Popeless Catholics
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I read your last post so I'm not sure if you're still here.
I find this kind of funny because the Catholic radio here (Central Texas) keeps saying the (I can't remember what they call them - those trying to become a priest) is very strong...but they say it during a commercial trying to recruit more priests.
I think it might be national radio, but I'm not sure what goes out locally and what goes out nationally.
I think they call it something like vocation.
A vocation is more like a calling than a job. God calling a man to be a priest.
A seminarian is a man who is studying to be a priest. Throught the process of discovering if this is his true calling.
Sometimes it isn't. The Teachers usually know before the student...
There is an increase in those showing interest.
However, it's no where near what it was until the 60's, for the U.S.
Also, I don't live in the states. Here there is no interest at all and the Church is in trouble.
Attendance is also very low. And to think the Pope lives here!
I do like to repeat every now and then that I'm protestant.
Fran
A seminarian is a man who is studying to be a priest. Throught the process of discovering if this is his true calling.
Sometimes it isn't. The Teachers usually know before the student...
There is an increase in those showing interest.
However, it's no where near what it was until the 60's, for the U.S.
Also, I don't live in the states. Here there is no interest at all and the Church is in trouble.
Attendance is also very low. And to think the Pope lives here!
I do like to repeat every now and then that I'm protestant.
Fran
That is a popular lie told by Roman Catholics, whose church was not founded until the fourth century.
A cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship/adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture. So, if the origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, what is the true origin of the Catholic Church?
For the first 280 years of Christian history, Christianity was banned by the Roman Empire, and Christians were terribly persecuted. This changed after the “conversion” of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine provided religious toleration with the Edict of Milan in AD 313, effectively lifting the ban on Christianity. Later, in AD 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicea in an attempt to unify Christianity. Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion that could unite the Roman Empire, which at that time was beginning to fragment and divide. While this may have seemed to be a positive development for the Christian church, the results were anything but positive. Just as Constantine refused to fully embrace the Christian faith, but continued many of his pagan beliefs and practices, so the Christian church that Constantine promoted was a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism. https://www.gotquestions.org/origin-Catholic-church.html
A cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship/adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture. So, if the origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, what is the true origin of the Catholic Church?
For the first 280 years of Christian history, Christianity was banned by the Roman Empire, and Christians were terribly persecuted. This changed after the “conversion” of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine provided religious toleration with the Edict of Milan in AD 313, effectively lifting the ban on Christianity. Later, in AD 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicea in an attempt to unify Christianity. Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion that could unite the Roman Empire, which at that time was beginning to fragment and divide. While this may have seemed to be a positive development for the Christian church, the results were anything but positive. Just as Constantine refused to fully embrace the Christian faith, but continued many of his pagan beliefs and practices, so the Christian church that Constantine promoted was a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism. https://www.gotquestions.org/origin-Catholic-church.html
The Church had existed and spread into Rome long before Constantine, silly. Constantine was a convert. Constantine did not found the Church. Jesus did 300 years earlier. The bishops of the Church that was previously persecuted in Rome were the same bishops leading the Church at Nicea, in the line of apostles dating back to Christ. Constantine's Edict of Milan and Council of Nicea did not make the Church vanish. That's ridiculous, Magenta. So rather than Constantine legalizing freedom of religion and eventually converting to Christianity and Christ conquering Rome would you prefer people of various faiths including Christians continue to be persecuted brutally in Rome like generations before? No. Christ conquered Rome and Western civilization. It's why all these centuries later you're even a Christian.
It's an awesome and beautiful history. Quit twisting and perverting it, regurgitating that copy/paste garbage from those silly fundamentalist web sites.
God bless.
Hi Maynard,
If we want to be honest about history, the Catholic, or Universal, Church IS the first Church that goes all the way back to Jesus.
Protestants, of which I am one, have a really difficult time with this.
The problem is that The Way (Acts) and Christianity (Antioch) were the first names to be given to the Church which Jesus started. I don't know why all my c's get capitalized, I mean Church with a small c.
This first Church, which later developed into the RCC at the time of Constantine, is what kept Christianity together. Many believe that Jesus did not come to create a new Church but to show us a different way to live in order to have a different life - IOW, to set up the Kingdom of God beginning right here on earth.
