Whats the deal with Catholics?

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Jun 8, 2016
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#21
I was just on a forum and Catholosisim came up. I got nothing against people who are catholic but I don't consider them to be Christian either. I here there are quite a few differences between them and a Christian church. My friends Catholic and I'm trying to convince him to convert. But he's in the mindset once a Catholic always a Catholic. Or are the differences minor and nothing to worry about? Most people seem to think so.
Hello Monnkai.

I was just perusing around and the title of your thread caught my attention.

I am an "average Joe" Catholic and I would be happy to discuss Catholicism (as best as I can) with you if you would like to.

I'm no expert for sure, but I might be able to at least let you know some stuff about what us Catholics believe and why we believe it.

There is quite a lot of misinformation out there. Demi even listed some in her chart.

If you are interested, let me know. I like to keep things charitable. I've had to leave other sites sometimes because some people can get so snarky and uncharitable (name-calling and such) so fast!

If not, no biggie, I understand.

And the "flying Jesus" on the rear view mirror is hilarious!! Good one there Demi!! (if you see this post) :) Very funny!!

Bestil
 
Feb 26, 2015
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#22
Bestil_Andno, explain to us why the Catholic Church ignores what the Holy Spirit says to teach lies.

In Romans 3:23 God has said ALL have sinned.

In Romans 5:12 God has said ALL have sinned.

Romans 3:23
[SUP]23 [/SUP]for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 5:12
[SUP]12 [/SUP]Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

So tell us why does the Catholic Church teach Mary was without sin?

If you look carefully at Romans 5:12 God clearly says sin enters into a person from the Father, not the Mother. So why does the Catholic Church lie and say sin comes through the Mother?

I believe the Catholic Church teaches this because they have walked away from God to serve Mary as their god.

There are many other false Doctrines about Mary the Catholic Church teaches as Truths.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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#23
Interesting video on the origin of the Roman Catholic church.

[video=youtube;ZD_PCnRulrc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD_PCnRulrc[/video]
 
Jun 8, 2016
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#24
Bestil_Andno, explain to us why the Catholic Church ignores what the Holy Spirit says to teach lies.
Hi Mike.

The Catholic Church does not ignore what the Holy Spirit says and does not teach any lies that I am aware of. But I understand how people can think that with anyone (or church) whose interpretation of Scripture does not match their own.

In Romans 3:23 God has said ALL have sinned.

In Romans 5:12 God has said ALL have sinned.

Romans 3:23
[SUP]23 [/SUP]for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 5:12
[SUP]12 [/SUP]Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned
Yea and Amen. The Catholic Church believes these Scriptures. But here is the difference. We do not believe "all" means "all without exception" but that it means "all without distinction". In his book, "Mary, Mother of the Son" (Volume 2) Mark P. Shea refers to this as using the "collective" sense which can be found elsewhere in Scripture.

In other words, "all" doesn't mean "each and every single other person." Here's how we know:

First, in Romans 1 Paul writes about the guilt of the Gentiles.
Then, in Romans 2 Paul writes about the guilt of the Jews.
Then in Romans 3 he combines the two and makes statements such as verse 9 : "What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin,."

Verse 22 clarifies this when Paul says, "...for there is no distinction.." He doesn't say there is no "exception". By saying there is no distinction Paul is making a general statement about Jews and Gentiles. Not about every single person.

Other examples of the "collective" sense being used in Scripture would be:

Matt. 1:17: "So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations..." (but that wasn't "all" the generations)

Mark 11:32: "...for all held that John was a real prophet." (but everyone didn't)

Matt. 3:5-6: "Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (Really? ALL were baptized and confessed their sins? Even Pontius Pilate? Even Caiaphas the High Priest? Even all of the scribes and Pharisees?)

The "collective" sense is kindof like saying something like "All of the people in town were at the fireworks show." That doesn't necessarily mean "each and every single person".

