Name 3 reasons you are not Catholic (yet).

[Mommyof02green]

Been there, done that for 20 years. Same words said every mass.

If you’ve been there and have done that then you should know that Catholics DO NOT worship Mary!!

We should not worship any creature, not even the blessed Mary. We must worship God only.

Whole heartly agree!! 1000000000% AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!

We can never love Jesus too much; He is our Creator who takes care of us and all the universe. He became man for our salvation and died on the cross to save His people from their sins. I love the Lord Jesus too. He is the very purpose of my life and my sincere desire is to honour His name.

Whole heartly agree!! 1000000000% AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!

The humble Jewish woman has the unique privilege that no other woman can have. Mary was chosen of God to be the mother of the Lord when He became man. Yet we understand that Mary is not the saviour herself. Indeed she needed the Lord to save her, like every other human being since Adam and to the end of the world. She herself acknowledges God as “my saviour” (Luke 1:47).

Whole heartly agree!! 1000000000% AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!

The Church does not hesitate to profess that Mary needed a savior. This should be the first issue to address if this question arises. It was by the grace of God—and not the work of Mary—that she was saved from sin in a most perfect manner. By what is called “preservative redemption,” Mary was preserved from sin at the time of her natural conception. John the Baptist was sanctified in the womb prior to his birth (Luke 1:15), and Mary was sanctified at her conception. It is no difficulty that Christ distributed the grace of Calvary some forty-five years or so before it happened, just as he bestows it upon us two thousand years after the fact. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that this gift was given to Mary, making her “redeemed in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son” (492). She has more reason to call God her Savior than we do, because he saved her in an even more glorious manner!

God can “save” a person from a sin by forgiving them, or by providing them the grace never to fall into that particular sin. An ancient analogy is often useful to explain this: A person can be saved from a pit in two ways; one can fall into it and be brought out, or one can be caught before falling into it. Mankind is saved in the first manner, and Mary in the second. Both are saved from the pit of sin. If Jesus wished to save his mother from the stain of sin, what is to prevent him?

Link:catholic.com/thisrock/2001/0102sbs.asp

 

[LilyM]

Been there, done that for 20 years. Same words said every mass.

We should not worship any creature, not even the blessed Mary. We must worship God only. We can never love Jesus too much; He is our Creator who takes care of us and all the universe. He became man for our salvation and died on the cross to save His people from their sins. I love the Lord Jesus too. He is the very purpose of my life and my sincere desire is to honour His name.

The humble Jewish woman has the unique privilege that no other woman can have. Mary was chosen of God to be the mother of the Lord when He became man. Yet we understand that Mary is not the saviour herself. Indeed she needed the Lord to save her, like every other human being since Adam and to the end of the world. She herself acknowledges God as “my saviour” (Luke 1:47).

Every Christian should consider Mary with respect. She is forever to be called blessed. Yet, I think it is a sign of disrespect when people expect from her things that she cannot give. Why would people pray to her, when the Bible clearly teaches us that we should pray to God and that God alone knows our hearts (1 Kings 8:39)? Why would people ask grace from Mary, when the Bible teaches us that all grace comes from God (1 Peter 5:10)? Why should people call her “our life” and “our hope”, when the Bible teaches us that the Lord is our life and hope (Colossians 3:4; 1 Timothy 1:1)? Why should people make her a mediator, when the Bible says that there is one mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5)? And why should people trust even the hour of their death wholly to her care? Isn’t the Good Shepherd able to keep His sheep and bring them safely to glory (John 10:27,28)?

As we would expect, we do not find explicit statements in Catholic literature that we should worship Mary. Yet, in practice, the Catholic attitude towards Mary amounts to worship. Catholics worship Mary because they pray to her, kneel before her image, trust in her for salvation and attribute to her titles and honours which belong to God alone. May God grant them repentance. Rather than looking unto a creature, we should follow Mary in her godly example and apply ourselves to the Lord for salvation and all spiritual blessings.

But what makes you think for a second that it has to be God OR Mary - God usually doesn’t work solo, rather with and through humans - the patriarchs, prophets and apostles. And each and every one of us.

