Im thinking of leaving the church

[Michael_Howard]

Im thinking of leaving the catholic church for the protestant, iv done a lot of thinking. We have statues of Jesus and saints that we pray to when we have issues. THERE IS EVEN ONE FOR BALDNESS!

Maybe its cause the roman catholic church is roman. The romans accepted God, but they couldnt let go of polytheism and several Gods, maybe thats why we have saints?

Protestants uses the bible, Gods word. All arguments for catholism seems to come from other catholics.

I think one of the greatest testimonies for being Catholic is the firm accountability to sin. Deliberate lies are mortal sin result which in removal of grace from the soul, delibertate un-repentant sin = no salvation! Friend I cannot say for sure, but my gut feeling as well as others here is that you are delibertately taking advantage of people by claiming to be something you are not. Please for the sake of Jesus Christ and people made in His image stop this if you are indeed purposely deceiving. *Folks here are willing to have an open and honest dialouge with you that could turn out to be very fruitful. *

Peace in Christ,

 

[Odell]

But still, having pictures of mother mary in your home can not be excused.
.

Protestants REALLY believe this?

Let me ask everyone on here is it ok to have a statue of Mary in a manger scene? Or do you guys take her out during Christmas? I dont remember the bbiel saying you can only have her up at Christmas.

 

[Odell]

And isnt saints idols? People to look up to like if they where something bigger than us? .

I recon Angels are out of the picture too?

 

[Harsalter]

Originally Posted by Doberman
But still, having pictures of mother mary in your home can not be excused.

And Christ was fully human too, being two natures. I guess it is totally out of the question to worship Christ, but only The Father according to this guy that is making my favorite breed of canine look bad with his ignorant comments.

I feel like I have become dumber than I already am (and that’s saying something) from reading his comments and this thread.

 

[down_under]

Im thinking of leaving the catholic church for the protestant, iv done a lot of thinking. We have statues of Jesus and saints that we pray to when we have issues. THERE IS EVEN ONE FOR BALDNESS!

Maybe its cause the roman catholic church is roman. The romans accepted God, but they couldnt let go of polytheism and several Gods, maybe thats why we have saints?

Protestants uses the bible, Gods word. All arguments for catholism seems to come from other catholics.

look to the church fathers they have the answers to your questions

 

[Ani_Ibi]

I feel like I have become dumber than I already am (and that’s saying something) from reading his comments and this thread.

I guess there is some merit in having threads like this so that lurkers can see for themselves the ends and means of anti-Catholicism; the illogic, the unreasoning hatred which obstinately persists in the face of truth.

My instinct tells me that the OP is some kind of rite of passage, that a cult is involved, and that there is a degree of ‘teamwork’ behind the appearance of the anti-Catholic teachings on this thread.

I’ve posted a link above where folks can get help for leaving cults.

Unfortunately we are always going to have lamentable sentiments like the OP on CAF because CAF is very well known for its solid Catholic apologetics. Converting Catholics on CAF would be a prize highly valued by anti-Catholic cults.

Unfortunately for them, it just isn’t going to happen. Not on CAF anyway. Afterall, who would find illogical and uninformed anti-Catholic howling attractive? Hint: no one.

 

[NotWorthy]

look to the church fathers they have the answers to your questions

Ooooh, you might have been better off using the term, “Early Church Writers”.

Doberman is aware that we should call no man, Father.

 

[Randy_Carson]

Ooooh, you might have been better off using the term, “Early Church Writers”.

Doberman is aware that we should call no man, Father.

Doberman misinterprets the verse that says we should call no man ‘father’.

 

[Truthstalker]

This is a fun thread.:bounce:

I like fun threads. :bounce:

(Edited by Moderator)

I, personally, have problems with idolatry. I continually set other things as more important than God. Sometimes it is my dignity (what I have of it), job, my privacy, or whatever. There is a continued insistence in the nature of the human soul that God should sit at the back of the bus. So the accusation that Catholics worship idols, or eat their dead, or whatever, doesn’t bother me. If you were diligent you could probably find documentation of the worst possible kind of atrocities in any social group. The Bible documents cannibalism and idolatry among the Jews, so why should it be surprising that sometimes it may be found among the people of God today? I just don’t limit it to one particular group. We are all human, and there is wheat and chaff both within the Catholic Church and outside it. If you think Protestants are better off spiritually, you probably have never been around many Protestants. I continually have to repent and resolve again to put God as number one. So I see the accusation as devious. Catholics worship Mary. Some do. They should not. Catholicism does not endorse the worship of Mary. Not everyone in every church follows the teachings of that church perfectly - unless it is so easy to do that it is meaningless.

