Questions For Catholics

[Delphinus85]

I’ll just respond to one. Not all catholics are ignorant on scripture. I went to a bible college and I am catholic. I can hold my own in a conversation using scripture.

 

[Subrosa]

Do you mean death as in the body death or the souls death?

I think it can mean both. doing drugs could send you to hell if you die from them.Its your god, right.(idolatry) Even if I don’t die in the body, and you live in your sin and die say, in a car crash, you would still go to hell. so what sin does not lead to death?

Can’ t all sins lead to death? smoking,gambling,drugs(alcohol) pornography,homosexuality, abortion.the seven deadly sins. all sins leads to death? What sins don’t? All sins offend God right God hates all sin. Can you list some for me that don’t. Thank you.

The souls death.

Pornography is different than rape. Rape is different than abortion. Abortion and murder are the same.

Generally, the Ten Commandments are a good guide to which sins are deadly.

Still, it is God’s choice which sins He forgives or not.

Something you said just raised a couple questions in my mind. You said, “All sins offend God right God hates all sin.”

If God hates all sin, are you saying that He will or will not forgive all sin?

If He will not forgive all sin, then what is the point of all this christianity stuff? Any sin will send us to the abyss.

If He forgives all sin, then what is the point of all this christianity stuff? No sin will send us to the abyss.

Sins must be treated differently by Him, or there simply is no point to all this.

Do you believe that a person must avoid sin in order to be acceptable to God? Does this equate to “works salvation”? Isn’t that against Baptist doctrine? Or is it OK to sin?

I am truly confused by the discussion.

Subrosa

 

[Gardening_Mommy]

Some of this is the usual Catholic/Protestant vocabulary disconnect. Catholics do many things to win people to Christ, but we don’t tend to keep tallies. That whole “One plants, another waters, and yet another will see the harvest” thing.

As for Bible study, our parish (and many others in the diocese) has an organization of Small Faith Communities that do Bible study. Plus, I find that with all of the Scripture we get in mass, if you listen to the readings and then listen to the sermon (which is usually about the readings), you get a good familiarity with the overall picture, along with some guidance on interpretation.

The Catholic wariness about Bible study stems from St. Peter’s advice: “In them [Paul’s letters] are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures.” 2 Peter 3:15 (ok, I had to cheat and look that one up to get the whole thing.) Just look at how the Mormons got started…

And, since Catholics PUT the chapters and verses into the Bible, I like to say I quote it like St. Paul: I assume you know where it is, so I don’t need to tell you. Sometimes, chapter-and-verse quoting Protestants can misunderstand that as biblical illiteracy.

 

[truthnlight]

The souls death.

Pornography is different than rape. Rape is different than abortion. Abortion and murder are the same.

Generally, the Ten Commandments are a good guide to which sins are deadly.

Still, it is God’s choice which sins He forgives or not.

Something you said just raised a couple questions in my mind. You said, “All sins offend God right God hates all sin.”

If God hates all sin, are you saying that He will or will not forgive all sin?

If He will not forgive all sin, then what is the point of all this christianity stuff? Any sin will send us to the abyss.

If He forgives all sin, then what is the point of all this christianity stuff? No sin will send us to the abyss.

Sins must be treated differently by Him, or there simply is no point to all this.

Do you believe that a person must avoid sin in order to be acceptable to God? Does this equate to “works salvation”? Isn’t that against Baptist doctrine? Or is it OK to sin?

I am truly confused by the discussion.

Subrosa

Jesus said
Mat.5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

So a sin from the heart can be a motal sin.

 

[LilyM]

Jesus said
Mat.5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

So a sin from the heart can be a motal sin.

See what he says about prison though - that you pay the penalty AND THEN COME OUT! Does that sound like inevitable eternal damnation to you? Sounds more like our idea of Purgatory, where we pay SOME penalty short of damnation for minor sins.

And contrary to what you say, it’s just not sensible to believe that stealing 20 cents from your mother’s purse is the same as robbing a bank of 20 million, not to us and not to God. Not that both aren’t sins offensive to God or not deserving of punishment, but not both deserving of eternal damnation.

