how can the catholics really believe in all their rituals ,since some of them are clearly man -made?

Answer 1

I completely agree with you and you're absolutely right.

Answer 2

I dont know, Why dont you ask all the other hundreds of religions around the world. All religions are man made. Rituals are man made. Not some rituals, ALL rituals. I use to be Catholic and I dont believe in a lot of the pointless traditions they have. But this question could be directed toward any religion. Why do you pick on the Catholic religion? Why not religion in general? Every church has traditions.

Answer 3

Rituals are merley methods of getting closer to God, all churches have them regardless of those that try to say they don't. And of course if it is not a Jewish custom or some variation of that custom, it all was designed by church leaders to help the laity to come to a better and closer relationship with God.

Baptism, as practiced is a combination of the early rite of purifiction in the hewbrew faith and for the child the early annointing and blessing at the temple when the child was named.

Communion, is a result of the early passover meal and the blessing of that meal, latter changed because of abuse of the meal to the use of merely bread and wine

candles, custom in many churches, a off shoot and rememberance of the use of candles in the tombs merely for light, but to remind us of that time.

and so on, any realistic research ( not from the catholic hate groups like "chick" but from real religoius sites.

Answer 4

The church conducted services in Latin for so many years that in order for the people to have any reason to be there,(they could rarely understand the priests) the rituals gave them a sense of belonging. However, catholisim, like all religions, is simply a collection of superstitions designed to help down trodden people believe that there was a wonderful life waiting for them after they die, if they are good while alive. Being good, it seems, almost always requires giving up a significant part of your income to support the lazy clowns who claim to be "of the cloth."

Answer 5

It's easy for Catholics to believe in all their rituals. If you knew what they believed about their rituals, you would understand. Why don't you go talk to a priest. He would be glad to inform you.

Answer 6

What do you mean by "believe in?" A ritual is a symbolic action. Catholics don't worship rituals anymore than you worship brushing your teeth.

Answer 7

This is best answered by first clearing up what it means to be
man-made.

The Church is an institution which like any institution is made up of human beings and to that extent it does bear a very human mark for both good and bad. This humanness of the Church is seen in the abilities, strengths, talents, weakness, faults and shortcomings that are particular to mankind. When the Church acts it is through human action in a very real and certain extent.

Yet the Catholic Church from its foundation is not man-made. It is not some 2000 year old company with great trade secrets serving its stockholders. It is a Divinely inspired institution whose very foundation dates back in apostolic succession
to Christ, Who is God incarnate, and His apostles who He hand picked to evangelize the world and lead the Church.

Catholics believe that the Vicar of Christ, the Pope, in union with the Bishops and Cardinals continues to lead the Church with the very same authority as Christ did while he was on earth. In this capacity nothing the Church does is man-made. It is guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit acting through and with mankind. The basis for this is found directly both in Sacred Tradition (as passed on by the Apostles) and in Sacred Scripture with these words from the Gospel of Matthew 16-19:

Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.


Of course this understanding is a matter of faith acting in accord with reason and free will. These are the claims made by the Catholic Church which require investigation and careful consideration. However as you can see there is no middle ground. Either the Church is representative of Christ on earth or it is not. In which case the only answers are
•It is Divinely inspired, including its rituals; or
•It is not Divinely inspired & all of its rituals are man-made.

I think it’s worth making the effort to find out which. My suggestion is to start by asking Catholics what they actually believe and why. One of the best websites to start with would be:

http://www.catholic.com/

Fides Quaerens Intellectum!

Answer 8

It's kind of like the short story, "The Lottery," in which some of the rituals are obscure, and no one knows the meaning of them, but everyone in the town believes that they should be upheld.

Answer 9

All religions are man made. Rituals, Myths, magics...all are man-mad. However, all Catholics were made by God.

Answer 10

It's not believing in rituals, It's the practice of self discipline. Never believe in false prophets, only the word of God.....

Answer 11

I agree. It is one of the commandments that you shouldn't worship any graven images, and yet people pray to statues and bow to images all the time. And they pray to saints. Saints are human beings!! since when do you pray to other people instead of God or Jesus? I dont care how many good things they did, they are still people born into sin like you are. U don't have to go thru a saint to talk to god, just talk to him. He made the universe, I dont think he needs a translater.