Why are you a Catholic?

[vern_humphrey]

Asimis:

Sherlock, thanks for your detailed response! It is really apreciated and it was very similar to the process of “elimination” that I went thru in order to finally arrive at Catholicism.

It seems now that there is one contender which is Eastern Orthodox which also claims direct link to the apostoles, hmm I will have to analyse both the Catholic and Orthodox positions to see…

The Orthodox Church does indeed have the Apostolic Succession – as the Catholic Church acknowledges. In fact, while Protestants cannot take Communion in a Catholic church, members of the Orthodox Churches can.

Note I say Orthodox Churches. The Orthodox reject the supremacy of the Pope, and the result is they lack the unity of the Catholic Church. Hence there have been splits in the Orthodox while the Catholic Church has maintained itself entire.

 

[clmowry]

Because I was exceedingly blessed.

Let’s see it went something like this…

I was born.

I was Baptized and Raised Catholic.

I decide I know better than anyone else (I think it’s called adolescence.)

An Engineer by nature I become one by training further solidifying my confidence that I know best.

God supplies a little divine intervention.

(Some of us need it. He chose a mountaintop. He seems to be partial to doing these things on mountaintops.)

I become convinced there is a “god.”

I spend some months trying to decide if religion is necessary if there is a “god” and determine, that if there is “a” God he requires a response and that response is religion.

I spend a couple of years looking into various world religions and determine that if there is a God and He has a religion it must be Christianity. (Suffice it to say that the other religions proved to be either self contradictory or in conflict with “obvious” moral and natural law.)

I spend a year or so trying to determine if Christ is the Son of God or insane. (He really has to be one or the other he didn’t leave much middle ground. I decide in favor of the former.)

I spend several years trying to convince myself that any Christian Church is as good as another. (There are some particularly attractive guilt free varieties after all….)

God supplies a little divine intervention. (He can use the radio too it would seem.)

I become convinced that many Christian denominations are just plain wrong. It dawns on me that if attempts by men who dedicate their lives to interpretation of scripture and develop so many contradictory and in some cases just plain silly conclusions that this is not what Christ had intended.

God supplies a little divine intervention. (What can I say; some of us are particularly slow and hard headed. Apparently he can do his thing under basilicas too.)

I become convinced that there is a God, His Son came to Earth and He founded a Church and only one Church fits the bill. (Apparently those Catholics I grew up with were not as stupid as I thought they were.)

God supplies some divine intervention. (He doesn’t like it when you ignore and/or dishonor His mother either it would seem and I was under the misconception that “I” had found my way back to the Church and that “I” was a “good” guy.)

The process continues….

Chuck

 

[Sherlock]

Asimis,

You’re right, the Orthodox churches also have Apostolic succession. But Vern Humphrey put his finger on the problem of the Orthodox by pointing out that there are churchES. The lack of a single authority is a problem, and this is becoming more apparent as time goes by within the Orthodox churches. They’re defined largely by ethnic identity, and thus they lack two of the defining marks of the Church, namely “one” and “catholic” (out of “one, holy, catholic and apostolic”).

I think that the reason the Orthodox have fared as well as they have is likely due to their having the Apostolic succession. It also hasn’t hurt that some of them have been rather isolated from the rest of the world, which makes it easier to fend off challenges. I don’t know how long that can last, though: merely clinging tightly to the past is not an effective response to the world. They haven’t held a council in centuries. The Catholic Church, despite the perils that it faces in the world (and yes, some caused by dissent within) can still challenge the world and weather it: the Church is the barque of Peter, which has its own source of power. The Orthodox church is a life-boat that is drifting in her wake—perfectly fine, as long as no one tips it.

 

[Gratias_Grace]

I am catholic, latin rite, because God by His Grace helped me to understand that the roman catholic church is the right one. God invited me, and I said yes to the invitation.

“And so we lived happily ever after” …

No, we didn’t! It is a lot of joy to be catholic, but it is not always easy to defend faith and to be a catholic christian. :angel1: Like Jesus said it: "Remember the word that I said to you, “Servants are not greater than their master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you;… " (John 15:20)

I remain catholic because I know by heart (and intellectual) that the roman catholic church is the one Jesus Christ instituted. I believe in God and His Church!

G.Grace

 

[Elliott]

I liked the hats.

Just kidding. I started asking why Catholics had a different set of books in the Bible and that led to Q’s about interpretation and the magesterium and then the primacy of Peter and then confession and so on and then it seemed that the Catholic Church was Jesus’ Church and that for the well being of my soul I should join.

 

[Asimis]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

Now to keep things rolling I’ll ask two questions:

What would make you lose faith in The Catholic Church?(tricky question I know, but with a simple answer I bet)

Also,

How would you feel if one day find out that The Catholic Church in some moments during it’s history took the liberty (under divine providence or otherwise) to adopt and absorb cutsoms and/or practices of other religions as it’s own? (what would be your reaction to this?)

Thanks in advance,

 

[jimmy]

Asimis:

greetings,

I was just wondering why all the Catholics here came to finally embrace Catholicism? What convinced you and why do you hold to it and not to other religion?

Thanks in advance,
Asimis

First, I was born Catholic.

