Protestants, can a Catholic Priest forgive sins?

[Leonius]

What is to stop a protestant, from taking the eucharist? Just wondering, does the RCC have a law against it thats international?

Yes and has done since the time of the Apostles.

"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord." St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 11:29

Yes, having an opinoin puts us in hell, I am sure Jesus wanted it that way…

For having opinions that set you up in opposition to what God has said? You better believe it, you think you can deny God’s revealed Truth, call God a liar and still be a friend of God? Go and read John 8 see what Christ had to say to the Jews who had opinions opposed to Him.

He who will be proud and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest, that man shall die. (Deuteronomy 17:12)

**With all thy soul, fear the Lord, and reverence His priests. Forsake not His ministers, and give honor to the priests. (Ecclesiasticus 7:31-33) **

**
Obey your prelates, and be subject to them! (Hebrews 13:17)**

There is no knowledge of God in the land, for people are like those who contradict the priest. (Osee 4:1,4)

Whosoever revolts, and continues not in the doctrine of Christ, has not God. (II St. John 1:9)

The doctrine of Christ is One, it is Holy, can only be found in the Catholic Church and was handed down to us by the Apostles.

"They have gone forth from us, but were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would surely have continued with us. Whosoever does not continue in the doctrine of Christ does not have God." (St. John I, 2:19; II, 1:9)

"The unbelieving will have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone." (Apocalypse 21:8)

That is for their false opinions

Whoever is separated from this Catholic Church, no matter how much he believes he is living praiseworthily, will not have life, but the anger of God rests upon him. The reason is this offense alone: that he is sundered from the unity of Christ. (St. Augustine)

He who to support heresy distorts the Sacred Scriptures from their genuine and true meaning is guilty of the greatest injury to the Word of God; and against this crime we are warned by the Prince of the Apostles: **“There are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they also do other Scriptures, to their own destruction” **(II Peter 3:16). (Council of Trent)

We hear people continually claiming to love Christ, but without the Church; to listen to Christ, but not to the Church; to belong to Christ, but outside the Church. The absurdity of this is clearly evident in this phrase of the Gospel: “Anyone who rejects you, rejects Me.” (Pope Paul VI)

 

[Leonius]

The difference is the Trinity doctrine is plainly found in Scriptures.

Not according to some people

 

[Crazy_Diamond]

I would like to know if Ginger is a Baptist and if she believes in the “once saved, always saved” doctrine of that church.

You might be interested in this thread, which deals specifically with the “OSAS and a free pass from sin” topic. We’ve pretty well beaten it to dust.

For the truly penitent, confession is very difficult, because the penitent one knows that he has offended God, whom he loves deeply.

I think all of our traditions agree on that point.

When I converted to Catholicism, I realized that my unconfessed sin was like a burden I had been carrying around for years. I tried to speak to my pastors about it on several occasions, but they all ignored me/made light of it. I was never free of this sin and it kept causing me to stumble. Some pastors said that I was too scrupulous, some said I could be free of sin if I was truly saved (I still do not know how this is possible - he must be pretty comfortable with himself), and some did not think it worth discussing.

Over the years the #1 reason I’ve seen for Catholics becoming Protestant and vice versa has been crummy shepherds. Intellectual conversions lag way behind. I’m sorry you encountered such incompetency. Unfortunately, the seminaries seem to really crank them out. I’d bulldoze every Protestant seminary that exists if I could and go back to direct mentoring.

 

[Cinette]

CALLING ALL PROTESTANTS!

I just came across an interesting thread. It was started by a person who was Agnostic and who is now considering the Catholic Church! She is challenging anyone who can prove that what the Catholic Church teaches is unbiblical - you have to prove scriptually that any particular teaching is totally wrong - she will immediately quit RCIA and follow your Protestant church.

So if you want to “save her soul” here is your chance!

Here is the link: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=292938

Cheers
Cinette

 

[llblarosa]

I was not converted to Catholicism because my pastors wouldn’t hear my burdens. I only realized that later, incidentally. I merely point it out to say that the burden was not gone, when I got down on my hands and knees and prayed. It was, however, gone when I went received absolution.

My conversion to Catholicism was completely intellectual. In fact, I often felt like doubting Thomas who said “show me.”

In fact, I had read a book about C.S. Lewis, who, although Protestant, was very Catholic in his beliefs. He made his Anglican priest his confessor, believed in Purgatory, called communion the Mass, brought others to the Catholic Church. Now, I admired C.S. Lewis greatly. In fact, I believe he is one of the best modern Christian writers I have ever read, but I reasoned thusly – “I respect C.S. Lewis’ ideas more than any Christian I know, so why would he have these Catholic beliefs, if they were not so.” This led to the following:

1. Search for Authority. I reasoned “if there was a church that I believed Jesus wanted me to go to, then I would go.” I studied and believe I found it in the Catholic Church. That is, I believe the verses about Jesus giving authority to Peter.
2. Then I found the verses about confession! “Whatever you loose here on earth…” I knew then that the troubles I had with “once saved always saved” (Baptist) and “having victory over sin” (Church of God - Indiana) were complete hogwash.

