Protestants: What is the oddest thing about Catholicism?

[Swan]

So why was Jesus attacked, persecuted by the religious of his day including the worldly powers? Doesn’t this sound like the Catholic church today, which is the body of Jesus Christ? We are sheep among wolves, Praise God, we have a mighty Shepherd in Jesus and his body, Peter(present day Pope) and the magisterium of the Catholic church.

Peace be with you, and may God’s will be done always

I don’t think that’s a very good analogy. Jesus rebelled against the established institutional “church” of his day, against its leaders, the Pharisees, etc. The current comparison would be of the Pharisees and “church” insitution with the magisterium and pope of the RC insitution. Those who question the RC are the ones going out on a limb (Martin Luther, for example - not that I’m saying he’s Christlike). IMO, the RC is so full of the letter of the law that the spirit, which Jesus gave us and told us should be the most important thing, got lost in the rules and regs long ago. The Golden Rule doesn’t need tomes of explanation on interpretation and implementation. It does not require a hierarchy of men to teach. I think these were the very issues Jesus had problems with not the ones he came to promote. It’s just not that complicated, IMO.

Peace.

 

[Eden]

I don’t think that’s a very good analogy. Jesus rebelled against the established institutional “church” of his day, against its leaders, the Pharisees, etc. The current comparison would be of the Pharisees and “church” insitution with the magisterium and pope of the RC insitution. Those who question the RC are the ones going out on a limb (Martin Luther, for example - not that I’m saying he’s Christlike). IMO, the RC is so full of the letter of the law that the spirit, which Jesus gave us and told us should be the most important thing, got lost in the rules and regs long ago. The Golden Rule doesn’t need tomes of explanation on interpretation and implementation. It does not require a hierarchy of men to teach. I think these were the very issues Jesus had problems with not the ones he came to promote. It’s just not that complicated, IMO.

Peace.

So Jesus intended to have 33,000+ incoherent, competing and contradictory Protestant faiths, not One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church?

 

[ufamtobie]

I think the people within the different Christian religions who condem each other for practising their faith differently are the ones who divide themselves. So I guess the answer would be no.

Carjack,

You think to much. lol

You say it yourself “Practising their faith differently” Doing so is wrong!

How Can we practice faith differently? Trying to do so is building your House on Sand and not on Rock.

(Ephesians 4: 13) Till we become One Faith and in the Knowledge of God’s Son, and form that perfect man who is in Christ come to full stature.

Is the Lord to be practiced differently? NO! So niether Faith should be practiced differently!

Sad to say it has been done people think that they can practice their Faith Differently like you mentioned above, that is why there is so many Protestant Church with different practices of Faith gone Chaotic.

There is only one way to practice faith and thats through the Catholic Church founded on Rock

It has already been established (Ephesians 4: 5) There is One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism; One God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all and is in all.

(Ephesians 4: 14) Let us, then, be children no longer,Tossed here and there, carried about by Every Wind of Doctrine that originates in Error. Rather, lets us PROFESSS the TRUTH in LOVE and Grow to the full maturity of Christ the Head.

The Protestant Church has been “tossed here and there carried by every wind and doctrine that origintes in error”. Look at the Facts Look at how many Protestant Churches there are.

St. Paul Goes On to say in: ***(Ephesians 4: 16) Through him the whole body Grows, and with the PROPER functioning of the MEMBERS Joined Firmly Together by each supporting ligament, builds itself up in love. *** The Catholic Church, its members are **joined firmly together **by each supporting ligament building itself in love.

Ufamtobie

 

[carjack]

Carjack,

You think to much. lol

You say it yourself “Practising their faith differently” Doing so is wrong!

How Can we practice faith differently? Trying to do so is building your House on Sand and not on Rock.

(Ephesians 4: 13) Till we become One Faith and in the Knowledge of God’s Son, and form that perfect man who is in Christ come to full stature.

