Hello peeps!!
How does one become saved in the Catholic Church?
You donāt. Thereās no such thing as āSaved.ā That is a protestant concept that exists to sooth people and make their particular definition of Christianity appealing. Salvation is a continuous activity that you strive towards throughout your entire life. It is a struggle, and it is hard, but the ultimate reward is more than worth. The concept of being āsavedā essentially acts to remove the struggle, and remove the requirement of continuously striving to better yourself, and this is why it appeals to so many people. We are āSavedā by God, and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, but that doesnāt mean we canāt just stop working on our faults.
I was told by a sister that we are all trying to find God the best way we know how and that we donāt need to believe in Jesus.
While it is true that not everyone in Heaven believed in Jesus in life (I assume, being as Iām not in heaven I canāt really know) as a person who has been given the knowledge of Christ and his works and church it -is- necessary for you to believe in him. There is a big difference between someone who doesnāt believe because they cannot (either they donāt know, or it has been made impossible for them through the acts of people who purport themselves to be Christian, but act against the will of God at every turn), and someone who makes the choice to disregard Christ as a myth or simply a āgood person.ā The latter is a mortal sin because you are literally rejecting God and the gift of salvation that he has given us through Jesus Christ.
I told her that I joined CAF and she said she has respect for the apologetics but the Bible is just stories to guide you in life. WT-HECK?
I feel bad for your sister, that her belief has degraded to that degree, and applaud you for seeking knowledge and understanding from your fellow Catholics. We will support you as best we can, with as much knowledge as we can muster. As for the bible being just stories, that is another sad trend of our society, who donāt recognize it as truth simply because there werenāt video recorders around to capture everything Christ did on film.
That is not the Catholic Church I was raised in. Did the Catholic Church change its teachings?
Youāre right, itās not. Sadly, far too many of our Catholic brothers and sisters do not understand what it is to be Catholic, and instead opt for their own, watered-down variations on belief. This is called ācafeteria Catholicismā and it is a sad trend in our relativistic society. The Church has not changed itās teaching on the core principles of faith for 2000 years, and we will not change them in the future, to do so would make us no better than the protestants who seek to abide by their own interpretations of God, rather than in the truth and law he has revealed to mankind.
Does it matter that I am Catholic.
Yes. You were lucky enough to be born into the truth. I thank God for it every day, and you should to. Being Catholic is more than a declaration, it is at the core of your person. It enlightens you and leads to do good for other. Catholicism can provide you with the guiding principles by which to live your life, a good and full life, filled with the love of family, friends and God. It is also the best way to ensure that you get to live forever with God in the afterlife.
I mean she did tell me āGod would understandā.
I imagine that she is right, God is love, and love is understanding, merciful and patient. That being said, why would God force himself on you if you have dedicated your life to rejecting him? God does not send people to hell, people choose hell. Hell is the absence of God, and so that is where people who seek to live without him go. It is their choice, and it likely pains him to no end to be rejected. (Imagine your child completely and totally rejecting you and everything that you try to do for them. Now magnify that by the millions of people who actively chose to reject Godā¦ I honestly donāt understand how he stands it, I would have wiped out humanity a long time ago.)
I donāt understand if we cant be assured of our own salvation how can she be so sure that God would understand if we donāt believe or deny him? I am sorry if this is long. Thanks!!
She cannot be sure. She is engaged in a logical fallacy. It is -impossible- to know for sure until we are dead, and by then itās too late. We accept what God has given us and revealed to us because that is what faith is, belief in the absence of absolute knowledge. This, incidentally, is why many atheists make the choice not to believe; they cannot be certain, so why bother worrying about it. This is another logical fallacy, you should look up Pascals Wager and present it to your sister.
As for the length of your post, donāt worry about it. I pray for you, that your strength of conviction only continues to grow in the face of dissension; and I pray for your sister, that she may return to the church and to the love and light of God.
Good luck to you, and I hope this helps.