Of course, everything went haywire after that and Christianity became a worldy religion. It evolved and grew and became more and more worldy. In Europe it acted as the government, and was very involved with politics. Thus the reformation.
Some are thankful because it brought sanity back to the Word of God, its implementation, I mean.
Some are very sorry because of the wars and deaths that this caused because of the split. Kings and Queens being for and against and being separated by this change. Of modern history we have Ireland and the religious war that ensued in our lifetime.
I have to admit that I'm one of those that are happy the reformation happened. I'm not for a Theocracy, no matter who is in charge. Jesus did not extinguish the Romans, that's not what He came here to do. So I feel the Church should also not take upon itself that role.
But I love my Catholic brothers.
I see too much dislike on these threads.
Fran
If we want to be honest about history, the Catholic, or Universal, Church IS the first Church that goes all the way back to Jesus.
Protestants, of which I am one, have a really difficult time with this.
The problem is that The Way (Acts) and Christianity (Antioch) were the first names to be given to the Church which Jesus started. I don't know why all my c's get capitalized, I mean Church with a small c.
This first Church, which later developed into the RCC at the time of Constantine, is what kept Christianity together. Many believe that Jesus did not come to create a new Church but to show us a different way to live in order to have a different life - IOW, to set up the Kingdom of God beginning right here on earth.
Of course, everything went haywire after that and Christianity became a worldy religion. It evolved and grew and became more and more worldy. In Europe it acted as the government, and was very involved with politics. Thus the reformation.
Some are thankful because it brought sanity back to the Word of God, its implementation, I mean.
Some are very sorry because of the wars and deaths that this caused because of the split. Kings and Queens being for and against and being separated by this change. Of modern history we have Ireland and the religious war that ensued in our lifetime.
I have to admit that I'm one of those that are happy the reformation happened. I'm not for a Theocracy, no matter who is in charge. Jesus did not extinguish the Romans, that's not what He came here to do. So I feel the Church should also not take upon itself that role.
But I love my Catholic brothers.
I see too much dislike on these threads.
Fran
Hi Magenta,
How does one get their Church history from GotQuestions ??
I'm sure, being an intelligent person, you realize that if you got history from the Catholic Church, it would sound totally different.
You have to go to different sources. We have to learn to be thankful that what evolved into the RCC is what kept Christianity together for the first few centuries. Have you ever read the Early Church Fathers?
There were many heresies running rampant beginning in the 2nd century. it's these brave men that kept the true religion alive.
Ideas were spreading that Jesus was just a man, that the Trinity did not exist, that the spirit was the spirit of God and not an individual person, and other such concepts.
THIS catholic, or universal Church, is the one that developed into the RCC. So we can say that the RCC CAN trace its roots all the way back to Jesus.
Ignatius of Antioch knew John the Apostle. John the Apostle knew Jesus.
I don't have a problem with this and frankly, don't understand what the problem is.
Fran
How does one get their Church history from GotQuestions ??
I'm sure, being an intelligent person, you realize that if you got history from the Catholic Church, it would sound totally different.
You have to go to different sources. We have to learn to be thankful that what evolved into the RCC is what kept Christianity together for the first few centuries. Have you ever read the Early Church Fathers?
There were many heresies running rampant beginning in the 2nd century. it's these brave men that kept the true religion alive.
Ideas were spreading that Jesus was just a man, that the Trinity did not exist, that the spirit was the spirit of God and not an individual person, and other such concepts.
THIS catholic, or universal Church, is the one that developed into the RCC. So we can say that the RCC CAN trace its roots all the way back to Jesus.
Ignatius of Antioch knew John the Apostle. John the Apostle knew Jesus.
I don't have a problem with this and frankly, don't understand what the problem is.
Fran
It was not the Roman Catholic church before Constantine, silly. You are the one twisting and perverting history. Your cult loyalty demands you regurgitate the lies it feeds you. The church Christ founded is built upon Truth. The Truth will set you free 
It's leader is the Pope. Who is the leader of the Church you attend? Are you required to believe certain doctrine?
It's the same with the Pope. Such a big organizaton rquires a strong leader. However, Catholics worship GOD, not the Pope.
