Inquiries For Catholics

[dnu]

This will not fully answer your question, but it’s a start:

Monks and Nuns:
catholic.com/thisrock/2001/0102frs.asp

Please remember that Catholic.com is not officially endorsed by the Catholic Church, so if there were to be a conflict somewhere along the line between Church Magisterium and Catholic answers forum, the Church wins out …however, among apologetics sites, it is one of the best

Also try salvationhistory.com by Dr. Scott Hahn. Dr. Hahn was a very anti-Catholic ordained Calvinist minister who converted to Catholicism.

 

[Robert_Michael]

This is really weird guys, but I think the Spirit is convicting me to be Catholic. I just have this random desire. I really want the Eucharist too.

 

[dnu]

Thats what the sites for , take your time, investigate, enjoy the reading.

:knight1avid:knight1:

 

[Formosus]

Now, I have to ask this. Not because I want to sway you, but because I seriously want answers to better understand the Catholic position on things. My question is, even though Catholics claim that Scripture, the Church, and Tradition are of equal authority, isn’t stating that the Church is the only source of interpretation of Scripture putting the Church over Scripture? I apologize if my hypothesis is wrong.

There is a false dichotomy in this. There is Revelation and the safe guard of Revelation is the Church guided by the Holy Spirit. Revelation is both written and unwritten and at one point the New Testament didn’t exist in a written form. There was just the tradition handed on by the Apostles. Eventually this was written down and then the Church decided which one these writings were authentic revelation.

While we may have a lot of rules, the rules are there only to help us stay faithful to God. They are not ends in of themselves but rather means to achieving an end, which is faith in God. They are reminders of the love we should have to God and help us to “set aside our earthly cares” (as said in the Cherubic hymn). Hope this helps some.

 

[Robert_Michael]

There is a false dichotomy in this. There is Revelation and the safe guard of Revelation is the Church guided by the Holy Spirit. Revelation is both written and unwritten and at one point the New Testament didn’t exist in a written form. There was just the tradition handed on by the Apostles. Eventually this was written down and then the Church decided which one these writings were authentic revelation.

While we may have a lot of rules, the rules are there only to help us stay faithful to God. They are not ends in of themselves but rather means to achieving an end, which is faith in God. They are reminders of the love we should have to God and help us to “set aside our earthly cares” (as said in the Cherubic hymn). Hope this helps some.

This helps tons bro.

 

[dnu]

I noticed from the earlier posts you may have some transportation issues, but, If you can, try to attend a Mass this Sunday. The Sunday before Christmas is special. Also, if you live in an area that has more than one Church, you can go to a different one on another Sunday until you find one that fits you best. For instance, the first one I attended was a University Parish with mostly older folks and college students. The other Church in town, however, is the “family” Parish with lots of children my daughters age.

Good Luck,
David

 

[BerhaneSelassie]

Don’t get me wrong, rules are very important and help keep things in order. But, it seems that Catholicism puts too much significance on what we do rather on what God does. Jesus spoke of the Pharisees laying heavy burdens on the people, and that they would not even lift a finger. The Pharisees wouldn’t even let people save a sheep on the Sabbath if it had fallen into a ditch. I feel like Catholics fit this description (sorry, but I’m just stating my true opinion. I’d rather tell the hurtful truth than make a happy lie about my true feelings). I find it so wrong that they make it a “mortal sin” to even miss mass. Let me ask, do they even forbid preaching in villages in India where there aren’t Catholic parishes because they would be missing mass for a while, despite the work they do for the people through preaching?

Some of the Pharisees observed the laws without knowledge, later Judaism would condemn and mock the actions of the Pharisees of Jesus day. One term used for them was “foolish saint” they observed a less law and avoided something more important. The example Jewish encyclopedia uses is a man walking past a drowning woman and does not help because it would be a sin to “look upon a woman.” This is like the priest in the story of the Good Samaritan. Nonetheless Catholicism does not teach people to be foolish saints, exceptions are often made for things in grave circumstances.

