Hello again my friend,
justaskin4 and some of the other posters here with questions.
The process of becoming a “full” member of the Catholic Church doesn’t stop at infant Baptism, it begins with Baptism and it is once we are Baptized, that we become Christian. Baptism is the Gateway to Christianity and all of the other Sacraments.
After Infant Baptism, children and teenagers continue through to Confession (Penance and Reconciliation) and first Communion, usually, 2-3 years of religious education, and then another couple of years of religious education for Confirmation.
Many non-Catholic Christians (not all) hold misconceptions about Catholicism and assume that they “do more things Christian” or that, “they have a better understanding of Christianity” or that, “they are more Christian” because among other things, many assume that Infant Baptism and attending Mass is all there is to Catholicism and this is far from the truth.
Other denominations of Christianity didn’t “discover” or “add” Christians truths, they changed, rejected and removed many Christian truths from their beliefs. They are not “more Christian”, technically, many are “less Christian” because they practice “less” Christianity…not only less than the Catholic Church today but also less than all of the Early Christians.
There is not a single religion “more Christian” than Catholicism! There is not a single religion more focused of Jesus Christ or the Bible than Catholicism. Moreover, we do not reject our Christian ancestors, and we do not reject Christian traditions held by the Early Church and early Christians, we embrace them.
Children and teenagers are required to attend five years of Catechism (Catholic/religious Instruction) in order to be Confirmed Catholics, where all of the issues that the other poster posed, are “covered”.
Adults wishing to become Catholic must first attend RCIA for approximately one year and attend Mass every Sunday during that year. If they are not properly Baptized, they must be Baptized on Easter Sunday (at the end of the RCIA year) and then receive their first Communion and Confirmation, where they also reject Satan and “accept Jesus Christ” … this all occurs after they have, to use the OP’s word, “repented”, during their first Confession.
There is no need to re-invent Christianity. The Catholic Church represents the Full Deposit of Faith and all Christian truths are contained in Catholicism. For example, the Catholic Mass is much more biblically-based than most Fundamental or Evangelical Christian denominational services. If you attended a Catholic Mass once a week for three years, you would discover that the entire Bible is read aloud and commented on (in the Homily). Catholic Mass is held every day of the year, not just Sundays, like some other Christian religions. The “Lord’s Prayer” (Our Father) is recited at every Mass and so on and so on…
This all this sounds pretty “Christian” doesn’t it? This all this sounds pretty “Biblical” doesn’t it?
The Catholic Church did not add anything to Christianity; other religions changed, rejected and removed aspects of Christianity from their Faiths and from their lives.
I hope this Helps and I hope you don’t mind that I tried to answer your questions and the other posters questions in the same post here.
I will try to get into a few more details later and I will also provide some links later, on this subject.
God Bless.
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