My Questions About Christianity

[anotherauthor12]

Okay, first of all, I am NOT trying to insult or deny the beliefs of Catholics or Protestants. I am just trying to get a better understanding of Christianity in general. So PLEASE do not take any offense from my questions.

Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs. I was baptized and raised a Catholic. But in the last two years, (I’m 13) I’ve been having some doubts and questions. I really don’t classify myself as a Catholic or a Protestant. I classify myself as just a Christian. And my mother grew up protestant and my dad grew up Catholic.

Q1. Why do Protestants call themselves Christians but Catholics usually refer to themselves as Catholics?

Q2. I have met some Catholics that are VERY excluding to Protestants and incredibly close-minded on their beliefs. I know that not all Catholics are like that, and that some Protestants are the same way, but I’ve seen it more so with Catholics. Does God not want us to welcome our neighbors? Even if we don’t share the same beliefs?

Q3. Okay, this might be a little long winded. On Good Friday, Jesus forgave the man who had commited mortal sins all his life. But yet he didn’t say, ‘You’ll be in purgatory for a little while, and then you’ll get to join me in paradise.’ He said ‘Today you’ll be with me in paradise.’ If that was true, then why did he not have to go through purgatory? I personally am having many struggles with purgatory, and so once again, PLEASE do not be offended. And also, though in Revalations 21, it states that nothing unclean can enter heaven, then does that mean that when Jesus died, he did not FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from our sins?

Q.4 It seems from my point of view, that though the Pope is the church leader, that he is given too much ‘power’. Doesn’t God hold all of the faithful ones equal to one another?

Q.5 (Last question, I promise.) Do Catholics really believe that Protestants don’t go to heaven? Why or why not?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply. I am truly just trying to have a better understanding of the faith.

-A

 

[Barbkw]

Okay, first of all, I am NOT trying to insult or deny the beliefs of Catholics or Protestants. I am just trying to get a better understanding of Christianity in general. So PLEASE do not take any offense from my questions.

Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs. I was baptized and raised a Catholic. But in the last two years, (I’m 13) I’ve been having some doubts and questions. I really don’t classify myself as a Catholic or a Protestant. I classify myself as just a Christian. And my mother grew up protestant and my dad grew up Catholic.

Q1. Why do Protestants call themselves Christians but Catholics usually refer to themselves as Catholics?

**What is your understanding of the protestant Reformation? As a very general whole, in the 500 years since the Reformation, protestant denominations call themselves Christians. There are somewhere around 20,000 protestant denominations that have split and split and split because they don’t hold to one ideal on many points. Even within each denomination, they will not develop a Creed or recite one. As a body, many can’t agree on what should be in their Creed. Because many protestant denominations can’t agree on who has ultimate authority to determine moral matters, those decisions become individual for each person. Due to this, various denominations (althou they call themselves Christian) allow abortion, same sex marriage, multiple divorces, blessing of homosexual acts, etc.

For 2,000 years, and all great struggle, Catholics have remained “universal” in their beliefs. We hold one Creed, one papal authority, one body of Bishops, one belief in the Eucharist, one unified belief of Scripture. We are Catholic Christians. As in our Creed, Christ’s Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. **

Q2. I have met some Catholics that are VERY excluding to Protestants and incredibly close-minded on their beliefs. I know that not all Catholics are like that, and that some Protestants are the same way, but I’ve seen it more so with Catholics. Does God not want us to welcome our neighbors? Even if we don’t share the same beliefs?

Some beliefs are dividers (abortion, embroyonic stem cell use, contraception, euthanasia, homosexual acts, same sex marriage, remarriage after divorce, women priests). It becomes difficult as times, discussing these matters with Christians who don’t hold our values.

In your lifetime, you will meet Protestants, aethists, non-Christians who are the same way (exclusionary and incredibley close-minded toward Catholics.

Q3. Okay, this might be a little long winded. On Good Friday, Jesus forgave the man who had commited mortal sins all his life. But yet he didn’t say, ‘You’ll be in purgatory for a little while, and then you’ll get to join me in paradise.’ He said ‘Today you’ll be with me in paradise.’ If that was true, then why did he not have to go through purgatory? I personally am having many struggles with purgatory, and so once again, PLEASE do not be offended. And also, though in Revalations 21, it states that nothing unclean can enter heaven, then does that mean that when Jesus died, he did not FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from our sins?