Is the Lord to be practiced differently? NO! So niether Faith should be practiced differently!

Sad to say it has been done people think that they can practice their Faith Differently like you mentioned above, that is why there is so many Protestant Church with different practices of Faith gone Chaotic.

There is only one way to practice faith and thats through the Catholic Church founded on Rock

It has already been established (Ephesians 4: 5) There is One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism; One God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all and is in all.

(Ephesians 4: 14) Let us, then, be children no longer,Tossed here and there, carried about by Every Wind of Doctrine that originates in Error. Rather, lets us PROFESSS the TRUTH in LOVE and Grow to the full maturity of Christ the Head.

The Protestant Church has been “tossed here and there carried by every wind and doctrine that origintes in error”. Look at the Facts Look at how many Protestant Churches there are.

St. Paul Goes On to say in: ***(Ephesians 4: 16) Through him the whole body Grows, and with the PROPER functioning of the MEMBERS Joined Firmly Together by each supporting ligament, builds itself up in love. *** The Catholic Church, its members are **joined firmly together **by each supporting ligament building itself in love.

Ufamtobie

We meet again. I understand what you are saying. Doesn’t anybody get tired of the Us Vs Them situation? Especially if we are all followers of Christ? . It just makes me so sad. I am still doing my research though.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

I don’t think that’s a very good analogy. Jesus rebelled against the established institutional “church” of his day, against its leaders, the Pharisees, etc.

**Jesus did not rebell against no one, Jesus came to announce the good news and the day of the Lord has come. It was those Pharisees, in the sanhederin, among the pagan Roman authority, that Jesus proclamation of the day of the lord is at hand and who he revealed himself to be “I Am”, this is what caused those in authority to rebell against his Truth.

For the Catholic church to make such claims as she is the body of Jesus christ, her Pope is Peter, who posseses the power to forgive sins, and bind and loose on earth, she has the fullness of the deposit of faith, brings much folly, and opposition did to Jesus when he claimed to be the “I Am”.**

My analogy is correct, in the content that this kick of the gaud continues today, where the body of Jesus Christ, his authority on earth, is still questioned, and rebelled against from non catholics and protestants, including the World powers. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever more.

The current comparison would be of the Pharisees and “church” insitution with the magisterium and pope of the RC insitution.

This is not a valid comparison when you compare the Pharisees and the Catholic church. When you define biblicaly speaking that the Catholic church is the body of Jesus Christ. A kingdom against itself cannot stand, the Catholic church is still standing for 2000 years.

Those who question the RC are the ones going out on a limb (Martin Luther, for example - not that I’m saying he’s Christlike). IMO, the RC is so full of the letter of the law that the spirit, which Jesus gave us and told us should be the most important thing, got lost in the rules and regs long ago. The Golden Rule doesn’t need tomes of explanation on interpretation and implementation. It does not require a hierarchy of men to teach. I think these were the very issues Jesus had problems with not the ones he came to promote. It’s just not that complicated, IMO.

** It becomes complicated when one does not obey Jesus and his authority on earth. Jesus ordained his priesthood to “do this in rememberance of me”, Jesus commanded his chosen to baptise every nation and people in the name of the blessed Trinity, Jesus commanded Peter after giving him the keys to the kingdom of
God and the power to forgive sins, to TEACH, FEED MY SHEEP!. So yes, When the magisterium of the chosen apostles by Jesus himself obey Jesus commandments to teach, feed, and baptise, are not following men, but obeying Jesus commandments to do as he does and teach as he taught them

So we do need a teaching authority, and an obedience magesterium to the teaching of Jesus in order for Jesus to be present to his people through his sacraments, that only his magesterium can validly perform.**

Peace.

 

[distracted]

You know where the truth lies.

Stand by the faith and the truth that have been handed on to you by word and by epistle and know that no matter what happens, what anyone else says or whatever happens, you know where the truth lies.