There’s no competition here, not a bit of it. Think of it as a family - father, mother and children. They each have different roles, there is only one head of the household, everyone knows precisely who And yet each member is incredibly important in their own right.

More significantly, love of and respect for mother and children doesn’t for a minute make the father any less the father. BECAUSE THEY AREN’T COMPETITORS, they’re colleagues, working together as a unit for common goals!

I mean when Jesus came to Earth it was God AND Mary - and Gabriel and Joseph and Elizabeth for that matter! And he wanted it so - otherwise he would have appeared as a fully grown motherless man on the steps of the Temple one day.

When he was taken to the Temple it was God and Jesus - AND Mary and Joseph AND Simeon and Anna.

When Jesus was baptised it was Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit - AND John the Baptist. When Jesus ministered it was him - AND the twelve AND the seventy-two!!!

When he was crucified it was him - AND Mary and John and Mary Magdalene. When he rose it was him and the Father - AND Mary Magdalene, the other women, Peter and John, the 500 to whom he appeared.

Not competition - all of them working together to bring about the Kingdom of God. And all deserve honour and respect for their contribution. None contributed more so than Mary.

 

[Contarini]

LivelyStone:

If you can have an original infallible church, then why can’t God do what he said he would do and preserve his word for all generations.

So which version has God preserved?

I can trace the languge of my Bible back to the 1st century Gothic.

What do you mean by that? English does not descend from Gothic, being a more westerly branch of the Germanic family. And I do not think that we have any record of first-century Gothic. I don’t think we have any written account of the Goths until the 3rd century, and the Gothic Biblical translations and other fragmentary writings that we have date from the fourth or fifth century, I believe.

Edwin

 

[Mommyof02green]

By doing otherwise is simply saying “no” to God and His one and only plan for Salvation. The angel Gabriel did NOT ask Mary her permission but said “you will conceive.” If Mary would’ve said “no”, God’s plan would not have stopped.

So are you saying that Mary DID NOT have free will??
Are you saying that God forced Mary to conceive??

 

[Goth_Catholic]

“ We teach and define that it is a dogma Divinely revealed that the Roman pontiff when he speaks ex cathedra, that is when in discharge of the office of pastor and doctor of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, by the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, is possessed of that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that his Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or morals, and that therefore such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves and not from the consent of the Church irreformable.
So then, should anyone, which God forbid, have the temerity to reject this definition of ours: let him be anathema. (see Denziger §1839).
”
— Vatican Council, Sess. IV , Const. de Ecclesiâ Christi, Chapter iv

 

[LilyM]

So are you saying that Mary DID NOT have free will??
Are you saying that God forced Mary to conceive??

Mary had to say ‘let it be done to me’. She had to give permission. Hence she could have said ‘No’. If she had no choice she wouldn’t have said anything.

 

[Mommyof02green]

“The pope is Infalliable.”
Is the Pope a man that can sin? Do you say the Pope is God?

NO the pope is NOT God!!!
This link might help explain what papal infallibility is and isn’t…
catholic.com/library/church_papacy.asp

GOD bless

 

[Mannyfit75]

Priscilla Ann;2157509:

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. Limbo and Purgatory always seemed like a bunch of nonsense to me. I have respect for Mary and her “Choice” in her response to God.
My wife remains Catholic, I have been taking our kids to Protestant services. I do believe the Eucharist is a special gift from the Lord Jesus.I can’t understand why so many Catholic’s would say that I can’t experience the Lord outside the Catholic Church. Jesus said" When two or more are gathered together in my name, I AM there in their midst". It’s very difficult to believe in a Church which is “Obsessed” with being “Pro-Life”. This same Church allowed children to be sexually abused, for years, only God knows how long. I know of several people my age who have left the Church in droves. I buried both my parents and my mother-in-law in the Catholic Church. I met my wife on a Franciscan Retreat. Now, the newest thing is to make the Mary the CO-Redeemer. It is Blasphemy! Jesus is the one mediator, not Mary.
I pray that my wife will let go of the church. It’s been a real problem between the two of us. I feel hurt that the Catholic church has taught me, my wife and kids, false doctrine. I was brought up through 16 years of theology, instruction, etc. Yes, it was conservative, my parents had a obsession with Mary, statues etc.
The divsion in my house is in serving the Lord and not the Catholic church.
Come Lord Jesus!