There are exceptions to Paul's words in Romans 3:23. Probably thousands if not millions living on the earth right now.

Jesus was fully human. Yet He never sinned. So that is one exception.
Toddlers and young children (sometimes taken to be the age of 7) are incapable of sinning because they simply do not yet have the rational and moral capacity to sin.
Severely mentally challenged people also may not have the moral capacity to sin.

So when Paul says "all" he can't mean "each and every single person." There are exceptions.

The big question is what you ask next......

So tell us why does the Catholic Church teach Mary was without sin?
A truly great question. Really. And I don't have the room to explain it all. Entire books have been written about that very question. I will have to just give you a link that explains some stuff.

The Immaculate Conception in Scripture | Catholic Answers

If you look carefully at Romans 5:12 God clearly says sin enters into a person from the Father, not the Mother.
I must disagree. I don't see how Romans 5:12 says what I bolded in your sentence above. I can't find any translation that says that. Romans 5:12 says: "therefore as sin came into the world through one man..." (RSV). And then it continues on to contrast Adam with Jesus (starting in verse 15). I don't see how the verse says anything about "sin enters into a person from the Father."

I might need you to explain to me how that verse "clearly" teaches something that you see but I don't.

So why does the Catholic Church lie and say sin comes through the Mother?
I am unfamiliar with that so I cannot comment. Could you cite a source for me please so I can read up on that?

I believe the Catholic Church teaches this because they have walked away from God to serve Mary as their god.
First, I'm not convinced that Romans 5:12 teaches what you said it does.
Second, I need more information from you to confirm that the Church teaches what you claim (and it might even be irrelevant since Romans 5:12 doesn't seem to say what you think it does.)
Third, no Catholic that I know of believes Mary is divine. Nobody that I know of believes Mary is a goddess. Nobody that I know of worships Mary.
Fourth, there was a group of people who worshipped Mary back in the 4th and 5th centuries. They were mostly women.
And they were condemned by.....the Catholic Church.

There are many other false Doctrines about Mary the Catholic Church teaches as Truths.
I disagree. However, I will grant you that of all of the differences between Catholics and non-Catholics, the Church's teachings about Mary are usually the most complicated, difficult to understand, and difficult to explain. I've heard many a convert to Catholicism explain how the teachings about Mary were their most difficult thing to understand before coming into the Church.

God Bless.
 
Jun 8, 2016
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#25
Interesting video on the origin of the Roman Catholic church.

[video=youtube;ZD_PCnRulrc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD_PCnRulrc[/video]
Hey mailmandan,

I watched the video. Too much to comment on so here's a link of two that responds to it.

Is Catholicism Pagan? | Catholic Answers

Just one quick note: the basic problem with the video is it involves the "pagan influence fallacy". For example, there was a picture of Mary holding the baby Jesus side by side with a statue of some other mother (I don't know who, maybe Isis?) holding an infant.

So what?

That is supposed to imply that Catholicism was influenced by pagans? "See here is a mother holding a child and they are not Christian...and here is Mary holding baby Jesus. See? Catholicism was influenced by paganism!"

No. Mothers hold their children all over the world in all different cultures and this can be shown in lots of different artistic ways. That's all.

By the way, athiests try to use the same fallacy to show that Christianity itself (not just Catholicism) was just a copy of old pagan religions. Here's a link that claims the same thing your video did about Sun-worship. Except this site starts back in the Old Testament and claims even the Jews worshipped the Sun.

Jesus Christ as the Sun God throughout History

So if "pagan influence" is gonna discredit Catholicism...it can just as easily be used to discredit all of Christianity.

God bless.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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#26
Hey mailmandan,

I watched the video. Too much to comment on so here's a link of two that responds to it.

Is Catholicism Pagan? | Catholic Answers

Just one quick note: the basic problem with the video is it involves the "pagan influence fallacy". For example, there was a picture of Mary holding the baby Jesus side by side with a statue of some other mother (I don't know who, maybe Isis?) holding an infant.