I know all this… and i cannot leave if the Church is the church Christ established… and i know it is… But i think it is a terrible, terrible shame that people throughout the Catholic world are made to feel that they are just so abused/miserable, they have to leave… Whether they actually leave is not the point… (really)… it is the fact that they are made so miserable as to* want *to … and want to badly… something is terribly wrong in the Church… and i think it is time we faced it… It is like the elephant in the living room… everyone just talking around it, tip-toeing around it… pretending it isn’t there…
thanks for your prayers… I have decided to go to a different Church… but am fairly limited in my choices since i don’t live in a very Catholic area… (outside of town, etc.)… just hope this thing isn’t too universal…

 

[Believe_85]

I know all this… and i cannot leave if the Church is the church Christ established… and i know it is… But i think it is a terrible, terrible shame that people throughout the Catholic world are made to feel that they are just so abused/miserable, they have to leave… Whether they actually leave is not the point… (really)… it is the fact that they are made so miserable as to* want *to … and want to badly… something is terribly wrong in the Church… and i think it is time we faced it… It is like the elephant in the living room… everyone just talking around it, tip-toeing around it… pretending it isn’t there…
thanks for your prayers… I have decided to go to a different Church… but am fairly limited in my choices since i don’t live in a very Catholic area… (outside of town, etc.)… just hope this thing isn’t too universal…

What has happened that you feel the Church has made you miserable? I can’t imagine. I didn’t know there was an elephant. Please share and maybe we can help you find consolation.

 

[distracted]

What has happened that you feel the Church has made you miserable? . I didn’t know there was an elephant. Please share and maybe we can help you find consolation.

my consolation cannot be had from humans… humans are the problem!! But thanks just the same…

I get this feeling if i 'share"… my pain will only be minimalized… trivialized…

You people who live in big parishes are fortunate because the good priests are usually sent there… the not-so great ones are put in the smaler parishes, where they can do the least amount of damage…

 

[Believe_85]

my consolation cannot be had from humans… humans are the problem!! But thanks just the same…

I get this feeling if i 'share"… my pain will only be minimalized… trivialized…

You people who live in big parishes are fortunate because the good priests are usually sent there… the not-so great ones are put in the smaler parishes, where they can do the least amount of damage…

I didn’t mean we would be the consolation of course Jesus is the Prince of Peace… I just hoped that if you shared the issue, maybe we could help you figure out a way to deal with it or sort out a solution if it could be fixed. Since you mentioned clergy, I hope it is just a difference of personalities and not about a priest teaching against the Magisterium…Either way, there are ways to deal with it, so if you feel like you need to speak up, I think you should…but it’s up to you.

 

[sires6]

my consolation cannot be had from humans… humans are the problem!! But thanks just the same…

I get this feeling if i 'share"… my pain will only be minimalized… trivialized…

You people who live in big parishes are fortunate because the good priests are usually sent there… the not-so great ones are put in the smaler parishes, where they can do the least amount of damage…

If you don’t feel that you can share your pain with all of the list (I’m not sure I would want to either), you can share it with some of the prayer warriors and we can pray for you specifically.

Yes, people are the problem, but God also uses people to be the solution. He came down as a human and used the horrible, stupid, slow, mean and ugly Apostles (just like us) to do his work. Not meaning they are really that, just that the Apostles were human and therefore had human failings and yet still go on to do the most amazing things through Christ. Have faith. PM me if you’d like me to pray for you.

Pax et Bonum

 

[sires6]

I don’t think that’s a very good analogy. Jesus rebelled against the established institutional “church” of his day, against its leaders, the Pharisees, etc. The current comparison would be of the Pharisees and “church” insitution with the magisterium and pope of the RC insitution. Those who question the RC are the ones going out on a limb (Martin Luther, for example - not that I’m saying he’s Christlike). IMO, the RC is so full of the letter of the law that the spirit, which Jesus gave us and told us should be the most important thing, got lost in the rules and regs long ago. The Golden Rule doesn’t need tomes of explanation on interpretation and implementation. It does not require a hierarchy of men to teach. I think these were the very issues Jesus had problems with not the ones he came to promote. It’s just not that complicated, IMO.

