I love Jesus and beleive in Jesus mercy and love for us SOOOO MUCH… my life has been changed from being an addict to now being sober and helping so many individuals - and many of them I have led to Christ.
So am I condemned because I may reject some of the catholic teaching. yet live my life so much trying to be like Christ lived His.
Simple can this be answered to help me… can I stay in the catholic church having some doubts as long as I follow all of its rules. And by doing so, am I risking going to heaven over these doubts - regardless if I follow all of its rules. this is all I am asking.
G
GreatergoodGod
Guest
To me Christianity is a relationship with Christ as opposed to a set of rules. You follow the churches teachings out of love for Christ.
J
JustaServant
Guest
Thanks for your truthfulness.
But things still are not adding up. You were very evangelistic in those posts, wanting people to “come to Christ”. Yet here you give the appearance as someone who is unknowledgable.
You keep asking the same question over and over, and you keep getting the same answer. One can only surmise from this:
- You are expecting us to contridict each other.
- You want a different answer.
Either way, it gives the appearance you do not trust us or the answers you are given.
And if you do not trust us, why should we trust you?
J
JustaServant
Guest
Exactly, only someone unfamiliar with the Catholic Church calls it “a set of rules”.
S
steved12345
Guest
Greater Good,
I think thats exactly what I may be doing. I follow Jesus to have a relationship with God - and I follow the catholic church rules because I deep down want to do what is right in the eyes of Christ… and if my feelings are wrong about not believing some of the catholic rules (that I still follow), I realize I may be wrong and do not want to offend Jesus - thus I follow the rules. (despite maybe not believing all of them)
is this making sense
I think thats exactly what I may be doing. I follow Jesus to have a relationship with God - and I follow the catholic church rules because I deep down want to do what is right in the eyes of Christ… and if my feelings are wrong about not believing some of the catholic rules (that I still follow), I realize I may be wrong and do not want to offend Jesus - thus I follow the rules. (despite maybe not believing all of them)
is this making sense
- Status