**Most all of us will need time in purgatory to understand how our actions affected others. It will be a time of great healing, individually, for families, and for the body of Christ as a Communion. **

Q.4 It seems from my point of view, that though the Pope is the church leader, that he is given too much ‘power’. Doesn’t God hold all of the faithful ones equal to one another?

**The Pope guides the Church on moral matters. He guided us as a body of believers away from accepting (abortion, embroyonic stem cell use, contraception, euthanasia, homosexual acts, same sex marriage, remarriage after divorce, women priests). **

Q.5 (Last question, I promise.) Do Catholics really believe that Protestants don’t go to heaven? Why or why not?

No, we don’t believe that. Catholicism is the Church which Jesus’ instituted through the Apostles. We contain the seven Sacraments, which protestants gave up - except for two (Baptism and Marriage) and many denominations don’t even agree on those.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply. I am truly just trying to have a better understanding of the faith.

Thanks for caring enough about your faith to come and get help with these questions. May I ask, do you attend Catholic school or public school?
-A

 

[pablope]

Okay, first of all, I am NOT trying to insult or deny the beliefs of Catholics or Protestants. I am just trying to get a better understanding of Christianity in general. So PLEASE do not take any offense from my questions.

No offense taken, we are here to answer your questions…you have quite a bit…Forum rules are one thread, one topic…so do not be surprised if the moderators split your original thread into several threads…with that, I will deal with a few, and hope this helps…

Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs.

 

[Z_Ninja]

Here is my take.

Q1, many, not all, Protestants do not consider Catholics to be Christians. We are all Christians, usually people use the terms to separate denomination.

Q2. God does want us to love our neighbors as was commanded of us. We are still flawed humans and will always have strong opinions/beliefs. A lot of times those beliefs will cause division as Barbkw stated.

Q3, Jesus, being God the Son, freely forgave and gave grace to the thief, thus immediately saving him sending him directly to Paradise.

Q4. The Pope was once believed to be “first among equals”, however, Jesus set Peter apart from the other Apostles when he asked him “who do you say that I am…” Matt 16:15.

Q5. Catholics do not judge whether a Protestant, or anyone of any faith, goes to Heaven or not, that is up to God. We do believe that we have the fullness of Truth though.

 

[anotherauthor12]

Thank you all for your descriptive replies.

BarbKw- I am a ‘Christian/Catholic Homeschooler’ if that makes sense. We use a Christian, (but not strictly Catholic) curriculum.

pablop- Thanks for the warning about the threads. I am new to this, (my second thread) so I don’t really know the ropes yet.

One more thing, I am still on the edge about purgatory, how do you explain the stories like ‘Heaven is for Real’ and ‘90 minutes in Heaven’?

 

[David]

One more thing, I am still on the edge about purgatory,

Welcome Anotherauthor, I am wondering what is your definition of purgatory?
Thanks for the questions and the kind tone.

Peace
David

 

[Catholic4Christ]

Okay, first of all, I am NOT trying to insult or deny the beliefs of Catholics or Protestants. I am just trying to get a better understanding of Christianity in general. So PLEASE do not take any offense from my questions.

Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs. I was baptized and raised a Catholic. But in the last two years, (I’m 13) I’ve been having some doubts and questions. I really don’t classify myself as a Catholic or a Protestant. I classify myself as just a Christian. And my mother grew up protestant and my dad grew up Catholic.

Q1. Why do Protestants call themselves Christians but Catholics usually refer to themselves as Catholics?

Barbkw correctly explained that “catholic” means “universal,” and Catholics believe that their faith is the true universal faith instituted by Christ and retained by the apostles and their successors. Another major reason, at least I think, is that Catholic Christians like to have an identity. Whereas many (not all) Protestants (whether they are Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.) are taught to interpret the Word of God on their own. Because of this, Protestants tend to be more individualistic in their beliefs than a lot of Catholics (especially in the US, where we pride ourselves as free individuals). Therefore they might identify themselves as a Christian instead of a Methodist, Presbyterian, etc. Catholics are Christians, but don’t want others to get the impression that they are “generic” Christians - our beliefs are much more set than that.

Q2. I have met some Catholics that are VERY excluding to Protestants and incredibly close-minded on their beliefs. I know that not all Catholics are like that, and that some Protestants are the same way, but I’ve seen it more so with Catholics. Does God not want us to welcome our neighbors? Even if we don’t share the same beliefs?