(Edited by Moderator)

 

[Protestant101]

Protestants REALLY believe this?

Let me ask everyone on here is it ok to have a statue of Mary in a manger scene? Or do you guys take her out during Christmas? I dont remember the bbiel saying you can only have her up at Christmas.

That’s funny. But not a very Biblical reason. Often when one of my kids want to do something they KNOW they should not do; they will say: “Well, so and so are doing it.” “Why can’t I?” You seem to be saying here that “Protestants do it, so why can’t we?” Is that a safe philosophy to go by?

There are likely some differences in the situation you describe re Protestants and manger scenes. First, the manger scene is not “venerated” we do not bow down to them; or pray in front of them, or any of the other worship process that I have seen Catholics do in their churches, in front of Mary statues.

Also, the manger scene is not just of Mary; they usually have other figures, including animals in them. You may even be acusing Protestants of worshipping animals!! Not too many are going to believe your reasoning here.

 

[Protestant101]

Doberman misinterprets the verse that says we should call no man ‘father’.

it wasn’t because of this thread that i was studying Mat.23:9, but it just happens that I have been looking at it closely for the last little while. I would be interested to see you “interpret” this text “properly.”

Mat 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. (KJV)

 

[FCEGM]

it wasn’t because of this thread that i was studying Mat.23:9, but it just happens that I have been looking at it closely for the last little while.

Then perhaps you already found this:

catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp

 

[Protestant101]

Then perhaps you already found this:

catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp

No. I didn’t see this. That’s why I made my last post above; I figured some here would already know where to look. Thanks; I will check it out.

 

[slyboots]

Matt 23:23
Woe to you scribes and PHARISEES, you…have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgement, mercy, and fidelity…

You are worried about us calling a priests father. In my journey of faith I learned from one protestant church that those who drank alcohol were surely going to hell. Another who damned people for dancing and card playing. Another said only certain people were destined to Heaven and the rest it didn’t matter what they did. One said unless you spoke in ecstatic languages you were not following the Spirit and might well be lost.

Protestant and Doberman and all, you can argue all day about what you think the foibles ( and sins) are of another. Work on the extraction of the log in your own eye. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When I did that I was led most assuredly to the Catholic Church as was my husband, daughter, son, daughter in law, brother in law and sister in law.

But judge for yourselves. None of us can truthfully say we pass muster. It is only Christ who saves us. For we who are Catholic His work of salvation is apparent to us in His Church. If you do not find it so, look elsewhere if you must. Or stay with us and trust in Him that you will come to know His mercy and grace thru the Catholic Church if you will only accept it. Christ gave this Church to Peter so that we might be saved. There is no other Church which has been here longer (Orthodoxy is our sister Church in this claim).

Do what you must. Go with God. He will not desert you unless you deny Him. But hopefully you will obey when He urges you back to His gift, the Catholic Church.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

When Protestants have manger scenes, they view them as a visual aid, don’t they? And as a historic kind of re-enactment or representation of a truth (the birth of Christ) as portrayed in the gospels. They look upon the manger scene and think of Christ.

What do you think CATHOLICS are doing in front of a manger scene? That’s right–the very same thing. They look upon the manger scene and THINK OF CHRIST. And then (Catholics being much more accustomed to humility and kneeling in front of the Lord), they (as many in the Scripture do), “Fall down before the Lord and worship Him”.

They are not worshiping “Mary” or “animals”; they are looking at the scene, remembering the birth of The Savior of the World, and praying to Him in joy, and gratitude, and love. And while we do not ‘worship’ Mary or St. Joseph, we ‘think’ of them with love, too–Mary for saying ‘yes’ to God, Joseph for his love and care for her and Jesus. And we ‘think’ as well of the shepherds, first to hear the message of the angels, and remember their witness. We ‘think’ of the angels and how they continually proclaim Christ as Lord. We think of the Magi who searched for the Lord to give him the gifts (and the ‘reason’ that many Christians commemorate Christmas with gifts to others, in a spirit of giving above all to Christ who gave Himself to us).