So what?

That is supposed to imply that Catholicism was influenced by pagans? "See here is a mother holding a child and they are not Christian...and here is Mary holding baby Jesus. See? Catholicism was influenced by paganism!"

No. Mothers hold their children all over the world in all different cultures and this can be shown in lots of different artistic ways. That's all.

By the way, athiests try to use the same fallacy to show that Christianity itself (not just Catholicism) was just a copy of old pagan religions. Here's a link that claims the same thing your video did about Sun-worship. Except this site starts back in the Old Testament and claims even the Jews worshipped the Sun.

Jesus Christ as the Sun God throughout History

So if "pagan influence" is gonna discredit Catholicism...it can just as easily be used to discredit all of Christianity.

God bless.
I grew up in the Roman Catholic church and I've already heard these arguments from Catholic Answers. Catholics can always seem to find a way to explain away anything.

Here is a link for you to check out. - Just for Catholics: Answers
 
Sep 6, 2014
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#27
1 Timothy 2:5-6
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
 
T

Trail-of-Truth

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#28
I have many in my church that used to be Catholic. They can see the truth if they have the right heart. I think Catholicism is the easiest false doctrine to disprove, there are so many scriptures against what they teach and practice.
 

TMS

Senior Member
Mar 21, 2015
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#29
I think God wants his children to be united in one Church, rather than "stabbing" each other
Protestants and Catholic are very different and most church denominations are different in one way or another, how can two church's unite when they have different fundamental beliefs. One church would need to change or compromise their belief and from what i can see some protestant church's are doing all the compromising.
 

TMS

Senior Member
Mar 21, 2015
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#30
I have many in my church that used to be Catholic. They can see the truth if they have the right heart. I think Catholicism is the easiest false doctrine to disprove, there are so many scriptures against what they teach and practice.
easy when the Bible is the only sure standard of truth, but they teach that God speaks through them, that they are Gods church on Earth, so The Word becomes less important and their traditions are very important.
 
T

Trail-of-Truth

Guest
#31
easy when the Bible is the only sure standard of truth, but they teach that God speaks through them, that they are Gods church on Earth, so The Word becomes less important and their traditions are very important.
You just have to take them step by step, showing them the contrast of their doctrine verses the bible. If then they don't accept it, then they don't accept God. I know, I've been to a Catholic Church a couple times (long story), and have known people raised in it. They actually said that reading the bible shows distrust to the priest, but the bible says to study the scriptures daily to show thyself approved onto God, and that they studied the scriptures daily to see if what the apostles said was true. Did the apostles say not to do it because it showed distrust to the apostles? Severe contrast of black and white.
 

tanakh

Senior Member
Dec 1, 2015
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#32
I consider the Catholic Church to be Christian but badly affected by Neo Paganism and Human tradition. There is no such thing as a perfect Church whatever label one goes by. Pauls epistles were partly written to warn of false teachings. One only has to read Corinthians to know that this perfect Church some people seem to believe once existed is a myth. Even Christs Disciples were far from perfect. The first ecumenical councils were formed to counter heresies about the nature of Christ'
A number of the false teachings of the Catholic church were sanctioned by various Popes, who according to the doctrine are infallible when addressing matters of faith and morals. As the Pope is supposed to be guided by the Holy Spirit this means that they cannot be scrapped. This means that any Catholic who has doubts about a Church teaching has no alternative but to leave the Church.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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#33
I consider the Catholic Church to be Christian but badly affected by Neo Paganism and Human tradition.
Christianity and Neo Paganism and Human tradition don't mix. That's the problem.
 
