How do I reply to this?

[Costner]

" you don’t have to go to church, you just need to believe"

This is something my dad and sister say and I want to respond to it but don’t know how I should. We are catholic, but my sister and dad don’t know the difference between Catholics or Protestants. Thanks

 

[Tantum_ergo]

" you don’t have to go to church, you just need to believe"

This is something my dad and sister say and I want to respond to it but don’t know how I should. We are catholic, but my sister and dad don’t know the difference between Catholics or Protestants. Thanks

That is a tough one, If they are Catholic, you might be able to get them to discuss this with your priest. (I mean, If ALL you need to do is believe and not go to church, wouldn’t the priest know this and ‘support’ them?)

If they say the priest has a ‘vested interest’ to say otherwise, ask them how it is that they would know ‘the truth’ but that members of the clergy would lie to their people. And if they say the Church will lie about this, what else do they think the Church is lying about and HOW DO THEY KNOW what is a lie and what’s the truth? They must accept SOMEBODY’s judgment about the Church --who is it? If they are going on THEIR PERSONAL OPINION, how do they know they are correct and you are not?

If they say, “if it’s in the BIBLE then it’s true, and 'going to church isn’t in the Bible,” ask them where the BIble says it is the authority and where it says that going to church is not mandatory. How, in fact, do they 'honor the Sabbath" (or the Lord’s Day) if they don’t go to Church?

Whose ‘standards’ do they use to decide about 'being good?" If they don’t accept the Church’s authority for the Sunday Mass obligation, then whose authority DO they accept, and how do they know the authority is correct? They aren’t using the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is in the Catholic Church., ., .,

 

[jkiernan56]

" you don’t have to go to church, you just need to believe"

This is something my dad and sister say and I want to respond to it but don’t know how I should. We are catholic, but my sister and dad don’t know the difference between Catholics or Protestants. Thanks

Do they “think” the same way about family? Is it OK to just say ‘just believe’ in your family. There is no need to talk to them or get together with them. Ridiculous … the Church is not spiritualized vapor - and heaven is not just “me” and “Jesus”.

 

[R_C]

Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 8, Chapter 2

O Lord, Lord, “who didst bow the heavens and didst descend, who didst touch the mountains and they smoked,” by what means didst thou find thy way into that breast?

He used to read the Holy Scriptures, as Simplicianus said, and thought out and studied all the Christian writings most studiously.

He said to Simplicianus – not openly but secretly as a friend – “You must know that I am a Christian.”

To which Simplicianus replied, “I shall not believe it, nor shall I count you among the Christians, until I see you in the Church of Christ.”

Victorinus then asked, with mild mockery, “Is it then the walls that make Christians?”

Thus he often would affirm that he was already a Christian, and as often Simplicianus made the same answer; and just as often his jest about the walls was repeated.

He was fearful of offending his friends, proud demon worshipers, from the height of whose Babylonian dignity, as from the tops of the cedars of Lebanon which the Lord had not yet broken down, he feared that a storm of enmity would descend upon him. But he steadily gained strength from reading and inquiry, and came to fear lest he should be denied by Christ before the holy angels if he now was afraid to confess him before men.

Thus he came to appear to himself guilty of a great fault, in being ashamed of the sacraments of the humility of thy Word, when he was not ashamed of the sacrilegious rites of those proud demons, whose pride he had imitated and whose rites he had shared.

From this he became bold-faced against vanity and shamefaced toward the truth. Thus, suddenly and unexpectedly, he said to Simplicianus – as he himself told me – “Let us go to the church; I wish to become a Christian.”

Simplicianus went with him, scarcely able to contain himself for joy. He was admitted to the first sacraments of instruction, and not long afterward gave in his name that he might receive the baptism of regeneration. At this Rome marveled and the Church rejoiced. The proud saw and were enraged; they gnashed their teeth and melted away! But the Lord God was thy servant’s hope and he paid no attention to their vanity and lying madness.

Finally, when the hour arrived for him to make a public profession of his faith – which at Rome those who are about to enter into thy grace make from a platform in the full sight of the faithful people, in a set form of words learned by heart – the presbyters offered Victorinus the chance to make his profession more privately, for this was the custom for some who were likely to be afraid through bashfulness. But Victorinus chose rather to profess his salvation in the presence of the holy congregation. For there was no salvation in the rhetoric which he taught: yet he had professed that openly. Why, then, should he shrink from naming thy Word before the sheep of thy flock, when he had not shrunk from uttering his own words before the mad multitude?

So, then, when he ascended the platform to make his profession, everyone, as they recognized him, whispered his name one to the other, in tones of jubilation. Who was there among them that did not know him? And a low murmur ran through the mouths of all the rejoicing multitude: “Victorinus! Victorinus!” There was a sudden burst of exaltation at the sight of him, and suddenly they were hushed that they might hear him. He pronounced the true faith with an excellent boldness, and all desired to take him to their very heart – indeed, by their love and joy they did take him to their heart. And they received him with loving and joyful hands.

