Protestants: Could you please do us all a favor??

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emeraldcoast said:
Are you implying the original Catholic poster (OP) was being deceitful? I am not sure why this question even showed up in this part of the forum - many non-Catholics had no idea what the poster was referring to in his post. Was the motivation for posting this question to highlight the ignorance of non-Catholics on Catholic issues? What would be the point of that?

I was looking for feedback and dialogue on the issues in the post. As I have stated previously, posting information/opinions on Catholic issues from non-Catholic sources can often get one chastised on this board, although it seems Catholic opinions/information about non-Catholic faiths are accepted without any question. I am on this forum to share information about my faith and learn from my Catholic, non-Catholic, and non-Christian brothers and sisters. Sometimes that purpose is lost in the fervor of some on this board trying to “lead me to the light” of the RC Church. I don’t believe this is called the “How do I become a Catholic?” Forum or “Please do your best to cut down Non-Catholics” Forum, but that is just my two cents…
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The original poster of the link you were referring to was gaudess her religion in public info is truth seeker?? forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=251454
She was seeking non catholic answers in a catholic answers forum. And you couldn’t understand why you didn’t get any answers From Catholics there. 🤷 Well you probably won’t get many proper answers from catholics that are attending protestant Church services either. What I was saying is if you want the true answers go to the right place!!!
It seems you are looking for argument out here not true answers and we really don’t need that thank you any how. We are here to try to help people understand Catholicism not to argue about differances in our faith.
I will try to answer any question to the best of my ability if the intent is truely understanding not dispute.
Well I probably will be misunderstood again such is life.
Love and prayers, jim
 
khutcheson said:
Non-Catholic Christians are your opposition?
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Perhaps Distracted simply meant opposition to the Truth:thumbsup:
If you look hard enough you can find a way to make any saying look evil but not if you truely look for the good.
My prayers are with you my friend
jim
 
Memaw said:
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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Thank you. However, and this is key. I’ve seen this same senario play out many times with many catholics. And the ones brave enough to study actual history and documents and ask the problematic questions come to the same conclusion I have. Many are satisfied that they have this personal relationship with Jesus and it ends there for them. This is a real issue for the catholic church.
 
JimArsenault said:
Perhaps Distracted simply meant opposition to the Truth:thumbsup:
If you look hard enough you can find a way to make any saying look evil but not if you truely look for the good.
My prayers are with you my friend
jim
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maybe both… because in as far as non-Catholic Christians uphold their own man-made religious tenets, & cling to them even in the midst of abundant “proof to the contrary”… they defy truth…
 
distracted said:
they set themselves up as the opposition… most that i hvae met can’t say one good thing about the Catholic Church…
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Distracted,
I see you visited the thread posted. Please know there are millions of noncatholics who have nothing but love and respect for our Catholic brothers and sisters, our doctrinal disagreements notwithstanding.

Jon
 
sambos671 said:
Thank you. However, and this is key. I’ve seen this same senario play out many times with many catholics. And the ones brave enough to study actual history and documents and ask the problematic questions come to the same conclusion I have. Many are satisfied that they have this personal relationship with Jesus and it ends there for them. This is a real issue for the catholic church.
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IF you are expecting everyone Catholic to be walking around like saintly little tin soldiers, you will be very disappointed. We are human, we sin, we’re weak, we don’t always set a good example but I am sure you have met many on this forum that are very strong and knowledgeable in their Catholic faith. If a Catholic is ill informed today it is usually their own fault as there are soo many wonderful sources out there to learn from. The Church teaches but it can’t teach someone who isn’t willing to learn. If they think a “personal” relationship replaces Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, then they are sadly mistaken. You can’t get any more personal than receiving Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion. Love is not just an emotion, it is first an act of the will. We must choose to do the right thing, whether we “feel” like it or not. Whether we fully understand it or not.
 
