Questioning My Religion Lately

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In every Orthodox Church there is an angel today defending it. If not believe just ask people doing magic, spiritism and such to enter Orthodox Church and you’ll see they would not be able to or they’ll get nausea, vomiting , headaches and such being tormented by devil that cannot stand it. This does not mean these people should stop trying. No, they should fight it and enter it and pray soi they will be allowed to enter and that devil stopping them will be defended.
This is not limited to Orthodox Churches. Every church has an angle, every nation has one…
 
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England, founded by Samuel Senbury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1606.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed Church, you recognize Michelis Jones as founder because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was founded by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, New York, in 1829.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.

If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as “Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal Gospel,” “Holiness Church,” or “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past hundred years.

If you are ORTHODOX Christian, your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It has not changed since that time. Our church is now almost 2,000 years old. And it is for this reason, that Orthodoxy, the Church of the Apostles and the Fathers is considered the true “one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” This is the greatest legacy that we can pass on to the young people of the new millennium."
 
In every Orthodox Church there is an angel today defending it. If not believe just ask people doing magic, spiritism and such to enter Orthodox Church and you’ll see they would not be able to or they’ll get nausea, vomiting , headaches and such being tormented by devil that cannot stand it. This does not mean these people should stop trying. No, they should fight it and enter it and pray soi they will be allowed to enter and that devil stopping them will be defended.
Interesting. Would you consider reiki to be magic or spiritualism?
 
Yes.
Magic, Spiritism, Budhism, rei ki, tai ki, yoga, hinduism, astrology and such.
MAny people don’t know that mantrik I think in indian means magician and mantra may mean spells, so people doing mantra may do spells on themself, becoming unclean and the devil may get a place on them.
 
Yes.
Magic, Spiritism, Budhism, rei ki, tai ki, yoga, hinduism, astrology and such.
MAny people don’t know that mantrik I think in indian means magician and mantra may mean spells, so people doing mantra may do spells on themself, becoming unclean and the devil may get a place on them.
Interesting. Because I know a reiki practitioner who is Eastern Orthodox and doesn’t seem to have the issues you describe. Also, I know several reiki practitioners who are Roman Catholic who don’t experience the symptoms described when entering a church.

Maybe reiki isn’t so bad after all. 😉
 
Finally Mary, you do have our prayers but you have to do something also, you must pray with us. So you have asked us to pray for you just like we ask Mary in heaven to pray for us. God hears the prayers of the Saints Mary because they are close to him but you don’t have to ask the Saints to pray for you and we will do our best even so. You need to do one more thing, study up on Catholic teachings.
The Church teaches that Mary and the Saints are not divine. But there is nothing wrong with asking someone to pray to God FOR you. It was done many times in the bible.
I’ve taken your advice and have been doing more studying. I found a list of prayers on ewtn. This is what I have issue with, here is that last half of the prayer to St. Joseph:

Therefore I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy
client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction,
to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus,
and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen

This is not asking to pray FOR me. It is asking for St. Joseph to do the job of the Holy Spirit. Comfort me, protect me, defend me.
 
I’ve taken your advice and have been doing more studying. I found a list of prayers on ewtn. This is what I have issue with, here is that last half of the prayer to St. Joseph:

Therefore I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy
client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction,
to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus,
and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen

This is not asking to pray FOR me. It is asking for St. Joseph to do the job of the Holy Spirit. Comfort me, protect me, defend me.
Is it stated explicitly? No, but that is exactly what you’re doing. That that is exactly how Joseph will respond.
 
I’ve taken your advice and have been doing more studying. I found a list of prayers on ewtn. This is what I have issue with, here is that last half of the prayer to St. Joseph:

Therefore I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy
client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction,
to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus,
and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen

This is not asking to pray FOR me. It is asking for St. Joseph to do the job of the Holy Spirit. Comfort me, protect me, defend me.
I quite understand , that why I model my spiritual walk as according the the scriptures…I see Jesus praying right to the Father…There were plenty that died during the apostles time and I don’t see examples of them asking Stephen to pray for them after he was martyred…The veil was torn given access to the Lord without a priest needed…Jesus indeed became out high priest…
 
Is it stated explicitly? No, but that is exactly what you’re doing. That that is exactly how Joseph will respond.
Is what stated explicitly? The prayer states :defend me, protect me, instruct me, comfort me.

Or the role of the Holy Spirit- which is all over scripture?

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
 
An that is exactly why when we open our heart to Christ that the Holy Spirit seals us and inhabits this earthly temple…Why we hide His word in our hearts to keep us from sin…It is why the Holy Spirit uses that word to convict us when we sin and lead us to repentance…And when we do He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us…
 
Is what stated explicitly? The prayer states :defend me, protect me, instruct me, comfort me.

Or the role of the Holy Spirit- which is all over scripture?

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
That Joshep will pray to God, so that the spirit will be sent to you for this purpose.
 
I am posting this here instead of Catholic living because I think I am looking for advise from Christians in general- not just Catholics. I am a Catholic convert- I converted in 2007. Here lately, I have been having some doubts about my religion and I am not quite sure how to reconcile them.

The issues that I have are with the Hail Mary. I am hesitant to put that out there because I love Mary very, very much and I believe in her intercession. But the prayer seems like I am praying TO her as well as asking her to pray for me. I know the scripture that the prayer comes from, but it still feels like a form of worship to me. I don’t pray the whole thing- but will say “Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”

I also have issues with calling priests Father and the pope Holy Father. Jesus instructed the apostles that they had only one spiritual father- the heavenly father. Why doesn’t this stand for all believers?

Reconcilliation is also kind of an issue for me. I say kind of an issue because I don’t mind going personally. What I don’t understand is why we need a conduit between us and God. Why can’t we pray directly to God ourselves- why do we need to have a priest absolve us?

