My sister thinks a non-denomination christain church is the same as a Catholic church...help!

[stephe1987]

1. The Catholic Church has the Eucharist, the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The Catholic Church has valid Holy Orders and sacraments. Other Christian churches do not have valid holy orders and only have two of the seven sacraments (baptism and marriage) and they don’t always even identify those properly as sacraments.
3. The Catholic Church has the Holy Spirit to guide it in matters of faith and morals. Other churches teach different things and of course two contradictory things cannot both be correct.
4. Non-Catholic Christians have incomplete Bibles that are missing several important canonical books.
5. Non-Catholic Christians teach false ideas. Some denominations say Catholics believe they are saved by their works. Some denominations say they worship Mary or the Saints. Some teach that Mary sinned or that she didn’t remain a virgin. They teach that Mary had other children.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

My sister and brother-in-law are having their son baptized in the Catholic church. After this is done, they are considering joining a local non-denomination Christian church. My brother-in-law has my sister convinced that it is the same as a Catholic church. He feels that Christian is Christian, end of story.

I want to talk to my sister and let her know that a non-denominational Christian church is not the same as a Catholic church. I want nothing more than for my nephew to be raised Catholic, so I need some help in getting her to understand that there is a difference between the two churches. I am embarrassed that I do not know the difference, but I have never attended a non-denominational church and do not know where to go to look for answers.

Any information or books that anyone knows of and will share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you SO much for your time.

I so don’t understand this! Why would they go to the trouble of baptizing the baby in the Catholic Church, with all the classes, etc. that they have to take ahead of time, only to then stop going? I assume they are both Catholic? Or maybe your BIL is a convert?

Don’t they have to promise to keep the baby in the faith? Why are they doing this if they don’t believe that the Catholic Church is the one true church??

 

[m1che11e]

Thank you everyone for all of this information.

Both my sister and her husband were raised Catholic. My brother-in-law attended a non-denominational Christian church when he lived down south and said that he got much more out of the services than when he went to a Catholic church. Neither of them are practicing Catholics at this time. My sister is having her son baptized because that is what she is supposed to do, to remove original sin from his soul. She is not doing this for anyone but for her son. She is looking to get a better understanding of her faith, but for some reason thinks she will find it somewhere other than the Catholic church. I will print all of your responses out and discuss this with my sister and also have her talk to our Catholic priest.

I am very enlightened from this discussion, thank you all again!

 

[rinnie]

My sister and brother-in-law are having their son baptized in the Catholic church. After this is done, they are considering joining a local non-denomination Christian church. My brother-in-law has my sister convinced that it is the same as a Catholic church. He feels that Christian is Christian, end of story.

I want to talk to my sister and let her know that a non-denominational Christian church is not the same as a Catholic church. I want nothing more than for my nephew to be raised Catholic, so I need some help in getting her to understand that there is a difference between the two churches. I am embarrassed that I do not know the difference, but I have never attended a non-denominational church and do not know where to go to look for answers.

Any information or books that anyone knows of and will share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you SO much for your time.

I don’t get it? How could she even have them baptised in the CC if she does not even know the teaching of the CC? I would ask her to have a talk with Father first before she even considers this.

Sometimes I think that there should also be classes for practicing Catholic’s not just classes for non-Catholic’s marrying into the faith. Especially for the baptism of baby’s.

 

[rinnie]

Thank you everyone for all of this information.

Both my sister and her husband were raised Catholic. My brother-in-law attended a non-denominational Christian church when he lived down south and said that he got much more out of the services than when he went to a Catholic church. Neither of them are practicing Catholics at this time. My sister is having her son baptized because that is what she is supposed to do, to remove original sin from his soul. She is not doing this for anyone but for her son. She is looking to get a better understanding of her faith, but for some reason thinks she will find it somewhere other than the Catholic church. I will print all of your responses out and discuss this with my sister and also have her talk to our Catholic priest.

I am very enlightened from this discussion, thank you all again!

My prayers will also be with your sister. But she does need to learn the Catholic faith. But I am glad to hear that she wants to give her child the best there is to give. I just hope she can continue in her faith so she can help him.

 

[lizaanne]

PLEASE ask her and her husband to watch these two programs:

Catholics and Protestants

There’s Only One True Church

Watch them yourself first. They will answer many of the questions you have yourself, and this is a great way to get all the information to her in one package, and not a bunch of printed off internet comments.

If you need any help understanding the content of these shows, please do not hesitate to call RealCatholicTV directly: 248-545-5716

~Liza

 

[Mark01]

Here is another article that may be benificial as well.

catholic.com/thisrock/2008/0804fea3.asp

 

[spunjalebi]

Thank you everyone for all of this information.

Both my sister and her husband were raised Catholic. My brother-in-law attended a non-denominational Christian church when he lived down south and said that he got much more out of the services than when he went to a Catholic church. Neither of them are practicing Catholics at this time. My sister is having her son baptized because that is what she is supposed to do, to remove original sin from his soul. She is not doing this for anyone but for her son. She is looking to get a better understanding of her faith, but for some reason thinks she will find it somewhere other than the Catholic church. I will print all of your responses out and discuss this with my sister and also have her talk to our Catholic priest.

I am very enlightened from this discussion, thank you all again!

Michelle, I really hope you’re able to sway your sister’s mind. I think first before she baptizes her son, she should consider becoming a practicing Catholic. I also find it said that our BIL said that he didn’t “get much” from the services when he went to a Catholic Church which shows his lack of understand when it comes to the faith. What is he expecting to “get from” church when he goes? Sorry if I’m sounding rude, but I hear that a lot from Protestants who attend church, and it’s as if church isn’t good enough for them unless it’s a rock concert, or everyone’s got their hands in the air jumping up and down.

