why do some people think Catholics don't know Jesus?

[4EverHis]

Can someone PLEASE explain this to me?



I just read a “testimony” by someone who used to be really involved in the Catholic Church but didn’t “truly know Jesus” until he became Protestant.

I tend to hear this a lot from people…when they’re speaking either about themselves, or others.

In my experience though, I got to know God better and in a closer way once I became Catholic! Can we be any closer to Him than the Eucharist? that’s receiving Jesus physically into ourselves!

if there are Catholics who aren’t really close to God… that’s perhaps cause they weren’t properly catechized, or whatever, but it’s not because Catholicism somehow prevents people from “having a relationship with Jesus”. It doesn’t prevent…quite the contrary! those who HAVE followed the Church teachings well, became Saints…and if you read anything they wrote, it’s so obvious they were very close to God.

I just don’t understand why people say things like this and it’s really bothering me… sorry about the rant

I understand if some people disagree with Catholic doctrine and think the Church is wrong on points. But they seem to go even further, and say that Catholics don’t “really know” God. How come this is not said about other Protestant denominations, even though they have different doctrines too? how come Catholics don’t say things like that about other Christians? even if we think their doctrines are heretical, we still admit they can be saved and know God and they’re still Christians… why all this anti-Catholicism?

I have some Protestants friends who go on missions to evangelize Catholics…and bring them into “Bible believing” churches as they’re called… I hear so much about how Catholics “dont know God”, and to be honest, it’s just gotten to the point that it’s both puzzling and hurtful.

thanks for reading my rant…lol

 

[Middleman]

Evangelicals seem to emphasize a personal relationship with Jesus more than our Church. They also seem less hush hush about their faith. They tend to be more outreaching than Catholics and their churches more welcoming to newcomers. So Catholics probably look cold and standoffish to them.

They also probably think we’re too caught up in the hierarchy, Church law, the saints, and other things that are foreign to them.

 

[4EverHis]

I think these things lead us closer to God though, not away from Him especially Our Lady… and the reason the Mass has ritual is to reflect the holiness of it.

I agree that evangelicals tend to be more …expressive? and Catholics (like our liturgy ) are quieter…

 

[Mark77]

i used to be a Catholic who didn’t know Jesus.

Unfortunately, we Catholics often take the Lord Jesus Christ for granted because we have been given this ultimate, perfect gift from birth without appreciating it!

It was only by the Grace of Jesus, through the love and enthusiasm of many Protestant brothers and also many faithful Catholics, that i returned to Jesus and eventually, fully, to His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

It was not until i questioned the Catholic Church and wanted to disprove Her Fullness of Truth, that i discovered the beautiful Truth that She alone contains, and i returned on my knees, in tears, asking for MERCY!

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

I think these things lead us closer to God though, not away from Him especially Our Lady… and the reason the Mass has ritual is to reflect the holiness of it.

I agree that evangelicals tend to be more …expressive? and Catholics (like our liturgy ) are quieter…

It really doesn’t matter what Evangelicals have or haven’t. The latter part is they haven’t had the truth in their church and that’s what it’s about isn’t it? So be proud Catholics, that you are in the church founded by Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ only.
I know so many Holy Catholics, they are so close to Christ and it shows. Don’t care if evangelicals are “expressive”, be glad we are in the church established by Our Lord, and that’s all there is to it.

 

[4EverHis]

i used to be a Catholic who didn’t know Jesus.

Unfortunately, we Catholics often take the Lord Jesus Christ for granted because we have been given this ultimate, perfect gift from birth without appreciating it!

It was only by the Grace of Jesus, through the love and enthusiasm of many Protestant brothers and also many faithful Catholics, that i returned to Jesus and eventually, fully, to His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

It was not until i questioned the Catholic Church and wanted to disprove Her Fullness of Truth, that i discovered the beautiful Truth that She alone contains, and i returned on my knees, in tears, asking for MERCY!

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark

Mark, I agree there are Catholics out there who at one point didn’t know Jesus cause they took the Church for granted or weren’t properly catechized… but see what worries me is how people say that if you’re Catholic, you can’t know Jesus, unless you leave the Church and “accept Christ” in a Protestant church… or if you “accept Christ” by saying the “sinners prayer”… but we are actually called to repentance every time we go to Confession…it’s not like the Church somehow prevents people from knowing Jesus and they have to leave it in order to find Him. (quite the contrary, they have to become yet more Catholic, not less…)

It really doesn’t matter what Evangelicals have or haven’t. The latter part is they haven’t had the truth in their church and that’s what it’s about isn’t it? So be proud Catholics, that you are in the church founded by Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ only.
I know so many Holy Catholics, they are so close to Christ and it shows. Don’t care if evangelicals are “expressive”, be glad we are in the church established by Our Lord, and that’s all there is to it.