I believe in the concept of mortal sin- but I don’t believe that a loving, just God would damn a person to hell because they missed a Sunday Mass. I am just not buying that. Didn’t Jesus fullfill the OT laws with his final sacrifice?

There are some things that I am still secure in- that the Catholic church is the church started by Jesus.
I believe in the communion of saints (just not praying TO saints to ask for anything other than intercession- like Mother Mary pray for me and my daughter.) Not asking for anything that would imply that Mary or the saints are divine.
I believe in the Eucharist.

I don’t know- I am not ready to leave the church or anything like that. But I really have no one to talk to about these things because it would devastate my husband and confuse my teen. Also- we are military and don’t have a regular priest since ours is deployed. It is a small congregation and we have only been going a few months. I don’t feel comfortable talking to the deacon about these things.

I am kind of at a loss and any prayers would be appreciated.
Hi MaryCatherine08,

God bless your heart! You are experiencing the refining grace of God which strengthens!

It is hard, but it is part of carrying the cross each day. Continue to pray, perhaps spend some time with the Blessed Sacrament in quiet and sit and listen and allow Jesus to speak to you!

As for not praying the first part of The Hail Mary…oh please do not give that up. You are not worshipping her…you are fulfilling a prophecy she made in Luke 1: take note specifically of verse 48. It is not worhsip, it is gratitude and our opportunity to fulfill Biblical prophecy!!

**:41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
42
cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
45
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
46
And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
47
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
48
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

49
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
51
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
52
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
53
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
54
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
55
according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." **

The saints are there to pray for us most certainly. And as members of The Body of Christ…The Church…they work with us in whatever way they can just as we work with each other in whatever ways we can to carry out the mission of The Church until Jesus returns. I don’t know what or how they do what they do, but we are all one in Christ through the Holy Spirit…know that they, through the Spirit, are one in communion with us and God. Don’t worry trying to figure out how it all works, just rejoice and be glad that we are in the communion of the saints and communion with the saints!

May God continue to bless you during this special time as you grow closer to Him in trust!

God bless all!!!
 
The Holy Spirit was already was sent and resides in those who believe…Jesus said it…👍
True, you have some of the Spirit in you. But that doesn’t mean the spirit is going to just automatically do things you don’t ask of it. Or perferably since “For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.”, ask a Saint to pray for you continualisly 🙂
 
True, you have some of the Spirit in you. But that doesn’t mean the spirit is going to just automatically do things you don’t ask of it. Or perferably since “For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.”, ask a Saint to pray for you continualisly 🙂
You don’t think God has any “just” or godly people living on earth…Didn’t Paul in his letters ask the believers who would hear them to pray for him…I’ve had some unbelievable prayers
prayers answered by going right to the Lord…The veil was torn in two allowing us direct access to our High priest…It’s the Lord who answer the prayer according to His will…
Do you think a saint whose spirit is with the Lord could somehow change what God has willed in His answer to us…
 
Hi MaryCatherine08,

What were you before converting to Catholicism? Were your husband and child already Catholic or were they also converts?

Why did you convert to Catholicism?

It sounds as if the RCIA program that you went through did not do a good job of answering these questions for you.

God bless,

Jean
 
I understand the rosary- and have no problems with asking Mary to pray for me. I love her very much. I feel a special connection to her and I am thankful for it. I credit her intercession to saving my unborn child. The problem that I have (and I am acknowleding that this is my problem- I can’t speak for other Catholics) is that is FEELS in my heart like I am addressing Mary like she is a diety.
Be careful that your FEELINGS do not lead you astray. The devil will play havoc with your feeling if you allow it. Feelings are very open to the suggestions of the devil. I have been there an done that. Rely on your Faith, not your feelings.
 
You don’t think God has any “just” or godly people living on earth…Didn’t Paul in his letters ask the believers who would hear them to pray for him…I’ve had some unbelievable prayers
prayers answered by going right to the Lord…The veil was torn in two allowing us direct access to our High priest…It’s the Lord who answer the prayer according to His will…
Do you think a saint whose spirit is with the Lord could somehow change what God has willed in His answer to us…
We are on earth, we are not yet justified. We are subject to temptation and sin, so it is better to have those who have been justified in the eyes of the lord and are now in heaven praying for you unceasingly (which they will in ways we can not) than having any of us pray for you.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t ask your friends and relatives to pray for you. Or that God won’t answer those prayers. But it is to say, it is better to include the justified saints (i.e. definition of saint is “someone in heaven”) praying for you as well.
 
We are on earth, we are not yet justified. We are subject to temptation and sin, so it is better to have those who have been justified in the eyes of the lord and are now in heaven praying for you unceasingly (which they will in ways we can not) than having any of us pray for you.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t ask your friends and relatives to pray for you. Or that God won’t answer those prayers. But it is to say, it is better to include the justified saints (i.e. definition of saint is “someone in heaven”) praying for you as well.
We are justified by faith (Rom. 3)…So you think a saint who’s spirit is with the Lord has some kid of “pull” over your own prayer in affecting God’s will ?
 
I understand the rosary- and have no problems with asking Mary to pray for me. I love her very much. I feel a special connection to her and I am thankful for it. I credit her intercession to saving my unborn child. The problem that I have (and I am acknowleding that this is my problem- I can’t speak for other Catholics) is that is FEELS in my heart like I am addressing Mary like she is a diety.
hold Holy Mother close to your heart. she is your Mother given by her Son. if Mother is in Heaven, why would God be mad at you for loving her that much? i have no doubt that if you love His Mother you are loving the Son even more and the Son is loving you even more. dont be afraid, you are not worshipping Mary, this is impossible for you to do. our Lord would not allow your heart to worship any of His creation who dwells in Heaven with Him.
 
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