How do you know? Do you mean the Catholic Church is in agreement with you more than many?
Yes, but I think to just “swallow everything whole” without doing the research for yourself can be just as damaging.
If he had it his way, the Catholic Church in America would be virtually non-existent in much of the country, especially in the very same areas it has been so successful as of late.wow - wanna judge my salvation while you’re on a roll?
What does it even mean to be a Catholic while disagreeing with Catholic teachings and believing them wrong? Is it just a tribal thing?
The Catholic Church is closer to the true teachings of the apostles, based on the evidence I have seen from the Church Fathers and from various other sources.
I appreciate the response. However, you are basing the idea that I should be obedient on a doctrine I don’t believe is accurate…so the whole thing kind of goes out the window. Just so you realize it, many religions require their believers to be obedient…Should you believe in Islam because Muhammad told you to? Why don’t you believe in Islam? If Muhammad is right, you should be a Muslim. You choose not to be a Muslim using reason, logic, history, etc.
What do you reject about the Orthodox Church?
Thanks Ed, I have read over that tract many times! It’s well written.
Indeed.
The Orthodox Church also teaches infallibility, just in a different way.
As we all are…despite the many voices throughout Catholic Answers that seem to suggest they have it all figured out.
I just think that theology takes time. It’s something that needs to be meditated on, reviewed, looked at from different angles before you can fully accept it.
I was born a cradle Catholic - I was baptized, confirmed, you name it, I did it.
But that didn’t make any difference to our lives - my family just called themselves “catholic”.
Now that I’m coming home, I want to really understand all the aspects and diversity of their theology and dogma.
This is not something that can be come to (or accepted) easily - it’s too important for that, and I hold it more important than that.
Which means that maybe coming to accept perpetual virginity and papal infallibility will take time, research and probably a little God-influence; but I would be surprised if I was told that could not be part of the church because I’m still working those tenants out… but maybe that is, how it is?
Like I said, I’m learning still.
~ PetiteFoi
Tribal??
Assuming you understand the true teachings of the apostles better than the Catholic Church does. That’s a bold assumption.
I understand your point. I can appreciate it.
All bishops are priests first…
This Church is not at liberty pick and choose, cafeteria style. There is One Faith that was handed down from the Apostles, and the Church is obligated to preserve all of what was passed down, as one seamless garment.
I think that most Catholics have struggles or doubts with one or more of the doctrines of the faith. The critical issue is attitude. If we are willing to accept and obey the faith in spite of our misgivings and doubts, then we can retain our Catholicity. As Jinc has echoed, similar to the words of Peter “to whom shall we go?” Maybe Peter wanted to flee also, but he knew there was no where else better to find “the words of eternal life”. So long as we can say with Thomas “Lord, help my unbelief!” then we are spiritually humble enough to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to bring us in to the fullness of faith.
Assent is to say you believe, even if you don’t feel like you do. Different levels of teaching require different levels of assent but that’s a much more complicated topic than what you are asking in this thread. It’s ok to say that you assent to the teaching in your heart, out of love and obedience to the Church, even if you haven’t caught up to that assent with your head. You have to be willing to admit, however, that the study and research of almost 2000 years worth of Catholic theologians might carry more weight than your own conclusions.
Exactly!
Don’t you think the Apostles would know if Mary had other children? Why would they teach their disciples that she was “ever virgin”?
Actually, she does not. The Church has the responsibility to preserve the once for all divine deposit of faith. She must preserve the completed public revelation that closed with the death of the last Apostle. It is not a matter of “policies on issues”. The Apostles commanded that what was handed down was to be preserved without alteration.
I don’t think that someone can obtain a theological virtue like faith by “deciding”. That being said, I do think one can obey in spite of lacking in conviction on a dogma. One must decide to obey, and rather than hold obstinantly to a contrary position on doctrine or dogma, take a positoin of humility that seeks to be conformed to Christ (present in His Church).
So, do you think that there can be no such thing as infallibility? So, you think that no Christian today can know Christ’s truth, that no one can know what Christ really teaches?