If one has faith in Christ why should they join (or return to) the RCC?

[PRmerger]

All we can ever do is show them the gospel. It is up to God to open their eye.

Ok. But your paradigm has no ability to convince anyone, nor does it mesh with reason. The Muslim is going to say, incredulously, “You believe the Gospel of Matthew is from God because you read it and heard God’s voice? Well, so what? I read the Koran and heard God’s voice.”

OTOH, the Catholic’s paradigm is quite reasonable and convincing. The ancient Christian texts attest to a man named Jesus. They are historically reliable. These Christian texts profess that Jesus founded a Church. This Church discerned that these texts were inspired.

Look at the above argument, vs “I read it and it told me it was inspired”. Which one is reasonable and convincing? Which one excludes the Muslim’s attestation that his Koran, which he read, is inspired?

 

[PRmerger]

I don’t understand your reasoning
If the Christian Jesus is the True Jesus, and if Jesus is True (as I recognize Him to be) then He can make Himself known (as I believe He does).

Amen.

But the only way you know who the Christian Jesus is, is through the Catholic Church.

 

[PRmerger]

With that said, there are questions that you can ask the other person that might show them that logically/realistically their faith is untrue.

Like what? (Let’s just take Islam for starters.)

And remember, we’re starting from your paradigm which is, “I read the text and after reading it I knew God was speaking to me through it. That’s how I know it’s from God.”

 

[Ceil-1]

A few posts back, someone mentioned that the reason for joining the Catholic Church would be for the sake of unity.

This was summarily ignored by our friend, the OP. I have noticed a pattern.

In any case, I would point out that, a person who, claims to have faith in Christ, clearly, according to Jesus’ own words and express and signified Will, must seek unity with his brothers.

To be unified, one would need to adhere to the original authority, and to not do so is to not fulfill the express wish of Our Lord. That puts the person’s soul in jeopardy. It makes him a hypocrite and a liar.

Of course, adding the word Roman to the Catholic Church just confuses the issue. After all, it is nothing more than a rite of the Church, albeit the largest one.

In any case, that is my reason for returning and staying in the Church in spite of the difficulties.

 

[onenow1]

Correct!’
I believe it was the Lord

I believe this to be correct lookaround, and why He led you to this web site, increaseing yours and our knowledge of the scripture,and tradition most importantly about God, with a peek into how He operates in eternity. Now if you’ll recall in my last post. This : >Malachi 3: 6, "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

The above verses should be kept in mind, lookaround ! God will not change because if He did, all Old Testament scripture becomes a nice story and as a consequence, the New Testament will fall.

Our Father who art in Heaven…Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2.
This is the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer.

I believe, with sound reasoning lookaround,it is inescapable,our God uses men to reveal His Mercy; and to deny this is to deny Jesus that became man, to reveal God in the flesh ! After all we are body and soul, to deny the body soul connection, as some do, flies in the face of logic and especially the face of Jesus !

God spoke directly to these folks lookaround,as He also spoke to the Apostles and especially St.Peter the only one to answer Jesus correctly with the intervention of God the Father ! Matt 15: 16

Adam> in the garden. Gen. 4: 1-2

Noah> father of three sons. Gen. 6: 13-14

Abraham >became the father of many nations. Luke 1: 73, 3: 18. Gen.17: 5.

Isaac> God spoke to Isaac many times.Gen.

Jacob> “Father Figure” of each of the twelve tribes of Israel Gen. 26: 2-5.

Moses >was the “Father Figure” for GOD’s chosen people.Ex. 3: 4-10

David> 2Kings20:5

Peace


PS. If any of my fellow brothers and sisters in our earthly Father, St.Peter, appointed by God, see error please do correct.

 

[SonCatcher]

No. Like every single creature (except, of course Mary) I was born pagan. I was baptized into the Christian faith as an infant.

 

[mangy_dog]

~honest question~

Because: The Catholic church is the one, true church that Christ intended to exist after His Ascension into heaven and of which He left Peter as it’s first Pope…265 popes later to Pope Benedict XVI, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.

The catholic church has the 7 Sacraments instituted by Christ Himself. Each of which communicate grace to our soul. Some of those sacraments its a one time deal like, Baptism and Holy Orders. But the Sacrament of Confession (for example) is the inexhaustible source of renewable grace.

How can any chirstian in their right mind not take advantage of this wonderful sacracment…which by the way! goes hand in hand with the Sacrament of Communion.

You have been informed (by the grace of God) of the salvation that comes to you through the knowledge of the truth of His Catholic church. Do you really think that you should be lolly gagging about this decision?

Come home and stop be a lolly gagger.

We love you and miss you.

 

[TracyR]

Hmm, let me take a shot at this and I hope this comes across the right way.
The Catholic church was the original church that Christ created. Even though the word Catholic wasn’t really used for some time though.
The word Catholic means Universal. It is the universal faith of Christ. The term Catholic was started around the Protestant Reformation around 1605 as a form of division.

With that said " Why not be Catholic?" It is the original church of Christ. The other churches were started due to one man( Martin Luther) who did not agree with some of the going ons of the church at the time. There were many not so good things going on in the time of the Reformation, such as excessiveness, and the selling of indulgences. So in frustration Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses. In all actuality he was not set out to start another faith but to make light to what was going on at the church at the time. So bascially he wanted the church to correct itself. So instead of things correcting themselves(which was what he wanted) it caused a division of the church. Which still continues today.

One person will believe in one thing and another person will say " I don’t believe that." Then start their own faith. In the end its become this tangled mess and its not the original church of God anymore. Its become the Church of the This is what I believe today church. The Catholic church has and always will remain the same as it did when Christ instituted it 2,000 years ago.

The traditions of the church are also another wonderful thing. Accepting the sacraments, recieving Communion, celebrating Holy days, and remembering those who have sacraficed their lives in the name of God (the Saints).
I would think belonging to the church that Christ created 2,000 years ago would be a wonderful thing rather then to belong to a church that man created because he decided to divide.