He's more visible because there are so many Catholics in the world and it's the biggest Christian Church. Many loved Billy Graham, does that make Protestantism a cult?
What is a cult??
Here's a good explanation. I understand it as being a system of beliefs based on a PERSON instead of God. For instance, Scientology.
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Q. What is a cult? And how does someone know if the faith they are following is harmful?
A. The word cult has three definitions. First of all, it can simply be a group that loves something. When people refer to an "Elvis cult" or "The O.C. cult," they mean really devoted fans.
The second definition is that of a religion whose beliefs differ from the majority around them. In the Roman Empire, Christians were sometimes considered a cult because they worshiped Jesus rather than the Roman gods.
The third, and most commonly used definition, refers to a religious group that is:
1) Exclusive. They may say, "We're the only ones with the truth; everyone else is wrong; and if you leave our group your salvation is in danger."
2) Secretive. Certain teachings are not available to outsiders or they're presented only to certain members, sometimes after taking vows of confidentiality.
3) Authoritarian. A human leader expects total loyalty and unquestioned obedience.
For the most part, this third definition of cult is being used less and less today. Experts who watch for dangerous or harmful religious groups now use the term new religious movements. The word cult can hurt people because it carries so much negative meaning. My sister was accused of being in a cult just because she preferred hanging out with Christian friends rather than going out drinking with other friends. She might have been in with a group of people that was unlike the norm (because they devotedly followed Christ), but she certainly wasn't following a harmful faith.
My friend Jason, however, fell in love with a girl who was part of a church that was exclusive, secretive, and authoritarian. At first he was happy to tell me about what he was learning. But as he got further into that religious group, he told me less and less. When the leaders of that church told him that he had to quit our church to keep dating the girl, I got very suspicious. When he got married and his parents couldn't even attend the wedding because they weren't members of Jason's new religion, it was clear that this was harmful.
Unlike that, Christians accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Still, they recognize that he has followers in many different Christian denominations and nondenominational churches who accept Christ. We don't believe that the truth is available only to a select few—instead, salvation through Jesus is open to everyone. We also believe that God is above any human leader.
Marshall, a former pastor, is editor of Leadership Journal, a magazine for pastors.
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Fran
I agree that Peter was not the first Pope.
But here's an explanation of why the RCC likes to say this.
The Super Bowl.
It was not Always called the Super Bowl. But once that name came into existence, EVERY GAME before the first one that was a Championship Game is NOW referred to as the Super Bowl.
There were only Bishops after Christ. But now that the title of Pope has come into being, every person going back to Peter WHO WAS IN CHARGE, is now being called the Pope.
I don't agree with it, I'd rather history be kept pure, but it's not such an evil concept either.
Fran
But here's an explanation of why the RCC likes to say this.
The Super Bowl.
It was not Always called the Super Bowl. But once that name came into existence, EVERY GAME before the first one that was a Championship Game is NOW referred to as the Super Bowl.
There were only Bishops after Christ. But now that the title of Pope has come into being, every person going back to Peter WHO WAS IN CHARGE, is now being called the Pope.
I don't agree with it, I'd rather history be kept pure, but it's not such an evil concept either.
Fran
It was not the Roman Catholic church before Constantine, silly. You are the one twisting and perverting history. Your cult loyalty demands you regurgitate the lies it feeds you. The church Christ founded is built upon Truth. The Truth will set you free
Then it became known as the RCC, but its roots ARE the Catholic Church.
THERE WAS NO OTHER CHURCH AT THAT TIME.
We cannot deny this lineage.
Fran
I disagree with this.
All you are really saying here is that the Rcc is the beginning of organized religion that controlled people.
Before the RCC came along, God always had people worshiping him in truth and when the RCC did come along, history will show not everyone who believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior chose to be part of it.
This is where persecution came in, a military power trying to force everyone to be part of their religion or die.
Pockets of Christians throughout Europe lived secretly apart from the RCC.
All you are really saying here is that the Rcc is the beginning of organized religion that controlled people.
Before the RCC came along, God always had people worshiping him in truth and when the RCC did come along, history will show not everyone who believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior chose to be part of it.
This is where persecution came in, a military power trying to force everyone to be part of their religion or die.
Pockets of Christians throughout Europe lived secretly apart from the RCC.