Serious question here and I do not mean to offend.......?

Question

I am wondering if you teach and study only what you believe or if you teach and study where that belief or faith came from? I am a Catholic and our children are taught their faith and the history behind it. We are taught it should not be a blind unreasoning thing that one should continue learning their whole lives. Has anyone else studied where their faith came from as well as why and what they belive? If you don't know your past how can you know your future?Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it.

I am not asking for your feelings about anothers faith but if you have studied yours.

No actually I was raised Baptist. I chose Catholicism.

Now that is odd. I have never in my 23 years of Catholicism been told to not learn and not read the Bible. Nor have my children All of the priests I have known and there are many have told me to read. We have Bible studies and my sons study the Bible in Religion class.

Answer 1

wonderful question Debra and i totally agree that we should be taught the history of our religion
as you know i am spiritualist and this is so important to our teachings
as for the modern spiritualist movement
we know that the Fox sisters and the hydsville rappings on March 31st 1848 were the first recorded event of spirit communication and how the spiritualist movement began there and was brought shortly after to the UK
i have enclosed a link below if you are interested that is a brief account of the history xx

Answer 2

The biggest problem with people studying is that they don't know how to qualify their sources ... to find out if they're truly unbiased.

Anyone who spends time in this Yahoo section can read comment after negative comment about Catholicism, yet most of commenters have never learned anything about Catholicism from unbiased sources.

They simply repeat falsehoods they've been told by someone else, or those that they've read in a some similarly biased publication.

Anyone who wants the straight dope on Catholicism ought to go to the official source, which is the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

That's where you can find a complete explanation, including scriptural citations, detailing everything Catholics believe.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm

If such a document existed for any or all the various protestant denominations, I would certainly want to view it, as well.

Answer 3

Yes, I was raised presbyterian, and then read the bible and found out that I had spent my entire life observing the sabbath on the wrong day. That Constantine is the one who changed the sabbath to Sunday in order to convert more pagans, who worshipped their fake gods on Sunday. So no, it wasn't changed because Christ rose on a Sunday, and it's not okay to pick any day we want. "Remember the sabbath and keep it holy" means don't change it to Sunday and its not muliple choice, its Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, the same time Jesus observed it. Actually, I found out quite a lot by simply reading the bible. I'm amazed that you stayed with the catholic faith after having read the bible, since many catholic teachings are simply unbiblical. Course, like I said, mine was unbiblical too. I still attend a presbyterian church, because most of the correct sabbath churches are way out there in la-la land, except the Messianic Jews, and they don't have any churches anywhere near me. The thing is, after we really read the bible, do some study, how do we keep on attending churches we know to be wrong? I have a hard time with it, but basically I guess the sabbath thing is the only problem I have with mine. I can still observe the sabbath on the right day, and attend services Sunday. I can attend services anyday, as long as I remember to honor the actual sabbath on the right day. So that's my biggest problem with my church. How do you deal with all the statues at yours? I have nothing against the catholic church, some of the most beautiful services I've ever been to are catholic, they're very reverent, compared to some of the baptist churches, which I can't deal with. All that yelling and stuff, just doesn't seem very reverential, but that's just me.

Answer 4

Hi Debra, I understand that you were raised in the Catholic faith. I was raise up pentecostal without ever questioning it. As I got older I saw some things in my church that did not line up with the Word of God. I had to ask myself why is this going on, when the Word of God says it shouldn't. Now I am not harping on Catholic churches because this has happened in a lot of other denominations as well. Your pastor or priest molests the children in the church. Do you ever ask yourself why that happens? And that there is a answer in the bible for it. It is not good to just blindly follow your faith. Asking questions is a good thing no matter what church you go to. Moses and the apostle Paul were two bible who grew up all their life studying what they believe was true. But both of them encountered forks in the road which made them question what they really believe.

Answer 5

I have never known a RC who is truly "devout" to study out of the teaching of the RC... every RC I have ever know has said they are told not to do that by their priests... most all have told me they do not need to read the bible because the priest tell them what is in it... All RC I know now are told not to take literature from non RC....

I had only the bible stories given to children from my preteen years, and not much of that... When I recieved my Salvation at 53yrs. I did not even own a Bible. And it was no man who "saved" me... It was just God and me...If yo wold like to read my testimony of my first day of The Christian Faith I will post the link to it.

I know now that all of The Faith are to study on their own and with other believers to increase their knowledge of God's Word... As best each is able. I indevor to do this...We are not forbiden to study the works of those who believe differently that we... But for those of the True Christian Faith there is absolutly no chance that anywill ever...and I mean ever... "convert" or "leave" The Christian Faith. Once one knows The Truth there is no Turning to lies...EVER... once of the True Christian Faith, Always of The Faith

http://pages.zdnet.com/mikevanauken/mikesinternetoutreach/id109.html

All honest seekers welcome

Answer 6

Knowledge of history, as well as ones background and history of their faith is paramount to understand why things are as they are. If you do not have an understanding or knowledge of the past, and choose to be lead blindly into the future. Then you are at the mercy of those leading you, and in most cases they will lead you to where they want you, be it good or bad. One should learn from those teaching, but also one should question, seek answers and seek knowledge on your own. You may or may not find things that you have been told to believe are true, or not true. Either way, without knowledge and research on your own, you will be lost. I have studied my own, and did the research myself and asked questions. What I found were both truths and lies. Take the step and learn. Good luck.

Answer 7

some worship God some worship the devil, and some worship science.For the most part everyone thinks one of these are true. so let the ones that worship God study and learn about him and take part in all God has to offer. and the ones that believe in the devil do the same. and also the ones that believe in since. at the end of life we will all know the truth.are we can look for the truth while we are on earth and be open minded until we find the truth. I hope everyone finds the truth they are looking for and i have included this site as a place to start for some and a place to end for others that thank they know what is true good link http://the-heavenly-home-page.blogspot.com/

Answer 8

When I teach, I tell my students where Paganism came from. The first people on Earth saw a big ball of fire rising in the East and observed that it moved on its own and kept them warm and nourished the earth so that food would grow out of it. So they called it God. That's just one example of where Paganism originated. I think teaching the history is important as well, and I make sure they know about the Inquisition and Salem too, even though those people weren't real Witches. Blessed be.

Answer 9

I believe a person should be first grounded in the word. Then go ahead determine and divide the world.
The other way around is ever so much harder. It is so easy to find fault with every religion, but I think it is better to find similarities in them. I can no more tell a Catholic what they should do than I can tell a Muslim what they should do.

I can and at times will tell some one what I should do.

If in your heart you hear the truth your fine if not find the truth!

Answer 10

Excellent point.

The whole Bible must be understood from this context as well.

Most Christians have little understanding about the true theology of the Bible. That is why the church was so important in deciphering the Bible. Without the church, each believer can imagine his own meaning to each verse.