Hi everyone,
This is just an update on my last post, in which I said that I was interested in learning more about Catholicism. I’ve listened to several Bible Christian Society lectures and found them surprising in their clarity and detail. They were probably the best Catholic apologetics materials I have ever encountered, so I thank Pixie Dust for the help
!
You’re very welcome. John Martignoni has four small kids and drives a very late model vehicle. I like to help him out any way I can, and I believe he does a bang-up job of putting the Catholic Faith in plain (yet Southern) English.
Anyway, I return to this thread with a question: How much (if any) room is there for disagreement with Catholic teachings in the Church? For example, would it be possible to become a Catholic while being unsure about certain teachings, yet accepting the vast majority? That seems to be my problem, frankly, that I feel Catholicism is the most correct Christian denomination, yet I disagree with a few elements, like the emphasis on Mary (not the actual doctrines like Immaculate Conception and Assumption, but the emphasis placed upon them) and prayer to her. I appreciate your help, I feel like this is an important decision for me, and that God may be guiding me in this direction.
The Catholic Bridge (another handy apologetics site, this guy “speaks” Protestant) has a list of
Catholic Dogma. These are the things that are required for you to believe if you wish to authentically be RC. He also has some good info on Mary. I’ll tell you though, the “emphasis” on Mary is more something that you hear about from non-Catholics about the RCC. Once I started attending Mass, I was surprised at how infrequently she’s even mentioned. You only hear her mentioned twice during Mass, once during the confession if your parish uses this Form of the Penitential Rite:
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do. And I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
My parish normally uses this Form:
P: You were sent to heal the contrite: Lord have mercy.
C:Lord have mercy.
P: You came to call sinners: Christ have mercy.
C: Christ have mercy.
P: You plead for us at the right hand of the Father: Lord have mercy.
C:Lord have mercy.
P: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
C:Amen
Which means in the Mass I attend, Mary is mentioned only once, during the Creed, and that’s in reference to Jesus.
*We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and our salvation, he came down from heaven:
(All bow during these three lines)
by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, died and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life: who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified:
He has spoken through est the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic, and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.*
Asking Mary or any of the saints to pray for you is not required at all, but listen to “Communion of Saints” from the Bible Christian Society before you decide you’ll never do that.
) I was getting at more how rules restrict. We are discussing that in the communion of other faiths thread.
You got it.
. Besides I look at it as I am helping this woman pay her bills and make a living.