About the Church?

Question

I do not believe we should allow our Church leaders to be overbearing or too powerful in their positions. Also, I do not believe that it was intended for the Catholic Church to become as 'wealthy' or 'dominating' as it has become.
Example, the Catholic Church creates beautiful structures worth billions of dollars and stand on elaborate ceremony. Was this what Jesus wanted? I think not. What Jesus wanted for his followers to do was spread the Good News. That is to say that they were meant to show love and kindness to all the nations and be a light upon the hill. With the money the Catholic Church spends on its ceremonies and structures you would think that money better spent going to the poor and needy who need food and clothes.
Furthermore, I do not believe that the Catholic Church should pose such tight controls on its people. God wants a personal relationship with his children and no man based authority can stand in the way of that...

I do not wish to be disrespectful to anyone but this is how I feel. You may respond as you wish.

I am personally Nondenominational. I was a Lutheran but I disagreed with their beliefs on such things as abortion, etc. So if I believe something I follow through.

Answer 1

That's right !!!
Nothing I can say, you already said it all.

Answer 2

I was raised on the Lutheran Belief also. But I've come to the conclusion that most of these "Religious sects" have different views. There are so many lables that, well, can be confusing. (I.E. Lutheran, Protestant, Catholic, Baptist, Southern Baptist,(Which is the same as the latter) Mormon, etc..) But the thing that I trust is God. (Oh, and J.C.) And I refuse to go through a lable of my belief. I call myself a "Believer" because I want to understand the knowledge and truth of God, J.C. and the very reason why we are here. Jesus wasn't a preacher, he was a teacher. And he taught that the meaning of material things, and the decietfulness men allow themselves to be part of, are not good for the soul. That it can lead to dangerous and deadly consequences. And how is it that this great teacher conquered the world without EVER picking up a sword? =)

Answer 3

When the Magdalene poured the expensive ointments onto Jesus, and Judas scolded her for wasting what 'could have gone to the poor,' Our Good Lord rebuked Him, because He is God. All the first fruits of Israel are His. Our first commandment and obligation is to love and worship the good God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies, and then our neighbours as ourselves. It would be an insult to God to offer Him any less than our best. And do have any idea how many Catholic charities, how many lives are devoted solely to the service of the poor, the underprivileged, the homeless and abandoned? Have you? No other church offers as much to the poor.

As for tight controls. Narrow is the path... it was Christ HImself who breathed on the disciples and gave them their mission of leading His flock along the paths of truth, not error, even til the end of time. That apostolic succession has not been broken. It is no man based authority, but the the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, Who teaches all things and by the throne of Peter ensures that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church.

And those elaborate Cathedrals and works of art are, for the most part, donations made over centuries- signs of love. We recognize that all beauty and creativity flows from God Himself in His perfection.

I'm sorry you feel the way you do about the Church.

Answer 4

Even though the Catholic Church has a bad rap for a lot of things, it has still been used by God to do a lot of great things. The early Jesuit priests were missionaries that went out into the unknown territories, established schools, churches and medicine, and were often times killed as martyrs. Catholics established orphanages, fed the poor and helped the needy. Mother Theresa was Catholic. The Catholic church helps low income people here in the US just as it does anywhere else in the world. I say that God uses any hands that are willing to serve His will and purpose. None of us is perfect, and no church is perfect either.

Answer 5

When people love their God, they try to create the best possible place of worship for Him.

The Catholic Church is no exception. They create these beautiful structures(ie: Churches)to show how much they adore the Almighty.

This doesn't mean that the Catholic Church ignores the poor. The Catholic Church does anything **BUT** that!! Example: Mother Teresa of Calcutta, & there are numerous Catholic clergy like her in many parts of the developing world, helping the poor.

Answer 6

I fully support fine art and architecture, but I believe you are correct in that the church is probably not the best choice as a benefactor.