K

KingOfkingsKid111

Guest
#34
Jesus Loves You
 

tanakh

Senior Member
Dec 1, 2015
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#36
Christianity and Neo Paganism and Human tradition don't mix. That's the problem.
Biblical Christianity and the world as a whole don't mix. Thats the whole point of Christianity, to convert the world to christ.
During the time of Constanine apart from the Jews and fledgling Churches the whole of the worlds population was 'Pagan'
The woship of Gods and Goddesses was the norm. So where was the Church supposed to find converts untainted by Paganism? I sometimes get the impression that people think that God somehow lost control of things when all the Apostles died and has been struggling to get it back ever since, I dont have all the answers but I do believe that God is in control of everything that goes on in the world including the existence of the Catholic Church. God could have easily killed that church off at its conception if he had chosen to do so, he could have allowed Martin Luther to reform it as Luther originally intended but for some reason he didn't and there are now over a billion members, who according to some are all heading for hell'
 
Mar 28, 2016
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#37
Hi I have spent over 10 years a on a Catholic discussion board before I was asked to leave. I did this as part of my morning devotion to get some ideas to how can we hear God seeing they have been around a while. And like Gilligan’s Island it started to be a three hour tour but ended up hundreds or more of episodes and ten years later.

They could be Christians but if so it’s a dark place and they need to hear the gospel either to call them out or strengthen them to stay and be a light.

It does not make me an expert. But in the end of the matter scripture God’s word of itself has no authority to give us His faith without the oral traditions of their fathers as the same kind (two kinds of fathers) of fathers that Christ replied in effect. .....Therefore seeing you will not measure your faith in respect to God’s word the final authority , then measure your own in respect to your fathers and called them a brood of vipers, a phrase that indicate false prophets.

Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Mat 23:32

The Catholics would say they have the fullness of faith because they do follow the fathers from generation to the next (apostolic succession) . This makes the word of God without effect. Never do the things of men become the things of God.

When we see that we know who is behind it seeing he needs a form to produce his own kind of upside down faith coming from the fathers, inspired from the earth.

Interesting the same portion of Scripture(8 verses) The catholic fathers use to give authority to men (Peter) as what they call the key that unlocks the gates of hell is in respect to Peter .God uses the same portion to reveal who is behind that kind of upside down ideology. Helping us to understand to be careful to distinguish between the things of God (His Tradition/law the Bible) and the traditions of men as commands , the oral traditions thereof.

According to the Catholic law of the fathers, there is no difference between the things of God (tradition the Bible) and those of their fathers oral tradition of men . They would conclude the Protestants simply do not what they call have the “whole deposit of faith”.

Interestingly they put the oral Traditions of the father first and called them Sacred as if they were in the place of the Holy Spirit. .and whatsoever comes from the mouth of father that they bind on earth will be loosed in heaven .Turning things upside down.

Law of the Catholic fathers....80 "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, “flowing out from the same divine well-spring”, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal." Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own "always, to the close of the age".
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an "offence unto me": for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Mat 16:15


In the end because they need to build their own faith principle they establish it on necromancy which is seeking to worship after disembodied workers with familiar spirits that they have self-appointed as patron saints reigning with Christ from heaven .And sell the idol images needed to go with each one in order to put a face on the legion (officially 3500 and rising) seeing when it comes up it comes up as many and an idol image called a teraphim is needed to help a person focus on the specific disembodied spirit they are seeking in respect to the work that is assigned by the Pope the officiator to each of the 3500 and rising.

It has it foundation in the old testament . God calls scriptures call it an abomination .It is something that Rachel practiced when she stole her father’s teraphims (many) .

Gen 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

Strongs lexicon 08655 t@raphiym {ter-aw-feme'}pl. from 07495; TWOT - 2545; n m
AV - image 7, teraphim 6, idol 1, idolatry 1; 15 1) idolatry, idols, image(s), teraphim, family idol 1a) a kind of idol used in household shrine or worship
Without the use of necromancy they have no way to create the illusion as to what they call Mary the Queen mother of heaven and worship an image to go alone with the disembodied worker with a familiar spirit. And this is even though no one l knows what she looks like, even if it did mater. They just create one according to the working of their own faith coming from the fathers. They say they do not worship by changing the word to venerate, as venerable, the Greek word agiazo (worship-able )which is a form of worship.