The necessity for community life is revealed by the very Incarnation. If we just need to believe, then God had no need to take flesh and make Himself equal to us. Then Christ had no need to chose the 12 Apostles and endow them with special power, both before and after the Resurrection. Then Christ had no need to institute the Sacrament of His Body and Blood in the Eucharist and tell them to “do this in memory of Him” and the first Christians had no need to gather together every Lord’s Day for this purpose. And Christ Himself, who had recommended to pray in the secret of one’s own room, would not have later not only recommended community prayer, but promised the extraordinary miracle that “whenever two or more gather in His name, He will be with them”.

In short: show me your faith without community life and Church participation, and I will show you my faith from my community life and Church participation

 

[Loving_disciple]

We according to the Catholic faith missing mass is a mortal sin depending on the circumstances. We go to mass to spend time with Jesus and by willing not going to the Mass we refuse to spend time with Jesus when he is present.’

 

[Robyn_p]

Belief itself is not enough, it’s what we do with our belief. You might want to have them consider this from scripture, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Yet even the demons believe-and shudder…For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.” (Jas 2:19,26)

Our faith has to be a living faith, and part of that living faith is giving God, who they say they believe in, the worship he deserves. If you’re not even willing to consecrate an hour of your week to him, is that really love? Obviously Jesus thought it was a big deal or he wouldn’t have commanded the apostles to “Do this in memory of me.” (Lk 22:19) What is the “this” he’s talking about, the Eucharist. Which really is Him! You might want to have them read John 6. Ask, very kindly of course, if they believe in Jesus. then ask if they believe all that he taught. Hopefully they will say yes. If they do, show them what he said about the Eucharist and tell them, this is what we receive every single Mass! How can you turn that down?

Also have them consider this: God doesn’t NEED us to go to Mass, he doesn’t need anything from us. He didn’t even have to create us, let alone die on the cross for us. Us going to Mass is really to show our love and gratitude to Him for giving us literally everything. For your dad it might be good to express all that he’s done and sacrificed for you and tell him how much he means to you. And then ask, what if all you wanted in return was me to come by and say that to you. And I said no? Of course God deserves our love even more, but maybe that will help him see. And look what God goes and gives us when we do give ourselves to Him. He gives US his very self as our food! We literally become one with God. He just never stops giving!! Why? I really dont have a clue, except for His incredible Love! We dont deserve it one bit. Everything we do and believe is a response to this love, especially Mass.

 

[Robyn_p]

Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 8, Chapter 2

The necessity for community life is revealed by the very Incarnation. If we just need to believe, then God had no need to take flesh and make Himself equal to us. Then Christ had no need to chose the 12 Apostles and endow them with special power, both before and after the Resurrection. Then Christ had no need to institute the Sacrament of His Body and Blood in the Eucharist and tell them to “do this in memory of Him” and the first Christians had no need to gather together every Lord’s Day for this purpose. And Christ Himself, who had recommended to pray in the secret of one’s own room, would not have later not only recommended community prayer, but promised the extraordinary miracle that “whenever two or more gather in His name, He will be with them”.

In short: show me your faith without community life and Church participation, and I will show you my faith from my community life and Church participation

Nailed it.

Thanks for that quote from St. Augustine by the way, I’ve been wanting to read his Confessions for a long time, but haven’t gotten around to it before. Now I definitely will.

 

[JRKH]

" you don’t have to go to church, you just need to believe"

This is something my dad and sister say and I want to respond to it but don’t know how I should. We are catholic, but my sister and dad don’t know the difference between Catholics or Protestants. Thanks

I guess my first question would have to be “Believe what?”

See what they say…

Keep asking questions…charitably about what it means to believe - in whatever they say…

What does it mean to believe in God, in Jesus etc…

Be prepared for short conversations because they are liable to get quickly frustrated…
after all - their initial response is intended to shut off conversation (and so far has).

But be sure to be truly interested in their answers but also interested in probing the validity of their responses.

Who knows what interesting conversations await…

Peace
James

 

[red85]

Uh, no. We are not Protestants. “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord,’ will be saved.” Christ’s own words.

One of the precepts of our Catholic faith is attend Sunday Mass. Christ has given us the precious gift of Himself in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It would be a mark of ingratitude to not attend this perfect prayer, this perfect sacrifice, and this perfect song of praise.

 

[SamH]

" you don’t have to go to church, you just need to believe"

This is something my dad and sister say and I want to respond to it but don’t know how I should. We are catholic, but my sister and dad don’t know the difference between Catholics or Protestants. Thanks

Imagine if someone told you this:

You don’t need to go to a doctor, you just need to get better.