First all the teaching of Limbo has never been defined by the Catholic Church as part of the Deposit of Faith. People believe it then. Catholics are free to believe in private revelations but they too are not part of the deposit of faith.

The Catholic Church like I said have not taught false doctrines. The statues themselves are not worship for they are stone or plastic. They cannot hear you. They are use for mediation to recall the lives of the saint and that these saints live in Christ.

The Catholic Church is not divide as you claim. Indeed there are caferia Catholics who disagree with the Church but the Catholic maintain its teachings.

The doctrine concerning Mary is based on Apostolic sucessions and Patristic sources by the ECF (Early Church Fathers).

The icons and statues also help the illiterate (those who cannot read). Images are helpful to reveal the Gospel Message. In Ethopia for instance the Byzantine Orthodox Christian have images of all the Bible story design specifically for those who cannot read.

Sex abuse is not just a Catholic issue. You have those in High Schools and public schools. Yet you seem to think it is only a Catholic issue. It is NOT! Second, these priest who abuse sexually are a few. They are not the majority. You should have not let the immorality of a few priest cause you to lost your faith in the Catholic Church. Apparently your faith is Very Weak because you let these unholy priest actions separate yourself from the Truth Church of Jesus Christ.

Mary and all of us are often called by St. Paul, that we are mediators IN CHRIST. No contradiction there. You left the Church out of your own ignorance of the faith. You been theology for 16 yrs? There are Protestants who have theology in their background yet they too persist in their erroneous doctrines like denying Jesus Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, or the doctrine of faith alone, and Bible alone, or the so called Rapture… all of which are contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

 

[Goth_Catholic]

This is a spiritual battle. Clever arguments and a multitude of quotations would not even begin to scratch the fortress of sinful resistance enslaving the human heart. Only God the Holy Spirit can open their eyes to see the truth revealed in His Holy Word, as He did to us. Therefore pray that God may be merciful and grant them wisdom to know Him in truth.

I bet a response to this will have a (CCC) attached to it.

No CCC, no bible quotations, no scorn, only a simple question.

How are you so sure of yourself?

My answer would be, because I trust God. I put my soul in the hands of my creator. I belive there is a reason for everything, so there must be a reason why I find so much truth, so much comfter, so much acceptence, in the arms of God’s church. I went astray once, and I found nothing but emptiness. Mary brought me back. She brought me back into the arms of the Church. She helped me through hard times, even now. She brings me closer to God. She helps me understand. You belive only Jesus can do that. Well, I belive that if i was praticeing a heretical faith, then my prayers shouldn’t be answered. But they are. And I am filled with gladiness. I find peace in my religion, in my faith. Do you? Because if you do, why work so hard to persucute mine? I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t attack my faith, my mother, my church. You started it. So how much peace can you have within your faith if you have to question mine?

 

[Mannyfit75]

sosayi1960:

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. Limbo and Purgatory always seemed like a bunch of nonsense to me. I have respect for Mary and her “Choice” in her response to God.
My wife remains Catholic, I have been taking our kids to Protestant services. I do believe the Eucharist is a special gift from the Lord Jesus.I can’t understand why so many Catholic’s would say that I can’t experience the Lord outside the Catholic Church. Jesus said" When two or more are gathered together in my name, I AM there in their midst". It’s very difficult to believe in a Church which is “Obsessed” with being “Pro-Life”. This same Church allowed children to be sexually abused, for years, only God knows how long. I know of several people my age who have left the Church in droves. I buried both my parents and my mother-in-law in the Catholic Church. I met my wife on a Franciscan Retreat. Now, the newest thing is to make the Mary the CO-Redeemer. It is Blasphemy! Jesus is the one mediator, not Mary.
I pray that my wife will let go of the church. It’s been a real problem between the two of us. I feel hurt that the Catholic church has taught me, my wife and kids, false doctrine. I was brought up through 16 years of theology, instruction, etc. Yes, it was conservative, my parents had a obsession with Mary, statues etc.
The divsion in my house is in serving the Lord and not the Catholic church.
Come Lord Jesus!

