Several questions from a new believer; help?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nyad33
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Nyad33

Guest
Okay, I am relatively a new believer but I am flooded with questions. Can anyone help? Please don’t take any questions offensively, they were not meant to at all. Is just what wonders around my mind. If possible, I’d greately appreciate Scriptures that back up the answers. Okay here we go…

Why does the Catholic church have to have a Pope? Isn’t Jesus our authority? How do we know that just because the Pope says that God has chosen him, is true? Didn’t Jesus warn us about people claiming to come from Him when they are not? Why do we have to see him as the representation of God in Earth? Doesn’t that contradict God saying not to worship false idols?

Why does the church have to have an ordered authority as the Vatican with a Pope, cardinals, etc? What do they do?

I have a little bit of problem trusting the Vatican as God’s authority. Aren’t we all equal in the eyes of the Lord? Then why does the Catholic church have someone to present themselves as greater than the rest of us, that we have to praise him and bow our heads to? And even more after all the scandals the Vatican has been involved in?

Also, is it bad for a Catholic to marry a Baptist?

Can you still go to Heaven even if you are not Catholic? Jesus taugh that whoever believes in Him and repents of their sins will go to Heaven no matter how much they have sinned, right? So technically, wouldn’t it be okay to not be Catholic as long as you repent from your sins and recognize Jesus as the Savior and son of God?

Is it bad to go to some other Church that is not Catholic, just to see how it is like?

Is there any proof that the Catholic church is the original church Jesus established? I have read in the Bible about Jesus talking about a church, but I haven’t seen anywhere that it is specifically the Catholic one.

What is the use of Consagration in church? I know it is to receive God, but after listening so many times to it I have stopped feeling God in it and just has became extremely repetitive. Help?

Why is the Virgin Mary so important to Catholics? I understand that she was the mother of Jesus, but it seems like she is almost as equal to Catholics as Jesus himself?

Is it really important to go to Confession? After all, isnt it really God who matters? As long as you confess to Him your sin, why should I need the confession to another human in order to obtain forgiveness? Mostly forgiveness from another sinner? I’m not saying they are bad because they have sinned at all, but isnt God the only one there to forgive my sins? Why should a human take responsability for something that it is the Lord’s business?

And okay, I just have to ask no matter how dumb it sounds. I have recently saw The DaVinci Code and as a relatively new believer I struggle with a thing stated in the movie. It said something about Mary Magdalene and Jesus having had a relationship? Has any of you seen the movie? Is it possible? Why or why not? I asked a religious friend and he said that after all it didn’t really matter if they were or not, because Jesus being the son of God would of married her before having any type of sexual relationship, so why would it be bad for Jesus to have a wife after all? Please help with this, it really troubles me for some reason.

If anyone answers, thank you so much! I know there are a lot of questions.
 
Too many questions in one post. Sorry. How about you break them up into separate threads (it’s okay to keep closely-related questions together)
 
Ask your priest my friend. He will be able to answer these at length and do them justice. Just reading a myriad of responses won’t substitute for listening to a priest explain it. The Holy Spirit will guide you to the Truth. Just be receptive to it 😉
 
Nyad33 said:
Okay, I am relatively a new believer but I am flooded with questions. Can anyone help? Please don’t take any questions offensively, they were not meant to at all. Is just what wonders around my mind. If possible, I’d greately appreciate Scriptures that back up the answers. Okay here we go…

Why does the Catholic church have to have a Pope? Isn’t Jesus our authority? How do we know that just because the Pope says that God has chosen him, is true? Didn’t Jesus warn us about people claiming to come from Him when they are not? Why do we have to see him as the representation of God in Earth? Doesn’t that contradict God saying not to worship false idols?

Why does the church have to have an ordered authority as the Vatican with a Pope, cardinals, etc? What do they do?

I have a little bit of problem trusting the Vatican as God’s authority. Aren’t we all equal in the eyes of the Lord? Then why does the Catholic church have someone to present themselves as greater than the rest of us, that we have to praise him and bow our heads to? And even more after all the scandals the Vatican has been involved in?

