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reteeks21
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But is that not what you do when you take what you have learned about Protestant beliefs and then speak about them on these forums? So why ask someone else to do what so many others on here won’t do?
Distracted and Jay,
Did I miss your response to my question in post 55?
Just so I am not misunderstanding, you are not saying that in order to have a positive, insightful, and charitable discussion of our differences that noncatholics should learn more about Catholic teachings, but Catholics need not learn more about non-catholic teachings, are you?
Jon*
Did I miss your response to my question in post 55?
Jon
Quote:Quote:
*Jay and Distracted,
Just so I am not misunderstanding, you are not saying that in order to have a positive, insightful, and charitable discussion of our differences that noncatholics should learn more about Catholic teachings, but Catholics need not learn more about non-catholic teachings, are you?
Jon*
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Ignatius
Guest
Well, to paraphrase what my favorite cowboy philosopher used to say:
The problem ain’t so much with what they know,
it’s what they think they know -
that just ain’t so!
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Memaw
Guest
Cute, remember patience is a virtue! God Bless you on your journey.
Ok, I’ll be patient. Don’t like it but patient
If you have cable and can get EWTN Catholic Cable Network, on Monday nights at 7 CST, a program called “Journey Home” is on and I find it very interesting. Marcus Grodi talks with folks that have made the journey into the Catholic Faith. their stories are very interesting and I have learned lots from it. You might like it too. They show it again on Wed. aft. at 12 noon. Some are folks that have joined from another denomination and some are Catholics that have left and then found their way back. Memaw
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mflaschner
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I am glad that there is no anti-Catholic rhetoric in your area. Growing up in the midwest, I didn’t see any misinformation/hatred of Catholicism either. I’ve since moved to the Bible Belt and boyhowdy, converting to Catholicism down here was a beast! All of my southern friends are Protestant (mostly non-denominational) and upon moving here I was approached by many of them with the intent of bringing me closer to the Lord. Well, when eventually I outed myself as a Catholic-Enthusiast, and started taking RCIA classes. The response from my best friends’ husband upon hearing the news? “Oh [wife’s name], really? I’m very sorry to hear that!” [complete sincerity]. After that, I endured several heated discussions about Catholicism (at least, the version of Catholicism my friends knew). In order to keep the peace at work, I avoided religious discussions all together and began brushing hateful comments off as jokes. It’s not just snide remarks either, people down here get very upset about Catholicism. In my RCIA class, the three sponsors from northern states commended us for making it through - commenting on the fact that it’s quite hostile down here.
I agree that everyone ought to be a little more knowledgeable about everyone else’s religion, but perhaps we should also be more receptive to those who respond to posts here on CAF regardless of their religious affiliation.
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Memaw
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Its not a matter of seeing things “my” way, its a matter of truth. The Bible calls it "the blind leading the blind’ There are many references in the Bible about those that won’t listen to the truth. “You who have ears but do not hear, eyes that do not see”, some follow doctrines that tickle their ears instead of the truth, Even Jesus had people turn and walk away rather than believe what HE was saying.
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distracted
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There is only one Church. If we can trust it on one or two things, we can trust it on everything. we can either trust it completely or… it is not the true Church.
Protestant religions are man made.
I have had wonderful experiences and answers to prayer when addressing prayers to the saints. they are our friends, who know what it is like to be human and to attempt to follow Christ in eveyr way… I don’t know many earthly humans who do that, so i need someone who does… DID… and made it.
i think there is another reason you left the Church…
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distracted
Guest
sorry for what you went throuhg (are going through)… but one good thing:
***You are far from alone… ***
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distracted
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right… I may not know every single tenet of, say, Methodism… but i am not going to spout off about what they believe either…
Jesus said we would be 'hated by all" because of Him…
So… What church is the most hated in the world??
:coffeeread:
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distracted
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Yeah… makes you feel better, doesn’t it??
Not so much like a “failure” when the “opposition” doesn’t get it…
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khutcheson
Guest
Non-Catholic Christians are your opposition?
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sambos671
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Sorry, I don’t have cable. I can’t see wasting money on channels I don’t watch. I may watch only a couple of channels like discovery or the History channel but not much else. I have a ton of books though and I get news of local channels and the internet. I may watch something when I’m traveling for work or something but thats about it.
