Clearly you are upset by the questions I’ve offered. Please don’t feel the need to go down this road. Questions are just questions - they aren’t daggers or bombs - they aren’t dangerous, so we don’t need to get upset about them or behave out of offense.
Your response above doesn’t directly answer my question. All it does is turn the mirror on some other people. Your defense is that Protestants are just as fickle as Catholics (some not all). That doesn’t make it right.
My point is this: the question is not answerable. You’re trying to paint Catholics in a particular light because of some of the few Catholics that you’ve seen. I am not deflecting, I am showing that what you think of Catholics can be the same of Protestants.
You just didn’t like my answer.
I’m just asking questions. I’m not making accusations. I do wonder if being born into the Catholic church makes some people feel a little manipulated. They’ve been christened without their consent and then the time comes for them to receive confirmation and everyone they went to school with is doing it and their entire family expects them to do it. It seems a little forced… some people might go through the motions just to get the rest of us off of their backs.
I don’t disagree with this. And yes, this does happen. So? Consider that much of what happens with Protestants is the same. I see Protestants who grew up Protestant, were never Catholic, having the same manipulation (although the detail is different) being put upon them. Especially when I hear some Protestants make claims about Catholicism that was preached to them from their church. Yet they don’t take the time to actually learn what Catholicism is all about.
There will always be this subset of people in
any group. Catholics and Protestants alike.
You bring up confirmation. This is why confirmation is important. I take it also you didn’t read that link to the CCC from the Vatican that tells what Confirmation is and why it is important.
Confirmation is confirming one’s baptismal vows. It helps complete the cycle.
Here’s the ideal situation:
A couple gets married and they promise to God that any children they have will be reared in the Catholic faith.
When and if that couple has children, in keeping with that promise, and because of our beliefs, they have the child baptised. They choose Godparents who, upon accepting the role of Godparent, promise and commit to helping rear that child in the Catholic faith.
As the child grows up, both couples - the parents of the child and the Godparents - have (hopefully) properly cathechised the child in the faith. Teaching them about Jesus Christ and Catholicism.
The child then makes 1st communion. Yet another sacrament. In the Latin Rite (Roman Catholic) they do this at what is considered the “age of reason.” Around 7 years old. By that time the child should (again, hopefully) understand what is right and wrong. (I won’t get into Confession here, that’s another discussion.)
The child will then have more cathechesis in the faith and by the time they are a teen ager, it is thought that they will have been well formed and so they can then CHOOSE to confirm their baptismal vows with the the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The child then grows up and goes on to continue in their faith in the Catholic church. They then get married (if they so choose) and if they have children, repeat the cycle above.
IMO, I think this is why Protestants don’t understand when a Catholic will baptise their baby. It’s not just forcing something on another person. Because when that person grows up, nothing can be forced on that person. They can still lose their salvation by saying “No.” to God through their own free will. The Catholic is also keeping a PROMISE MADE TO GOD that they will rear any children in the Catholic faith.
It’s all interconnected yet different sacraments to help the Catholic continue in their faith and journey. Again, to repeat what I’ve said previously. Everything that is done in the Catholic church is to bring the Christian into communion with Jesus Christ. Our saviour.
Personally, I don’t think it is right for me or my family. I think desire to be baptized should be spontaneous, from the mind of a person who has been able to comprehend what they are committing to.
And this is where confirmation comes in.
BTW, I was never forced to confirm. As a teen ager I could not confirm. Not because I was banned from it. Not because someone else said I couldn’t. I assure you, for YEARS I heard it from my mother. She was so angry at me for not confirming. But I respected my faith enough to not lie and simply “go through the motions.” Now, at 40, I confirmed. I renewed my baptismal vows as a conscious human being, with FREE WILL and I FREELY CHOSE.
Of course there are people who do that and simply go through the motions. But when you take a look at how they live their life, you can see they clearly did not mean it. The same can be said of a “saved” Protestant. Take a look at their life. Are they living up to that being saved? (rhetorical question.)
What I ultimately asked of you was to not look at those people, but to look at the rest of the Christian body of Catholics who DO live up to their confirmation of their baptismal vows.
You guys just do it once. We have to do it as adults and then continue to do it every single day.
(Again, this said, I do not hold condemnation over those who disagree with me).
Have a great day!
SW
If I came off strong it is because I get frustrated when people insist that Catholics are one way when we’re not. And yet try to paint themselves and their group in a “better” light. Especially when what the person says shows clear ignorance about Catholicism and it’s practices.