 

[Pax_et_Caritas]

Jesus said
Mat.5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

So a sin from the heart can be a motal sin.

Yes, a sin from the heart can certainly be mortal.

 

[Subrosa]

So a sin from the heart can be a motal sin.

Hi there TnL -

I understand what the bible says. The issue is the interpretation of what it says.

For instance, we Catholics believe in the purgation of sin in the interim between physical death and entry into heaven.

But this is not a part of your biblical doctrine.

I look at the passages and apply the light of Jesus’ words in **Mark 3:**28 - Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them.

In the above passage Jesus say all sin will be forgiven. This, I understand will be applicable in Purgatory.

I agree that all sin is potentially deadly. But I also understand that God weighs our repentance aganst the sin to determine the final outcome. This is called judgement.

So, now that I have given you my perspective, could you enlighten me with your own understanding of the bible passages you cite?

Subrosa

 

[Randy_Carson]

1 Why don’t Catholics soulwin ?

Today, there are 1 Billion Catholics. How did that happen?

2 Why don’t they have Bibles in the the church for the members to read at the mass?

At every mass, there are three passages from the Bible as well as one responsorial psalm which are read from the “pulpit”. Since not everyone can read (we’re talking worldwide here), putting Bibles in the pews would be a) pointless and b) unnecessary.

3 When I talk to Catholics they dont know the bible all that well? Is this important for a Catholic to study?

Some will and some won’t. I often find in talking with non-Catholics that they know some verses (John 3:16, for example), but they don’t really care to talk about Mt 16:18, Luke 10:16 or James 2:24. More troubling is that they feel they can interpret the Bible for themselves, so although they know what it says, they do not know what it means.

4 If a Catholic sins before he or she tells the priest in confession and they die will the still go to heaven?

Are you referring to a venial sin or a mortal sin?

Hope this helps. :tiphat:

 

[truthnlight]

Hi there TnL -

I understand what the bible says. The issue is the interpretation of what it says.

For instance, we Catholics believe in the purgation of sin in the interim between physical death and entry into heaven.

But this is not a part of your biblical doctrine.

I look at the passages and apply the light of Jesus’ words in **Mark 3:**28 - Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them.

In the above passage Jesus say all sin will be forgiven. This, I understand will be applicable in Purgatory.

I agree that all sin is potentially deadly. But I also understand that God weighs our repentance aganst the sin to determine the final outcome. This is called judgement.

So, now that I have given you my perspective, could you enlighten me with your own understanding of the bible passages you cite?

Subrosa

Hi I am not sure what passage you are talking about?

 

[truthnlight]

My faith is that all sin is the same in Gods eyes.

I belive that all sin is a trap so we lose fellowship with God.

Sin will take you further then you want to go! Keep you longer then you want to stay! And cost you more then you want to pay!

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a SOUND MIND.” (II Timothy 1:7).

1 John 3:2. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

1. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
2. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
3. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”
4. “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”
5. “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”
6. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
7. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
8. “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
9. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” John 3:7,8

:bible1:

 

[Subrosa]

Hi I am not sure what passage you are talking about?

Hi TnL -

There are several biblical passages that can refer to my comments. Which sentence of my post are you refering to? I can then point out the particular passage(s).

Your position that all sin is the same in the eyes of God is true. All sin is objectional to the Allmighty.

One of the passages you posted points out a very Catholic belief - 1 John 3:3

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Catholics must live a life that is purifying in its character. (Many do not, as is true with other christian faiths).

I, myself pray daily and read scripture daily.

I attend mass nearly daily in order to receive Holy Communion. This, I truly believe, results in special grace from God. I understand John 6:54-56 in starkly literal terms.

*54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. *

*55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. *56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession to a priest) at least once a year. In our faith this Sacrament is needed for only the most serious sin.

Minor sins are forgiven at mass. We confess openly at mass with special prayer.

In our religion, the more we address our sins and openly confess them, the more grace God bestows upon us.

