If not Catholic, Why are you on this forum?

[newby]

I just spent quite a long time reading the thread about, "why do Protestants stay Protestant? There were many intestering comments that brought up a thought. Why would non-Catholics be on this forum if they are not interested in learning about our faith and considering conversion? I would like to hear from you non-Catholic members as to your answer. I appreciate all of the various oppinions and questions that arise, and welcome your consideration about the Catholic faith.

Bless you all, :angel1:

Newby

 

[Tallyhoe]

Just because some one is on this website, DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY WANT TO BECOME A CATHOLIC. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING TO LEARN ABOUT A DIFFERENT CULTURE OR RELGION. I was planning a trip to Turkey. I was learning all that I could about their culture, custom and religion. Does it mean i want to become a Muslim? ABSOULTELY NOT. So please do excuse those few curious people who want to learn.

 

[thogg85]

newby:

Why would non-Catholics be on this forum if they are not interested in learning about our faith and considering conversion?

I am interested in learning about your faith and the beginnings of the church although am not planning on conversion. I find that most catholics I speak with don’t know much about their faith and so I decided to investigate the teachings of the church so that I am more educated when having conversations. I try to explain what I’ve learned from this site to catholics and non-catholics so that catholics better understand their faith and that non-catholics hopefully will not speak negatively about the church. I find that there is a lot of ignorance about the church out there and I don’t want to be one of them.

 

[Fredricks]

1, To convince Protestants to not change.
2, To debate Catholics
3. I have run my course with others(LDS, Orthodox, Atheists, Baptists), not much left.
4. Its a high quality board

 

[MikeinSD]

I’m from a mixed protestant/catholic background. Unstable childhood but I whatever religious training I had was catholic. Walked away from christianity in my teens.

I got along with the protestant and catholic relatives until the 90s. Then something happened to the devout members of all the various christian faiths. They got mean. I’m a gay guy and been out since the late 70s. Suddenly I couldn’t go to their homes. Or talk to their kids. Okay. A few years later, the devouts kicked up a huge fuss about me attending my mom’s funeral mass. The priests said no one can be excluded from attending her funeral. I’m thankful. Afterwards, the devout protestant and catholics contested her will saying she didn’t want to “subsidize sodomy.” I counter sued and got a fat settlement.

I’m stuck now with open war with the devouts who call themselves “Christians,” not baptists or catholics. I’m here because I don’t know what it is about conservative politics and conservative religion to turn folks so rabid.

 

[Batjacboy]

MikeinSD:

A few years later, the devouts kicked up a huge fuss about me attending my mom’s funeral mass. The priests said no one can be excluded from attending her funeral.

Hi Mike,

When you say the devouts, are you talking about what some call “rabid traditionalists”? It seems the priest was on your side, so who were these who were so mean to you?

 

[SemperJase]

Batjacboy:

It seems the priest was on your side…

Good point. Of all the catholics in the world, certainly priests would have to be under the “devout” category.

As for contesting a will, it would have to be family. No one else has standing. People without standing can’t go around contesting wills because they feel like it.

Your story is seems backwards Mike. Everything was fine in the 70’s and 80’s but suddenly in the 90’s Christians became intolerant of gays? Gays are more accepted than ever, even in church circles. Sure there are the weirdo’s like Westboro Baptist in Kansas. But more and more churches are taking the position that although the lifestyle is wrong, the people should still be treated with dignity.

 

[coyote]

MikeinSD:

I don’t know what it is about conservative politics and conservative religion to turn folks so rabid.

Mike,
I don’t think it’s the politics or the religion. Some people just get a charge out of hate and cruelty. They exploit politics and religion to lend their mindset and behavior credibility.

 

[MikeinSD]

Thanks guys. I didn’t have a problem with the catholic priests. They were decent to me and my sibs. No one was excluded from a catholic mass and funeral. My mom’s priest also told me that there is no catholic law to exclude immediate family despite requests from other relatives

As for the Christian relatives, I noticed more and more problems.I think that I wasn’t abashed or humilated for being the way I am got on their nerves. My mom accepted me. My sibs accepted me. Once my sibs started having kids in the 80s, my immediate family wanted me around their kids. That started a backlash with conservative religious people, both protestant and catholic. They didn’t want a homosexual around the kids.

The kids grew into teens. They and their parents still liked hanging with me. Once my mom got sick, the devouts insisted I stop being around the kids. I think they thought I perverted them somehow. I refused stop seeing my family. Then we had problems.

I find it interesting the catholics and baptists started calling themselves Christians in the late 90s. I understand both baptists and catholics have huge differences in doctrine. What mattered most was their agreement in conservative politics. One huge area of agreement was that gay men threatened American families. And I theatened my family.

I guess the devouts thought that driving me out of my family was their Christian duty. And contesting my mom’s will would bring cold hard cash. A win, win. Both God and their bank accounts would be served. How convenient. Yes, blood relatives contested my mom’s will. They lost.

 

[djrakowski]

1, To convince Protestants to not change.

With regards to point #1: why do you care if Protestants change? Do you believe that they cease to be Christians by converting?

 

[imroc]

Tallyhoe:

Just because some one is on this website, DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY WANT TO BECOME A CATHOLIC. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING TO LEARN ABOUT A DIFFERENT CULTURE OR RELGION. I was planning a trip to Turkey. I was learning all that I could about their culture, custom and religion. Does it mean i want to become a Muslim? ABSOULTELY NOT. So please do excuse those few curious people who want to learn.