Second, after studying the history and the bible, I have come to the conclusion that no other form of Christianity makes any sense, other than perhaps the Eastern Orthodox. The apostolic succession of the bishops is the greatest proof for the Catholic Church over protestantism. It basically shuts down any protestant arguement in my mind.

 

[Sherlock]

Asimis,

You asked, “What would make you lose faith in The Catholic Church?”

It would take nothing less than the discovery that Jesus did not exist, or that He was merely a human being who fooled a lot of people. If that were the case, then I would become a Jew and wait for the Messiah, because the revealed truths of Judaism that Catholicism completes are compelling.

You asked, “How would you feel if one day find out that The Catholic Church in some moments during it’s history took the liberty (under divine providence or otherwise) to adopt and absorb cutsoms and/or practices of other religions as it’s own?”

Hasn’t it in fact done that? My question is: what’s wrong with that? If other religions represent a striving to know God, though imperfect, then what would be wrong with perfecting these attempts by absorbing them into Christianity? Of course, the main thing is to not compromise the truth no matter what—but that leaves room, as far as I’m concerned, for the “Christianizing” of many religious traditions from other religions. For example, I believe that the practice of exchanging wedding rings was a pagan practice, but has been incorporated into a symbol of sacramental Christian marriage. Aquinas “Christianized” the logic of Aristotle. Catholicism is large enough to contain and absorb the truth, no matter where found or how large or small.

 

[scylla]

I am Catholic, because after being born Catholic, leaving the Churche and seeing what is out there I realized there is man’s way and God’s way.
I found the Church and found it is what completes the Bible, since it defined it. I owe a debt to the Born Again Christians, Bible Christians and others of my past who taught me it is important to love Jesus and look for him in your life. I just wish they would now look for that truth instead of just following the founders of their Churches or their own interpretations of the Bible.

What would it take for me to leave the Catholic Church…

I can think of no conceivable reason to leave, I have seen every arguement against the Church turn out to be baseless. I have to follow Jesus.

I know the Church has taken customs of other religions as it’s own. God takes the good out of everything. Baptism can be considered of Pagan origin. This is because, it is virtually impossible to not have some symbolism, that hasn’t at some time or another been used in a pagan ritual\religion. Maybe here is a better explanation.
Christmas, the quickest way to get rid of pagan beliefs is to replace them without compromising Christian beliefs. We believe that Jesus was born, we would like to celebrate it, lets celebrate Jesus instead of some Pagan belief. But I believe that all matter created by God is good, I am not a Gnostic.

 

[antiaphrodite]

i am Roman Catholic because it’s true, and the only Church that has the fullness of truth.

 

[mkw]

History

When I left my atheist way of thinking and actually BELIEVED IN GOD, the next logical question was…“Where do I go to find Him for Worship”…Thats when the studying and “hitting” the books took over.

I’m a Catholic because ours is the only church that can trace her roots back to Jesus Christ Himself. HOW COOL IS THAT!

 

[Gratias_Grace]

Asimis:

Thanks for the responses everyone!

Now to keep things rolling I’ll ask two questions:

What would make you lose faith in The Catholic Church?(tricky question I know, but with a simple answer I bet)

Nothing! The Church is under attack from both within and without. We have to remember that and ask for the help of God to keep faith (not let the evil one win the battle) when we are under trial.

Asimis:

Also,

How would you feel if one day find out that The Catholic Church in some moments during it’s history took the liberty (under divine providence or otherwise) to adopt and absorb cutsoms and/or practices of other religions as it’s own? (what would be your reaction to this?)

Thanks in advance,

Comfortable! Other religions reflects longing for God, but they don’t have the full knowlege. Of course there will be some customs in other religions that may in some way or other remind us about catholic customs. Since they (the other religions)are trying to figure out who God is, it is nothing unnatural in that some may come close to something that looks like a divine custom/practice.

The Catholic Church is led by the Holy Spirit, so we are safe.

My reaction would be to continue with my daily work and then go to Church to worship and give praise to God! :bowdown2:

G. Grace

 

[Vicky_S]

There are so many reasons to be Catholic! First I was born and raised Catholic. I did my share of drifting and marginalizing my faith while in my early 20’s but still considered myself to be Catholic.

Now!! WOW !!! I finally found what I believe I have always been looking for the piece of the puzzle that fills that God shaped hole in me.

Since I found Relevant Radio and Catholic Answeres, I understand what I believed all my life. I have always loved history and religions and now I feel I have it all. I can’t contain my excitement sometimes and drive my family crazy.

As Catholics we have it all. God, Christ, Holy Spirit, One Holy Catholic and Apistolic Church, Mary, the Saints, BIG “T” and little “t” Traditions, art and archtechure, History, etc. we have it all.

We have a support group that stretches around the world and beyond. I can go anywhere in the world, attend Mass and know that I am still receving the same Jesus Christ that died on the cross for my sins. We can have different traditions and still all be Roman Catholic. There is a poet that said that the Catholic Church is “Here comes everyone”.

We are the Chruch we don’t just attend chruch.

Sorry for the long responce.

Vicky

 

[Augustine]

What would make you lose faith in The Catholic Church?

As it’s happened twice already, my proud sinfulness.

May God protect my Faith forever.