Please try to understand something - the Catholic Church is a living entity. It is Christ in the mystical body. The Holy Spirit works through the Church. This is evidenced in Acts 15:28 when after a meeting of the Church, a letter was sent to Antioch. The letter states “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;”

We believe that this remains true because Christ Himself said so in John 14:26. *“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (*All quotes KJV)

To a true Catholic believer the Church is the device with which the Holy Spirit ministers to His flock.

Of course, this is beyond the scope of your faith and you must deny what I have just said. But there are many, many converts to Catholicism that come to the Church because they understand what I have said to be the Truth.

Subrosa

 

[truthnlight]

Hi TnL -

There are several biblical passages that can refer to my comments. Which sentence of my post are you refering to? I can then point out the particular passage(s).

Your position that all sin is the same in the eyes of God is true. All sin is objectional to the Allmighty.

One of the passages you posted points out a very Catholic belief - 1 John 3:3

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Catholics must live a life that is purifying in its character. (Many do not, as is true with other christian faiths).

I, myself pray daily and read scripture daily.

I attend mass nearly daily in order to receive Holy Communion. This, I truly believe, results in special grace from God. I understand John 6:54-56 in starkly literal terms.

*54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. *

*55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. *56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession to a priest) at least once a year. In our faith this Sacrament is needed for only the most serious sin.

Minor sins are forgiven at mass. We confess openly at mass with special prayer.

In our religion, the more we address our sins and openly confess them, the more grace God bestows upon us.

Please try to understand something - the Catholic Church is a living entity. It is Christ in the mystical body. The Holy Spirit works through the Church. This is evidenced in Acts 15:28 when after a meeting of the Church, a letter was sent to Antioch. The letter states “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;”

We believe that this remains true because Christ Himself said so in John 14:26. *“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (*All quotes KJV)

To a true Catholic believer the Church is the device with which the Holy Spirit ministers to His flock.

Of course, this is beyond the scope of your faith and you must deny what I have just said. But there are many, many converts to Catholicism that come to the Church because they understand what I have said to be the Truth.

Subrosa

I understand you. Your faith is that the church is alive, and my faith is the bible is alive right?

 

[truthnlight]

Hi TnL -

There are several biblical passages that can refer to my comments. Which sentence of my post are you refering to? I can then point out the particular passage(s).

Your position that all sin is the same in the eyes of God is true. All sin is objectional to the Allmighty.

One of the passages you posted points out a very Catholic belief - 1 John 3:3

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Catholics must live a life that is purifying in its character. (Many do not, as is true with other christian faiths).

I, myself pray daily and read scripture daily.

I attend mass nearly daily in order to receive Holy Communion. This, I truly believe, results in special grace from God. I understand John 6:54-56 in starkly literal terms.

*54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. *

*55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. *56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession to a priest) at least once a year. In our faith this Sacrament is needed for only the most serious sin.

Minor sins are forgiven at mass. We confess openly at mass with special prayer.

In our religion, the more we address our sins and openly confess them, the more grace God bestows upon us.

Please try to understand something - the Catholic Church is a living entity. It is Christ in the mystical body. The Holy Spirit works through the Church. This is evidenced in Acts 15:28 when after a meeting of the Church, a letter was sent to Antioch. The letter states “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;”

We believe that this remains true because Christ Himself said so in John 14:26. *“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (*All quotes KJV)

To a true Catholic believer the Church is the device with which the Holy Spirit ministers to His flock.

Of course, this is beyond the scope of your faith and you must deny what I have just said. But there are many, many converts to Catholicism that come to the Church because they understand what I have said to be the Truth.

Subrosa

I know the Holy Spirit is in me and that it hungers for food.( The word of God and righteousness) So when I sin I lose that fellowship with God, and damage the body spirit.

Ephesians006:013 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
006:014 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
006:015 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
006:016 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
006:017 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: <------------- I love this :knight2:

 

[truthnlight]

Hi TnL -

There are several biblical passages that can refer to my comments. Which sentence of my post are you refering to? I can then point out the particular passage(s).

Your position that all sin is the same in the eyes of God is true. All sin is objectional to the Allmighty.