Memaw said:
IF you are expecting everyone Catholic to be walking around like saintly little tin soldiers, you will be very disappointed. We are human, we sin, we’re weak, we don’t always set a good example but I am sure you have met many on this forum that are very strong and knowledgeable in their Catholic faith. If a Catholic is ill informed today it is usually their own fault as there are soo many wonderful sources out there to learn from. The Church teaches but it can’t teach someone who isn’t willing to learn. If they think a “personal” relationship replaces Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, then they are sadly mistaken. You can’t get any more personal than receiving Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion. Love is not just an emotion, it is first an act of the will. We must choose to do the right thing, whether we “feel” like it or not. Whether we fully understand it or not.
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You entirely miss my point. My point is not that people aren’t saintly they’re down right secular. A big difference. I never said a personal relationship replaces the Eucharist. However, whats the point of recieving the Eucharist if you don’t even really believe it. For instance. You go to mass on sunday and recieve the Eucharist. Then on monday you’re still living with your girlfriend or boyfriend outside the bonds of marriage. (I’ve known catholics like this.) Or you help your friend recieve an abortion. (yes this happens to) There is a difference between sinning (struggling with sin) and having a lifestyle of sin. What good is it to receive the Eucharist in these circumstances? You’re just eating and drinking your own condemnation. Thats what I’m talking about. These are the catholics I primarily came in contact with. Not the devout who do actually believe in the teachings of the church and apply it to their lives. This is the issue. There are other protestants I know who left the catholic church because they had similar experiences. The church isn’t wrong, people are but if thats all you know you blame the church. That is what I was trying to get accross. Not that everyone has to act like St. Francis.
 
sambos671 said:
You entirely miss my point. My point is not that people aren’t saintly they’re down right secular. A big difference. I never said a personal relationship replaces the Eucharist. However, whats the point of recieving the Eucharist if you don’t even really believe it. For instance. You go to mass on sunday and recieve the Eucharist. Then on monday you’re still living with your girlfriend or boyfriend outside the bonds of marriage. (I’ve known catholics like this.) Or you help your friend recieve an abortion. (yes this happens to) There is a difference between sinning (struggling with sin) and having a lifestyle of sin. What good is it to receive the Eucharist in these circumstances? You’re just eating and drinking your own condemnation. Thats what I’m talking about. These are the catholics I primarily came in contact with. Not the devout who do actually believe in the teachings of the church and apply it to their lives. This is the issue. There are other protestants I know who left the catholic church because they had similar experiences. The church isn’t wrong, people are but if thats all you know you blame the church. That is what I was trying to get accross. Not that everyone has to act like St. Francis.
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Those who are in the state of mortal sin, (no matter what the serious sin is) and receive Holy Communion are not fooling GOD one bit. They are only committing the sin of sacrilege and making things worse for themselves. My mom used to say, “You can fool me, you might even be able to fool the priest, but you’ll NEVER fool GOD.” If they have had any part in getting or helping someone else get an abortion they are excommunicated. So they are not doing themselves any favors by receiving the Eucharist under those conditions.
 
Memaw said:
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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And I think you could also add to that, the bad examples of Catholics on the internet – including some that we’ve seen in this very thread, in my humble opinion.
 
Memaw said:
IF you are expecting everyone Catholic to be walking around like saintly little tin soldiers, you will be very disappointed.
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Right… and when we do go around being saintly little “tin soldiers”… we are accused of thinking that our good works alone are what’s getting us to Heaven… :rolleyes: Catholics can’t win…
If they think a “personal” relationship replaces Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, then they are sadly mistaken. You can’t get any more personal than receiving Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion. Love is not just an emotion, it is first an act of the will. We must choose to do the right thing, whether we “feel” like it or not. Whether we fully understand it or not.
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:clapping: Very well said!! :clapping:
 