I suggest that if you want to learn about people, that you should calm down a bit. Especially if you’re going to places like Turkey. geesh…

 

[Michael_Francis]

Please remain focused on what the OP has asked.

newby:

I just spent quite a long time reading the thread about, "why do Protestants stay Protestant? There were many intestering comments that brought up a thought. Why would non-Catholics be on this forum if they are not interested in learning about our faith and considering conversion? I would like to hear from you non-Catholic members as to your answer. I appreciate all of the various oppinions and questions that arise, and welcome your consideration about the Catholic faith.

Bless you all, :angel1:

Newby

 

[Fredricks]

djrakowski:

With regards to point #1: why do you care if Protestants change? Do you believe that they cease to be Christians by converting?

No, I believe that the universal church contains people from a range of churches. I care because I believe the Bible is clear that doctrinal error should be confronted. Besides, you know that Catholics engage in this activity just as much as Protestants around here. I do not mind and neither should you

 

[Lazerlike42]

Fredricks:

No, I believe that the universal church contains people from a range of churches. I care because I believe the Bible is clear that doctrinal error should be confronted. Besides, you know that Catholics engage in this activity just as much as Protestants around here. I do not mind and neither should you

I see this point, but at the same time, according to your beliefs, as long as someone has faith in Christ they are all set, so it shouldn’t matter what church they belong to.

 

[Fredricks]

Lazerlike42:

I see this point, but at the same time, according to your beliefs, as long as someone has faith in Christ they are all set, so it shouldn’t matter what church they belong to.

I believe that everything that the Bible teaches matters. I do think that error should be confronted. I know my view,quite well. I think we should TRY to be 100% faithful to what God teaches. I do not think I am wrong on this, I think the vast majority of Catholics around here, who seem to be quite serious about their faith, would agree. Yes, I believe faith and baptism are what we are taught to do. That is hundreds of other matters that are also clearly taught. I will not willingly ignore any of them.
I am very conservative. My church is very conservative. Just because we think that faith and baptism are needed does not mean we do not try to do everything else!
A good CAtholic does not go around doing venial sins just because they would not cost them their salvation. They would obey because it is what they think Christ taught. Why would you assume we would be any different?

 

[Eden]

Fredricks:

I believe that everything that the Bible teaches matters.

I believe that not just that what the Bible teaches matters but that everything Christ and the apostles taught matters.

 

[Fredricks]

Eden:

I believe that not just that what the Bible teaches matters but that everything Christ and the apostles taught matters.

And if you could point to something that Jesus taught or the apostles that is not in the canon, and a source, I would love that.

 

[Eden]

Fredricks:

And if you could point to something that Jesus taught or the apostles that is not in the canon, and a source, I would love that.

Haven’t you already gotten that list? I remember someone gave you a list which included, for instance, the Trinity.

Some truths of Tradition are directly stated in Scripture, such as God’s creation of the world. the Bible comes right out and says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

**Other truths of Tradition are not stated directly in Scripture but are implied clearly by the biblical author. **For example, while the Bible doesn’t come out and say that the Holy Spirit is a person rather than a force, it is implied in numerous passages, such as those in which the Spirit is depicted as speaking to people (e.g., Acts 13:2), and the biblical authors meant us to understand this.

**Some truths of Tradition can be inferred from Scripture even though the biblical authors did not clearly imply them. **For example, Christ having both a human will and a divine will can be inferred from his being “true God and true man” (CCC 464). Various biblical passages state or imply that he is true God and true man, but in none does the biblical author state or imply that he had two wills. We have to figure that out by inference.

**A truth is sometimes alluded to or reflected in the text even though it can’t be proved from the text alone. **The Immaculate Conception may be reflected in what Gabriel says to Mary in Luke 1:28, and the Assumption may be reflected in the wings the woman is given in Revelation 12:14, but you couldn’t prove these truths from the text alone.

Some truths are presupposed by Scripture, such as many of the particulars of how the sacraments are celebrated—their proper form, matter, ministers, and recipients. The sacraments are mentioned in the Bible, but the biblical authors didn’t give many details about their administration. They assumed that the reader would look to the practice of the Church for the answers to these questions. For example, the sacrament of reconciliation is discussed, but the words that need to be used to make an absolution valid are not.

Some truths are not in Scripture at all; not even a piece of the truth in question is indicated. As we saw earlier, the truths that public revelation is ended and that there will be no more apostles fall in this category.

catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0510bt.asp

 

[Fredricks]

The word Trinity is not in the Bible but everything I need to know about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit is.

 

[Eden]

Fredricks:

The word Trinity is not in the Bible but everything I need to know about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit is.

That is your entire response to what I just posted above?

Regarding the Trinity:

The doctrine surrounding the nature of the Triune God is not explicit in scripture. You are relying on Church Tradition to understand the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. There is much more detail to the doctrine than just the words “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” and with your understanding of the Triune God you are relying on oral Tradition which was later explicitly developed into doctrine through the Church.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is a product of the Church’s long history of prayerful reflection on the revelation of God in Jesus.

There is no clear and well defined description, explanation, or exposition of the Doctrine in the Holy Scriptures.

There are only indications, suggestions, intimations to that effect that God who has revealed God self in history – to the Patriarchs, the Prophets, and the Apostles – is not a solitary person but rather a communion of persons.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/15047a.htm