I, personally, have met many more Protestants who are like this than Catholics. It all depends on who you are around and where you are. If some Catholics seem “close-minded,” it might actually be because they are more set in their beliefs than the average Protestant. It is true that some of us are excluding of other people, but that isn’t the nature of Catholicism. God desires all to find His Church. Exclusion is just something that many people do, unfortunately. It isn’t just a "Catholic thing."

Q3. Okay, this might be a little long winded. On Good Friday, Jesus forgave the man who had commited mortal sins all his life. But yet he didn’t say, ‘You’ll be in purgatory for a little while, and then you’ll get to join me in paradise.’ He said ‘Today you’ll be with me in paradise.’ If that was true, then why did he not have to go through purgatory? I personally am having many struggles with purgatory, and so once again, PLEASE do not be offended. And also, though in Revalations 21, it states that nothing unclean can enter heaven, then does that mean that when Jesus died, he did not FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from our sins?

**pablope did a pretty good job explaining “paradise,” so I won’t dwell on that. Now, there are Biblical and historical references to what we envision as “Purgatory.” But I’ll just give my 2 cents…

In this life, we sin. We have “concupiscence,” the tendency toward sinful behavior left behind by original sin. We are sinners. The souls and saints of heaven, however, do not have a sinful tendency. They are no longer sinful. What happened? Something must have. Even with Christ’s forgiveness in this life, we still sin. Few of us are “saintly” while we live, but if we go to heaven, our sin, guilt, and other unfortunate parts of our mortal life disappear. To me, this is why there must be SOME kind of cleansing or theosis for most of us before entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

That’s just my way of reasoning it out, other people probably have more academic ways of explaining it. If anyone finds fault with my reasoning, feel free to tell me **

Q.4 It seems from my point of view, that though the Pope is the church leader, that he is given too much ‘power’. Doesn’t God hold all of the faithful ones equal to one another?

**The position of the Pope, the Primacy of Peter, the teaching position of the Church, and all that stuff have been discussed at such extreme lengths on this site that I’m too lazy to get into it **

Q.5 (Last question, I promise.) Do Catholics really believe that Protestants don’t go to heaven? Why or why not?

We believe that the Church has the fullness of faith, so it is the “best” means towards salvation. This doesn’t mean we believe ALL Protestants or other non-Catholics cannot be saved. My two deceased grandparents (rest their souls) were religious, practicing Methodists, I personally like to believe that they are saved. We as Catholics should never assume someone didn’t make it to Heaven. The Church has never made a declaration that someone is in Hell (i.e. there are no anti-Saints)

Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply. I am truly just trying to have a better understanding of the faith.

-A

 

[Barbkw]

One more thing, I am still on the edge about purgatory, how do you explain the stories like ‘Heaven is for Real’ and ‘90 minutes in Heaven’?

I haven’t read those althou I have seen many of the after death experiences on “I Survived Beyond and Back”.

IF… IF… IF… what those people experience (in their 3 to 4 short minutes while being clinically dead) can be taken as indicators of what to expect…I see nothing there that would disprove that a soul needs purgation prior to seeing God.

Some of these clinically deceased people have experiences of pure Evil. Once they are brought back, they make radical changes to convert their relationships toward Jesus.

Some experience an all encompassing warm light (Light?)which they don’t want to leave.

And yes, some experience a “sit down - let’s talk about your works while on Earth.”

 

[Chuck1]

Hi its good to ask questions then you can find out and make decisions for yourself , i agree with what all the above said i hope you understand a little better i recently came to the catholic church from my baptist church(iam 16) - dont worry it took me a while to get some of the catholic teachings but it does make sense after a while and in extreme circumstances in some parts of the word wrapped up in the theology and materialistic side and loose focus of what the church is side and its a bit materialistic like smells and bells of it all but as long as you stay grounded and love god thats all that matters - all the smells and bells ect are to help your spiritual growth i hope you find your way back - your in my prayers - chuck

 

[ChrisB103]

Hey AnotherAuthor,

Good questions. It’s a bit tough to take that many on at once, so I’ll just add a few tidbits to what has already been said.

