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Paris_Blues
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Please explain why some of you guys are anti-Catholic or are not Catholic at all! Or, if you’re Protestant and thinking about coming to the Church, please explain what makes Catholicism interesting!
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Curious
Guest
To answer your first question, I’m not Catholic because I wasn’t raised Catholic and it never occurred to me until last year sometime to even look into it.
To answer your second question: what makes Catholicism interesting?
- It’s one Church. Not 50 million churches that spit on each other, backbite each other and claw each other every 5 seconds.
- It’s old.
- It’s pretty
- It might be what it claims to be
- Candles, incense, religious art, liturgy
- Basic differences with Protestantism and finding out there might be something to them: examples: purgatory, saints, confession, Eucharist, infant baptism.
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EA_Man
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Paris Blues:
After I had grown up and started reading the Bible for myself I realized that what I was missing was Jesus Christ.
I have come to realize that Jesus Christ wants to bring us all into closer communion to the Father in preparation to spending Eternity with Him.
I don’t believe that denominational affiliation ensures or prevents your salvation.
If you’re a Catholic who loves Jesus, then love Jesus as a Catholic.
Peace
I was raised Catholic (cradle Catholic). We went to church every Sunday, CCD, etc…But it seemed to me that it was all about the ritual and something seemed to be missing.
After I had grown up and started reading the Bible for myself I realized that what I was missing was Jesus Christ.
I have come to realize that Jesus Christ wants to bring us all into closer communion to the Father in preparation to spending Eternity with Him.
I don’t believe that denominational affiliation ensures or prevents your salvation.
If you’re a Catholic who loves Jesus, then love Jesus as a Catholic.
Peace
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JackmanUSC
Guest
But total salvation comes through the Sacraments. Jesus was pretty specific about things like that.
EA_Man:
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Hugh_Betcha
Guest
Paris Blues:
What makes Catholicism interesting: I am marrying a Catholic and wanted to fully understand the differences between my beliefs and hers. There are some things about the Catholic church that I find very appealing; others are somewhat alien to me. I like that the Catholic church has been teaching the same things for 2000 years. I like the fact that the Catholic church does not pander to anyone, they only concern themselves with pleasing God, whether it’s popular or not. (abortion, birth control, same sex marriage, divorce, etc) What is alien to me are the concepts of Mary (I have a basic understanding of Mary, and why she is held in such esteem, but as a protestant, Mary never really played a primary role). Also praying to saints to intercede; I thought you could only pray to God. I understand that you are only asking them to pray on your behalf, but I don’t understand how you can ask dead folk to pray for you. Only Jesus was resurrected; I can’t fully understand how just because the Catholic church says you can pray to Mother Theresa or JP2, that means you can. It’s all pretty new to me, and I’m still looking into it. One thing about mass: I like going to mass, and I understand what’s going on, but I wish that there were more teaching and less ritual and rote. I know that it’s tradition and has been done for 2000 years, but I’d rather hear more from the priest on how to live my life as a Christian in 2005. Seems like the teaching and message have been squeezed out to fit in all the ritual. These are not criticisms at all, just my perspective thus far. As I said, Im new to this and my perspective may very well change as I learn more. Who knows?
Why I’m not Catholic at all: I was raised in the south, where Catholicism is not as predominant as it is in other areas; therefore I had less exposure to it. I always thought of Catholics as another denomination.
What makes Catholicism interesting: I am marrying a Catholic and wanted to fully understand the differences between my beliefs and hers. There are some things about the Catholic church that I find very appealing; others are somewhat alien to me. I like that the Catholic church has been teaching the same things for 2000 years. I like the fact that the Catholic church does not pander to anyone, they only concern themselves with pleasing God, whether it’s popular or not. (abortion, birth control, same sex marriage, divorce, etc) What is alien to me are the concepts of Mary (I have a basic understanding of Mary, and why she is held in such esteem, but as a protestant, Mary never really played a primary role). Also praying to saints to intercede; I thought you could only pray to God. I understand that you are only asking them to pray on your behalf, but I don’t understand how you can ask dead folk to pray for you. Only Jesus was resurrected; I can’t fully understand how just because the Catholic church says you can pray to Mother Theresa or JP2, that means you can. It’s all pretty new to me, and I’m still looking into it. One thing about mass: I like going to mass, and I understand what’s going on, but I wish that there were more teaching and less ritual and rote. I know that it’s tradition and has been done for 2000 years, but I’d rather hear more from the priest on how to live my life as a Christian in 2005. Seems like the teaching and message have been squeezed out to fit in all the ritual. These are not criticisms at all, just my perspective thus far. As I said, Im new to this and my perspective may very well change as I learn more. Who knows?