And please, please, point out to your sis and BIL that even though their son may be baptized as a Catholic, chances are in a non-denominational church, he will have to get “rebaptized” because they will consider his baptism invalid.

 

[mdrummer5]

If at the time of their Baptism they did not know and had no way of finding out that the Catholic Church is the Church that Christ established for us to belong to, and if during their life they never find this out and never have the opportunity or the means to find this out (e: they live in an entrenched Protestant area with no Catholic churches available, no TV, no Internet, no radio, no books, and no other kind of outside communication), and if they never committed any mortal sin for which Confession to a Catholic priest would be required, then they would be able to go to Heaven. Apart from that, the chances are very low.

Yes, she has.

By having their child baptized in the Catholic Church it shows that they are aware of the existence of the Catholic Church. They therefore have a realistic opportunity to find out that it is the Church that Christ established. So, on the Judgement Day, they will not be found “not guilty by reason of impenetrable ignorance.”

So since nobody seems to be able to get a straight answer on this…

The general “rule” that I’m getting is that if you’re aware of Catholicism beyond average ignorance and you do not go to a Catholic Church you’re going to hell.

Is that not contradictory to the teachings of Jesus? To love and forgive all?

I’m sorry but while I love what I have found in Catholicism I have a very hard time believing that “if you know about Catholicism and don’t practice it you’re automatically going to hell” because essentially that’s what’s being said here. The God that I’m learning about wouldn’t view it that way.

 

[spunjalebi]

mdrummer, that’s not true. First of all, that would be spurting out Mel Gibson talk, and secondly if you’ve ever read encyclicals about this issue, you will see that Catholics believe that salvation is open to those who aren’t Catholic.

 

[ignatius777]

So since nobody seems to be able to get a straight answer on this…

The general “rule” that I’m getting is that if you’re aware of Catholicism beyond average ignorance and you do not go to a Catholic Church you’re going to hell.

Is that not contradictory to the teachings of Jesus? To love and forgive all?

I’m sorry but while I love what I have found in Catholicism I have a very hard time believing that “if you know about Catholicism and don’t practice it you’re automatically going to hell” because essentially that’s what’s being said here. The God that I’m learning about wouldn’t view it that way.

Do you believe Jesus is the source of eternal life and salvation? Jesus gave us all we need to be saved. He promised to send the Holy Spirit to lead the church in the way of the truth. So that means if you believe the church is the church Jesus established and promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide it then to ignore that is to prefer the will of man over the promises of Jesus and is Jesus gave us all we need for salvation and we deny it or ignoe it then where else would someone end up? By choosing mans will over Jesus you have turned away from Jesus, how can anyone in that position claim heaven for themselves? Its not God or Jesus that condem us to hell its purely of our own decision making

 

[adrift]

That does not answer the question. It actually avoids it entirely. I’m not saying God’s leaving it to you to judge… but you as a man with God’s gift of free will are entitled to an opinion. Do you think that someone who is not Catholic is automatically not going to Heaven?
?

No I don’t believe that non-catholics automatically go to heaven or to hell. I don’t believe Catholic automatically go to heaven or to hell.

 

[jmcrae]

So since nobody seems to be able to get a straight answer on this…

Well the reason there is no straight answer is that only God knows the heart. We can’t say, one way or the other, how anyone apart from ourselves will be judged. We can only know our own hearts.

The general “rule” that I’m getting is that if you’re aware of Catholicism beyond average ignorance and you do not go to a Catholic Church you’re going to hell.

Only you know what your level of knowledge is - but as a gauge, if you are starting to think that you are “impenetrably ignorant,” then you are beyond that point, and culpable for your knowledge, to act on it.

Is that not contradictory to the teachings of Jesus? To love and forgive all?

We don’t know who, if anyone, is in Hell. We know that some people are in Heaven. We know that Jesus said, narrow and winding is the way, difficult the gate, and few there be who find it.

Modern society has turned that around to say, wide and straight is the way, easy is the gate, and pretty much anybody except maybe Stalin or Hitler, and possibly the Son of Sam, has probably already found it.

I’m sorry but while I love what I have found in Catholicism I have a very hard time believing that “if you know about Catholicism and don’t practice it you’re automatically going to hell” because essentially that’s what’s being said here. The God that I’m learning about wouldn’t view it that way.

There is nothing “automatic” about it. That’s why nobody can say anything definitive, with regard to someone else’s situation. But the Catholic Church is the normative means of salvation. There are no “just as good” religions out there. Jesus only established one.

 

[Catholic_C_1]

I like the meat and bones analogy. Though I’d say it’s more like cotton candy—All a bunch of sugary fluff with no nutritional value or substance.

Does God care how you follow the teachings of Christ?

You mean like the teaching that He established a Church?

You mean like the teaching that He gave His Church the Keys to the Kingdom?

You mean like the teaching that He gave His priest the power to forgive sins?

You mean like the teaching that He gave His own Body and Blood in communion?

You mean like the teaching that you must be Baptized?

We cannot judge who and who will not go to heaven but we do know that Jesus’ teachings were about how normally we would go to heaven and that was through the Church He established, the Catholic Church.

• Exactly! One. Holy. Catholic. Apostolic.

But I digress; I think meeting with a Catholic priest is a wonderful idea! Also, perhaps encourage your sister (and possibly her husband, too) to read some of these Catholic books (catholiccompany.com/catholic-books-c5/) on the history of the Church as well as apologetics. Knowing the background, and the richness of Catholicism, as well as the typical defenses may help them understand better.

Mdrummer, if you haven’t already done so, I’d strongly recommend studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You may be surprised by how many of your questions are answered.

Oh, and Timothy, very nicely put!