People are allowed to miss mass if there is none offered or they are sick, or other extreme reason My mom’s village as a child had a priest that came only once a month, this is still the case in Norway and Sweden. People are not guilty of mortal sin if they do not consent to it or intend for it. Also, Canon law says if you can’t have mass you can pray alone or in a group for a while on Sunday, or even attend an Orthodox divine liturgy or Protestant service if I remember right.

BTW there have been Christians in India since the times of the Apostles, since St Thomas preached there, and some Catholics on here are ST Thomas Christians of some form.

I also think it’s messed up to say that if one dies without confession of one mortal sin, they end up in hell. I simply don’t find much of God’s grace in your Church. Keep in mind, though, that my opinions can change and that I’m open to correction. I find it rather distasteful these days that people are so close-minded.

Well “mortal sin” means “deadly sin” thats why mortal is used, and its taken from one of John’s epistles. Ezekiel 18 people complained it was not fair that a man can be righteous his whole life, and then does a wicked deed and dies for it

You say, “The LORD’S way** is not fair**!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.–Ezekiel 18:25-26

It does not seem fair to us that one sin will cause us to go to hell, but from God’s perspective it is fair.

Also, going to confession is NOT the ONLY way to have sins forgiven, its the ordinary way of repentance, when there is no priest available we can pray by ourselves for forgiveness from God with an action of contrition. We are, however, to go to a priest if one is available for confession.

 

[ljubim]

Response to last post from Robert: (worried I’ll go over the limit )

I am sorry you feel that way… about the preaching off in rural India… the whole point would be to preach and establish a parish there eventually. Btw it’s not a cut and dry missing mass=a mortal sin, there are exceptions for the impossible.(such as if you’re badly sick and contagious, if there’s none available, etc. Then it’s still recommended that you pray a bit and keep the sabbath)

And I know, it is difficult to find a priest when you’re dying, especially if it is a quick death. The point is that last rites (now referred to more as Sacrament of the sick) are a way to help prepare us for what’s next. (For example… my grandfather died young, only a week after he started feeling strange, and with six kids. My grandmother was with him in the end, after last rites I believe, and was talking to him, saying that you’ve lived an amazing life, and have been always a true Catholic and followed God’s word to the letter, and now in a few minutes your life will be over and you will finally see God as He is, this is what your life has been building up to. And then as she was talking he had a brain anuerism and died…) but basically this is the idea of last rites, it is a final goodbye, a preparation for what’s ahead. Even if we don’t all get it, that’s ok.

And about the Church being more important than Scripture: I think you’re assuming that they’re at odds. The Church fully follows the bible, I think it is a more Protestant idea to go for wide interpretations and playing around with semantics. I have read the bible looking for everything, even back when I was having faith problems (from a doubter, to a maybe-Orthodox-are-right-about-the-pope-er, to still a Catholic ) And the bible supports the Church the entire way.

Sorry again to seem rude… it’s just the whole world really is different when you receive Our Lord in the Eucharist. Perhaps you could try going to adoration and seeing what it’s all about, especially if you want to look into the Church.

• And I just reread your post: keep in mind mortal sins are things such as holding a knife in your hand above somebody, looking at a crucifix and saying purposefully, I know you don’t want me to do this God, but I don’t care I need to do this, and then killing somebody. Or going online, as a married man, to find some new sex partner, and lying about where you’re going. I mean mortal sins are VERY serious business, not just your average yelling at somebody, or playing a mean prank.(venial)

And also: hell stems from God’s justice and mercy. Essentially people who don’t want to be with God end up there. He hates to see them go, but they want nothing to do with Him. Just like Lucifer and all of his fallen angels wanted power like God all to themselves, they didn’t want to stay in heaven and praise Him. They wanted to praise themselves.

God bless
Sorry for the earlier bad impressions

 

[BerhaneSelassie]

For anything to be a mortal sin

Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.-Catechism 1859

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a8.htm#1859

 

[Robert_Michael]

I have to admit, if I became Catholic, I’d just be fearing for everything and trying to earn my salvation. My life would be complete fear of mortal sin. I’d probably end up killing myself, which, in turn, would send me to hell.

