I just dont get Catholicism?

Question

I must add that im not trying to offend anyone with this ? b/c i HAD been raised catholic all my life. It was like one day i woke up and realized something aint right. I dont understand praying to saints, who were really human beings like you and me. They are not god so praying to them is just weird to me i dunno. Then theres basically praising Mary like she is god. She is the mother of jesus, i get all that, but again she is human. She was flesh just like you and me. God even says though shall not have any other gods before me and people pray and give thanks to mary like shes god??? Finally if you go into a catholic church, it is absolutely dead. There is no holy spirit there whatsoever. The priests dont even seem to b xcited to b there. People say the same things over and over every sunday. Compare that to a baptist church where people are jumpin up and down praising god, and every1 can feel 'IT'!!!! I dont feel nothin at a catholic church, except bordum clarity plz!!?

Catholicism to me honestly just seems more like an institution rather than a religion???

Catholicism to me honestly just seems more like an institution rather than a religion??? And the whole coming to a priest to have my sins forgiven?? What?!! Cant i just pray to God myself and ask him for forgiveness

Answer 1

It doesn't say anything in the bible about "jumpin up and down praising god, and every1 can feel "IT"" either.

If any of the religions are right, only one religion can be the correct one, good luck picking the right one!

Answer 2

As a Christian ecclesiastical term, Catholic - from the Greek adjective καθολικός, meaning "general" or "universal"- is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows:

~Church, (originally) whole body of Christians; ~, belonging to or in accord with (a) this, (b) the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or Western, (c) the Latin Church after that separation, (d) the part of the Latin Church that remained under the Roman obedience after the Reformation, (e) any church (as the Anglican) claiming continuity with (b)."
Leaving aside the historical meanings indicated under (b) and (c) above, the Oxford English Dictionary thus associates present-day Catholicism with:

(a) "the whole body of Christians". The actual extension of Catholicism in this sense varies with the different understandings of what it means to be a Christian.
(d) "the part of the Latin Church that remained under the Roman obedience after the Reformation", i.e. the Catholic or Roman Catholic Church. This definition of Catholicism should be expanded to cover the Eastern particular Churches that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, and that the Church in question sees as no less part of Catholicism than the Latin particular Church.
(e) "any church (as the Anglican) claiming continuity with the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or Western". Churches that make this claim of continuity include not only those of the Anglican Communion, but, among others, the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Assyrian Church of the East. The claim of continuity may be based on apostolic succession, especially in conjunction with adherence to the Nicene Creed. Some interpret Catholicism as adherence to the traditional beliefs that Protestant Reformers denied (see, for example, the Oxford Movement).

Answer 3

Catholics don't pray to Mary or the saints, we ask for their intercession, just as other christians ask their friends and family to pray for them.

You have to remember that the Mass is a solemn event. We are remembering Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Of all the things that Jesus commanded us to remember, it was that we remember the Last Supper, which Catholics view as the First Eucharistic Celebration.

You go to a liturgy to honor the Lord, not to be entertained.

Rest assured, there are many charismatic and Spirit-filled Catholics, laity and clergy alike, but the Catholic Church believes that speaking in tongues and bouncing around is inappropriate at a Mass.

Catholics do have charismatic services and conferences that are definitely lively and spirit filled. You just haven't looked for them.

Answer 4

Continue to read the bible and make these discoveries for yourself. My husband and his family are devote Catholics and before we wed I did a lot, A LOT of research and found myself asking the same questions. The only person that the Bible instructs us to call out to in heaven is God and his son Jesus, and his helper, the Holy Spirit. It is biblical that we are to "enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and praise" if you read in the book of acts then participation of the Holy Spirit is evident in speaking in tounges, dancing and praising..but you won't hear about that in many churches that don't accept it as Christian behavior. The Saints and Mary where Holy people chosen by God to help spread HIS message because HE is God and the only one worthy to be praised. The bible also clearly states that the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) washed away our sins and continues to do so when we ask him with a sincere heart today until the day he returns. Don't listen to the rules of ANY church until you research and discover it for yourself. The bible instructs us to seek the truth AND to test it, test everything because this is YOUR soul that God has granted you. It isn't father so and so's or this person's or that person's, it is yours. Seek the truth through His word. The Bible says if you go to him, he will come to you.

Answer 5

You are correct about catholicism but incorrect about baptists. All christian cults have a set of beliefs that make no sense. You can go to a death metal concert and feel the spirit in the audience. That doesn't mean that you should go out and get a satanic tattoo.

Please be as critical of the baptists and the bible as you are of the catholics. Ultimately, if there is a god, you don't need religion to relate to him. Living according to the golden rule is all that a god should want.

Answer 6

Mary and the Saints are especially close to God and can possibly intercede for your prayer. The Catholic God does not (or rarely) speak directly to man. This is not idolatry, it has to do with the Theology and Magisterium of the Church.

Your religious thinking sounds remarkably like evangelicalism - you sure you're Catholic?

Answer 7

You don't go to Church because it excites you. You go to Church because God said to. You were not Catholic when you were in the Church if that much is even true. "If they leave us, it is proof that they were never with us to start with" St Paul.

The Catholic Faith is a pure gift. Those that can accept it should and those that can not be sure and keep up the smut against your Mother because I am sure it will be properly rewarded at the last.

Answer 8

Catholics ask saints to pray for them just like normal christians on earth pray for others... saints we believe are in heaven an can pray for us. Mary is just honoured as the mother of God so catholics think high of her, yes some catholics honour her alot but all who honour her are actually honouring God who worked through her. If you find your church not exciting then search for a new church... church is a place of soleminity and worship to God in seriousness not dancing around even though that's what you feel like doing that is why the liturgy of the early christians forbade dancing. Catholics do go ask God forgivness directly on sins which are venial but since mortal sins are serious we go to the priest so he can abolish our sin but only God forgives and takes away our sins as Jesus told his apostles in

John 20:21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him: We have seen the Lord. But he said to them: Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Jesus instructed his sins to forgive sin or retain a priest is there to instruct you on what to do to change your life, he also seeks to know if your truly repentant and instructs you to do good on your sins ... for example if you stole something he'd instruct you to return it. Jesus instructed his apostles to forgive and retain sins that so the apostles through apostolic succession past this ability on to other priest and bishops. I seriously don't know where you go to church but the ones I go to our alive and everyone is singing in praise and I have never been bored... I'm sorry that you feel like this about catholicism but I'd advise you to pray God wants you in his church.

Answer 9

Uh oh. He's becoming rational.
Intervention! Intervention!

"Catholicism to me honestly just seems more like an institution rather than a religion?"

You have the makings of an intelligent, thinking individual. The deity of your choice has blessed you with abilities that not all people were awarded. Good luck with your new found realizations, and use your power wisely.

Answer 10

Any serious religion is about learning to control yourself, discipline, silence and meditation. Everything that helps you achieve those goals is legit. Jumping around like a monkey singing and shouting I don't think counts.