sambos671 said:
However, whats the point of recieving the Eucharist if you don’t even really believe it. For instance. You go to mass on sunday and recieve the Eucharist. Then on monday you’re still living with your girlfriend or boyfriend outside the bonds of marriage. (I’ve known catholics like this.) Or you help your friend recieve an abortion. (yes this happens to)
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I am a committed Catholic & i have noticed this also… It is very strange to me… but i guess we can chalk it up to ignorance… I used to be ignorant about my faith… only learned it really well mabye 10 years ago… Even so, there are some things you don’t have to be Catholic to know are wrong… like helping someone to have an abortion!! Yikes…
There is a difference between sinning (struggling with sin) and having a lifestyle of sin. What good is it to receive the Eucharist in these circumstances? You’re just eating and drinking your own condemnation.
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wow… i coulda swore you were a Catholic…saying this… :hypno:
Thats what I’m talking about. These are the catholics I primarily came in contact with.
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i agree with you that there are many of these kinds of Catholics… (so called). I hate to even call them Catholic, but i think the Church basically has this position of… Once a Catholic, always a Catholic… but that is not to say the person is an acceptable Catholic (practicing one)… and i, personally, DO NOT like calling people like John Kerry Catholic… To me a Catholic is someone who practices the faith. Period.
 
JonNC said:
Distracted,
I see you visited the thread posted. Please know there are millions of noncatholics who have nothing but love and respect for our Catholic brothers and sisters, our doctrinal disagreements notwithstanding.

Jon
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wish i knew some…

but then again… some people keep their true feelings about the Church to themselves… i know this one elderly Baptist man who i htought was So Protestant… but one time he (angrily) told me about what he saw as a lack of reverence in a lot of Baptists at a Sunday service… and said that was what he liked about the Catholics… it surprised me… 🙂
 
sambos671 said:
I left the church when I was 15.
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Well, that explains why, in some posts, you sound very Catholic…
I was raised catholic but my family were church go-ers they still had a lifestyle of sin.
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I have the same problem… a lot of people i know just go to Mass and say rosaries once in awhile… When it comes to really doing what Jesus says… the hard stuff they dont’ feel like doing (apparently) - well… they seem to not think that’s so important… Yes, i know what you are saying… Even so, you can find that in ANY Christian church…
I got to see families that have changed lives and are living rightly for God in practice.
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As devoutly Roman Catholic as i am… i have thought about going to other churches… Havne’t done it yet… but sometimes i just want to be around someone who doesn’t seem afraid to say the name of Jesus (in private conversation) (etc…)…
I saw people praying from the heart not from memory and that moved me.
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I understand. but i have learned that Catholics can have it all… they can have their rote prayers AND pray from the heart… It IS kinda weird no one (catholic) ever suggested such a thing to me… had to find out on my own… but… anywya…
No matter how many Our Fathers, Hail Marys, Glory be I said I didn’t have a personal relationship.
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I feel that the Catholic “equivelent” of personal relatoinship is the Real Presence, spending time There as much as possible… just being quiet in his presence (“Be still and know that i am God”)… Have you done much of that before? I wasn’t even told about the Blessed Sacrament until… I was kinda “old”… another big mistake the Church makes… and i mean BIG! I could have saved myself and many other a lot of “grief” had i known about the Real Presence. thank God a good priest told me… 🙂 in confession…
Aside from the Mass, it is the closest you can possibly be to Jesus in this world… 🙂
I learned to read the scriptures and for the first time entirely trusted myself to God. I could know Christ by knowing scriptures.
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yes, but in the Catholic Church, the Scirptures are read in the Presence of Christ… (much better understood that way…).
(but I had no real knowledge because all the Catholics I knew lived secular lives and Jesus meant nothing apart from mass.)
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Again, this really hits home… i don’t understand it… don’t know waht to tell you… but there do seem to be many Catholics like this… I think part of the reason is that our whole society is rather un-Catholic… so maybe that’s why Catholics don’t … well, get into Jesus like the other Christians do…
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distracted said:
Well, that explains why, in some posts, you sound very Catholic… I have the same problem… a lot of people i know just go to Mass and say rosaries once in awhile… When it comes to really doing what Jesus says… the hard stuff they dont’ feel like doing (apparently) - well… they seem to not think that’s so important… Yes, i know what you are saying… Even so, you can find that in ANY Christian church… As devoutly Roman Catholic as i am… i have thought about going to other churches… Havne’t done it yet… but sometimes i just want to be around someone who doesn’t seem afraid to say the name of Jesus (in private conversation) (etc…)… I understand. but i have learned that Catholics can have it all… they can have their rote prayers AND pray from the heart… It IS kinda weird no one (catholic) ever suggested such a thing to me… had to find out on my own… but… anywya…
I feel that the Catholic “equivelent” of personal relatoinship is the Real Presence, spending time There as much as possible… just being quiet in his presence (“Be still and know that i am God”)… Have you done much of that before? I wasn’t even told about the Blessed Sacrament until… I was kinda “old”… another big mistake the Church makes… and i mean BIG! I could have saved myself and many other a lot of “grief” had i known about the Real Presence. thank God a good priest told me… 🙂 in confession…
Aside from the Mass, it is the closest you can possibly be to Jesus in this world… 🙂 yes, but in the Catholic Church, the Scirptures are read in the Presence of Christ… (much better understood that way…). Again, this really hits home… i don’t understand it… don’t know waht to tell you… but there do seem to be many Catholics like this… I think part of the reason is that our whole society is rather un-Catholic… so maybe that’s why Catholics don’t … well, get into Jesus like the other Christians do…
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Again, this really hits home… i don’t understand it… don’t know waht to tell you… but there do seem to be many Catholics like this… I think part of the reason is that our whole society is rather un-Catholic… so maybe that’s why Catholics don’t … well, get into Jesus like the other Christians do…
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Distracted,