First all the teaching of Limbo has never been defined by the Catholic Church as part of the Deposit of Faith. People believe it then. Catholics are free to believe in private revelations but they too are not part of the deposit of faith.

The Catholic Church like I said have not taught false doctrines. The statues themselves are not worship for they are stone or plastic. They cannot hear you. They are use for mediation to recall the lives of the saint and that these saints live in Christ.

The Catholic Church is not divide as you claim. Indeed there are caferia Catholics who disagree with the Church but the Catholic maintain its teachings.

The doctrine concerning Mary is based on Apostolic sucessions and Patristic sources by the ECF (Early Church Fathers).

The icons and statues also help the illiterate (those who cannot read). Images are helpful to reveal the Gospel Message. In Ethopia for instance the Byzantine Orthodox Christian have images of all the Bible story design specifically for those who cannot read.

Sex abuse is not just a Catholic issue. You have those in High Schools and public schools. Yet you seem to think it is only a Catholic issue. It is NOT! Second, these priest who abuse sexually are a few. They are not the majority. You should have not let the immorality of a few priest cause you to lost your faith in the Catholic Church. Apparently your faith is Very Weak because you let these unholy priest actions separate yourself from the Truth Church of Jesus Christ.

Mary and all of us are often called by St. Paul, that we are mediators IN CHRIST. No contradiction there. You left the Church out of your own ignorance of the faith. You been theology for 16 yrs? There are Protestants who have theology in their background yet they too persist in their erroneous doctrines like denying Jesus Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, or the doctrine of faith alone, and Bible alone, or the so called Rapture… all of which are contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

 

[Lively_Stone]

So which version has God preserved?

What do you mean by that? English does not descend from Gothic, being a more westerly branch of the Germanic family. And I do not think that we have any record of first-century Gothic. I don’t think we have any written account of the Goths until the 3rd century, and the Gothic Biblical translations and other fragmentary writings that we have date from the fourth or fifth century, I believe.

Edwin

I don’t know where you get your imformation from but it is incorrect. I will be happy to answer your questions and show you the history of the Goths. But I will not play the game of answering questions with questions. That prove nothing and is not profitable or edifying for anyone. If don’t want to or don’t have an answer then there is no need to confuse the issue with a question that is completely off point.

Danny

 

[Mannyfit75]

Mannyfit75;2141629:

Mannyfit:

I am well aware of what indulgences are, as well as the Catholic church’s attempt to rationalize them. I am also aware of the rest of Catholic teaching. I have a copy of the Catechism just like you do.

You must keep in mind that many of us are former Catholics precisely because we DO understand what the Catholic Church teaches.

Priscilla Ann

No you don’t. If you truly truly understand Catholicism. Look mediate on the Blessed Sacrament. The Real Presence of Jesus. You left out of ignorance of the teachings of the Church this goes to all Ex-Catholics. They are just don’t know any better. They taught they understand but many of the false accusation you place against the Catholic Church are UnTrue and are distorted. We, Catholics in CAF have answered those difficult doctrines but you persist we got it wrong.

I’m sorry to say, that Ex-Catholics just listen on deaf ears. much like the 70 disciples who left Jesus in John 6:67

After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him.

Ex-Catholics do nothing more that wound Jesus Christ and leaving His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

 

[Contarini]

I don’t know where you get your imformation from but it is incorrect.

It’s common knowledge. The Goths did not have a written language until the missionary Ulfilas created one in the fourth century.

I will be happy to answer your questions and show you the history of the Goths.

No, you won’t. You are throwing up a smokescreen to disguise your own ignorance.

I am calling your bluff.

But I will not play the game of answering questions with questions. That prove nothing and is not profitable or edifying for anyone. If don’t want to or don’t have an answer then there is no need to confuse the issue with a question that is completely off point.

If you make a bizarre and unintelligible assertion, I have every right to ask you what on earth you are talking about. My question is just as relevant as your claim.

