Why can't all christians come back to being catholic?

Question

I mean other churches problaly can't even tell you who started their religion but we can. We have a direct link with Jesus who told peter to start a church in matthew 16: 17-19. That same verse is in almost every bible so why won't "Christians" deny the church that Jesus told to start? To have any excuse would be denyin what Christ set up. He told peter and I quote" I will ive you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth it would be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth would be loose in heaven. So if the church Jesus set up requires something of you to not do it you would be punished to how the church said you would be punished.

Answer 1

Jesus said to Peter, "upon this rock I build my church", making Peter the first pope. Let me reiterate this for the Protestant Christians as well as those quoting the scandals of the Catholic Church. "upon this rock I build MY church". Catholics do not worship Mary and any other saint. We do pray to them in hopes they intervene with God on our behalf. This is no different than people talking with their loved ones that have passed away. Catholics only worship God. I can't even believe people are quoting the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament. Jesus came back with 2 new commandments. Love God first, then love others. You follow those 2 rules and you are following the 10 commandments. All these judgements about Catholic scandals and everything else is bogus. EVERY religion has their scandals. The Catholic Church is the largest Christian based religion and so it's scandals get the biggest press.

Ghandi once said that he would become Christian if Christians followed Christ's teachings. Jesus lived his life with love, kindness, tolerance, understanding, and forgiveness.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now and answer the question. Yes, Jesus started the Catholic faith, but that doesn't mean others will not go to heaven. Had Jesus believed others could not go to heaven he would not have had a tax collector and a former prostitute in his daily ministries. Let us not forget that the "formal" Catholic religion was not established until way after the Apostles were dead. People have been spreading Jesus message and continue to spread his message that are not affiliated with formal religious denominations.

Let's be real here, all formal religions are businesses. Look at the Boston Archdiocese that went bankrupt. If it weren't a business (non profit, mind you), why the pressure for donations and the claiming of bankruptcy? Did not Jesus say God takes care of the animals of the earth and will take care of us too?

People should not feel the need to return to the Catholic faith or any Christian religion to be "saved". Love God and one another and you are on the path of truth.

And, yes, I am Catholic and love it, the history, the service, the traditions, symbols. I've checked out others and this fits the best with my personality.

Answer 2

I am a Catholic. I will say that the church is run my human beings and that because of that there have been periods in these 2000 years when things were not run very well. There surely have been big mistakes.....I think that Luther happened to have some pretty good points and must have really been tormented by his decision to leave the Catholic Church.

I could never leave the Church----I believe in the Eucharist, which no other denomination can provide.

Also, it is important to remember that God is most merciful. You might want to try reading some stuff by Karl Rhaner who is a well respected modern Catholic theologian who speaks about something called 'Anonymous Christianity'.

As for the ignorant that just want to slam the church and say that no Catholics are christian.....true believers exist in all denominations, just as well as the ones that do not have a personal relationship with the Lord. And a LOT of ground has been made in relations between many different denominations of Christianity----I think of the joint statement between Lutherans and Catholics that came out a few years ago on Salvation, Grace and Works....

Answer 3

You can't say that the Catholic Church has any more claim to the legacy of Jesus than, say, the Lutheran Church.

The differences in denominations stem from theological and historical reasons. Look at many of the reasons that caused Martin Luther to separate from the Catholic Church. 400 years later, the Catholic Church turns around and says that he was right about a lot of things.

A good solid theological example that separates - Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that when you receive communion, you are receiving THE Body and Blood of Christ. Not a substitute, not a representation, but the genuine thing. Other denominations will say that communion is a symbol of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is a major difference of understanding.

I pray that someday Christians can all live together in peace and open dialog that will bring us closer together as one family. But the attitude you are showing isn't the way to go about it.

Answer 4

The Roman church departed from the faith that Christ established, substituting man made doctrines for the Word of God. During the Dark Ages, the Bible was available only in Latin, and it was illegal to own one privately. This enabled the clergy to hold sway over the ignorant masses of people, substituting superstition for biblical faith.

As it says in Amos 3:3, "Can two walk together unless they are agreed?" The question begs a "no." That is why the Reformers began their work. At first, they tried to reform the Roman church from the inside. When that failed, they departed.