Also, is it bad for a Catholic to marry a Baptist?

Can you still go to Heaven even if you are not Catholic? Jesus taugh that whoever believes in Him and repents of their sins will go to Heaven no matter how much they have sinned, right? So technically, wouldn’t it be okay to not be Catholic as long as you repent from your sins and recognize Jesus as the Savior and son of God?

Is it bad to go to some other Church that is not Catholic, just to see how it is like?

Is there any proof that the Catholic church is the original church Jesus established? I have read in the Bible about Jesus talking about a church, but I haven’t seen anywhere that it is specifically the Catholic one.

What is the use of Consagration in church? I know it is to receive God, but after listening so many times to it I have stopped feeling God in it and just has became extremely repetitive. Help?

Why is the Virgin Mary so important to Catholics? I understand that she was the mother of Jesus, but it seems like she is almost as equal to Catholics as Jesus himself?

Is it really important to go to Confession? After all, isnt it really God who matters? As long as you confess to Him your sin, why should I need the confession to another human in order to obtain forgiveness? Mostly forgiveness from another sinner? I’m not saying they are bad because they have sinned at all, but isnt God the only one there to forgive my sins? Why should a human take responsability for something that it is the Lord’s business?

And okay, I just have to ask no matter how dumb it sounds. I have recently saw The DaVinci Code and as a relatively new believer I struggle with a thing stated in the movie. It said something about Mary Magdalene and Jesus having had a relationship? Has any of you seen the movie? Is it possible? Why or why not? I asked a religious friend and he said that after all it didn’t really matter if they were or not, because Jesus being the son of God would of married her before having any type of sexual relationship, so why would it be bad for Jesus to have a wife after all? Please help with this, it really troubles me for some reason.

If anyone answers, thank you so much! I know there are a lot of questions.
Click to expand...
You say you are a relatively new believer. What does that mean? Did you come into the Church last week and never go through RCIA?

Your questions do not sound as if they are coming from a Catholic.
 
Miriam, by relatively new I mean that I was raised in a family where we would (and still do) go to church in Sundays, but we barely discuss religion at my house. We have never read the Bible in group, infact really I am the only one that reads it at home. I’ve been baptized and received my first communion, but I just reached the age to go to confirmation. I always went to church and said I believed in God but it was more because it had always been like that rather than free choice. I wasn’t living according to what God tells us in the Bible. Not that long ago is when I made the true commitment to the Lord, and have been reading the Bible since then. Sorry if my questions were weird, I’m just full of them! Hope they didn’t offend anyone.

How can I talk to my priest about all my questions? I have never been brought to confession by my parents so now I am extremely intimidated. Closest I’ve been to a priest was shaking his hand at the end of the mass.
 
Nyad33 said:
Miriam, by relatively new I mean that I was raised in a family where we would (and still do) go to church in Sundays, but we barely discuss religion at my house. We have never read the Bible in group, infact really I am the only one that reads it at home. I’ve been baptized and received my first communion, but I just reached the age to go to confirmation. I always went to church and said I believed in God but it was more because it had always been like that rather than free choice. I wasn’t living according to what God tells us in the Bible. Not that long ago is when I made the true commitment to the Lord, and have been reading the Bible since then. Sorry if my questions were weird, I’m just full of them! Hope they didn’t offend anyone.

How can I talk to my priest about all my questions? I have never been brought to confession by my parents so now I am extremely intimidated. Closest I’ve been to a priest was shaking his hand at the end of the mass.
Click to expand...
Your questions have all been answered on the forum over the years. Take one question at a time and use the search function or post a new thread. I suggest you start with the Pope and Church authority because everything, including the Bible, flows from that.
 
Hi Miriam! I
Nyad33 said:
Why does the Catholic church have to have a Pope? Isn’t Jesus our authority? How do we know that just because the Pope says that God has chosen him, is true? Didn’t Jesus warn us about people claiming to come from Him when they are not? Why do we have to see him as the representation of God in Earth? Doesn’t that contradict God saying not to worship false idols?