Edwin

 

[Lively_Stone]

NO the pope is NOT God!!!
This link might help explain what papal infallibility is and isn’t…
catholic.com/library/church_papacy.asp

GOD bless

With all due respect, I would rather you explain it. Give us a nutshell version as I simply do not have the desire to go to every site posted promoting your veiw. Give me your view and back it up with the word of God. Please.

Jesus is Lord of All
Danny

 

[Contarini]

With all due respect, I would rather you explain it. Give us a nutshell version as I simply do not have the desire to go to every site posted promoting your veiw. Give me your view and back it up with the word of God. Please.

Jesus is Lord of All
Danny

God prevents the Pope from erring in such a way as to cause the Church to fall away from the truth. This for Catholics is a corollary of Christ’s promise in Matt. 16 about the gates of hell not prevailing against the Church.

You may disagree with it–I have some doubts about it myself–but it certainly does not make the Pope God.

Edwin

 

[Mommyof02green]

With all due respect, I would rather you explain it. Give us a nutshell version as I simply do not have the desire to go to every site posted promoting your veiw. Give me your view and back it up with the word of God. Please.

Jesus is Lord of All
Danny

Papal Infallibility:

The Catholic Church’s teaching on papal infallibility is one which is generally misunderstood by those outside the Church. In particular, Fundamentalists and other “Bible Christians” often confuse the charism of papal “infallibility” with “impeccability.” They imagine Catholics believe the pope cannot sin. Others, who avoid this elementary blunder, think the pope relies on some sort of amulet or magical incantation when an infallible definition is due.

Given these common misapprehensions regarding the basic tenets of papal infallibility, it is necessary to explain exactly what infallibility is not. Infallibility is not the absence of sin. Nor is it a charism that belongs only to the pope. Indeed, infallibility also belongs to the body of bishops as a whole, when, in doctrinal unity with the pope, they solemnly teach a doctrine as true. We have this from Jesus himself, who promised the apostles and their successors the bishops, the magisterium of the Church: “He who hears you hears me” (Luke 10:16), and “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Matt. 18:18).

That’s just a first few paragraphs of the link re: Papal Infalibility.
Feel free to read it all when you wish. (PS: There’s more scripture quotes in the link.)

I’m here to share the Truth but I’m also here to learn what my Non-Catholic Christian brothers and sister believe and why.

“Treat others the way you want to be treated”. If I want someone to listen and be open to my faith then I need to listen and be open to their faith.

God Bless

 

[Mommyof02green]

God prevents the Pope from erring in such a way as to cause the Church to fall away from the truth. This for Catholics is a corollary of Christ’s promise in Matt. 16 about the gates of hell not prevailing against the Church.

You may disagree with it–I have some doubts about it myself–but it certainly does not make the Pope God.

Edwin

Yep the Pope is not God! For an Non-Catholic you did a great job of summing it up Edwin.

God Bless

 

[Fragile]

1. I want to make sure it is God who is behind my desire to return to the Catholic Church
2. I have some issues w/doctrine
3. Fear of man

1. I now believe it is God who has put this desire in my heart.
2. God is removing my doctrinal issues one by one.
3. I am so thirsty for intamacy w/Christ, I could care less what anyone thinks anymore!

 

[Lively_Stone]

It’s common knowledge. The Goths did not have a written language until the missionary Ulfilas created one in the fourth century.

No, you won’t. You are throwing up a smokescreen to disguise your own ignorance.

I am calling your bluff.

If you make a bizarre and unintelligible assertion, I have every right to ask you what on earth you are talking about. My question is just as relevant as your claim.

Edwin

You are just trying to be a bully “I am calling your bluff”
Who cares. Your ignorance shows in the fact that you have thrown up a smoke screen and have not answered any of my questions. You simply go on the attack like a vulture looking for crumbs of rotten meat to make yourself look glorius taking away the questions asked. Is that the best you can do. Are you a Jesuit. You certainly act like one.

Bet you would like another inquisition. Then only you could ask the question and give the answers and then burn me at the stake.

 

[Efrain]

Look up “worship” at Dictionary.com. Yes you do.

Again, we worship God alone. You can not see the heart of man so you can’t continue to make false claims and come across as a trustworthy individual. Your hatred of the Church is consuming your ability to see the Truth. I pray to God that you may be released from this inequity.