The major obstacles regarding the Roman church for most Protestants (Bible-believing ones) are: the veneration of Mary, the doctrine of purgatory, the infallibility of the Bishop of Rome, and the continuing sacrifice of Christ in the Mass. There are many, many others as well.

On the other hand, there is a movement in the Protestant church that seeks to experience what ancient Christianity had, and many are beginning to practice Romish ideas. Icons, candles, and so forth are popping up in some Protestant churches. This phenomenon is called the "emerging (or emergent) church." Martin Luther and John Calvin are probably rolling over in their graves right about now.

Answer 5

One I would be a Catholic, but the church said I couldn't because my godfather wasn't a Catholic (yet a Protestant). Also, that's not what Jesus says in Mat. 16:17-19. Peter might have meant rock, but in the original translation it was different kind of rock, more like a boulder, when He said "I shall build my church upon the rock." When he said that he meant Himself. He didn't say the same word for rock in the original language when he said "Peter you are the rock." This is confirmed when they say in the Bible, "The stone rejected by the builder has become the cornerstone." No offense to Catholics.

Answer 6

Because I don't believe Jesus wanted us to be Catholic the way it is today. Over the years the catholic church has mixed in a lot of pagan customs to get the heathens to convert, so I don't believe that church is the way Jesus intended it to be. It has changed over the years, and if Peter started it the way God wanted it to be, then it should not have changed. In this case, it's best to ignore the catholic church and get your info straight from the Bible, and it wouldn't hurt to do a little historical research too. (I'm confused by your last sentence. Are you saying you are from the church and you want to punish me? (If you are, you should get married, that sounds like it could be a fun game!)) And I've learned a lot of things that make me think that the catholic church is the one who is going to help usher in the antichrist. Aren't they working closely with the united nations? When the united nations doesn't need you anymore, they are going to kill your leader, and demand that you worship him (the leader of the UN) anyway. Why do you think they are in charge of trying to get all these religions to come together? And they are trying to get all religions to get along with other religions. Which sounds like a good thing, but you need to think it through. Pretty soon (they really already are) They are going to start telling you that we all worship one God, just under different names. But I don't worship the same God the wiccans do, or the Buddhists do. Do you? If you don't, then don't listen to all this pc crap they are trying to get people to adhere to by telling us all Gods are one. That's crazy. Thats like telling us all kids are one. So if all kids are one, you don't mind if I switch mine with yours, right? So I'll be there tomorrow to switch kids, and you'll love the one I give you just as much as I love yours, because all kids are the same, right? You might have asked your question with good intentions, but I suspect there's a lot about the cath. church you don't know.

Answer 7

You mean why can't all denominations go back to the Roman Catholic Church? That's because there is way to many different small details that everyone is arguing about. The main one, however, that seperates Protestant and Catholic, is the whole idea of praying to Saints & Mary. "Anyone who comes to my Father must come through me" kind of thing (I forget the exact verse) is what the Protestants believe (myself included). The whole idea of praying to dead people and the mother of Jesus doesn't feel right... It's like your side stepping God, can't face the real person you're supposed to talk to. Each Saint feels like a minature 'god', which is not a good thing. That's why many Christians don't choose the Roman Catholic Church.

Answer 8

No way. The catholic church has way too many problems. I can't except the idea that some priests abused kids and didn't accept responsibility for it. I also can't except the idea of the bishops and the pope trying to cover it, not accept responsibility for it, and blaming other people for the situation. Christians are suppose to love others as Jesus did, Catholic practices and beliefs don't support that.

Answer 9

Look up the history of the Catholic church. You guys are the ones that blew it by going power crazy, by charging people money to forgive their sins, by turturing people who didnt accept your doctrine, by banning people from reading the Bible to keep them in ignorance., by introducting non Christian behaviors into the church, by chopping off the testicals of young boys so that they will maintain their high pitched voices for your choirs, by spending millions on fancy churchs that could have greatly helped the poor. My question is how can anyone with their eyes open be a Catholic to begin with, Jesus is obviously not with that church. They have already raised Mary up to be worshipped and the Saints...all of which makes Satain laugh and Jesus weep

Answer 10

You need to dig way back in Catholic history and get your facts straight.

Christians follow CHRIST and worship CHRIST. We pray to GOD in the name of Jesus Christ.

There was NEVER a commandment to worship or pray to Mary or any other "saints".

Jesus did give the apostles the keys to the kingdom ... to establish Christianity... not Catholocism