The reason Catholics will typically identify first with the term “Catholic” has a deep history. You see, the first name that the movement of the followers of Christ took was “The Way”. Eventually, the group took on the name “Christian”, and this began in Antioch as we read in the book of Acts. However, there was soon a need to distinguish between the believers who held to the faith as passed down from the Apostles and the believers who separated themselves from that faith. Interestingly, the term “Catholic” also has its earliest roots in Antioch, and it was used to describe the believers who held to the universal apostolic faith. The earliest example we can find is from Ignatius of Antioch around 107 AD. For more information on this, check out this quick question: Quick Question

It seems that Purgatory is giving you the most pause. I agree with David that it would be beneficial for you to describe what you understand about Purgatory. To me, it seems quite logical. While there may be some people who die that love Christ perfectly and have no attachment to sin, the rest of us will likely die without loving God perfectly. In heaven, everyone loves God perfectly, right? So our souls must have their imperfections purified (the parts of it that don’t love God perfectly) before entering heaven. Most Catholics give this state the name of Purgatory, although the name is not the important thing.

I’d like to give you a few pieces of Scripture to chew on that seem to strongly imply Purgatory:

Matthew 12:32 speaks of a sin that will not be forgiven “in this age or the next”. What is this “next” age? We know it cannot be hell, because there’s no hope of forgiveness in hell. We know it cannot be heaven, because there are no imperfections in heaven, as you point out in Rev 21:27. A place such as Purgatory where minor sins and imperfections can be forgiven and removed seems to be the logical conclusion here.

2 Maccabees 12:44-46 speaks of a commander of an army who atoned for the dead in order to set them free from sin. This too strongly implies Purgatory.

1 Corinthians 3:15 speaks of suffering loss but being saved as through fire. The logical conclusion here also seems to be a place such as Purgatory.

In 2 Timothy 1:16-18 Paul prays for his dead friend Onesiphorus. Why would he pray for someone who is dead unless there was a possible way for the prayers to help his friend?

I hope this helps!

 

[anotherauthor12]

Thanks again to everyone. I think I am starting to understand most of it. Yay!

Hopefully I’m gonna get all this covered.

Chuck- Thanks a bunches! Nice on the ‘smells and bells’ stuff!

David and ChrisB- I guess my idea of purgatory is that like somebody dies, they go to purgatory, which I picture as kind of a not happy but not sad place, they wait, and wait, and wait some more, until somebody prays them out or until judgement day, and then they get to proceed to heaven. Is that like it at all? My mother and grandfather do NOT believe in purgatory and the verses they show me are,

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Acts 11:14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

[David]

Regarding purgatory, some mistakenly believe it is a second chance to go to heaven. I don’t know where that idea came from.
Peace
David

 

[manualman]

Interesting. I haven’t read the responses of others yet, so I apologize for any repetitions.

