This question is not really for any catholics.... Christian beliefs only?

Question

well.... okay...

so i know that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to heaven

i know all that, i myself have accepted christ as my savior

(im a Baptist)

but what i was wondering is... what happens to catholics?

i mean... they believe christ died for there sins.. but they believe they get to heaven by good works.....

do they still go to heaven.... or do they go to hell????

and... y do they believe u get to heaven by good works

dont they use the bible as there holy book

and the bible says that Christ is the only way

so y do they think u get to heaven through good works

???

another thing..... is Catholic considered christianity?

im not critizing catholics... please dont think i am.... i am just curious on the beliefs of other non christians.. like baptist methodest lutheren... i just would like to know

i did not want catholics to answer

because i know what they believe

Answer 1

Where are you getting your information? You should probably read up on the Catholic faith before making so many claims, most of which are false.

Catholics are Christians. It is one of the oldest Christian faiths in existence.

I'm not even sure where to start on your claim about how Catholics have to do good deeds in order to get to heaven. One of the fundamental beliefs of all Christian faiths is, well, belief in Jesus. Yes, Roman Catholics believe that belief is not enough...if one were to submit to God on Sunday and act maliciously Monday through Saturday, the duplicity would probably not be enough to get to heaven.

Third, why would any Christian denomination (there are over 1,500 in the U.S., by the way) ever worship God if by the very nature of their worship, they were doomed to hell? And just who determines that anyway?

Catholics don't use the Bible? What??? Perhaps one Sunday, you could attend a Mass, during which you would hear a reading from the Old Testament, the New Testament and a sermon by a priest, who interprets the reading of the Gospel. Just a thought.

I guess it's good that you're asking these questions; I think that means you want to be informed. But the ignorance is pretty disturbing.

Answer 2

Well, despite what they think, Catholics are NOT the first Christians. We know this because the bible chronicles the lives of some of the first "followers of of Christ", which is where we get the word "Christians". None of them were Catholic. They were Jews and Gentiles (a cross-breed of Jews and other nationalities).

So what happnes when they die? We have no idea. In fact, we have no idea as Baptists, Prebyterians, Methodists, Muslims, or Buddhists either. Why? We haven't died yet! What we have is a faith in a system of belief. So, the best answer you can get of what happens when a Catholic dies is from a Catholic believer.

Now, accroding to the Baptist belief system, some Catholics are Christians and some are not. Jesus says that are to judge the fruits of a person to see if they are in fact a believer. Not all Catholics exhibit the fruits of God, therefore not all are Christians by that test. Truly, only God and Jesus know for certain who is and who isn't. It is not our job to make a judgement call on anyone's salvation. What we do make a judgement call on is, based on the fruits of a person's life, should we be ministering to them as a believer or as a lost person? You consider everyone lost until you have reason to believe otherwise.

Why do they believe in good works? A simple, simple answer given by Paul, "Faith without works is dead." While this doesn't literally mean that you can work your way into heaven or that you MUST work your way into heaven, it does mean put up or shut up. Show some proof of your alleged "faith" in the Gospel. A true love of Christ and his teachings will result in works. You will simply have a desire to do the types of things Christ did. There will be a burningin your soul to learn about Christ and how he lived so you can pattern yourself after the best test subject we have of what a Christian is supposed to be and what they are supposed to do.

Also remember, Catholics go through a system called "confirmation" so they know all about Jesus and what he did. They aren't merely doing arbitrary works for God. There is a deep understanding they have of the gospel. The difference between them and Protestant faiths is in things aside from Holy Trinity, such as worship of Mary and prayer to the saints. Paul himself, as well as an Angel of the Lord, said this shouldn't be done because, "I am just a servant like you." While Mary is blessed among women, she is no greater than any other woman who keeps the commandments of God. We also believe we have direct access to confession and forgiveness without the use of a priest. However, I like the idea of confession to another person in addition to God as this provides a measure of accountability.

Anyone who believes Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world and that his shed innocent blood offers salvation to all who seek it is probably a Christian. The truth of what happens when we die won't be known until we die. That is why what we have is a faith, not a fact.

