So, Am I Still a Catholic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter spockrates
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
He is certainly in peril. The only unforgivable sin is unrepentant sin. Did he repent of his sin? Doesn’t sound like it if he intended to commit the sin again and hedge his bets on a true confession before death.

The sacraments lead us to God, but we are still freely able to turn away from him if we so choose. At the same time, none of us can say if he goes to hell or not. That is fully dependent on God’s mercy which surpasses our understanding.

Faith is a necessary component because it helps you fully embrace God’s commands and live them out to the best of your ability. Sometimes doubt creeps in, but so long as we are endeavoring to have faith and live according to Christ’s example, there is reason to believe we will be saved.
 
Last edited:
spockrates said:
40.png
Cor_ad_Cor:
40.png
spockrates:
Isn’t building a brick house with no mortar kind of like building a house on sinking sand? I mean, who does that! Right?
Click to expand...
Not quite the same thing, no. And centuries ago, plenty of solid edifices were constructed by brick upon brick construction with nothing in between. They were quite solid and some are still standing, hundreds of years later.

Likewise, you can (as others have said) be a minimalist Catholic receiving the sacraments only and do the bare minimum of what is prescribed and live a life that warrants eternity. However, there is more assurance, more solidity, more reliability in life’s storms and turbulence when you’ve taken it to the next step and understood why you do what you do, why you believe what you profess, and have that intimate walk with Christ that the Evangelicals talk about so much. The difference is that we have very real, tangible ways in which to take that walk that others are missing out on. Our Catholic faith, when lived well, is one of “both/and” not “either/or”.
Click to expand...

Fascinating! So, please allow me to use an example, as that will make it easier for me to understand. Let’s say (God forbid!) I commit a mortal sin. I go to confession and confess it and say the prayers the priest recommends. Repentance doesn’t really come into play. For I fully intend to mortally sin again, hedging my bets that I’ll be able to confess before I die. But just my luck! I get hit by a car and die before I can have the joy of mortally sinning again!

Saying this all tongue in cheek, of course! Extreme examples help with the discussion. Right? I mean, what do you think? Would the one described likely escape hell and find himself in purgatory?
Click to expand...
Absolutely not. The sacraments are not magic. What you are describing is a mockery of the sacrament. Such a person would not only be not forgiven, but he would step out of the Confessional with yet an additional mortal sin: that of sacrilege.

For the sacrament to be received worthily, one must have sorrow for one’s sin and the resolve to not commit the sin again. The sorrow can arise from imperfect motives (such as fear of hell), called imperfect contrition or (preferably), out of love for God (called perfect contrition).

Just to be clear, the resolve to not commit the sin again (i.e. the firm purpose of amendment) only needs to be sincere, even if one knows that it is likely he might fall again (this is common with habitual sins and addictions). One only needs to resolve that, calling on God’s help, he will continue whatever battle he needs to fight to overcome that sin.
 
Cor_ad_Cor said:
I would suggest that going to Confession with the full intent to commit mortal sin again renders the sacrament null and void. We must approach with full repentance. That is a condition of the sacrament itself. Sacraments aren’t magic; there is a component of faith that they work in particular ways according to the way in which Christ instituted them and the Church safeguards and administers them.
Click to expand...
Makes sense! Thanks
 
porthos11 said:
40.png
spockrates:
40.png
Cor_ad_Cor:
40.png
spockrates:
Isn’t building a brick house with no mortar kind of like building a house on sinking sand? I mean, who does that! Right?
Click to expand...
Not quite the same thing, no. And centuries ago, plenty of solid edifices were constructed by brick upon brick construction with nothing in between. They were quite solid and some are still standing, hundreds of years later.

Likewise, you can (as others have said) be a minimalist Catholic receiving the sacraments only and do the bare minimum of what is prescribed and live a life that warrants eternity. However, there is more assurance, more solidity, more reliability in life’s storms and turbulence when you’ve taken it to the next step and understood why you do what you do, why you believe what you profess, and have that intimate walk with Christ that the Evangelicals talk about so much. The difference is that we have very real, tangible ways in which to take that walk that others are missing out on. Our Catholic faith, when lived well, is one of “both/and” not “either/or”.
Click to expand...

Fascinating! So, please allow me to use an example, as that will make it easier for me to understand. Let’s say (God forbid!) I commit a mortal sin. I go to confession and confess it and say the prayers the priest recommends. Repentance doesn’t really come into play. For I fully intend to mortally sin again, hedging my bets that I’ll be able to confess before I die. But just my luck! I get hit by a car and die before I can have the joy of mortally sinning again!

Saying this all tongue in cheek, of course! Extreme examples help with the discussion. Right? I mean, what do you think? Would the one described likely escape hell and find himself in purgatory?
Click to expand...
Absolutely not. The sacraments are not magic. What you are describing is a mockery of the sacrament. Such a person would not only be not forgiven, but he would step out of the Confessional with yet an additional mortal sin: that of sacrilege.

For the sacrament to be received worthily, one must have sorrow for one’s sin and the resolve to not commit the sin again. The sorrow can arise from imperfect motives (such as fear of hell), called imperfect contrition or (preferably), out of love for God (called perfect contrition).

Just to be clear, the resolve to not commit the sin again (i.e. the firm purpose of amendment) only needs to be sincere, even if one knows that it is likely he might fall again (this is common with habitual sins and addictions). One only needs to resolve that, calling on God’s help, he will continue whatever battle he needs to fight to overcome that sin.
Click to expand...
Got it, thanks!
 
Thing is, Catholicism, while a religion of rite and ritual, is ultimately about truth, and what it believes about God is that God can neither deceive nor be deceived. That is why we cannot fool God in Confession. The sacraments are offered because God gave them to us as visible signs of his love: more than any assurances Evangelicals have of their own salvation, the Sacraments are the best assurances we have. And the Church does not even ask for perfection in our intentions when approaching the sacraments. She only asks that we do our best and come in good faith, which, ultimately, is a rather low bar. It reflects the Church’s generosity, which in turn, is ultimately God’s generosity.
 
You’ve been given a lot of good advice in this thread … just wanted to say Welcome Home.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top