So I have this boyfriend

[Pariah]

No offense, but I’m not sure if the litany surrounding that is true. But even so, due to the mass perception that the phrase “praying to” is synonymous with “worship,” it would be better to always use the post-script “with” to best clarify what it is Catholics do when they talk to the saints.

Apologetics is quite the beaurocratic exercise no?

 

[NotWorthy]

No offense, but I’m not sure if the litany surrounding that is true. But even so, due to the mass perception that the phrase “praying to” is synonymous with “worship,” it would be better to always use the post-script “with” to best clarify what it is Catholics do when they talk to the saints.

Apologetics is quite the beaurocratic exercise no?

Ah, but then you see a dilemma would pop up. If the average Catholic would agree that we should say that we “pray **with **the Saints”, and they start associating “pray to” as “worship”, what do you think the average catholic would say when a non-catholic points out, “*Huh, but it shows in these old books that Catholics used to 'pray **to *the saints’. So that must mean you guys used to worship saints.” That would begin to shake the foundations of the Catholic, making him easier to bring away from the Church.

 

[Harmony1911]

“I don’t think it really matters if your bible has seven more books, I have the gist of Christianity, and I think that’s enough. As long as you are Christian and you try your best to live by the bible, you should be good to go. I can pretty much get everything I need out of Christianity from the book of Matthew! You’re not going to hell if you’re a protestant. It’s not a rubber stamp to hell. I don’t see why it’s such a big issue. I’m not Catholic because the worship style just doesn’t fit me. I think it’s more imporant about having the right worship style than who’s right about communion, or who’s right about semantics in the bible”

I’ve been talking to said boyfriend again, and this is what he just told me. I don’t know how to talk to him about this. I know I don’t know enough to debate with him. I need to read more. But the issues are coming up NOW, and I can’t answer him.

 

[NotWorthy]

"I don’t think it really matters if your bible has seven more books, I have the gist of Christianity, and I think that’s enough. As long as you are Christian and you try your best to live by the bible, you should be good to go. I can pretty much get everything I need out of Christianity from the book of Matthew!

Then ask him where in the book of Matthew it says this. Heck, ask him where it even implies it!!!

You’re not going to hell if you’re a protestant. It’s not a rubber stamp to hell. I don’t see why it’s such a big issue.

He is right here, so make sure he understands you’re not trying to imply that.

I’m not Catholic because the worship style just doesn’t fit me. I think it’s more imporant about having the right worship style than who’s right about communion, or who’s right about semantics in the bible"

I think what he’s trying to say is, “I don’t like your Mass, and I don’t feel like going to it, even if I don’t know why.”

 

[Pariah]

Ah, but then you see a dilemma would pop up. If the average Catholic would agree that we should say that we “pray **with **the Saints”, and they start associating “pray to” as “worship”, what do you think the average catholic would say when a non-catholic points out, “*Huh, but it shows in these old books that Catholics used to ‘pray **to ***the saints’. So that must mean you guys used to worship saints.” That would begin to shake the foundations of the Catholic, making him easier to bring away from the Church.

Such a comprehension problem’s actually been in reverse for the cases I’ve encountered. This is primarily because I’ve spoken to Calvanists, Baptists, and Adventists on it and they shot me down whenever I said pray to the saints. They said that it was associated with worship, so I made sure to say with from then on.

IMO, they had a point. The wording does sound suspicious and it would be difficult to correct in the long-run.

Is there a specific book I could point out to them that would say otherwise?

 

[NotWorthy]

Such a comprehension problem’s actually been in reverse for the cases I’ve encountered. This is primarily because I’ve spoken to Calvanists, Baptists, and Adventists on it and they shot me down whenever I said pray to the saints. They said that it was associated with worship, so I made sure to say with from then on.

IMO, they had a point. The wording does sound suspicious and it would be difficult to correct in the long-run.

Is there a specific book I could point out to them that would say otherwise?

What about books that say we “worship Mary”? That is a phrase that has been authentically used in the Catholic Church. You see, the term “worship” has changed. I recall reading “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” a situation such as this. So, when you let your friends frame the argument, you should just explain to them what you believe.

If they’ve got a problem with it after a full explanation, sometimes the problem is them, not you. I know it’s not a good answer, but its a result of words changing their meanings over the course of time. That’s one of the reasons the Church issues its teachings in Latin. Being a dead language, the meaning of Latin words never change.

 

[littleone]

No. We believe that she was a virgin her entire life.

Bear with me on this…the ark in the Old Testament carried the presence of God. It had to be specially made and only certain people could touch it. Did God change in the time of Jesus? Mary carried Jesus-who was God- in her womb. She was his living ark. So, she had to be special.

This is scriptual in that Jesus tells us that He came NOT to change but to fulfill the old testement to bring in the spiritual being in God. It was by the Spirit of God that Mary became pregnant and so it is the carrieing of the Spirit of God that Mary is the Holy of Holyies.

In Aramic and Hebrew there is no word for brother, sister or nephew. We can see this in the KJV bible. It still calls Lot Abraham’s brother in chapter 14:12. Lot was Abraham’s nephew.

All those brothers of Christ that are mentioned are in fact, his cousins.
This is because of the close nit relationship of family

Hopefully, I am wrong but it sounds like your boyfriend is trying to convert you from your faith.

You have my blessing from God this is good take a good look at the information it leads only to God not any other.

God bless
littleone

 

[francesco920]

“I’m not Catholic because the worship style just doesn’t fit me. I think it’s more imporant about having the right worship style than who’s right about communion, or who’s right about semantics in the bible”

In regards to this I would ask your boyfriend if the point of worship is to feel good or to revere and render homage to God. If the Catholic Mass is the way God wants his people to worship Him (which it is, as I am sure you know) then we must worship that way, even if it doesn’t fit our personal style. Being Christian means conforming to the ways of God, not conforming the ways of God to oneself!

Also I would explain what actually goes on in the Mass and the Biblical foundation of the Mass to him.

 

[deb1]

Such a comprehension problem’s actually been in reverse for the cases I’ve encountered. This is primarily because I’ve spoken to Calvanists, Baptists, and Adventists on it and they shot me down whenever I said pray to the saints. They said that it was associated with worship, so I made sure to say with from then on.

IMO, they had a point. The wording does sound suspicious and it would be difficult to correct in the long-run.

Is there a specific book I could point out to them that would say otherwise?

i use the words praying with also, for the exact same reasons.

it is sad that we are at a place in history when most people have no knowledge of literature. anyone who has read older books will come across the words pray and worship used as the catholic church uses the words.