Peace.

Actually, Christ did not “rebel” against the “Church of the day”… he brought wayward sheep back to the fold. The wayward were not the entire church, they were some of the church. Christ had established the church at the beginning of time and revealed the path it should walk slowly, first to Adam, then to Moses, then to David (of course others in between).

If you know that there was no written “letter of the law” [complete] until much later [382 AD], then you must know that the Church held the faith together like a handful of eels. This goes back to the “tradition” debate and knowing the definition of good and bad tradition.

The Catholic Church holds the tradition like a man in an egg carry race. He knows he must run over stony ground, but the cargo he carries must not be dropped. the Catholic Church is the same, she knows that there are always questions abounding about tradition, Mary, the Saints, Salvation, etc. but that she must not look to today’s feelings to determine if she is right or wrong about them… she must and will look to 2000 years of history and what the faithful have said for the entire time.

Pax et Bonum

 

[mercygate]

We meet again. I understand what you are saying. Doesn’t anybody get tired of the Us Vs Them situation? Especially if we are all followers of Christ? . It just makes me so sad. I am still doing my research though.

I definitely chime in with this sentiment. That said, I do believe there IS right and wrong, there IS truth and falsehood (or half-truth). Since Our Lord says that HE is Himself “the Truth” truth is not a trivial mattter.

As for “us” v. “them” I stand with St. Peter who tells us in his first letter: “Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for thehope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.”

While I can be VERY hard and firm about what I believe and perhaps overstep the bounds of mildness when someone persists in inanity, I do NOT, for example, frequent non-Christian or non-Catholic forums to “debate” people who have not posed any challenge to me. There is no “debate.” Debate is an exercise in vanity.

 

[distracted]

II hope it is just a difference of personalities and not about a priest teaching against the Magisterium…Either way, there are ways to deal with it, so if you feel like you need to speak up, I think you should…but it’s up to you.

differences in personalities are a good thing… shows the various attributes of the God who created them…

and it isn’t so much (usually) the priest teaching against the Magesterium… It is usually a priest acting as though he does not believe the magesterium/Bible/Jesus…

But then i have also heard many priests speak heretical-sounding things… and if i understand them as i feel i do… they aren’t just heretical-sounding, but actually heretical… i try to give benefit of doubt…

I have travelled a lot, moved a lot… so have been exposed to many different Churches… and their ways, their priests…

 

[distracted]

Are you saying that Protestant churches are Devil inspired?

no, their churches are not… most of them are attempting to follow Christ to the best of their abilities… but Protestantism is a result of Martin Luther’s work… and frankly, that work was that of the devil…

 

[distracted]

The old testament presented a God of division and violence. That God was a mass murderer and compelled people to sin, kill. The God of the old testament was not a God of peace, He was a God of violence and brutality.

the God of the OT is the God of the New… He does not change… God does not condone murder… but there is something worse than death - idolatry.

When you come down to it all sin is idolatry… loving the creature more than the Creator…

and God destroyed nations because of that idolatry…

I realize it is difficult to understand why God does this or that… I have been down-right angry at God many times in my life and i am sure i will continue to have my angry moments… but we must concede that God’s ways are far, far, above our own, as the Bible (OT ) tells us… St. Faustina speaks a lot about the wrath of God… christians should read her diary… it is very interesting… and touches on experiences we all have…

 

[Syele]

I gave up on human relationships. I learned the hard way that people don’t give a damn about you when you need them the most… It seems you have to be perfect to be loved by human beings…

so call me a cynic… I’ve been called worse…

You cynic! Seriously though, God said to love our neighbors not to demand to be loved BY them. He knew they would fail us, yet said to love them anyhow.

yes, but to be totally frank… you don’t give Jesus the kind of attention He desires because you don’t have His Real Presence in the Protestant churches…

I know you are going to “have a cow” about this… but before you answer, it would be good to spend time with Jesus in a Catholic Church for about an hour or so… Then maybe you will understand better what i say…
God bless…

What makes you think I haven’t spent time with Jesus in a Catholic Church?

