Question for Catholics, please?

Question

If the "rules" and beliefs change in your religion, for example the more modern dress of Nuns and eating meat on Fridays, etc.
How could it/they have been a true belief in the first place.
It's very rare that a persons beliefs are changed. A belief is something you feel you KNOW.
I'm not a Catholic, just want to understand.
If God doesn't change then neither should His followers.

Answer 1

How convenient just too change things when you need to. wow.

Answer 2

I'm not Catholic but honestly, this one is easy. Eating rules in the Catholic church were never tied to a belief. A belief would be like the Hindu, don't eat cow cuz it may be you dead grandma. No, for Catholics these little rules were just so that Catholics as a group could make a sacrificial gesture to god. Possibly a pope made the rule just to help the fishermen, who knows, but the thing is you could never eat something on monday and not friday and call that a belief. These days the whole sacrifice thing is not in style and wanting to be more modern and popular the catholic church has dropped some of the silly rules that were never really neccesary in the first place. Supposedly core beliefs haven't changed. I don't know if I buy that, I just don't think the meat thing is a good example. All Christian groups, Catholics included change their religion as a convenience from time to time or die out. So you should question the validity of all religion, not just this one.

Answer 3

God never changes, but he certainly changes his procedures, in order to accomodate our changing needs. So does his church.

For Adam, there was only one commandment and only one punishment: Don't eat the fruit. If you do, you will die.

Father Abraham and his male offspring had to be circumcized. Modern day Christians don't. Instead, all Christians are to be baptized.

God introduced the 10 Commandments through Moses. Now, one law was replaced by ten.

God introduced the priesthood by making Moses' brother Aaron, the first priest. Before that, the head of each tribe acted as priest.

God changed his son into a man in order to procure our redemption.

Jesus came, fulfilled the old law, set it aside, and gave us a new and better covenant, in his grace.

Jesus orignally came to offer salvation to the Jews. When they rejected him, he offered salvation to the gentiles.

The sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday.

God changed St. Paul from a persecutor of Christians to a great evangelist.

The Jews, while still Jews, no longer constitute God's holy nation. Todays's Jews are largely apostate. The church now constitutes God's holy nation.

God changed the Roman empire from a pagan empire to the holy Roman empire.

At the end of the age, we will all get improved bodies, God will recreate the heavens and the earth, and he promises to inaugurate a whole new system of things.

God gives his church sweeping powers to do what is necessary to save souls and minister to currrent needs, within the limits of what is known from scripture and tradition.

Changing a style of clothing, or whether we still need to abstain from meat on Friday, or choosing different hymns to sing, are minor issues and disciplines, and are merely aids to attaining holiness, which may be changed or eliminated altogether, if the church thinks it wise.

Changing things which are specifically commanded by God, to be done always and everywhere in his name, is not allowed.

Answer 4

God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent; hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19
No God does not change His mind.

The RC church however CONSTANTLY changes very important things like taking the 2nd commandment out of their teachings, you know the one about not bowing down to idols! And so that they still have 10 they have taken the 10th commandment and made it into two! How about that for evil! THEY HAVE CHANGED HOLY SCRIPTURE so they can worship idols!

They have exchanged the truth of God for a LIE, why don't Roman catholics question this, as God never changes, the scriptures tell us this!

Answer 5

And how do you know that God doesn't change his mind?

I'm not sure that redefining the meaning or value of rituals and traditions in the context of changing times and expanding knowledge actually means that a belief system is changed.

Did changing the recitation of mass from traditional Latin to more commonly spoken languages change the fundamental belief system of the Catholic church? Or did it simply allow those who came to worship to come closer to God by giving them understanding and perhaps a more personal connection to the ritual of mass itself?

Answer 6

I an an atheist and have studied religions.

The fact is that the pope is equivalent to God to Catholics and he can make any rules he so chooses. And, they are bound to follow those rules. In other words, to a Catholic, the pope is their God.

And, they claim Jesus gave the pope that authority through Peter, who they (falsely) claim is the "original pope."

Catholics lie about it, but that is the straight truth. Their souls are controlled by the pope & priests, not God or the bible. And the pope controls the rules they must follow.

Answer 7

first let me say that im not a catholic. but i can say that the first belief was true,. the later alterations in the belief like the modern dresses and eating meat on fridays were created by people for their own pleasure and comfort. these rules were framed by the people who handle it, for their own comfort. the true rule and belief remain forgotten.

Answer 8

Well, the clothes of nuns is only a tradition. It's no dogma and not a theological problem.

Theology and dogma has not changed over the years in the Catholic Church.

Answer 9

Dogma, the basic essential doctrine, does not change.

Culture and traditions change, grow, and develop all the time in a living and vibrant Church especially when that Church is guided by the Holy Spirit.

Even the current tradition of single male priests is not dogma and may change in time.

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

I'm not a catholic but I agree with changing the rules as times change. Some rules no longer apply ar are meaningless.

Answer 11

Rules can change, but sins don't . No religion follows the original rules set down by god any more, since they are impossible to keep now.