Do catholics have that whole born-again concept?

Question

like do you believe in being born-again? when does this happen?

Answer 1

Yes.

Catholics are spiritually born again (and again and again) through:
+ Belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior
+ Living the Gospel to the best of our ability
+ Daily rededicating ourselves to Jesus Christ
+ Receiving new life in Baptism
+ The forgiveness of sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation
+ The infusion of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands in Confirmation
+ Taking the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ into our bodies through the Eucharist (Holy Communion)
+ Even during the penitential season of Lent

These are a few ways that Catholics are spiritually born again. We usually just don't use those words.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Catholics believe the verse is a mis-translation. It should be "born from above." Just thought we'd get that straight first.

Rather than an individualistic affirmation, commitment and instant salvation, Catholics follow a community model. Baptism represents an initiation into a believing community and the beginning of a journey through life toward unity with God. They know they can't be instantly perfect. That's why they have concepts like confession and reconciliation, and why the Eucharist is considered more central to church life, as actual spiritual nourishment. Their idea of a relationship with Christ is progressive rather than static. By growing up in a Catholic household, a person derives an understanding of God, the Church and Christian life that develops and matures with his/her mind. So Catholics don't think in terms of being "born again", but of "putting on Christ", "living no longer myself, but Christ in me," and living a life of discovery and growth with the ultimate goal of knowing and serving God perfectly. As they would see it, it takes time to get to really know someone, even Jesus.

I don't mean to say one approach is better or worse than the other. There are positives and negatives to each. Evangelicals anxiously ask their Catholic friends if they have accepted Jesus as their savior. The Catholics reply, yes, but not the way you think. It's not a one-time deal but a series of yesses, improving or recovering each time. Catholics asks their Evangelical friends what happens when a born-again Christian turns bad. The Evangelicals reply that the conversion was probably not sincere, but that leaves the question of how to tell whether your own conversion IS sincere. The arguments are misunderstandings due to completely different explanations of how "salvation" works. They are likely in theological agreement but they have a language problem.

Answer 3

We believe in being born again but in a slightly different way that the so called "Born Again" Christians view this phrase. As the others have pointed out in Baptism, Catholics or anyone who is baptized is born again in the sense that he or she is born to a new life free from original sin. Also Baptism forgives all sins whether venial or mortal sins. So if a person is baptized when he or she is 40 or more years of age, all his or her sins are forgiven, so that person is born again because they can start their life all over. They have a new life in Christ. The old life of sin is gone and they have a new life in Jesus Christ. They are dead to sin. They are alive in God. If they died without baptism, they will die and maybe not make it to heaven. But if they are baptized, they can inherit eternal life, a new life. They can now go to heaven, the place Jesus has prepared for all the baptized. There are three kinds of baptism, baptism of water, of blood and of the Holy Spirit. All of these inherit eternal life through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Through the sacraments, the merits of Jesus are given to the souls that avail of them. If they die after baptism, they go straight to heaven if they do not commit sins.

Answer 4

No....Catholics do not buy into that stuff of being born again...at least, not in the sense of the fundies. Then again, neither do the Orthodox Christians, the Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Presbyterians and a couple of others. In other words, those that uphold infant baptism reject the born-again theory. A friend of mine who is a pastor in the Disciples of Christ church, does not uphold that born-again stuff either -- but his denomination does not baptize infants, either. He is of the opinion that "inviting Jesus into your heart" is the most UN-BIBLICAL thing going.....

ALL other Protestant groups listed above INSIST on infant baptism -- not just Catholics. The idea of being born again as the fundies understand it is "new" since the mid 1800's or so. A modern invention of man. We Catholics understand being born again as happens in our baptism (infant baptism) and when we deliberately choose to say "yes" to God of our own accord in Confirmation. Again, all of the Protestant groups listed above also have Confirmation. So, fundies.......who gave you guys the authority to change what was practiced for over 1800 years?????

Answer 5

As far as I know the RCC has not taught the concept of being born-again. the closest thing is knowing the catechism and following all the rites and rituals required. The church stays with the doctrine of good works, forgiveness through pennance and others praying for you to get out of purgatory and into heaven. There are, however some diosces that do teach that. They are rare though.

Answer 6

Jesus said that unless a person is born of water and the spirit, he will not enter the kingdom of God. For the Catholic, we are born again in the waters of baptism and we receive the holy Spirit.

After that, being "born again" means dying to self and acepting the life of Christ every day of our lives, not just on one day.

Answer 7

Catholics don't need to be born again - just other Christians. The RC's are born once and that is enough.

Answer 8

Yes, Catholics believe in spiritual rebirth. It happens at Baptism.

Answer 9

Yes, at baptism you are born again because to be born again means to born of water and spirit. So when we are baptize we are washed away from original sin and we are one with God.

Answer 10

We are made anew in Christ. The Catholic Church upolds every scripture of the Bible, which includes "Ye must be born again".

Maybe this will help, this also answers the question of "when": http://www.catholic.com/library/are_catholics_born_again.asp