I’m really glad to be Catholic
it’s just that I have a lot of evangelical friends and though many of them are really nice, some say comments that just really get to me… (or the stuff I heard at Campus for Christ meetings when I used to go there.)

 

[Love_is_Patient]

it’s just that I have a lot of evangelical friends and though many of them are really nice, some say comments that just really get to me… (or the stuff I heard at Campus for Christ meetings when I used to go there.)

It’s a shame that Campus Crusade has that problem. I’ve run into it too. Sometimes i think there needs to be an apostolate solely for the purpose of educating Protestant leaders about the Catholic faith. The disinformation is truly astounding. (I say this because of what I’ve heard from Campus Crusade staff…)

Love is Patient

 

[chaunceygardner]

I think Middleman made some valid points on this question. For Catholics, the relationship with Jesus is centered around the Eucharist. For many Protestants, it is centered around His word, through scripture. So in some ways, Catholics could be thought to have a deeper understanding of Jesus, while Protestants have a broader understanding. They preach knowing his Word and accepting Him as a personal savior, while Catholics are more focused on liturgy, sacraments, and receiving Him through the Eucharist.

To Protestants, they could translate into Catholics “not really knowing Jesus.”

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

It really doesn’t matter what Evangelicals have or haven’t. The latter part is they haven’t had the truth in their church and that’s what it’s about isn’t it?

How is that remark any different from what the poster is saying ? Hint - it’s not.​

So be proud Catholics, that you are in the church founded by Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ only.

That proves nothing.​

I know so many Holy Catholics, they are so close to Christ and it shows. Don’t care if evangelicals are “expressive”, be glad we are in the church established by Our Lord, and that’s all there is to it.

You do know that pride is a sin ? Obviously not.​

Since when was being in the CC any better than not ? Those who boast of being Catholic & dump on others for not being Catholic, are going to find they will be far more harshly judged than those who are not Catholic. As Newman points out in a sermon from 1847. Merely being Catholic is utterly worthless, unless those who pride themselves on being Catholic are better Christians than non-Catholics. It is the non-Catholics, who are supposedly lacking in the truth, whose Churches Ratzinger called “defective”, who are without exception more Christian than most RCs here.

 

[Doxiemom]

That was one smart answer chaucygardner.

We are a lot more quiet in our worship than many other forms of christian worship.

I think the over zealous maryism on some part of catholics place a big role. As well as the crown who does their 45 minutes each Sunday at mass and then have no idea what is written in the bible is another problem.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Can someone PLEASE explain this to me?



I just read a “testimony” by someone who used to be really involved in the Catholic Church but didn’t “truly know Jesus” until he became Protestant.

I tend to hear this a lot from people…when they’re speaking either about themselves, or others.

In my experience though, I got to know God better and in a closer way once I became Catholic! Can we be any closer to Him than the Eucharist? that’s receiving Jesus physically into ourselves!

if there are Catholics who aren’t really close to God… that’s perhaps cause they weren’t properly catechized, or whatever, but it’s not because Catholicism somehow prevents people from “having a relationship with Jesus”. It doesn’t prevent…quite the contrary! those who HAVE followed the Church teachings well, became Saints…and if you read anything they wrote, it’s so obvious they were very close to God.

I just don’t understand why people say things like this and it’s really bothering me… sorry about the rant

I understand if some people disagree with Catholic doctrine and think the Church is wrong on points. But they seem to go even further, and say that Catholics don’t “really know” God. How come this is not said about other Protestant denominations, even though they have different doctrines too? how come Catholics don’t say things like that about other Christians? even if we think their doctrines are heretical, we still admit they can be saved and know God and they’re still Christians… why all this anti-Catholicism?