 

[BerhaneSelassie]

We’re supposed to be afraid of sinning and going to hell, it keeps us honest and God hates sin

 

[CB_Catholic]

I have to admit, if I became Catholic, I’d just be fearing for everything and trying to earn my salvation. My life would be complete fear of mortal sin. I’d probably end up killing myself, which, in turn, would send me to hell.

You can’t earn your salvation, period. It is a free gift. Cooperating with God and obeying His commandments is not earning your salvation. Doing the works the Lord has prepared for you to do is not earning your salvation. It is obeying God and conforming to His wiil. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick, etc. is obeying the Great Commandment–to love God with your whole heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Obedience to God’s commandments is not earning salvation. You need to get the idea out of your head that doing good works is earning your salvation. Once you understand this, you will lose that fear. Perfect love casts out all fear. This is directly from the Scriptures. God loves you perfectly, just as you are, there is no room for fear when love prevails. God loves you perfectly and wants to save you. Jesus died on that Cross to save you. He never said you had to earn it. Catholics do not believe you have to earn your salvation. Salvation is a free gift.

As far as mortal sin goes, you can’t run around fearing you will commit one. Mortal sin is a choice–a deliberate choice. You are not going to accidentally commit one. You are going to know that what you contemplate doing is a mortal sin–a grevious offense against God that kills the grace in your soul and cuts you off from God–and you choose to do it anyway. If you do not know that it is a mortal sin, it isn’t. A mortal sin always involves a deliberate choice to commit the sin anyway, knowing it is deadly. The 10 Commandments give you a pretty clear idea of what is a mortal sin, as does the New Testament. And even if you do give in to temptation and commit a mortal sin, God is always ready to forgive you if you are truly repentant and ask for that forgiveness. So if you commit one and die before you have a chance to confess it, it does not mean that you will go automatically go to hell. If you are truly repentant and ask for forgiveness, God, who knows the human heart, and who is infinitely merciful, will judge that. If you are pefectly contrite, He will forgive you.

I don’t know how much clearer these things can be stated. You must learn to trust God. And you must unlearn some things that you have been wrongly taught about Catholicism, either from Protestants or Catholics who do not know their faith. You have been given excellent resources to study these things, use them. Do not live in fear. Fear is incompatible with faith, and is a tool of the evil one to keep you from God. Always keep that in mind. Pray instead “Jesus I trust in you”. over and over again if you have to. That is how fear is conquered.

 

[BerhaneSelassie]

o wow ya. that last part about going crazy doesn’t make sense@_@

 

[peary1]

I’m looking for some Catholic interpretations to a few Bible passages.

Is the following saying that we must have works to earn salvation(?):

CANON XXXII.-If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life, -if so be, however, that he depart in grace,-and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema. -Trent, 6th Session

Also, please do not try to counter me with Scripture (specifically James 2 or any other Catholic circular arguments), for Scripture can not contradict itself .

**Too bad. James sums it up pretty well:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble.Do you want proof, you ignoramus**, that faith without works is useless?Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.” See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:14-26

So, let me get this str8 - you can use scripture but we can’t?

In Galatians, Paul is stern on the fact that Christians are not to be bound by anything again, and that we should be free in Christ. How is Catholicism freedom, when you are committing a “mortal sin” by not attending mass, and then damned to hell if you die before confession?

Because you are breaking the New Covenant with God. And the Church doesn’t say you are damned to hell. The Church teaches that you are setting yourself up for eternal damnation if one continues on a path which mortally wounds your relationship to God.Isn’t part of the Ten Commandments to keep holy the Lord’s day?

Catholicism teaches many rules that we must observe, or else…How does that
correspond to Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:9, and Mark 7:7?

Exactly what ‘rules’ and ‘regulations’ bother you?

That’s it for now. Thank you.

**Don’t mentione it… **