In many ways I am very Catholic. I’m even considering returning to the church. So, I’m not as judgemental about the church as I once was. However, I do not believe that I could ever get to the point of appreciating Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist without first knowing Jesus personally. I believe in the presence in the Eucharist. Yes, Jesus is there. However, do not forget what Jesus said before he assended. That he would send us a helper. The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God. So the Spirit endwells us and so as we walk and know him we are just as close.
The reason there are Catholics who are secular is because they are secular. They could care less about God apart from tradition. They maintain the tradition because it is their identity. The Catholic church mostly overlooks this because of the eternal hope of their salvation. That at some point the prayers will sink in, the reflection of the scriptures will sink in, the meditations of the rosery will begin to make sense and these will be saved and repent of their ways and begin the real walk of faith. It’s not because the church is secular. It is because of their hope that all will be saved. The Catholic church is being merciful in that they do not withhold the sacraments from people they know are living a lie in the hope that the presence of Jesus will minister to them for their salvation. Protestants aren’t as forgiving. (They just tend to talk behind your back:D ) they will try negative reinforcement like:“if you die today are you assured of your salvation?” or you’ll hear a rash of sermons about hell and separation from God. Once you start digging into the faith as you have your life will be changed. God is gracious! I needed to developed a personal relationship with Jesus to appreciate the sacraments. Look at it this way: Jesus developed a relationship with the apostles before they even understood who he was. Peter was the first. Jesus calls us to “Come walk with me” I did and now it seems to be telling me that there are things I misunderstood that the Catholic church has been teaching all alone. I have been unusually blessed by the hours. I pray that this will be the case for all who practice them.
 
sambos671 said:
However, I do not believe that I could ever get to the point of appreciating Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist without first knowing Jesus personally.
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Just being honest here… but this statement made me laugh… because it seems like… well, i don’t know how to say it… but i guess the best way to say it is that you seem to be saying: “I don’t bleieve i could ever get to the point of appreciating having a personal relationship with Jesus without first knowing Jesus personally…”