I guess that some Protestants may (without even realizing it) ‘forget’ that Christ did not come in a vacuum or live in a vacuum. In today’s gospel, He gives to His disciples the new commandment, “To love one another–that is how all shall know that you are my disciples”.

I think that Catholics on the whole do a better job with remembering the ‘love one another’ part–the communion of saints, the recognition of how Jesus’s salvific message is not ‘just’ Me N’Jesus but Jesus - me by me loving Jesus AND OTHERS.

Loving Mary doesn’t mean we deny God–far from it. Honoring our Mother in heaven (yes this is Catholic teaching and it was CHRISTIAN teaching for 1500 years until some got focused too narrowly) doesn’t mean we don’t honor God MORE. Why do we honor Mary–not because she is “Mary” but because she is the Mother of God. All honor to her is given to GOD through Mary, just as the Savior God gave us came TO us THROUGH Mary.

 

[NotWorthy]

T
Also, the manger scene is not just of Mary; they usually have other figures, including animals in them. You may even be acusing Protestants of worshipping animals!! Not too many are going to believe your reasoning here.

Rightfully so or not, now you get a general feeling of how Catholics feel when we’re told we worship Mary!

Someone posted the other day:

If Catholics worship Mary, why do they turn around and blaspheme her by denying to others that they worship Mary?

 

[NotWorthy]

it wasn’t because of this thread that i was studying Mat.23:9, but it just happens that I have been looking at it closely for the last little while. I would be interested to see you “interpret” this text “properly.”

Why don’t you ask your ancestors. They called their pastors “Father” until the late 1800’s. Do you think they didn’t understand the bible?

 

[Tatyanna]

Im thinking of leaving the catholic church for the protestant, iv done a lot of thinking. We have statues of Jesus and saints that we pray to when we have issues. THERE IS EVEN ONE FOR BALDNESS!

Maybe its cause the roman catholic church is roman. The romans accepted God, but they couldnt let go of polytheism and several Gods, maybe thats why we have saints?

Protestants uses the bible, Gods word. All arguments for catholism seems to come from other catholics.

It sounds like you have talking to those who come a-knocking
Your average Catholic knows his Scripture he just doesn’t, in many cases, know where it is. We hear it everyday at Mass and it’s all there just in cycles. Check out your missal.
Please don’t leave, the saints are our friends and family. Do you have pictures of them? Same deal. I’ll pray for you.

 

[JLSacred]

Gee, this thread isn’t fostering any love or friendship. It really has degenerated. We are called to love one another. Let’s do it. I can feel a great deal of disrespect and anger on all sides of this unfortunate and unproductive thread.

 

[Randy_Carson]

That’s funny. But not a very Biblical reason. Often when one of my kids want to do something they KNOW they should not do; they will say: “Well, so and so are doing it.” “Why can’t I?” You seem to be saying here that “Protestants do it, so why can’t we?” Is that a safe philosophy to go by?

I think you’re missing the point which is the hypocrisy of Protestants creating statues and blasting Catholics at the same time.

There are likely some differences in the situation you describe re Protestants and manger scenes. First, the manger scene is not “venerated” we do not bow down to them; or pray in front of them, or any of the other worship process that I have seen Catholics do in their churches, in front of Mary statues.

A statue is an inanimate object. We don’t pray to pieces of wood. However, regardless of what you do with your “graven images”, you have created them nonetheless. Surely God cannot be pleased with you for this.

Also, the manger scene is not just of Mary; they usually have other figures, including animals in them. You may even be acusing Protestants of worshipping animals!! Not too many are going to believe your reasoning here.

This has gotten even worse! You are creating calves and other animals?!?

Okay, as a former Protestant, let me tell you that I don’t worship the manger scene that I have for my kids any more than I worshipped the one my parents had in our home when I was younger.

However, if I’m in a church and see a statue of a famous saint, it might remind me to drop to my knees and ask that saint to pray for me or for you!

Statues, like the pictures of your family in your wallet, are just visual aids.

And before you react too strongly to the family photos comment, just ask yourself how many people have said to a deceased parent, “I’m sorry I let you down, Dad” or “I wish you could be here on my wedding day, Mom.”

Get it?