Why does the church have to have an ordered authority as the Vatican with a Pope, cardinals, etc? What do they do?

I have a little bit of problem trusting the Vatican as God’s authority. Aren’t we all equal in the eyes of the Lord? Then why does the Catholic church have someone to present themselves as greater than the rest of us, that we have to praise him and bow our heads to? And even more after all the scandals the Vatican has been involved in?
Click to expand...
The word Catholic is derived from Greek (katholikos from katholou- meaning “on the whole” or universal). The Pope is the Vicar of Christ and is the leader of the Church. A Church that is meant to be universal and lasting for all time would reasonably need some form of authority to keep it together. The Pope is not an idol. Like Mary, the saints and unofficial saints, we look up to him as a model of holiness. Of course, not every Pope in history has necessarily been good or perfect but regardless of whether that’s the case or not, papal infalliability prevents him from officially issuing an incorrect statement on the doctrine of the Church. I do consider Pope Benedict XVI to be a genuinely holy man (as in my opinion, all the others of this century and the last). From what I understand, the cardinals also help run the Church as well and depending on their age, they’re the ones who are responsible for deciding who becomes the next Pope.

All people are regarded as equal in the eyes of the Lord. But each person is unique and has certain talents. We’re given different roles in life by God. For example, Thérèse of Lisieux was an ordinary young girl who managed to achieve holiness by doing the little, everyday things. Bl. John Paul II was charismatic and outgoing and he was instrumental in bringing down the communist rule of his home country Poland amongst a number of things. Pope John I, his precedessor, was known as the Smiling Pope and his spiritual legacy with his humility (his motto was Humilitas). Then, there’s our Holy Father who is not nearly as outgoing as Bl. John Paul II but he’s a great teacher and theologian.

The Pope is not greater than us. I praise him because I like him. I would kneel and kiss his ring because I recognize him as the Bishop of Rome. The Pope doesn’t actually demand this of people but most people who approach him do this anyways. And the Catholic Church is made of human beings that are striving for holiness, not perfect people. Despite the abuse cases, I believe that the Church is the one true Church (albeit not perfect but I don’t expect it to be) founded by Christ and I believe in the authority of the priests, the consecration of the Eucharist and real presence of Christ in the Body and Blood.

I agree with the other poster. I will try to answer your questions in this one thread since it might be easier for you to see all at once but these are a *lot *of questions. Others can explain this better than me. I’m surprised that these weren’t addressed in RCIA.

Don’t be shy. Talk to the priest.
 
Nyad33 said:
Is there any proof that the Catholic church is the original church Jesus established? I have read in the Bible about Jesus talking about a church, but I haven’t seen anywhere that it is specifically the Catholic one.

What is the use of Consagration in church? I know it is to receive God, but after listening so many times to it I have stopped feeling God in it and just has became extremely repetitive. Help?

Why is the Virgin Mary so important to Catholics? I understand that she was the mother of Jesus, but it seems like she is almost as equal to Catholics as Jesus himself?

Is it really important to go to Confession? After all, isnt it really God who matters? As long as you confess to Him your sin, why should I need the confession to another human in order to obtain forgiveness? Mostly forgiveness from another sinner? I’m not saying they are bad because they have sinned at all, but isnt God the only one there to forgive my sins? Why should a human take responsability for something that it is the Lord’s business?
Click to expand...
I would advise you to search the answer to the first one on CAF. Others can explain it better than me.

As for the Consecration… Well, hey, I don’t feel very emotional when I’m a couple feet away from the Eucharist. But I’m still in awe and I do believe in the presence of Christ in the bread and the wine. Faith in God or rather, Love for God isn’t based on emotions. Emotions do go a long way but Love is more than just feelings but a lot of it has to do choice or the will. If you’ve stopped feeling God’s presence, it doesn’t mean that He’s not there. I think you shall have to consult with your priest and other CAFers but my advice is to keep praying. Don’t rely on feelings because they’re undependable. Keep on praying and learning more about the Faith.