I have some Protestants friends who go on missions to evangelize Catholics…and bring them into “Bible believing” churches as they’re called… I hear so much about how Catholics “dont know God”, and to be honest, it’s just gotten to the point that it’s both puzzling and hurtful.

thanks for reading my rant…lol

When Catholics begin to behave like Christians, people will mistake them for Christians - but not before. As for being hurt, Catholics have no objection to hurting others; they do it all the time. So if Catholics feel hurt, they are getting a taste of their own medicine. I hope they enjoy it - they are the ones who idealise suffering, so they have no reason to complain.​

 

[Religio71]

It really doesn’t matter what Evangelicals have or haven’t. The latter part is they haven’t had the truth in their church and that’s what it’s about isn’t it? So be proud Catholics, that you are in the church founded by Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ only.
I know so many Holy Catholics, they are so close to Christ and it shows. Don’t care if evangelicals are “expressive”, be glad we are in the church established by Our Lord, and that’s all there is to it.

I agree with this. For us Catholics that have a sure testimony of the truth of the Faith, it doesn’t really matter what evangelicals think about our relationships with the Savior. They like to talk on and on about Mary, the canonized saints, etc. They NEVER actually understand those beliefs. In fact, I spent MANY posts, along with other Catholics, over on CARM trying to explain that “mother of God” does not mean that Mary pre-existed God, or contributed to Jesus’ divinity. And yet, they don’t want to understand our beliefs, since they kept saying “mary did not contribute anything to Jesus’ divinity”, “mary was the mother of a man”, “mary can’t be the mother of the Trinity”, etc. So it really comes down to evangelicals not wanting to even understand us, no matter how much we try to explain that their understanding of our Faith is, in most cases, erroneous.

 

[NotTooSmart]

A few random comments:

Nowhere in Scripture is membership in a denomination equated with knowing Jesus.

If a Catholic claims they did not know Christ while a member of the Catholic church and came to Christ through some other mechanism than the Catholic church, who am I to disbelieve him.

Catholics should be happy when this happens. Isn’t knowing Jesus what it is all about. By the same token, Protestants should be happy if the same thing happens in reverse.

Isn’t it a mortal sin if you don’t go to mass regularly unless you go to confession. If a Catholic is in mortal sin, then per their own faith they do not know Jesus. I would think you should be happy if a Catholic in mortal sin comes to Jesus Christ a mechanism other than the Catholic church.

Just because some Catholics do not know Jesus, it does not necessarily mean that all Catholics do not know Jesus. It is too broad for any Protestant to make a general statement Catholics do not know Jesus. Some do. And I for one think it is condescending to add “despite the church” to this statement. Who am I to say it is “despite their church”.

Who says our churches do not have the truth. Jesus is the truth.

Oh by the way, as far as the Catholic church being the “church founded by Jesus”. Have you ever heard the words of Jesus to Jews who were bragging about their lineage. Hint, he was not impressed. So even if that statement is true…

I know I am going to get flamed for these comments. I probably will not respond (maybe I will but I doubt it). It is just too tiring to do so.

 

[kalt]

Can someone PLEASE explain this to me?



I just read a “testimony” by someone who used to be really involved in the Catholic Church but didn’t “truly know Jesus” until he became Protestant.

I tend to hear this a lot from people…when they’re speaking either about themselves, or others.

In my experience though, I got to know God better and in a closer way once I became Catholic! Can we be any closer to Him than the Eucharist? that’s receiving Jesus physically into ourselves!

if there are Catholics who aren’t really close to God… that’s perhaps cause they weren’t properly catechized, or whatever, but it’s not because Catholicism somehow prevents people from “having a relationship with Jesus”. It doesn’t prevent…quite the contrary! those who HAVE followed the Church teachings well, became Saints…and if you read anything they wrote, it’s so obvious they were very close to God.

I just don’t understand why people say things like this and it’s really bothering me… sorry about the rant

I understand if some people disagree with Catholic doctrine and think the Church is wrong on points. But they seem to go even further, and say that Catholics don’t “really know” God. How come this is not said about other Protestant denominations, even though they have different doctrines too? how come Catholics don’t say things like that about other Christians? even if we think their doctrines are heretical, we still admit they can be saved and know God and they’re still Christians… why all this anti-Catholicism?

I have some Protestants friends who go on missions to evangelize Catholics…and bring them into “Bible believing” churches as they’re called… I hear so much about how Catholics “dont know God”, and to be honest, it’s just gotten to the point that it’s both puzzling and hurtful.

thanks for reading my rant…lol

Their theory boils down to two words – Buddy Jesus.

 

[kalt]

A few random comments:

Nowhere in Scripture is membership in a denomination equated with knowing Jesus.

