Should I believe everything the CC teaches?

[Della]

The line “Born of the virgin Mary” does not tell you that she was EVER virgin. Protestants believe that Mary was virgin when Christ was born, but that she also bore other children.

But yes, you are obligated to believe what the Church teaches as dogma.

Oh but it does tell us that. Just because Protestants don’t want to read it that way doesn’t negate the fact that the Creed was written with the understanding that Mary was ever-virgin. If the writers of the Creed had intended to say it another way, they could have stated it, “of Mary, a virgin when Christ was born,” but no, Mary is entitled as “the Virgin Mary” for good reason.

 

[Orionthehunter]

Until you got to the explaining what she said about Mary I had assumed that maybe it was misunderstanding.

However, it sounds like your instructer needs to do some research. I’m in RCIA too and I’ve occasionally run into inaccuracies in doctrine. Though in my case it isn’t as extreme and I think it has more to do with people just not knowing. It can be difficult sometimes as I feel strange elaborating on doctrine or correcting when I’m the one that’s supposed to be getting the instruction.

As was wisely stated before read books on doctrine and read the bible while in this process. In the end you may have too pull yourself through the process of initiation but there can be rewards in that. It certainly doesn’t hurt to get in the habit of study.

I think there is some wisdom in this. I was on the RCIA team for five years in my parish. Sometimes Father or Deacon did the teaching and I’m sure they made inadvertent mistakes (I don’t know of one though ). But sometimes either our Religious Ed Director (has a theology degree from Ave Maria) or myself taught. Seldom was there a class when the RED or myself weren’t corrected by Father- sometimes on a major issue and sometimes on a minor one.

The calls to move to another parish unless it is known that there is an agenda contrary to Teaching are an over-reaction. Inadvertent misrepresentations of Teaching are virtually unavoidable, especially when RCIA programs depend on lay teachers. Our RED has a theology degree from Ave Maria, is quite smart, and very dedicated to right Teaching. If she can’t always get it right, to expect lay teachers to always get it right is an unrealistic expectation.

 

[RCCDefender]

I think there is some wisdom in this. I was on the RCIA team for five years in my parish. Sometimes Father or Deacon did the teaching and I’m sure they made inadvertent mistakes (I don’t know of one though ). But sometimes either our Religious Ed Director (has a theology degree from Ave Maria) or myself taught. Seldom was there a class when the RED or myself weren’t corrected by Father- sometimes on a major issue and sometimes on a minor one.

The calls to move to another parish unless it is known that there is an agenda contrary to Teaching are an over-reaction. Inadvertent misrepresentations of Teaching are virtually unavoidable, especially when RCIA programs depend on lay teachers. Our RED has a theology degree from Ave Maria, is quite smart, and very dedicated to right Teaching. If she can’t always get it right, to expect lay teachers to always get it right is an unrealistic expectation.

Which is precisely why I suggested going to the priest first, so Tealblue can assert whether this is just a mistake on the teacher’s part or if it is an agenda within this parish. If the former, the priest can correct the teacher, but if it’s the latter, a move of parish and a letter to the bishop would be in order, don’t you think?

 

[Damascus]

In a word, YES.

 

[tealblue]

I personaly think she just doesn’t knows catholic doctrine that well even though she is educated.Somebody asked if the catholic church still had nuns and she said no they didn’t then later she corrected herself and said they did.She said she always thought they were not around anymore.I also asked about the doctrine of no salvation outside the church and whether or not the catholic church changed on this.She said they did but on later research I discovered that they did proclaim this but always added a point of ignorance on the part of the persson not in the catholic faith.

 

[bankerdavid]

I’m definately not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.I don’t think you can definately blame it on the parish either.Their does seem to be a luthern element to this.A few times a comment was made about luther being right on what he did.She is a wonderful lady though she spent all summer in mexico doing missionary work.I’m not sure how other people feel but seems most people in the class are either already catholic or there just because of a spouce.Some don’t seem really happy to be there either.i’m just going to soak up as much as possible and maybe if the subject comes up I might make a private objection.

I have also heard that Luther was right, but not in reference to the doctrine. What he was right about, it was said, was that the Church hierarchy needed some work, and in RCIA, they stated that it was true that the hierarchy needed work. Luther had a list of complaints to be addressed, and when they weren’t, he ‘schism’d’. And then, actually, the hierarchy did reform, but at their own pace, as they wanted to do it right.

 

[catsrus]

Somebody asked if the catholic church still had nuns and she said no they didn’t then later she corrected herself and said they did.

What “Catholic” world has she been in for her life?? Also,she apparently has never been to a Rosary Sunday.
We have it here in Phoenix once a year in October.
It’s a joy to see all the Nuns from so many different orders in their different habits.

 

[Church_Militant]

I like this:

Apologetics 101-04

Q: As Catholics, do we have to accept everything the Church teaches?

A: If you want to call yourself Catholic, but you want to pick and choose for yourself which of the Church’s teachings to accept and which to reject, you give everyone else who calls themselves Catholic the right to do the same thing.

For example, you believe women should be priests…in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1577 states, “Only a baptized man validly receives ordination…For this reason the ordination of women is not possible!” You don’t believe that…well, that’s fine…[RIP] just tear that page out of your Catechism…you just made it a Catechism of your Catholic Church…not mine.

But remember, if you can throw doctrines out, so can everyone else who calls themselves Catholic. That gives Joe Parishioner over at St. Doubting Thomas Catholic Church the right to throw out the Church’s social justice teachings…he doesn’t feel like feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, and all that other “bleeding heart” stuff - Paragraphs 2401 -2463 [RIP]…he just made it a Catechism of his Catholic Church…not mine and not yours.

You believe contraception is okay? Paragraph 2370 says contraception is intrinsically evil! [RIP] Joe Parishioner doesn’t like what the Church teaches on the death penalty - Paragraphs 2266-2267**[RIP]**. You don’t like what it teaches on pages 55-60 [RIP]. He doesn’t like what it teaches on pages 128-140 [RIP]

Can you see what’s happening? I heard it said once that there is a shortage of vocations to the priesthood in the United States, but no shortage of vocations to the Papacy! If we don’t believe in all of it, if we each appoint ourselves Pope and throw out a doctrine here or a doctrine there, then our faith is no longer Catholic.