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Memaw
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Patrick Madrid has a wonderful set of books titled, “Surprised by Truth”, vol 1,2 and 3. I also think you can get all EWTN programs thru the internet, www.ewtn.com. The programs are on EST. time.
EWTN is my main reason for having Cable, and I like the old movies channel.
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sambos671
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Nope thats about it. I left the church when I was 15. I was raised catholic but my family were church go-ers they still had a lifestyle of sin. I was living in Uganda (father was a diplomat for the US) and I was sent to the only american boarding school nearby. It was a nondenominational boarding school. However, I got to see families that have changed lives and are living rightly for God in practice. It was nothing like I ever experienced or saw before. They talked about a personal relationship with Jesus and I thought that was impossible (only saints or priest could do that right? My then perseption). I saw people praying from the heart not from memory and that moved me. No matter how many Our Fathers, Hail Marys, Glory be I said I didn’t have a personal relationship. I learned to read the scriptures and for the first time entirely trusted myself to God. I could know Christ by knowing scriptures. I felt at the time (I really didn’t understand then) that the Catholic church just emphasised prayers and not scriptures and in the end I would be taken away from Jesus by putting other things first like a false sence of Holiness by repetative prayer, prayers to saints. The fact is I think for my journey I needed that because through the protestant I really got to know scriptures and have a personal deep relationship with our Lord. However, lately (many many years latter) I see the actual teachings of the church. I see that I was wrong about some of my assumptions then (but I had no real knowledge because all the Catholics I knew lived secular lives and Jesus meant nothing apart from mass.) I see that the Catholic church does carry the Deposit of Faith. I’ve (even though as a protestant I’m not required to) started the devotions of the liturgy of the hours and it is wonderful and covers everything I believe Jesus wants us to be about. I pray at home and at the perscribed times at work (during my breaks) and I have been tremendously blessed by it. I believe in the Eucharist and see that protestants (like myself) keep rehashing things that the church had already reviewed and decided on. The fact is protestants select an aspect of the catholic faith and make it their one defining aspect. But the Catholic faith seems to look at the whole when it comes to faith. For instance Sola Fide (faith alone) protestants believe that their admission of faith saves them.(they do something have faith) Catholics would say grace (God starts it all and faith is the result) Baptist are still fighting over this consept (Calvinism vs. Armenianism). And the protestants say the catholics believe works save them. But no Grace does works maintains the christian and is a result of the insuing grace. See what I mean by a more whole look at an issue of faith. So I’ve changed my opinion about the church but I don’t think I would be here without a venture to understand how much I needed Jesus through the protestants. I’m rambling but I have many thoughts and its hard to put them in a legible format.There is only one Church. If we can trust it on one or two things, we can trust it on everything. we can either trust it completely or… it is not the true Church.
Protestant religions are man made.
I have had wonderful experiences and answers to prayer when addressing prayers to the saints. they are our friends, who know what it is like to be human and to attempt to follow Christ in eveyr way… I don’t know many earthly humans who do that, so i need someone who does… DID… and made it.
i think there is another reason you left the Church…
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Peter_J
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I think you’ve been expressing your thoughts pretty well.
Now, it seems clear that you believe in a Church – in the sense of “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church”, not in the Evangelical sense of “the Church”. But where do you see this Church in the year 2008? In other words, do you see it as one specific “denomination”, like the Roman Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church? Or do believe more of a “Branch Theory”?
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sambos671
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As of now I don’t know. I’m struggling with this whole thing. I am leaning catholic but thats because I’m familiar with it. I know very little about orthodox though they in someways do seem more appealing to protestants. I’ve been reading a review of th first 7 eccuminical councils to give me a better idea. But honestly, I don’t see a problem with the Pope being considered the first among equals. I’m still learning and stuggling.
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Peter_J
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Cool.
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Memaw
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I hate to burst your bubble but I do NOT feel like a failure. Those who deny the truth are the real failures. Are you calling Jesus a failure??? or those that walked away???
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Memaw
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I am sorry for the bad examples of Catholics you grew up with but very thankful you can now see beyond that. Welcome Home. God Bless, memaw
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