One of the passages you posted points out a very Catholic belief - 1 John 3:3

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Catholics must live a life that is purifying in its character. (Many do not, as is true with other christian faiths).

I, myself pray daily and read scripture daily.

I attend mass nearly daily in order to receive Holy Communion. This, I truly believe, results in special grace from God. I understand John 6:54-56 in starkly literal terms.

*54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. *

*55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. *56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession to a priest) at least once a year. In our faith this Sacrament is needed for only the most serious sin.

Minor sins are forgiven at mass. We confess openly at mass with special prayer.

In our religion, the more we address our sins and openly confess them, the more grace God bestows upon us.

Please try to understand something - the Catholic Church is a living entity. It is Christ in the mystical body. The Holy Spirit works through the Church. This is evidenced in Acts 15:28 when after a meeting of the Church, a letter was sent to Antioch. The letter states “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;”

We believe that this remains true because Christ Himself said so in John 14:26. *“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (*All quotes KJV)

To a true Catholic believer the Church is the device with which the Holy Spirit ministers to His flock.

Of course, this is beyond the scope of your faith and you must deny what I have just said. But there are many, many converts to Catholicism that come to the Church because they understand what I have said to be the Truth.

Subrosa

I got to go to bed good night. Grace be with you that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

 

[jmcrae]

1 Why don’t Catholics soulwin ?

We have the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and we have the Legion of Mary, both of which are very active in evangelization.

Because of the fact that it is not possible to become a Catholic instantaneously, we don’t hand out tracts for people to read and sign - rather, evangelism takes place over a long period of time, so that the person has time to really learn and consider what they are doing.

2 Why don’t they have Bibles in the the church for the members to read at the mass?

Because the Mass is a time of worship; not a time for Bible study. We have Bible studies at other times during the week, and there are Bibles available for borrowing in the classrooms.

3 When I talk to Catholics they dont know the bible all that well ? Is this important for a Catholic to study?

Catholics are supposed to study the Bible, and it is recommended that we should hear the readings at daily Mass, and also read it at home for one half hour each day. Just like Protestants, not every Catholic does all of the recommended reading, though.

One thing you’ll notice is that, because of the fact that they read the Bible in whole sections rather than one verse at a time, it’s harder for Catholics to remember exact verse numbers. However, they do know the stories of the Bible quite well, and if you talk about the story of Nicodemus, they’ll know what you’re talking about, but if you just say, “John 3:16” they might not know what that refers to. But those who do their daily Bible reading do know the story of Nicodemus quite well, even though they can’t remember the exact verse numbers of the story.

4 If a Catholic sins before he or she tells the priest in confession and they die will the still go to heaven?

Depends on the sin. If they knowingly and purposely rejected God’s will for their lives, then no. But, at the same time, no one can go to Hell by accident - if they commit that bad of a sin and then die before they can go to Confession, then, if they would have made a good Confession, then they will probably also make a Perfect Act of Contrition before they die. Also, if they were in the habit of going to Confession regularly, then they probably have already been cured of their worst habits, and probably they would not commit such a serious sin, anyway, if we’re talking about people in real life.

 

[RobNY]

My faith is that all sin is the same in Gods eyes.

I belive that all sin is a trap so we lose fellowship with God.

Sin will take you further then you want to go! Keep you longer then you want to stay! And cost you more then you want to pay!

Sin certainly is dangerous. But I beg you to pay heed to the words of Scripture. As St. John says (1 Jn 5:16-17),

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray.
17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

As you can see truthnlight, all sin is not the same in God’s eye. In the testimony of His own Scripture there are two types of sin: 1) sin which is not deadly and 2) sin which is deadly. These correspond exactly to the way the Catholic Church accounts sin-- mortal means deadly. Hence, “mortal sin” is, “deadly sin.” Please reassess your faith that all sin is the same in God’s eyes based on God’s scripture.

Yet, there is truth in sin being a, “trap” as you say. That is why St. John advocates that we pray for our brother who committing a sin which is not deadly. This is because while his sin has not killed the life of grace in his soul, it does threaten him. It is like a, “trap” which could lead him into sin which is deadly. And so we pray for our brother who sins.