Answer 3

Ah, theology, even more exciting the the battle of denominations. First off, the best place to go would be to a Catholic to see what exactly they believe, and even in the Catholic church you will get differing answers. You are right that Christ is the way to heaven, but what does it mean to truely accept Christ? Is it like "OK, I love you Jesus, thanks for saving me from the depths of hell, I will give you my pass when I get there" Then you kinda just skate by in life? More importantly is your own personal relationship, what do you feel God telling you about what you should do. True acceptance is not just saying you believe but also doing it. Now do we lose it if we make a mistake? We all make mistakes, its us being human, and forgiveness is God's gift for that, but that doesn't mean we abuse the priviledge. So in a sense, you could say that Catholics just put a lot (maybe too much) emphasis on that. More importantly I think is where heart is with God.

Answer 4

Yes, Catholics are Christians. I don't know how people started thinking Catholics aren't Christians because the first Christian church was started by Peter, also known as St. Peter. His church was the forerunner of the Catholic church. Catholic means 'universal'. Yes, Catholics rely on the Bible.

For some reason, Catholics aren't into the 'born again' thing. I don't really know why because Jesus said in John 3:3 'unless you are born again you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.' In the Protestant churches (everyone other than Catholic) you accept Christ as your saviour and then you are sanctified over time until you become almost completely like Christ. You are saved by grace (by the sinner's prayer) but sanctified by works. You overcome sinful temptation through His power and become stronger in His spirit by doing good, which is doing His will.

For some reason, the Catholic church doesn't come right out and say you need to pray to accept Christ as your saviour.

Answer 5

Well I am glad to hear you are saved. I am not sure what Catholics believe in as far as salvation, but if they do believe you must be born again then they will go to Heaven. I think there is different kinds of Catholics as there is like Baptist. Some believe a tad different on salvation. I have met some Baptist who believe its good works that get ya there, but we both know that good works are what they are good works. Ephesians 2:8-9- For by grace are ye saved though faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Verse 9 says Not of works, lest any man should boast. Not sure if you understand this verse but maybe others who read this has no clue.. So I will add my words to it. There is nothing we can do to abtain salvation apart from Faith in what Christ did. Good works want help us abtain salvation. If that was the case then we would boast about saying this is how I got to Heaven, by my good works. Its a gift folks all we have to do is recieve it.

Answer 6

Lutherans believe that believers in Jesus are able to go to heaven through the Grace that God has given followers of His son. We attend church because there we can gain insights into the troubled times in which we live from highly schooled leaders who have been ordained to enlighten us. Catholic means universal in Latin which was the language in Rome when such church was created to control those who followed Jesus, so there were followers of Jesus before there was a Catholic church. Many followers of Jesus then and now find catholic beliefs to be too overbearing and petty. I remember when Rome put out an edict in the fifties that the mother of Jesus would thereafter be considered another emissary to God. It was on a Saturday so I was doing something at church and our minister ranted for hours. So I have come to understand that Catholics are the idiot stepchildren of the followers of Jesus, and Christian.

Answer 7

of course catholics are Christians and do believe that you get to heaven by Jesus Christ and by following the word of the lord...not only by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior you are automatically saved you have to be good christian the bible is the holy book...I suggest you visit a catholic church and speak to a priest

Answer 8

Catholics don't believe you get into heaven solely with good works. Catholicism teaches that you are saved by Jesus. Good works go along with accepting Jesus, the two kind of go hand in hand. and yes, the Catholic Church is considered a branch of christianity.

Answer 9

Can you honestly believe in any god that would punish people who lead a good life and do good works but don't commit to the exact set of actions that one specific religion teaches?

If someone leads a good life - never cheats, never steals, never lies, gives to charity, helps people whenever he is able, etc. - do you really think that God would send that person to hell because they went to the "wrong" church on Sundays, or no church at all for that matter? If the Catholics are "right," do you think you'll burn in hell for eating meat on a Friday?

One of the keys to being a good person is to accept differences in others without judging them. Believing that only one religion's people will get into heaven is not very Christian. It's pious and judgmental.

Answer 10

Catholic is Christianity. Was started by Peter, one of Jesus' disciples. It's not through good works alone, that they believe you go to heaven. You do have to believe in Christ and what he did, too.