 

[Luvz2travel]

We according to the Catholic faith missing mass is a mortal sin depending on the circumstances. We go to mass to spend time with Jesus and by willing not going to the Mass we refuse to spend time with Jesus when he is present.’

I go to mass every Sunday with that said I have issues with the statement that missing mass is a mortal sin. Where does that come from. Telling people that right off doesn’t seem to be a constructive thing to do it’s more like a deterent than anything. I would ask them what they feel is missing or why they don’t feel called to go. Telling people to do something just causes the human rebellion factor to kick in. That was my experience when my mother used to use the guilt factor and mass became this inconvience we had to live through every week or suffer a telling off from mom. Take my word for it don’t tell them they need to go the trick is making them want to go. Maybe tell them what you get out of mass. Positive endorsement work wonders.

 

[mab23]

remember the story when Jesus was asked “what do I need to do to have eternal life” he first says follow the commandments

well in the commandments it says to keep the Sabbath day

but that was Judaism -

Well Christ made the church and fulfilled Judaism but that doesn’t mean the commandments are no longer commandments

our Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday because that is when the Lord resurrected and we keep that day holy by attending mass.

even the early church fathers recognized it - see quotes below

staycatholic.com/ecf_sabbath_or_sunday.htm

if they are not Catholic remind them after educating yourself first how the bible

was made by the Catholic church only to be interpreted by the Catholic church

no where in the bible does it say the bible is what you need to read and follow

in fact Jesus never says to read anything EVER in the bible - because if that was the case for well well over 1000 years not everyone could read an the bible wasn’t mass print like today - think of all the christian’s who would not be saved

 

[mab23]

I go to mass every Sunday with that said I have issues with the statement that missing mass is a mortal sin. Where does that come from. Telling people that right off doesn’t seem to be a constructive thing to do it’s more like a deterent than anything. I would ask them what they feel is missing or why they don’t feel called to go. Telling people to do something just causes the human rebellion factor to kick in. That was my experience when my mother used to use the guilt factor and mass became this inconvience we had to live through every week or suffer a telling off from mom. Take my word for it don’t tell them they need to go the trick is making them want to go. Maybe tell them what you get out of mass. Positive endorsement work wonders.

I see where you are comming from but looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

 

[PennyinCanada]

Ask your dad how he would feel if you said to him that now that you’ve grown up and moved away from home, you really don’t see why you should have to visit. That if you need something, you’ll be sure to call.

Would he be impressed with a son that treats him like that? Would he be willing to drop everything when he calls and make sure your needs are met? Would he think you were ungrateful? Would a father/son relationship require more than that? Of course!

It seems that is how he’s treating his heavenly Father. Come by, visit, stay a while. Maybe even give me a smile and hug. There might be a day when you’ll be glad you did.

 

[Luvz2travel]

I see where you are comming from but looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

Well I would still focus on why they don’t want to go not push the “do or die” type of influence it never works. People are more incline to do something if it is respresented in a positive beneficial way verses something they have to do. It should be something they want to do or else they just won’t do it or they’ll do it in the wrong spirit.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Well I would still focus on why they don’t want to go not push the “do or die” type of influence it never works. People are more incline to do something if it is respresented in a positive beneficial way verses something they have to do. It should be something they want to do or else they just won’t do it or they’ll do it in the wrong spirit.

Thing is, you can be very ‘positive’ and ‘kind’, but in the end, if they keep saying, "well, I don’t want to and I don’t have to’, you simply MUST (because it is the LOVING thing to do) tell them the TRUTH --that yes, they ARE required to do so as Catholics.

There are many things that we HAVE to do that we don’t want to do. And they aren’t always awful or onerous things either!

Most of us as parents have loved being parents, but there were days that we really, really wished we could somehow ‘go back’ to being carefree singles.

Or even if we absolutely loved our jobs outside the home, there would be days that we wished we could do something else. It’s human nature.

BUT: would we expect a parent to walk away and leave a newborn all alone for a day because, “I don’t feel like being your parent today?” No, we would expect the parent to care for the child, even if they didn’t feel like doing it that particular day.

And we would expect people to show up for work, even if they didn’t feel like working that particular day.

Now, am I being mean and cruel to the parent for telling them that they HAVE to care for their child when they don’t feel like it?

Am I being mean and cruel to the worker for telling them that they HAVE to go to work even when they don’t feel like it?

I’m not, am I? I’m simply stating the truth. A parent has a responsibility to care for a child. A worker has a responsibility to do his/her job.

And a Catholic has a responsibility to obey God. And one of GOD’S commandments (not just some ‘law’ made up by men) is to honor Him on the Lord’s Day, at Mass which is the actual SACRIFICE of Christ on the cross, in the company of our fellow Catholic Christians. It is no more ‘optional’ to carry out this responsibility than it is for a parent to care for a child, or a worker to do his or her job.