1. Worldview. Protestants believe that Jesus established an invisible church on earth that had no formal, recognizable characteristics in the physical world. By this view, one denomination is as good as the next and the primary identity is that of christian. They had to adopt this view in order to break away from the catholic church at the beginning of the reformation. Catholicism has always believed that Jesus clearly intended from the very beginning to establish a Church that is both visible AND invisible. This is why he selected 12 apostles and those apostles replaced their numbers upon death and delegated authority to new bishops upon expanding to new towns (this is all in the book of Acts). What you see in Acts has never ended. Every single catholic bishop and priest has an unbroken line of succession back to the apostles. Catholicism has always taught that this understanding of Church is and always will be what Jesus intended. In short, the catholic church is what Jesus established. Breakaways were not in his will.
2. Catholics are as human as you are, with at least as many warts. Pride is a serious temptation for human being, probably yourself included. Ever visited a third world country? If you do, monitor your reactions. You might find yourself at least a little bit sniffing in superiority over the appalling conditions you find in those impoverished places. But you must rebuke that inclination. Most of us can claim ZERO credit for the achievements of western civilization, it was handed to us on a silver platter. We have ZERO basis for feeling smug about how our culture is better than another. And yet it happens almost universally the first time Americans travel in impoverished countries. As catholics, we believe that we’ve retained the gospel message that Christ revealed and the apostles proclaimed to the world. By logical necessity, this means we believe protestants have abandoned much of this treasure. There is a temptation to be snooty about it. But it’s absurd to be snooty about a treasure you’ve been given. We must remember to be joyful about it.
3. Ah purgatory. An awful lot of people see purgatory dead wrong. It simply is not hell with a timer attached. It isn’t punishment in the penal sense, it is punishment in the parental sense. Your mom doesn’t punish you because your crime demands justice. Your mom punishes you because she wants you to learn that doing wrong begets bad outcomes. God is capable of simply forgiving our sins and wiping them from existence. But what He does not want to do is to populate heaven with puppets. He wants us to choose Him with our FREE will. You, like me, are probably still imperfect and secretly attached to some kinds of sins. If we both die right now and enter heaven as-is, how is it heaven? We’d be there screwing the place up with selfishness, arrogance, envy, lust, pride and the rest. Purgatory is where we cooperate with God’s grace to finish off the remaining attachments we have to sin so that when we enter heaven, it really is heaven. It remains a place full of perfected people living in joyful communion with God for eternity. Amen? Remember, it’s not hell with a timer, it’s not punishment in the human judicial sense, but a parental punishment so that we learn and grow.
4. Humans require leaders. Protestantism is Exhibit A for why (20,000 distinct communities in the USA alone and counting). If there is no one empowered to make final decisions in cases of dispute, then there will never be unity. This is why Jesus gave St. Peter such a special position as the first pope, not to dominate the other apostles, but to provide a decisive leadership. This is, indeed, a fearsome power. But history shows an interesting thing. Popes have behaved badly in many cases in their personal behavior (including St. Peter!). But there has never been a case where a pope manipulated doctrinal teaching for his own gain. Given human nature and the 2,000 years that has passed, that’s unparalleled in history. Great responsibility also goes with the office. An awful lot of popes have died suddenly with little prior indication of ill health. God has ways of protecting his church from evil intended leadership…
5. Where’d you get that notion? Salvation is a matter of Grace. The Church and the Sacraments were gifts God gave us through Christ as a means of restoring us to him. But they aren’t a prison in which God must dwell. Catholics generally see it like this: Humanity is like a shipwreck, the ship has gone down and the survivors are bobbing in the sea. God, in his mercy sent Christ to redeem us and created the Church as a rescue ship for all. The shipwrecked may find their ways to the shore of Christ in other ways, but it’s still foolish to refuse the rescue ship when it appears! Protestants have access to the sacraments of baptism and marriage, so in a sense they are members of the extended family of the Church. The grace imparted in those sacraments are real and the faith that informs them often forms and adequate relationship between Christ and believer to result in salvation. But why live on survival rations of seaweed and barnacles when God has provided a rescue ship with a banquet aboard?

 

[manualman]

Okay, first of all, I am NOT trying to insult or deny the beliefs of Catholics or Protestants. I am just trying to get a better understanding of Christianity in general. So PLEASE do not take any offense from my questions.

Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs. I was baptized and raised a Catholic. But in the last two years, (I’m 13) I’ve been having some doubts and questions. I really don’t classify myself as a Catholic or a Protestant. I classify myself as just a Christian. And my mother grew up protestant and my dad grew up Catholic.

Q1. Why do Protestants call themselves Christians but Catholics usually refer to themselves as Catholics?

Q2. I have met some Catholics that are VERY excluding to Protestants and incredibly close-minded on their beliefs. I know that not all Catholics are like that, and that some Protestants are the same way, but I’ve seen it more so with Catholics. Does God not want us to welcome our neighbors? Even if we don’t share the same beliefs?

Q3. Okay, this might be a little long winded. On Good Friday, Jesus forgave the man who had commited mortal sins all his life. But yet he didn’t say, ‘You’ll be in purgatory for a little while, and then you’ll get to join me in paradise.’ He said ‘Today you’ll be with me in paradise.’ If that was true, then why did he not have to go through purgatory? I personally am having many struggles with purgatory, and so once again, PLEASE do not be offended. And also, though in Revalations 21, it states that nothing unclean can enter heaven, then does that mean that when Jesus died, he did not FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from our sins?

Q.4 It seems from my point of view, that though the Pope is the church leader, that he is given too much ‘power’. Doesn’t God hold all of the faithful ones equal to one another?

Q.5 (Last question, I promise.) Do Catholics really believe that Protestants don’t go to heaven? Why or why not?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply. I am truly just trying to have a better understanding of the faith.

-A

 

[ChrisB103]

Thanks again to everyone. I think I am starting to understand most of it. Yay!

Hopefully I’m gonna get all this covered.

Chuck- Thanks a bunches! Nice on the ‘smells and bells’ stuff!