If a Catholic claims they did not know Christ while a member of the Catholic church and came to Christ through some other mechanism than the Catholic church, who am I to disbelieve him.

Catholics should be happy when this happens. Isn’t knowing Jesus what it is all about. By the same token, Protestants should be happy if the same thing happens in reverse.

Isn’t it a mortal sin if you don’t go to mass regularly unless you go to confession. If a Catholic is in mortal sin, then per their own faith they do not know Jesus. I would think you should be happy if a Catholic in mortal sin comes to Jesus Christ a mechanism other than the Catholic church.

Just because some Catholics do not know Jesus, it does not necessarily mean that all Catholics do not know Jesus. It is too broad for any Protestant to make a general statement Catholics do not know Jesus. Some do. And I for one think it is condescending to add “despite the church” to this statement. Who am I to say it is “despite their church”.

Who says our churches do not have the truth. Jesus is the truth.

Oh by the way, as far as the Catholic church being the “church founded by Jesus”. Have you ever heard the words of Jesus to Jews who were bragging about their lineage. Hint, he was not impressed. So even if that statement is true…

I know I am going to get flamed for these comments. I probably will not respond (maybe I will but I doubt it). It is just too tiring to do so.

This post is proof that those who know so little about the Catholic faith shouldn’t be so bold as to tell Catholics how they should live it.

No flaming, just letting you know that you understand so little about Catholicism that your post makes no sense.

 

[kalt]

It really doesn’t matter what Evangelicals have or haven’t. The latter part is they haven’t had the truth in their church and that’s what it’s about isn’t it? So be proud Catholics, that you are in the church founded by Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ only.
I know so many Holy Catholics, they are so close to Christ and it shows. Don’t care if evangelicals are “expressive”, be glad we are in the church established by Our Lord, and that’s all there is to it.

I admire your zeal, but it’s not true that non-Catholics “haven’t had the truth in their church”.

Catholics acknowledge the truth wherever it is found. It’s true that non-Catholic Christians don’t accept the fullness of truth that’s found in the CC, but it’s not true that their churhes have “no truth”.

A few examples - Non-Catholic Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God. That is truth. They believe that Mary is Jesus’ mother. Truth. They believe that Jesus died on the cross. Yet another truth.

They may not believe all of the truth, but they do “have truth” in their churches. To say that they have “no truth” in their churches you deny the same truths in the CC.

If you say they have “no truth” and they beleive that Jesus died on the cross, then you are saying that the CC is teaching error when it teaches that Jesus died on the cross. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that everything in non-Catholic faiths is false and then claim that when the same thing is taught by the CC, it is truth.

Either the cross is true or it is false. It can’t true here and false there.

The faiths aren’t the same, and others believe some false ideas, but where they teach what the CC teaches, they are teaching truth.

Where they teach that Mary is Jesus’ mother, they are teaching truth. If they also teach that Mary isn’t the mother of God, they are teaching non-truth. Still, when they teach that Mary is Jesus’ mother, they are teaching the truth.

When you deny the truth outside the Church, you deny it in the Church.

 

[kalt]

How is that remark any different from what the poster is saying ? Hint - it’s not.​

That proves nothing.​

You do know that pride is a sin ? Obviously not.​

Since when was being in the CC any better than not ? Those who boast of being Catholic & dump on others for not being Catholic, are going to find they will be far more harshly judged than those who are not Catholic. As Newman points out in a sermon from 1847. Merely being Catholic is utterly worthless, unless those who pride themselves on being Catholic are better Christians than non-Catholics. It is the non-Catholics, who are supposedly lacking in the truth, whose Churches Ratzinger called “defective”, who are without exception more Christian than most RCs here.

You seem to be competing all the time, while also claiming for yourself the role of judge.

 

[NotTooSmart]

This post is proof that those who know so little about the Catholic faith shouldn’t be so bold as to tell Catholics how they should live it.

No flaming, just letting you know that you understand so little about Catholicism that your post makes no sense.

How do you know that I “understand so little about Catholicism”. Admittedly I don’t know everything, but how little must you know in order to “understand so little about Catholicism”?

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

I admire your zeal, but it’s not true that non-Catholics “haven’t had the truth in their church”.

Catholics acknowledge the truth wherever it is found. It’s true that non-Catholic Christians don’t accept the fullness of truth that’s found in the CC, but it’s not true that their churhes have “no truth”.