But inquiring of to worship a disembodied worker is reserved for our Father in heaven in respect to “one manner” and not manners as many to include what they call patron saints. .

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Strongs lexicon ..37 hagiazo {hag-ee-ad'-zo} from 40; TDNT - 1:111,14; v
AV - sanctify 26, hallow 2, be holy 1; 29
1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow 2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God 2a) consecrate things to God 2b) dedicate people to God 3) to purify 3a) to cleanse externally 3b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin 3c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul
I think most Christian realize it’s the saints on earth that are rienging with Christ as a kingdom of priest bringing the gospel into the word and not the saints like Mary who has departed and never again will have any work to do here again. She a sllep like any saint that departs from this realm under the sun.
The words of Christ below( 1 Thes 4) that should comfort them, I would think should send a chill down their spine when they seek to bring down one of these patron saints(3500 and rising) . Again because the scriptures are of no authority to them they must walk away in unbelief (no faith) as if they were purposely ignorant to what God does reveal. The idea of soul sleep destroys their very foundation.

Like any other who claims to know the Lord we cannot see into their hearts therefore we seek our Father in heaven the one disembodied worker with a familiar spirit who can change the heart of another. It’s with His words alone that we comfort one another not those of the fathers, Christ’s nemesis.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1Th 4:13
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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#38
Biblical Christianity and the world as a whole don't mix. Thats the whole point of Christianity, to convert the world to christ.
During the time of Constanine apart from the Jews and fledgling Churches the whole of the worlds population was 'Pagan'
The woship of Gods and Goddesses was the norm. So where was the Church supposed to find converts untainted by Paganism? I sometimes get the impression that people think that God somehow lost control of things when all the Apostles died and has been struggling to get it back ever since, I dont have all the answers but I do believe that God is in control of everything that goes on in the world including the existence of the Catholic Church. God could have easily killed that church off at its conception if he had chosen to do so, he could have allowed Martin Luther to reform it as Luther originally intended but for some reason he didn't and there are now over a billion members, who according to some are all heading for hell'
The Lord preserved His people long before the Reformation. There were other Christian churches such as the Donatists, Novatians, Waldenses, the Lollards and the Hussites, who were bitterly persecuted by Roman Catholics.

It's not proper to tell someone that their entire church is doomed. However, there are churches that teach false gospels, which will lead all of those to their doom, who strictly follow the teachings of their church. But those who believe the true gospel of grace, and not just whatever their church teaches, will be saved, regardless of the group with which they are associated.

Conversely, one's church may preach the true gospel of grace. If one believes that gospel, then one has eternal salvation. But if one does not believe it, then one is lost even though the official teaching of one's church is correct.

When I received Christ through faith several years ago, I was saved IN SPITE of what the Roman Catholic church taught about the plan of salvation and NOT BECAUSE of what they taught.
 
Feb 26, 2015
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#39
We all need to understand that the Catholic Church is great at deceiving people into following what they teach as being the only Truth.

First the Catholics do not believe the word "all" means everything. They believe the word "all" means only a few things, a couple of things, but does not mean everything.

This is how they try to defend their right to Worship Mary as their god.

Do you really think Bestil_Andno that God does not know what you are doing?

Be careful because you just may find yourself swimming in the Lake of Fire instead of being in Heaven with me.
 
Jan 26, 2016
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#40
We all need to understand that the Catholic Church is great at deceiving people into following what they teach as being the only Truth.

First the Catholics do not believe the word "all" means everything. They believe the word "all" means only a few things, a couple of things, but does not mean everything.

This is how they try to defend their right to Worship Mary as their god.

Do you really think Bestil_Andno that God does not know what you are doing?

Be careful because you just may find yourself swimming in the Lake of Fire instead of being in Heaven with me.
i don't know any Catholics that worship Mary as their God. Why do you continue this lie?