David and ChrisB- I guess my idea of purgatory is that like somebody dies, they go to purgatory, which I picture as kind of a not happy but not sad place, they wait, and wait, and wait some more, until somebody prays them out or until judgement day, and then they get to proceed to heaven. Is that like it at all? My mother and grandfather do NOT believe in purgatory and the verses they show me are,

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Acts 11:14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

I would suggest reading CCC 1030-1032 on Purgatory. Here’s a link, although you’ll have to skip ahead to the specific paragraphs. Most people think that the Catholic idea of Purgatory is much more specifically defined in terms of time, type of suffering, etc, but as you’ll see in the Catechism we don’t really know a whole lot of specifics. Essentially, I think the important takeaway message here is that it is a place of purification for those who died in God’s grace but who still have blemishes on their soul, whether that be venial sin or temporal punishment for sin.

I’m not sure how the quotes you’ve provided from your mother and grandfather contradict the idea of Purgatory. To be “saved” just means that if you were to die now you would go to heaven to spend eternity with God. It does not negate that you will go through any further purification, whether that purification comes before death or after death. Would you mind sharing how you see those verses as contradicting the idea of Purgatory?

I’m glad you’re coming to understand these teachings better. I think you’ll find that the more you learn about your Catholic faith, the more you’ll love it. Also, the more times you find the most satisfying answer within Catholicism, the less you’ll ever doubt that the Church always has the best answer, even when it seems that the positions non-Catholics espouse seem to be quite solid. God bless you on your journey!

 

[Bob_Crowley]

Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs. I was baptized and raised a Catholic. But in the last two years, (I’m 13) I’ve been having some doubts and questions. I really don’t classify myself as a Catholic or a Protestant. I classify myself as just a Christian. And my mother grew up protestant and my dad grew up Catholic.

I’m Catholic, but was Protestant (and atheist), so I’ve worn both hats.

Q1. Why do Protestants call themselves Christians but Catholics usually refer to themselves as Catholics?

This is probably a fall out from the Reformation. Catholics tend to identify with the Church, whereas Protestants tend to identify with “Christianity”. These days I’ll usually tell people “I’m Christian” but then possibly identify that with “I’m Catholic, but I used to be Protestant”, depending on the context.

Q2. I have met some Catholics that are VERY excluding to Protestants and incredibly close-minded on their beliefs. I know that not all Catholics are like that, and that some Protestants are the same way, but I’ve seen it more so with Catholics. Does God not want us to welcome our neighbors? Even if we don’t share the same beliefs?

It cuts both ways. There’ll always be Pharisees. I think I partly lost a job due to a Presbyterian pastor, who is quite prepared to lie and conspire, even against his own fellow pastors.

Q3. Okay, this might be a little long winded. On Good Friday, Jesus forgave the man who had commited mortal sins all his life. But yet he didn’t say, ‘You’ll be in purgatory for a little while, and then you’ll get to join me in paradise.’ He said ‘Today you’ll be with me in paradise.’ If that was true, then why did he not have to go through purgatory? I personally am having many struggles with purgatory, and so once again, PLEASE do not be offended. And also, though in Revalations 21, it states that nothing unclean can enter heaven, then does that mean that when Jesus died, he did not FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from our sins?

The thief on the cross spent six hours being crucified with Christ, and possibly shared in his mockery. I suspect that was what might be called his “Purgatory”. He didn’t get in scot free at all. He’s also a special case, being literally crucified with Christ. Fancy being crucified for six hours, and then saying you got in at no cost? Just faith?

Personally I think Protestants get a shock when they die, and find that this Purgatory they never believed in is real.

Q.4 It seems from my point of view, that though the Pope is the church leader, that he is given too much ‘power’. Doesn’t God hold all of the faithful ones equal to one another?

The Pope is the descendant of Peter. “What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”. I don’t trust the “infallibility” bit unfortunately, since I think it was the outcome of ultramontanist activism, and not very honest at the time. But what’s the use of having a church if you’re not going to give it any power?

Q.5 (Last question, I promise.) Do Catholics really believe that Protestants don’t go to heaven? Why or why not?