A few examples - Non-Catholic Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God. That is truth. They believe that Mary is Jesus’ mother. Truth. They believe that Jesus died on the cross. Yet another truth.

They may not believe all of the truth, but they do “have truth” in their churches. To say that they have “no truth” in their churches you deny the same truths in the CC.

If you say they have “no truth” and they beleive that Jesus died on the cross, then you are saying that the CC is teaching error when it teaches that Jesus died on the cross. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that everything in non-Catholic faiths is false and then claim that when the same thing is taught by the CC, it is truth.

Either the cross is true or it is false. It can’t true here and false there.

The faiths aren’t the same, and others believe some false ideas, but where they teach what the CC teaches, they are teaching truth.

Where they teach that Mary is Jesus’ mother, they are teaching truth. If they also teach that Mary isn’t the mother of God, they are teaching non-truth. Still, when they teach that Mary is Jesus’ mother, they are teaching the truth.

When you deny the truth outside the Church, you deny it in the Church.

Hi Kalt,

Yes, but they only thing they have in common with us Christian/Catholics is that they too believe in Christ, but they do not follow what Christ teaches. So in the biblle where it says “Why do you say Lord, Lord when you don’t do as I say?”, is for all non-Catholic Christians. Private Interpretation isn’t cool.

 

[Reuben_J]

A few random comments:

Nowhere in Scripture is membership in a denomination equated with knowing Jesus.

If a Catholic claims they did not know Christ while a member of the Catholic church and came to Christ through some other mechanism than the Catholic church, who am I to disbelieve him.

Catholics should be happy when this happens. Isn’t knowing Jesus what it is all about. By the same token, Protestants should be happy if the same thing happens in reverse.

Isn’t it a mortal sin if you don’t go to mass regularly unless you go to confession. If a Catholic is in mortal sin, then per their own faith they do not know Jesus. I would think you should be happy if a Catholic in mortal sin comes to Jesus Christ a mechanism other than the Catholic church.

Just because some Catholics do not know Jesus, it does not necessarily mean that all Catholics do not know Jesus. It is too broad for any Protestant to make a general statement Catholics do not know Jesus. Some do. And I for one think it is condescending to add “despite the church” to this statement. Who am I to say it is “despite their church”.

Who says our churches do not have the truth. Jesus is the truth.

Oh by the way, as far as the Catholic church being the “church founded by Jesus”. Have you ever heard the words of Jesus to Jews who were bragging about their lineage. Hint, he was not impressed. So even if that statement is true…

I know I am going to get flamed for these comments. I probably will not respond (maybe I will but I doubt it). It is just too tiring to do so.

I think you’ve made fair comment considering that you are not a Catholic.

In an inter-religious discussion the OP is probably right in bringing up this topic. Many times this type of issue is opened for discussion.

Rather than saying that being Catholics we are hurt by comment such as made by Evangelicals about us not knowing Jesus, I can only take it as a statement which reflects differences in our spirituality respectively. I think the poster, chaunceygardner, said it correctly about the difference between Evangelicals and Catholics.

From personal experience, Evangelicals are some of the Christians that are really vocal in voicing their differences with Catholics. Does it hurt? No, not in the sense that the feeling is quite mutual. They question the apparition of Mary in Catholicism while it is quite normal for them to receive private revelation nearly everyday. So where does that put them?

When an Evangelical says that we don’t know Jesus, it only show his ignorant about Catholic and basically they are acting against their own belief – because that amount judging. In a way, I agree with you on this.

One has to be careful though about Evangelical’s term about ‘knowing Christ’. It is a jargon actually for those who discover that newfound zeal about Jesus and hearing Jesus speaks to them. One cannot compare this spirituality against the deep communion that Catholic experience with Jesus in the Eucharist. So it is like comparing apple and orange.

It is possible for Catholics to experience this phenomenon of ‘knowing Jesus’ and still being Catholics. Only I can say I have everything that you have but you don’t have what I have. But I guess, what am I going to prove by saying that?

Yet again there is a need for correction in your statement. What do you mean by going to mass regularly? It is NOT a sin by not attending mass regularly; it is only if you don’t without compelling reason on Sundays and days of obligation. Missing a mass will not make a person suddenly ignorant of Jesus but attending it regularly make one knows him better in a deeper way.

You are right – being Catholic is not a guarantee or a passport to holiness, as were sons of Abraham who don’t do the will of the Father. Being faithful practicing Catholic is.

God bless you.