-Rob

 

[Subrosa]

I understand you. Your faith is that the church is alive, and my faith is the bible is alive right?

Close - to a very accurate degree. We both agree that the bible is a living document.

The Catholic Church has maintained throughout it’s history that the bible is the living Word of God, just as you maintain it is.

However, one significant difference lies in this - the bible makes up only a part of the Tradition of the Church. It has, of course, the greatest authority, but not above that of Tradition. In fact it is equal to Tradition in that Jesus commanded (spoke) Tradition. Jesus own words are the Word of God because Jesus IS God.

The bible does not contain all of what Jesus said and did, this according to the Gospel of John (John 20:30, 21:24). These things not fully recorded in the bible are the Traditions of the Church.

In fact, though, some are recorded. For instance, let ushave a look a two Sacraments:

1. Confirmation. I assume that your church does not practice this Tradition. First let me explain it to you. Confirmation most closely resembles the Pentacostal event of the Holy Spirit falling upon the people in the upper chamber, spreading into tongues of fire and then falling upon the people. (Acts 2:1-13) As you remember, Christ promised the Spirit to the Apostles before He Ascended. (Christ began the Tradition)

The Apostles began to copy this event by both baptising and then passing on the Spirit through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17 - Acts 19:1-7) Not recorded in the bible is the fact that the Apostles also used holy chrism during this Tradition.

We in the Catholic Church have never ended this Apostolic Tradition. Every true Catholic, in fact every member of any Apostolic Church, practices some form of this Tradition. The Orthodox call it Chrismation because of the holy chrism.

1. Holy Unction, or Blessing of the Sick. I assume again that your church does not practice this Tradition. Christ instructed His Apostles to go forth and heal the sick. He gave them authority over evil spirits. They did so by using holy chrism and the Laying on of Hands. (Mark 6:6b-:13) This Tradition has been carried on by the Church ever since. (James 5:13-15)

So you see that Traditions were in fact begun by Christ Himself and do not equate to “human traditions”.

All other traditions spring forth from these and therefore cannot be called “traditions of men” in all truth.

It is the Church that carries out these Traditions and this is why we understand it is the living Christ here on earth.

Sub

 

[Ignatius]

1 Why don’t Catholics soulwin ?

There are about 100 million new souls entering the Catholic Church every year. We don’t press for conversion, however. Our job is to be sowers, it is up to the Holy Spirit to covert hearts.

2 Why don’t they have Bibles in the the church for the members to read at the mass?

The Church does. The Bible is like the Nelsons Daily Devitional Bible that I used when I was Protestant. It contains the Gospel, Epistles, Psalms and other scriptures for the day. The Mass is actually about 80% right out of the Bible.
Now one for you. Why do you ask this when Protestant Churches don’t do it. Why didn’t Calvary Chapel, or my evangelical Church or the Church of God, or my Full Gospel Chruch do that when I attended them when I was Protestant?

3 When I talk to Catholics they dont know the bible all that well ? Is this important for a Catholic to study?

As I mentioned above, the Mass has far more Scripture in it than the Protestant services. The Church teaches that “to be ignorant of Scripture is to be ignorant of Christ” and encourages the Faithful to read and meditate on the Scripture daily. I read the Bible far more now than I did when I was Protestant.

4 If a Catholic sins before he or she tells the priest in confession and they die will the still go to heaven?

??? This question makes no sense! Whaat would they be repenting if they hadn’t sinned?

May the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always.

Your brother in Christ.

 

[kleary]

Can’ t all sins lead to death? …smoking,gambling,drugs(alcohol)

Jesus drank alcoholic wine, particularly at the last supper- drinking in moderation is not sinful.

I am a dealer at a casino in Atlantic City- this is my life- I book wagers for hundereds of people per day. This keeps my family fed. Gambling is not sinful when done in moderation.

I have also smoked a few cigars in my life. Got a chest x-ray the other day and all is well- I quite smoking alltogether a few years ago though…but smoking in itself, in moderation (one cigar ain’t gonna harm you) is not sinful.

Ken