The Virgin Mary is a unique lady. She’s not equal to Jesus but by the virtue of her birth and the life she lived, she is ranked higher than the angels and the saints (I’m pretty sure about the last one). A lot of people I know feel like they can relate to her in some way or another (not the virtue of her birth, of course) and she is the perfect mother.

By loving her and other people as well, we also learn to deepen our love for God.

Confessing to another person is different from just confessing privately to God yourself. Sin is a grave issue. We shouldn’t take it lightly.

The priest is essentially an instrument of God. Christ gave the priest the authority and power to forgive sins. He* is* the one who’s forgiving your sins. Also, since we don’t receive public revelations from God anymore, having a priest gives us an assurance that our sins are forgiven.

Why should a person take responsibility for God’s business? Well, He is the one who calls on people to carry out his Will. Whether they choose to obey or not is a different matter. If we love Him, we should live our lives in the way that God intended. And in my opinion, it’s the least we can do considering that God came down as Man and Christ died on the Cross for all our sins.

That’s all I can handle. I don’t think I did a particularly good job but … 🤷
Gotta get back to work! I have some philosophy reading to do. .:eek:

Keep on reading and learning more about the Faith.
 
Nyad33 said:
Why is the Virgin Mary so important to Catholics? I understand that she was the mother of Jesus, but it seems like she is almost as equal to Catholics as Jesus himself?
Click to expand...
Mary is a Queen.

In the Old Testament, the Mother of the King was always the Queen. Jesus is the King of kings and his mother is his Queen. She is even in Revelation 12 wearing a crown.

We bow our knee to the King and his Queen.

-Tim-
 
Nyad33 said:
Miriam, by relatively new I mean that I was raised in a family where we would (and still do) go to church in Sundays, but we barely discuss religion at my house. We have never read the Bible in group, infact really I am the only one that reads it at home. I’ve been baptized and received my first communion, but I just reached the age to go to confirmation. I always went to church and said I believed in God but it was more because it had always been like that rather than free choice. I wasn’t living according to what God tells us in the Bible. Not that long ago is when I made the true commitment to the Lord, and have been reading the Bible since then. Sorry if my questions were weird, I’m just full of them! Hope they didn’t offend anyone.

How can I talk to my priest about all my questions? I have never been brought to confession by my parents so now I am extremely intimidated. Closest I’ve been to a priest was shaking his hand at the end of the mass.
Click to expand...
Are you in Confirmation classes right now? You could bring your questions to the leader/instructor and hopefully they will be able to address them there. If not, you might join the RCIA classes. (RCIA = Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) Even though RCIA is usually for non-Catholics who are discerning entry into the Church, cradle Catholics like yourself can still learn a lot by attending it.

RCIA and Confirmation classes will start up in the fall, so feel free to bring your more pressing questions here in the meantime (one at a time, please ;)).

Also, it is not necessary to go to Confession to talk to a priest. You can make an appointment and discuss your questions at his office.
 
Nyad i’ll like to answer all your question but to try do all at a time would be a futile effort, please do you mind bringing one first before moving to the next.
Let me add that it wont really be new because most of these topics have already been discussed here on CAF, the search engine will help.
Ubenedictus
 
Nyad33 said:
…

If anyone answers, thank you so much! I know there are a lot of questions.
Click to expand...
One of the beautiful graces of becoming a Catholic is opening ones eyes to 2,000 years of thought and beauty.

I became a Catholic twenty years ago and I realize that it will take my life time to even scratch the surface of the teachings of Christ. Christ willing, I will continue my exploration of His love for all of eternity.

As for practical advice for the first tiny step. The Catechism of the Catholic Church would be a great beginning.

P.S.

You will find libraries filled with books on any one of your questions. They can not all be answered at once. Each question envolves a journey of faith. You will not find an easy answer for any one your questions.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top