I’m quoting my wise, prophetic old PROTESTANT pastor here. We used to talk in his office from time to time, and I remember being surprised when he said, “I sometimes wonder if Protestants get into heaven.” He went on to talk about Luther, and queried whether God was as accepting of the divided church as we are. It’s HIS church, not ours. At one stage he got a fright (I won’t go into it here, but he was dying of cancer at the time), and remarked “It’s a heresy. That’s what worries me!” What he was talking about was the Protestant denial of the Papacy. And in particular since he was Presbyterian at the time, he’d taken the Westminster Confession of Faith as an oath, and that specifically states, in it’s non-modified form, that the Pope is the Anti-Christ, and “that son of perdition”.

Some time after he died, he briefly appeared in a vision to me and simply said, “We’re not in heaven. We’re all in Purgatory. Oh, we’re not suffering any pain, so you don’t have to worry about that! In fact, it’s pretty good around here…” And here he looked rather impressed. But then he repeated, “But we’re not in heaven…”. Then he disappeared.

So I have my doubts. To be honest I don’t think they do, not because we’re better (if anything, from personal experiences, I’d say Protestants are more sincere and enthusiastic than Catholics as whole), but because God won’t stand for the continued division of His Church. I also think that’s why He’s been sending Mary with these urgent messages at Lourdes, Fatima, Akita etc. and not Christ Himself. It’s a judgement on a divided Church.

 

[Swiss_Guy]

Okay, first of all, I am NOT trying to insult or deny the beliefs of Catholics or Protestants. I am just trying to get a better understanding of Christianity in general. So PLEASE do not take any offense from my questions.

Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs. I was baptized and raised a Catholic. But in the last two years, (I’m 13) I’ve been having some doubts and questions. I really don’t classify myself as a Catholic or a Protestant. I classify myself as just a Christian. And my mother grew up protestant and my dad grew up Catholic.

Q1. Why do Protestants call themselves Christians but Catholics usually refer to themselves as Catholics?

Q2. I have met some Catholics that are VERY excluding to Protestants and incredibly close-minded on their beliefs. I know that not all Catholics are like that, and that some Protestants are the same way, but I’ve seen it more so with Catholics. Does God not want us to welcome our neighbors? Even if we don’t share the same beliefs?

Q3. Okay, this might be a little long winded. On Good Friday, Jesus forgave the man who had commited mortal sins all his life. But yet he didn’t say, ‘You’ll be in purgatory for a little while, and then you’ll get to join me in paradise.’ He said ‘Today you’ll be with me in paradise.’ If that was true, then why did he not have to go through purgatory? I personally am having many struggles with purgatory, and so once again, PLEASE do not be offended. And also, though in Revalations 21, it states that nothing unclean can enter heaven, then does that mean that when Jesus died, he did not FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from our sins?

Q.4 It seems from my point of view, that though the Pope is the church leader, that he is given too much ‘power’. Doesn’t God hold all of the faithful ones equal to one another?

Q.5 (Last question, I promise.) Do Catholics really believe that Protestants don’t go to heaven? Why or why not?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply. I am truly just trying to have a better understanding of the faith.

-A

A1: I always called myself Lutheran until I realized Catholicism was right (now I say I wanna be Catholic, but I’m Lutheran).

A2: I don’t know where you live, but from my experiences online (not too many religious people where I am, and if they are they are on the liberal side) Protestants are way more closed minded, at least the Evangelical ones. (sites like gotquestions, jesus-is-lord, etc.).

A3: His conversion and then his suffering on the cross next to Jesus purified him completely–he suffered a baptism of blood I think. although I’m not sure. When Jesus died, he forgave us all of our sins. But purgatory removes the effects of the sins, not the sins themselves.

A4: He is the successor of St. Peter. Did the Apostles hold too much power? The Bishops are authoritative, because the Apostles were.

A5: No. Another way of understanding “No salvation outside the Church” could be “all salvation is through the Church” or “No salvation without the Church”.

 

[Angela77]

Excellent questions! I’ll try my best to answer. Just so that you know, I am also a teenager (confirmed last year) and have done a llittle questioning of he faith myself before too. But I have come to the conclusion that Catholic doctrines tie together very nicely and make a lot of sense. Perhaps you will come to the same conclusion.

“Heres a little a backround info on my personal beliefs. I was baptized and raised a Catholic. But in the last two years, (I’m 13) I’ve been having some doubts and questions. I really don’t classify myself as a Catholic or a Protestant. I classify myself as just a Christian. And my mother grew up protestant and my dad grew up Catholic.”

