Alright, I see where your coming from. Maybe I am brain washed.lol. But I still struggle with other issues with the church other than the Sacraments. Where is the evidence for other sacraments and why does the church teach that they are necessary for Salvation? I’m not just trying to counter your arguement. I really am seeking. Thank you.
it’s better to do as He established, not as we feel it should be. He established oral confession, it’s well attested to in Scripture, who are we to say we’re not going to follow because we think we know better. Really, consider it for one minute, in the early Church confession was in front of the entire congregation, how humiliating! No wonder protestants don’t like it and wanted it changed. It’s pride, and nothing more. Jesus wants us to publically (or at least to a priest) confess, there’s something very humbling about admitting your sins to another, humbling and frankly liberating when the priest says your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more. BJ, if you’ve never experienced it, you need to.
Absolutely correct, also just what the Catholic Church teaches, thank you.
Am I even allowed to confess if I haven’t been baptized as a Catholic. I know that I am not supposed to receive the Eucharist without being baptized as a Catholic.
You need to do some Biblical research, please use unbiased sources, not Catholic and not anti-Catholic. No, the books were NOT rejected by the Jews of His day, they were accepted and were part of the Septuagint, the Scriptures which Jesus used in His teachings, the Scriptures the Apostles used, they still are part of the Septuagint. Just try to find the teachings on marriage which Jesus taught, (certainly different from Deuteronomy) the two becoming one, an everlasting covenant ordained and blessed by God, she will become yours and you will become hers, some really beautiful teachings/ you won’t find them in any of the books of the Protestant OT because they are in those books which were removed from Holy Scripture. please read the book of Tobit, when Tobits’ son is marrying, there you’ll find His teaching.
Does the Catholic Church teach that we are justified by both faith and works? I don’t believe the same thing. I believe that I am justified by faith alone. It is suprising to me how many things I agree with Catholics on if you believe that we are justified by faith alone as you seemed to imply.
By grace, through faith. Our good works are the fruit of that faith.
I will repeat what I said earlier, the ONLY people who insist they are not Scripture are those who have never studied them with an open heart/ please, please, please, just read them with an open heart, no help from either side, let the Holy Spirit guide you, when you see the teachings of our Lord, you’ll know, you’ll also know they are in fact Scripture. Studying them will not make you Catholic, so don’t fear, there are many Protestants who agree that they are in fact Scripture, in fact as they begin reading them, it’s spreading. Lead the way with your brothers.
The problem that I have is that it is necessaery to be forgiven. What I understand is that if I ask to be forgiven from God then I am. I see where your coming from.
No, they are not ALL required, actually the only one required is Baptism, and even then it can be a Baptist of desire. The problem is that “if it’s not required we shouldn’t do it” is wrong! we do them because Jesus established them. Each of them confers the graces of the Holy Spirit on you, who would reject the Holy Spirit?
Thank you God. O.k., at the risk of turning you off again, please listen. The mood of this post is wonderful, there are many on this site who will help you understand. And no, we’re not trying to convert you. We simply want you to understand that what the Catholic Church does is Scriptural, it isn’t as you’ve been taught. I don’t want you to become a Catholic, well… maybe… lol… but I want you to understand we’re not evil, we’re not following man made doctrines, we are the Church.
Alright. I don’t think that we shouldn’t do them. I was just curious what evidence there was for them. Why do you think that I would reject the Holy Spirit? That is the only ‘unforgivable’ sin. I was just wondering where the church gets the idea of all of those being required for Salvation. However, becuase they don’t then my question has been answered.
Actually, you can’t recieve absolution, “officially” the forgiveness of the sins. I say officially, because you need to be instructed in the Catholic faith first, but, that being said, you can go and talk to the priest and confess your sins to him, and just guess who will hear you. Brother, try it please. You’re absolutely correct about the Eucharist, and there’s a very Scriptural reason for that also, read St Pauls’ instructions regarding receiving the Eucharist without discerning the real presence. the Church must protect all from sin, it can’t invite you to sin.
Sorry to disappoint but I don’t think I will convert. I am begining to see that the Catholic Church isn’t all that bad, and that I have many misconceptions. So I thank all of you for your help. I will continue searching and trying to understand and hopefully with help I will understand completely.
I may go try it sometime. Do I make an appointment or just walk in?
Yes I do see where you’re coming from, but, it’s not the way Jesus established it is it? He told His Apostles any sin which they hold bound on earth, is held bound in heaven. How do you know you’re forgiven? God has given you the vehicle, oral confession to a priest, why reject it because we think we know better?
And that in itself is wonderful, if we understand eachother we can act as brothers as Jesus wants.
I don’t know why I would reject it. and this stuff is begining to make more sense. I know I am forgiven because Christ paid the price for my sin. Jesus is the vehicle though, isn’t he? For sin to be forgiven it must be confessed to a priest? How is it that if I confess to Christ that my sin is not forgiven? Christ is our priest, is he not?
Call and discuss it, please keep in mind there is a critical shortage of priests, so their time is precious, and also that they are only men, their patientence sometimes seems short… lol lovely picture isn’t it… lol
Alright when I am ready to do so I will. I shouldn’t judge them for patience being short because chances are that mine is shorter.