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ScottH
Guest
There’s the sacraments of the heart, and the sacrements of a ceremony. Can you have both- sure. If you had to pick one though- which would it be?
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EA_Man
Guest
How does salvation differ from “total salvation”?
Where does Jesus say that salvation comes from sacraments?
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Mickey
Guest
Why set up an “either/or” situation when you can have “both/and”.
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Mickey
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Hugh Betcha:
They are alive in Christ!
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azcelt
Guest
I ,m lutheran,married to a catholic christian attend mass with her every week,am active in the parish(food pantry,etc.)do everything but receive the eucharist.I consider myself a ecumenical christian and have been warmly received by her parish.I consider myself in communion with the catholic church(and all baptized believers) spritually and in my heart,i,ve tried rcia but can,t get past papal infallibility,and transubstantiation,and purgatory.to be honest if the only catholics i had come in contact with were a lot of the posters here,i would have a negative view of catholicism,the legalism,triumphalism,and downright hostility displayed sometimes(especially to lutherans)is quite depressing to a ecumenical christian like myself.I know it cuts both ways,fundamentalists,anti-catholics,pope haters etc.but i have never heard the word heretic used with such venom as it,s used here towards fellow baptized believers.as someone who loves and respects my fellow catholc christians this epitaph is quite hurtful. in unity with all baptized believers,celt
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Hugh_Betcha
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No argument from me on that one, but can I also ask my dead relatives to pray for me? Could I if the Catholic church said so? That’s where I’m having the trouble I guess. For example, could I ask JP2 to pray for me now, or do I have to wait for the church to hang out the “open for business” sign? Also, if the church can bestow sainthood on someone, can they also take it away? Let’s say I’m praying to St. Bubba for whatever, then the church says no, St. Bubba is on our “do not call” list; does that mean that St. Bubba can no longer hear me? Is the church the switchboard for heaven or what? These are the questions I have about who is and isn’t a saint, and why you can or can’t pray to people. Thanks for reading all this, I’m sure someone will be able to 'splain it to me.They are alive in Christ!
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LSK
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Hugh Betcha:
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LSK
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You are right. There are sinners in our Church.
AAAUUUGGHHHH run for it…
Sorry - I could not resist…forgive me for being a smarty pants…
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LSK
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banjo
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but I don’t understand how you can ask dead folk to pray for you.
Refer to Mt 17:1-3, Moses and Elijah appeared…also Mt 22:32, He is the God of the living, not of the dead.
Refer to Mt 17:1-3, Moses and Elijah appeared…also Mt 22:32, He is the God of the living, not of the dead.
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ImperialPhoenix
Guest
Paris Blues:
My situation is qute different, I am a fallen cradle Catholic who became an agnostic at the age of 6 after my parents stoped attending church. To me, what makes Catholicism interesting to me (and it’s pull for me to rediscover it) is it’s richness in history, tradition, and stability.
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Philthy
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HI EA_Man :tiphat:
Im tempted to respond to the content of your post but it has nothing to do with this thread so I am remaining silent. The question you were supposed to be answering is - and we value your (name removed by moderator)ut -, “what makes Catholicism interesting!” or, alternately, as an ex Catholic, why are you here?
Phil
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LSK
Guest
That passage refers to those who are dead because they did not yet know Christ. Now that they do they are not dead. They are eternally alive. Christ granted ETERNAL LIFE. If you do not believe this then you have rejected the basic tenent of Christianity.
Catholics believe in eternal life through the salvation granted by Jesus Christ.
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alyssa
Guest
LSK- you can ask anyone you want to pray for you (grandma, great great great grandpa, JPII, etc). The saints cannonized by the church are those we know without a doubt are in heaven with God praying for us before Jesus. It doesn’t mean that ONLY those saints are in heaven, it just means those people have, for one reason or another, gathered a following, or done miracles during their lifetime, etc, which brought people to know about them and pray for their intercession after death. If it works, basiaclly, and God preforms miracles through them, then they may be declaired Saints. Does that make sense?
They make good role models for us, we know that their prayers are rightous since they are in heaven and have been made so by God.
They make good role models for us, we know that their prayers are rightous since they are in heaven and have been made so by God.
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LSK
Guest
Thanks - I think that is what I said…however, because I was trying to reply to someone else I don’t think I did this “quotation” think right and so it looked like I am the one with the problem understanding…you, however, did a great job explaining and I think you have a wonderful vocation ahead of you as an Apologist. Keep up the good work and please pray for me and for the reconversion of my brother.
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