Syele, When I first was dragged to the Catholic Church, I asked the priest after Mass, where was fellowship, or Bible classes because I wanted to get to know the people. Now you need to understand that this is one of the busiest churches in Alexandria, VA. He looked at me strangely and said, Ugh, I don’t know. then he kind of left me standing there.

I have learned since then that it’s just not the same in the Catholic faith as it is in most Protestant denominations.

I will try to explain. you see, in the Baptist Churches I was involved in, there were “greeters” and “ushers” and “fellowship” and you were expected to talk to someone and the church expected to “share” and “give testimony time” or whatever. Really, it’s window dressing. It’s a way to make you “feel” good. A way to make you feel as though you belong and make you feel socialization.

when I started attending Catholic Church Masses, I realized that the RCC is not about making you “feel” anything. You can participate in anything the church offers there, but the onus is on you. If you want to be a part of the lady’s group, you may have to go find the ladies and make the group! If you want to learn more about the Bible, then you may have to offer your time to build a Bible Study or lead one! If you want to get to meet people, you may have to start talking to them! and I know this is hard, but it’s like living in a small town, they may need a litle time to “warm up to you” and get to know you, before they invite you into their homes, lives and families.

I found it very hard to “switch gears”. I truly understand now that it is not that there is a lack of fellowship, it’s just different. Like living in the country vs. living in the city.

Try to determine the kind of fellowship you want. What is it you want? Do you want to meet some other families (assuming you have a family) and have a get together? Are you looking for a young couples kind of thing? Do you just want someone to talk to about the Catholic Faith.

Truly the easiest way to get to know people is through the Religious Education, teaching, learning, or helping.

Once I started with RCIA, then it was like the masks of the anonymous faces fell off and
I started to get to know people and get involved.

Good luck and don’t be discouraged.

I don’t want people to make me “feel” anything. I want them to show God’s love towards others if they claim to be God’s one true Church. I disagree about the city vs country thing. God Does not show love by ignoring His peoples needs just cause its a different environment. That is just an excuse for bad behavior.

 

[inJESUS]

Can anyone imagine what would have done if Lord Jesus and the 11 apostles were criticized because of Judas’ actions?

 

[Syele]

Can anyone imagine what would have done if Lord Jesus and the 11 apostles were criticized because of Judas’ actions?

I’m not basing anything on the actions of those who left the Catholic Church or even the cafeteria Catholics.

What if the 11 stopped showing love for others cause they were busy “focusing on Jesus only”?

 

[distracted]

You cynic! Seriously though, God said to love our neighbors not to demand to be loved BY them. He knew they would fail us, yet said to love them anyhow.

I love people with all my heart…

from a distance…

What makes you think I haven’t spent time with Jesus in a Catholic Church?

i don’t know… i forgot all you said in your post… but something made me think that… So thankful i was wrong… (assuming i am??)

I don’t want people to make me “feel” anything. I want them to show God’s love towards others if they claim to be God’s one true Church. I disagree about the city vs country thing. God Does not show love by ignoring His peoples needs just cause its a different environment. That is just an excuse for bad behavior.

I am a cradle Catholic… and i don’t go to Mass to be greeted by anyone or for anyone to listen to my testimony or what have you. I don’t go there to socialize (only)…

But i totally - and i mean totally - agree with what you say here… couldn’t have said it better…

 

[inJESUS]

I’m not basing anything on the actions of those who left the Catholic Church or even the cafeteria Catholics.

i didn’t mean you

What if the 11 stopped showing love for others cause they were busy “focusing on Jesus only”?