Do not mistake this as only a Catholic problem, though. You just have to look at the Mega Churches to see that this is a wide-spread and growing problem in Christianity.

Probably the best thing you could do as an individual would be to support a church that DOES use their donations wisely, if you are religious. Otherwise, there are many non-profit organizations out there that provide very important services to which you can contribute. Time is just as valuable as money.

Answer 7

We should not bash the Catholics. Many Protestant churches are elaborate.

There is a balance. God desired to be honored. Jesus accepted the offering of fine perfume. God in the Old Testament desired an elaborate temple.

We also honor God with our service- feeding the poor for example.

It is difficult sometimes to know the correct balance but that should not swing you to feeling anything "elaborate" that honors God is inherently wrong.

As to control, we have direct access to God. We should not be controlled by the Church. However, God ordained church leaders to lead us in our walk. If it is all done properly, the system works. It is just that we as humans mess it up.

Answer 8

You should never just blindly expect that church leaders right in everything they do and say.

How does their words and actions measure up to what the Word says?

Ask them Why they need Jesus and see what their answer is. Question them to see if they are in the faith and if their faith is real. If they get mad you can bet there is a pride issue. If they don't like being questioned then what kind of a leader are they.

If they are not willing to answer hard questions then are they worth following? Will they lead you astray? Most likely they will.

We are to ask ourselves these questions to see if we are contuning in the faith.


Are you a good person? What a question, most of us believe that we are good people because we can look around and find someone that is far worse than we are. We can always point to the things that we think make us a good person.

But how good are we really? Dare we take this test and look at ourselves and see if we really are good? Hmmm.

If you are willing try this and see just how good a person you are.

The Good Person Test.

How will you do? Pass or fail?


Have you ever told a lie?
Doesn't matter how big or small, just a lie.
What does that make you? Before answering think about this, if I told you a lie what would you call me? A liar?

Have you ever stolen anything? Cost doesn't matter, a piece of gum, failed to give back an ink pen that you borrowed, anything.
What does that make you?

Jesus said, "You know the saying of old, you shall not commit adultery but I say that if look at someone to lust after them you have committed adultery in your heart.
Have you ever lusted?

Jesus said that hate is equal to murder.
Have you ever hated anyone?

See one day we all are going to stand before a Holy God on Judgment Day and he is going to judge us based on His Holy Law, the Ten Commandments. These are just 4 of them and how did you do? Guilty? I have broken all of these and more, what about you? How well will you do on Judgment Day?

If we break just one point of God's Law we are guilty of breaking all the law and Gods Wrath abides upon us all. Based on God's Law we are all guilty and all are deserving of punishment. But there is an out for us.

Jesus paid the price for each one of us, took on himself God's Wrath so we wouldn't have to face it on our own. Jesus was beaten, battered, bleed and died so we wouldn't have to face God's Wrath. He rose again so that we would life in his presence. Our crimes, His payment.

The real question is where will you stand on Judgment Day. Pay yourself or have it paid for you. Think about it.

Answer 9

I agree with you. However, there are some Catholics that live their lives according to Jesus. Also, this is not just a Catholic problem. Other religions have built great shrines and spend enormous amount of money on just themselves as well.

Answer 10

Nevermind. Religions cannot fail to be silly at times. We have no control over it. Just do what you should do, and that will keep you too busy to try to control what others do. Just think of the huge benefit to the world, if we each focused on our own behavior, to do each activity as a perfect prayer. Think how happy it would make you to simply focus on that. Why, you'd live in bliss.

Answer 11

You are correct ...In the bible Romans 10:17 " Faith commeth by hearing,hearing by the word of God ", My wife was a catholic and said " They never read from the bible ,and their way was the only way to heaven ". Its sad isn't it ? In 1 Timothy 4:2,3 " Speaking lies in hypocrisy: having their conscience seared with a hot iron , Forbidding to marry (out of faith ) and commanding to abstain from meats,which God created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth ".