i have a great love and respect for the catholic church?

Question

let me tell you why. the catholic church is the only religious organisation that is openly against the death penalty. catholic church helps millions of poor kids in poor countries with education, homes and food which has improved the lives of these kids and given them a future.
(to those who attack the catholics as converting these kids, i say nothing wrong with embracing a humane ideology as christianity which teaches people to go forward and improve their lives)

catholics embrace evolution and pluralism

now i know that you are going to hit me with answers about abusive priests and the catholic church's ugly history. but to those people i say name me a religion that is free of abuse and a violant past?

the catholic church i believe is a humane organisation and i respect it.

i am a pakistani ex muslim turned atheist who is concerned only about human rights and not divine rights
lol

comments?

Answer 1

I agree with you. I am an atheist but I hold the church in high esteem and view it as the only worthwhile form of christianity (along with Anglicanism, Orthodoxy and Lutheranism.)
If I were a believer I would convert to Roman Catholicism. No other christian denomination has produced anything like the level of philosophical thinking that the Church has produced. Low church protestantism of the kind embraced by most posters here is simply a morass - not even worthy of consideration.

Answer 2

Interestingly, we are traveling *roughly* similar paths. I myself am a former Muslim (though I was a practitioner of a rather heterodox interpretation of Islam), abandoned the "true deen" for atheism, and am now pondering the possibility of becoming a Catholic (I admit that this you did not say you are considering becoming Catholic, but I thought I would mention that I am).

I too love the fact that the Catholic Church is against the death penalty, and I also love its open-mindedness regarding the theory of evolution (as compared to the way many Evangelical Protestants opt instead to engage in mindless anti-intellectualism).

Also, I prefer the Biblical Canon of Catholicism. The book of Sirach (elsewhere called Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Ben Sira) is easily my favorite book in the Bible, and therefore I find it unfortunate that Martin Luther removed the Deuterocanonicals (including Sirach) from the Old Testament canon, forever shaping the way Protestants see the Bible.

Another poster remarked that the doctrines of purgatory and transubstantiation are problematic, but I think they are not inconsistent with scripture. As for the Church itself, Protestant critics of the Catholic Church forget that the Church came first, and then gave us the Bible. They're trying to reverse this process, and trying to make the Bible give rise to the Church.

Whatever the case, I found your post moving, and greatly appreciate you taking the time to write it. I invite you, or anyone else, to e-mail me, or post more comments here.

Answer 3

I thank God that people like Primoa are the "Christians" that hate our Catholic Church. I was homeless for over 3 years and know exactly what you are talking about. The fundamentalists will preach at the poor people, give them a lot of bogus reading materials, and tell us what we should do, but only a few of them are around when poor people are sick or hungry. They criticize our doctrines, but compare John Paul II to any televangelist and then tell me who has it all wrong. Peace be with you

Answer 4

Thank you for your respect to the Church. It means a lot. My only correction is that Christianity is not a human ideology. If it a Faith given to us by Divinity, by Christ.

Also, the Church does not rule out evolution as it may be the physical means by which God created everything.

God bless.

Answer 5

Actually, many religions oppose the death penalty. American Baptist, Reformed Jewish, United Methodist, Episcopal, Orthodox Church in America, Presbyterian, Unitarian, and many, many others.

Answer 6

You sound like a very smart person. The Catholic Church goes back to the time of Christ, and was established by him. For the person who questions it's doctrine, I suggest you open your Bible, and read the words of Jesus. He established the Church for us. Do you think you can do it on your own? Whats that he said about forsaking not the assembly of believers?

Answer 7

Nicely said Terry and for all its wrongs it is still the one true church of Christ founded on the Apostolic tradition.

Answer 8

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the Church. It does my heart good to know that there are people out there that see the Church for what she is and don't strike out blindly against her in hate.

Answer 9

if you are attracked to the cathlolic church,stay with it and learn all you can.they do a lot of good things for people. I am baptist but have a son who is a bishop an d friends who became priests. I prefer Baptist...I think baptist and methodist come closest to how a chuch should be run.

Answer 10

Hello frm Pakistan...


Catholics.... they sell lots of ebooks on google also. I love them.

Good bye