Hey, what a coincidence. My mom grew up Protestant also (Presbyterian) and my dad Catholic. However, my mom converted after she married my dad, but some of the Protestant stuff sticks.

“Q1. Why do Protestants call themselves Christians but Catholics usually refer to themselves as Catholics?”

I’ve heard Catholics call themselves Christians before. But also, it seems to go without saying that if someone is Catholic, then s/he is Christian. A common attack on Catholics by Protestants is that they aren’t Christian. So maybe it makes some Protestants feel better to emphasize that they themselves are Christians. Nonetheless, Catholics and Protestants are Christian brothers and sisters no matter what anyone says.

“Q2. I have met some Catholics that are VERY excluding to Protestants and incredibly close-minded on their beliefs. I know that not all Catholics are like that, and that some Protestants are the same way, but I’ve seen it more so with Catholics. Does God not want us to welcome our neighbors? Even if we don’t share the same beliefs?”

Maybe this is due to geographic differences, but I haven’t witnessed a lack of acceptance from either side. In fact, my lunch table is comprised of Catholics and Baptists, and we get along great!

“Q3. Okay, this might be a little long winded. On Good Friday, Jesus forgave the man who had commited mortal sins all his life. But yet he didn’t say, ‘You’ll be in purgatory for a little while, and then you’ll get to join me in paradise.’ He said ‘Today you’ll be with me in paradise.’ If that was true, then why did he not have to go through purgatory? I personally am having many struggles with purgatory, and so once again, PLEASE do not be offended. And also, though in Revalations 21, it states that nothing unclean can enter heaven, then does that mean that when Jesus died, he did not FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from our sins?”

Jesus’s dying gave us the ability to have our sins forgiven. Just because He died doesn’t mean we are automatically forgiven. We have to ask for forgiveness and go to confession. Then, through Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
I am pretty sure that Purgatory is for the people who didn’t take advantage of Christ’s sacrifice. They didn’t have their sins forgiven.
The Catehism of the Catholic Church may clear some of this up for you: scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm

“Q.4 It seems from my point of view, that though the Pope is the church leader, that he is given too much ‘power’. Doesn’t God hold all of the faithful ones equal to one another?”

Well, you’ve got to have someone heading up the CC, or else it loses its consistency. God loves us equally. Just because Someone is the Pope doesn’t mean he’s higher on God’s list than the common person.

“Q.5 (Last question, I promise.) Do Catholics really believe that Protestants don’t go to heaven? Why or why not?”

No. We believe that because Protestants don’t know about the Catholic Church’s gifts, they can’t have this held against them. Plus, the Catholic Church recognizes that a lot of other religions have a lot to offer, just not in the way Christ fully intended it. This may help: scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm

Hope this helps!!

 

[anotherauthor12]

Angela: Thanks a bunches! Its nice to know I’m not the only teen on here. Your insight on purgatory really made sense!

My mom thinks that because there is no specific reference to purgatory it does not exist. I have a tendency to agree with her. God makes sure to let us know their is a heaven, hell, trinity, and all that other stuff. If purgatory was real, wouldn’t God make more of an effort to let us know it exists.

For anybody that hasn’t read the book, Heaven Is For Real,

A little boy, (aged 4) has some serious health issues. During one of his surgeries, Jesus took him to heaven. He described heaven in such detail that a four year old could not have known otherwise. He was not a catholic. His father was a protestant minister. Colton saw Gods throne, and met John the baptist. He also said Jesus had ‘markers’ on his hands. (The holes from the nails). I found this book to be very convincing. I wondered how the catholic faith would observe this.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

[The_Wizard]

Another Author12,

“My mom thinks that because there is no specific reference to purgatory it does not exist. I have a tendency to agree with her. God makes sure to let us know their is a heaven, hell, trinity, and all that other stuff. If purgatory was real, wouldn’t God make more of an effort to let us know it exists.”

There is not specific reference in The Bible to the Trinity. It is alluded to in Scripture but the concept of Three Persons in One God is not defined. In a similar manner Purgatory is alluded to but not defined.

You are 13. Well I am 60 (I am a cardle Catholic) and I am still learning about The Faith. You are on a journey. It is good that you ask these question because they bring you forward in that journey. But it is important that you seek what The Church really teaches.

The souls in Purgatory ARE SAVED and they knew it.

As for the 4 year old boy, at that age he is a “innocent” in God’s eyes.