My intellectual conversion/search was actually much greater than I can possibly indicate here, but I tell you this as it pertains to the thread topic.

Blessings,

Lisa

 

[Ginger2]

I would like to know if Ginger is a Baptist and if she believes in the “once saved, always saved” doctrine of that church.

I ask this because she states that confession gives Catholics a free pass to sin. What does she believe “once saved, always saved” doctrine does (if indeed she is Baptist). …

Lisa

No, no, no…

I did not say “confession gives Catholics a free pass to sin.”

I said some Catholics could **mistakenly believe/B] confession gives them a free pass for sinning, because no matter what sins they commit, they can have those sins absolved by the priest.

This could be compared to any Protestant mistakenly believing that OSAS gives them a pass for sinning because Jesus died for our sins and we are already forgiven for past, present, and future sins.
**
I can’t help but feel Catholics are not reading what I actually write, but instead interpreting what I write according to what they mistakenly think I believe.****

 

[Ginger2]

Well your kind of thinking IS ILLOGICAL.

How can you say it is plain then at the same time claim it is plain only to those who are saved.

You err not knowing the Scriptures…

Jesus plainly told us the Gospel is hidden from those who are perishing.

 

[Leonius]

You err not knowing the Scriptures…

Jesus plainly told us the Gospel is hidden from those who are perishing.

So all who do not agree with your interpretation of scripture are going to hell?

 

[Ginger2]

On top of it you insist you were “raised Catholic”!!! It is not possible. And you wonder why a number of posters began to doubt your credentials?

No wonder people were becoming suspicious of you because from your utterances nobody would guess let alone believe that you were “raised Catholic”.

#124 Ufamtobie raises doubts about your Catholicity – She asked you to respond “in the name of Jesus Christ”. You see Ginger when one has a discussion there has to be some preconditions.

You are the one who raised this topic, the least you can do is answer it.

It seems to me you have never had the Catholic Faith…
I ask you for the love of Jesus **tell the TRUTH **whether you really was a Catholic or not.

I thought we put this to rest a long time ago.

I have answered this question - several times…but on the outside chance we can put this issue to rest…
**
In the name of Jesus Christ, I was raised Catholic.**

It’s a shame to see so many of you obsessed with trying to deny my pass. Denying the truth does not change it.

But it’s even more disheartening to see you rationalize away your sin. Bearing false witness is breaking the 9th commandment.

I forgive all of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for your ignorance and false accusations against me. (including those not quoted in this post)

 

[Ginger2]

So all who do not agree with your interpretation of scripture are going to hell?

Why do catholics insist on adding to my words?

 

[Ginger2]

Cinette,

I’ll try to answer of few of your questions this morning and the rest in the next day or two…

Ginger –

I have gone back to look at the postings on this thread to try to understand you better. I want to be fair. When there is a discussion we need to know something about our interlocutor – there have to be some preconditions (this is universal). In your “profile” you identify yourself as being Protestant. That is very broad because there are many different kinds of Protestants: Lutherans do not believe as Baptists and Baptists do not believe as Methodists or Penticostals or Evangelicals or Presbyterians (one ex-Presbyterian called them the “split Ps). So one has no idea exactly what your position is except non-Catholic.

My identifying as Protestant is to clarify I am not Catholic. I go where God leads me. I serve where God will use me.

All Protestants have the same basic beliefs - anyone who deters from those fundamental beliefs that make us Christians, are Christian in name only.

These basic beliefs are also shared with Catholics, found in the Holy Scriptures and summarized in the Apostle’s Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
born of the Virgin Mary, Luk 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name [was] Mary.
suffered under Pontius Pilate, Luke 23:16 I will therefore chastise him, and release [him].
was crucified, Luk 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. …24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
died, Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
and was buried. Luk 23:52 This [man] went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

He descended into hell. Psa 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

etc.

 

[Ginger2]

In post #14 the questions you pose do not give the impression that you grew up Catholic because they are basic and elementary. Any 7 year old who has made their first Holy Communion would tell you that a priest absolves sin by the power vested in him by God but that God sees the heart of the penitent and if the latter is unrepentant the sins are not forgiven.

If I sounded Catholic, don’t you think I would still be Catholic? I know the Catholic Church teaches that a priest can absolve you of your sin. I am saying I don’t believe that and telling you why I don’t believe it.

 

[Ginger2]

In post #40 “When a priest says “Your sins are forgiven” he is deceiving that Catholic – he is unwittingly telling a lie.” This is nonsense and if he were telling a lie it would not be unwittingly anyway (unwittingly means without knowing – the priest is not uneducated). Priests are trained in the seminaries over a period of several years – sometimes 10 years,

All the training in the world cannot give a priest the power to read minds and hearts. Other Catholics in this thread have agreed the sins will remain on a person who is not truly repentant - even tho the priests said his sins were absolved.

 

[llblarosa]

Ginger:

I am sorry that I misquoted you Ginger, but I meant to stress that I personally knew as many Baptist or other Protestants who, for all practical purposes, used OSAS as a carte blanche to continue sinning. Catholics are usually the ones who get blamed for this. The point is that any person can do this, regardless of whether he is Protestant or Catholic. But this anecdotal information does neither support nor oppose the validity of confession, as Catholic doctrine.