Like i said… i am just telling you what came to me as i read that…
To me, being with Him @ the Real Presence Is having a personal relationship with Him… one that does not compare to any “other kind”…
. That he would send us a helper. The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God.
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that is the Spirit @ the Blessed Sacrament…
So the Spirit endwells us and so as we walk and know him we are just as close.
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i dont’ feel you would say his after having spent a lot of time in the RP.
The reason there are Catholics who are secular is because they are secular. They could care less about God apart from tradition.
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Well, as another Poster said… it is not good to “judge” or sound like we are judging… We can look at someon’es appearance, their actions and say this and that about them… but we never really know… Even so, that being said, someone who calls themselves Catholic and supports, evne promotes abortion is NOT Catholic… I refuse to call them that no matter what anyone says about Once Catholic Always C…
The Catholic church is being merciful in that they do not withhold the sacraments from people they know are living a lie in the hope that the presence of Jesus will minister to them for their salvation.
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This is NOT true… Or let’s just say that it is not SUPPOSED to be true… Someone like John Kerry, for example… has been refused Communion… and rightly so. The priest who gives it to him is a coward (doesn’t want to “look bad in the eyes of the world or something…” )…
I needed to developed a personal relationship with Jesus to appreciate the sacraments.
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It is true that once i made a commitment to Christ… it was a lot easier to… be truly Catholic… (etc…)… I was one of those born-again people who “backslid”… and i didn’t know my Catholic faith so… i was really lost there for awhile…

God bless… 🙂
 
distracted said:
Just being honest here… but this statement made me laugh… because it seems like… well, i don’t know how to say it… but i guess the best way to say it is that you seem to be saying: “I don’t bleieve i could ever get to the point of appreciating having a personal relationship with Jesus without first knowing Jesus personally…”

Like i said… i am just telling you what came to me as i read that…
To me, being with Him @ the Real Presence Is having a personal relationship with Him… one that does not compare to any “other kind”…
that is the Spirit @ the Blessed Sacrament… i dont’ feel you would say his after having spent a lot of time in the RP. Well, as another Poster said… it is not good to “judge” or sound like we are judging… We can look at someon’es appearance, their actions and say this and that about them… but we never really know… Even so, that being said, someone who calls themselves Catholic and supports, evne promotes abortion is NOT Catholic… I refuse to call them that no matter what anyone says about Once Catholic Always C…

This is NOT true… Or let’s just say that it is not SUPPOSED to be true… Someone like John Kerry, for example… has been refused Communion… and rightly so. The priest who gives it to him is a coward (doesn’t want to “look bad in the eyes of the world or something…” )…

It is true that once i made a commitment to Christ… it was a lot easier to… be truly Catholic… (etc…)… I was one of those born-again people who “backslid”… and i didn’t know my Catholic faith so… i was really lost there for awhile…

God bless… 🙂
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As for the first part of my statement; it can only be understood from this perspective. I was raised Catholic. My family went to mass and recieved the sacraments. This is Key because they did not live their faith. My father is twice divorsed (Catholic? I think not) However, he manipulated church law by insisting both his marriages we done civily. (Judging?) Yes because I saw and experienced his sin. How did being in Our Lords presence change his life? It did nothing for him. ( I am not arguing against the presence in the Eucharist) During his period of separation he had many affairs but still recieved the sacraments. As for me I received the sacraments but didn’t believe so they were voided for me in a sense. It wasn’t until I knew Jesus through his Holy Scriptures and in a developed prayer life that I could appreciate the sacraments and see the need for their grace. Keep in mind the aposltes knew Jesus in relationship long before they knew him in his Eucharist. Jesus didn’t ask his disciples to first have the Eucharist and then follow him but to follow him, live with him, know him and then gave them his Eucharsit so that when he departed he was always with them in the Holy Spirit and in body in the eucharist. There is a woman across the street from me who is from Germany originally. Her father is Italian. She refuses to go to mass though I’ve encouraged her to do so because of her experiences with the catholic church. She believes the priest are Evil. Her father works for the Mafia and he made all sorts of statements about how he paid of priest and extorted money etc… I tell her this is not the true church. The Catholic churches does not teach these things but she can’t differentiate between “real” Catholics and the ones who abused her. Many others with this similar stories. I’ve mentioned these things not to condemn. But to provide an understanding of what I am saying why people leave the chruch and this is a problem. Your right about the church teaches not to give sacraments to people who are outright sinning. My point was that they don’t search these people out (unless it is political as in the case of Carey) or it is overtly obvious. But the church is hoping that the grace of the sacraments will lead those to repentance.
 
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