Also, Ginger, I would like to tell you that in 1997 I had a vision of Christ, which literally saved my life. Since that time, I have been a changed person and the fruit of my life is apparent to all who know me. Jesus did this for me. Now, God has taken me on a journey since then, and one I believe that has led me to the Catholic Church. I was not a lukewarm believer either. I was always at church. If I thought there was something that I was doing that was wrong, I quit it. If there was something in my life causing me to sin, I got rid of it. But something kept bugging me about my faith. I knew a lot of Christians who could recite verbatim many scriptures, but I seldom encountered one (save an occasional radio pastor) who knew anything of the history of the OT. I had questions no one cared to answer. I saw practices that confused me, i.e. one church is pro-abortion and another is anti-, etc… My journey was not ill-undertake either. I studied for a good many years, as I am sure you know what becoming Catholic in family of Protestants might mean.

Now, is my entire Christian deception? Am I completely deceived?

Blessings,

Lisa

 

[Ginger2]

#73 This is ridiculous posting because it is arguing about something that is agreed on both sides!!! Then you go on to say “A person can want to be forgiven without being repentant”. ???

Why is this so hard for you to understand? If a person is sorry only because they have to suffer consequences, then they are not truly repentant, are they.

Just as Protestants can falsely belief OSAS is a free pass to heaven, so can catholics falsely believe the same about confession.

 

[Leonius]

Why do catholics insist on adding to my words?

Just following your words to their logical conclusion.

“Jesus plainly told us the Gospel is hidden from those who are perishing.”

if only the elect who will be saved understand scripture correctly then at least all of those elect should share the same understanding as there is only one Truth, which means all those with a different conflicting understanding from the elect must be going to hell right?

In the name of Christ I ask you to give me a straightforward answer.

Do you believe all those with a different understanding of scripture to yourself are perishing?

 

[llblarosa]

Look, sometimes I feel we are just mincing words.

Confession is a good tool for truly repentant believers. God will not be mocked, and surely someone who goes to confession half-heartedly will have to still deal with his half-heartedness when he leaves there. The same is true in the Protestant community. Half-hearted believers hurt themselves and the church because they do not care enough to sanctify themselves.

Lisa

 

[Cinette]

I was not converted to Catholicism because my pastors wouldn’t hear my burdens. I only realized that later, incidentally. I merely point it out to say that the burden was not gone, when I got down on my hands and knees and prayed. It was, however, gone when I went received absolution.

My conversion to Catholicism was completely intellectual. In fact, I often felt like doubting Thomas who said “show me.”

In fact, I had read a book about C.S. Lewis, who, although Protestant, was very Catholic in his beliefs. He made his Anglican priest his confessor, believed in Purgatory, called communion the Mass, brought others to the Catholic Church. Now, I admired C.S. Lewis greatly. In fact, I believe he is one of the best modern Christian writers I have ever read, but I reasoned thusly – “I respect C.S. Lewis’ ideas more than any Christian I know, so why would he have these Catholic beliefs, if they were not so.” This led to the following:

1. Search for Authority. I reasoned “if there was a church that I believed Jesus wanted me to go to, then I would go.” I studied and believe I found it in the Catholic Church. That is, I believe the verses about Jesus giving authority to Peter.
2. Then I found the verses about confession! “Whatever you loose here on earth…” I knew then that the troubles I had with “once saved always saved” (Baptist) and “having victory over sin” (Church of God - Indiana) were complete hogwash.

My intellectual conversion/search was actually much greater than I can possibly indicate here, but I tell you this as it pertains to the thread topic.

Blessings,

Lisa

It is said that C S Lewis contributed to the conversion of many people and that had he lived longer he would have also converted.

I think sometimes the H Spirit needs certain people to be where they are for special reasons.

I do believe that the C Church is the Church of common sense. I find the Church very clear in its teachings. Also there is the mystery of faith. Sometimes we do not understand but we believe because we have Faith - we love and trust God.

 

[Cinette]

No, no, no…

I did not say “confession gives Catholics a free pass to sin.”

I said some Catholics could mistakenly believe/B] confession gives them a free pass for sinning, because no matter what sins they commit, they can have those sins absolved by the priest.

This could be compared to any Protestant mistakenly believing that OSAS gives them a pass for sinning because Jesus died for our sins and we are already forgiven for past, present, and future sins.
**
I can’t help but feel Catholics are not reading what I actually write, but instead interpreting what I write according to what they mistakenly think I believe.**

You forget one word Ginger - repentance - the essential ingredient for forgiveness.

So if some people have these silly beliefs on either side what does this prove? What is your point?

 

[llblarosa]

Well said, Cinette.

Incidentally, I find that the beauty and the richness of the ancient Church brings my overwhelming joy at times. I can only fall to my knees and tell God how thankful I am for what he has given me. And yes, I do want to kiss the crucifix on my rosary when this happens. I would kiss everyone and everything in the building if I had the opportunity. Because it is a genuine outpouring of love from my soul!!!

Lisa