Problems with Catholisim?

Question

I am half Hispanic and all of my father's side of the family is Catholic. I was raised Baptist, but I claim to be just a Christian because I find flaws in every doctrine.

Here is where I have problem: I sometimes doubt on some of family memebrs (Catholics) are going to Heaven. I want to believe they will, I love them. But they take key things out of their relationship with Christ.

Praying to the Virgin Mary completely scares me. No biblical evidience supports this. But the way i see it, it is like having a false idol before God. Praying to someone else besides God is breaking the first commandment. I just do not understand this.

Some other problems are: asking a priest for forgiveness, believing the wine and bread is not symbolic when they eat and drink but really does turn to the body and blood of Christ when they do it, don't put a lot of focus on indvidual relationships with Christ, preists can't marry (everyday I hear of a priest molesting a kid). What do u think?

I am not judging, rather I am scared. I do not want the ones I love the most to perish in hell

Yes i do believe repnt ask for forgiveness and love JC whole heartedly....but having a false idol up there with God makes me wish washy

The Mary thing is still wrong...Only ONE Mediator is Jesus "the only way to the father is through the Son" not through a priest or the Virgin Mary

Answer 1

I have a real problem understanding Catholicism too. I don't pray to a woman who didn't die for me either, I don't use beads to pray (I use my heart), & I don't feel it's any man's business how I sinned. I pray to God thru Jesus Christ. A priest didn't die for my sins; Christ did. I don't see any where in the Bible where the deciples prayed to Mary. Jesus said,"No one gets to the Father but thru me". I know a lot of good Catholics & I know some bad Christians. God is speaking to your heart & trying to tell you what the right answer is. Just don't judge others in your family tho. You can't see what's in their hearts. There are people in every religion molesting children, you just hear more about it if it's a priest. People need to realize there isn't going to be any segregation in Heaven. There is no Catholic Heaven on one side & Christian Heaven on the other. There will be all races & classes in Heaven. Pray before you read your Bible that God will open your heart & mind to His word to help you better understand it. God bless & good luck.

Answer 2

The original definition of the word pray is to ask or petition. It only later took on a definition meaning worship. When we pray to a saint (they are our friends in Heaven), we are asking them to pray for us. That's all. That doesn't mean we don't also pray directly to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Yes, we believe that when the priest consecrates the bread and wine it becomes the body,blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in a very special way. If I give you a ham sandwich and say,"take and eat," and then I say,"do this in memory of me."
Just because I say, "do this in memory of me" doesn't make it any less a ham sandwich. Fundamentalist are funny. They take the Bible literally sometime. "Actually in John's gospel when he said, "unless you eat the flesh of the son of Man and drink his blood, you will have no life in you." The Aramaic word used for eat was to ":gnaw on."

God told the Hebrew people to put graven images on the Ark of the Covenant and yes it is in the KJV. When I pray before a statue I know the statue has no power whatsoever but it is just a reminder like having a picture of someone helps me to remember that person. So if you say I am guilty of idolatry then you are guiltly of the sin of passing judgement.

Less than 1% of the priest have had child molestation accusations brought against them. The John Jay College of Criminal Justice studied the issue and said most happened during the 70s and 80s. This was shortly after Vatican 2 and the church was experimenting with a lot of new ideas and changes, one being situation ethics that had been embraced by some liberal Protestant theologians. John Paul 2 clamped down on that.
Very few incidents have been reported has happening since this 90s. Last year there were only 17 incidents of alledged incidents that happened.

Answer 3

Do they except Jesus as God? Do they trust Him and Him only for their salvation? Most Catholics do. Yes they have some strange non-biblical doctrines but they are often Christians.. You know as well as I do that we are saved by grace through faith outside the works of the law. If they do religious things but hold the eternal truths as their core faith they are fine. There are many in what we would call the Church that believe in baptismal regeneration and turn around and say we are saved by faith (I never could get that one straight) but they are Christian too.. It's when a person degrades the God of all creation into the image of man. Holds a belief that we can only be saved because good works. Even to the point of having a list of things that must be done. Believe that if they follow all their works they can become like God, even to the point of creating their own worlds. They are in serious trouble.. Don't worry about the little stuff... Jim

Answer 4

I practiced Catholicism for 27 years and now am a Buddhist but I think I can explain a few things. Catholics do not pray to Mary, they ask for her intercession as she is the mother of God. If she takes their prayers to Jesus then they have more power. I don't pray to the Buddha, I only ask for guidance on my path. The 'asking forgiveness' came from a bible quote that goes something like this 'if you bind sins on earth then they are bound in heaven'.....it was given to the apostles. I don't think it's such a far stretch to believe that during the Liturgy of the Eucharist that the wine and bread become Jesus body and blood. If God can do anything, why wouldn't he be able to do that? I don't think priests molest children because they can't marry, I think they become priests to molest children (NOT all priests). I think Augustine had something to do with the doctrine of marriage as a priest would be split between earthly duties and godly duties. Again, I did practice for quite some time but didn't leave for any of the reasons you've stated. It just didn't make sense to me. Buddhism has been lovely. My family is still Catholic and I feel that if that makes sense to them then that's OK too.

Answer 5

O.K.

Mary and praying to Saints. Read my 360 at:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-sSsvitE8dLQdh.GFEEWGm_xLdhYusNPx2ykW14NEK4NE?p=3

On confession to a Priest:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-sSsvitE8dLQdh.GFEEWGm_xLdhYusNPx2ykW14NEK4NE?p=55

As for the Holy Eucharist, here is a little reading for you:

Mt 26:26-27; Mk 14:22,24; Lk 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:24-25 ... this is my body ... this is my blood. 1 Cor 11:26-30 ... sinning against the body and blood. Jn 6:32-58 ... long discourse on Eucharist. Gen 14:18; Ps 110:4; Heb 7:1-17 ... Melchizedek. Acts 2:42 ... breaking of bread. Ps 14:4; Ps 53:4; Is 9:18-20; Is 49:26; Micah 3:2-3; Rev 17:6,16 ... symbolic interpretation of Jn 6 inappropriate. Ex 12:8,46 ... paschal lamb has to be eaten. Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7 ... Jesus is lamb of God, paschal lamb. Jn 4:31-34; Mt 16:5-12 ... Jesus speaks symbolically of food.

Priestly celebacy:
Acts 1:15-26; 2 Tim 2:2; Tit 1:5 ...unbroken succession. Acts 15:6,23; Acts 14:23; 1 Tim 4:14, 5:22; 1 Tim 5:17; Jas 5:13-15 ... presbyters/elders (priests) were ordained, preached and taught the flock, administered sacraments. Jn 8:56; Lk 16:24; Rom 4:1,16-18; 1 Cor 4:14-15; Acts 7:2; 1 Thess 2:11; 1 Jn 2:13-14 ... “call no one father”? 1 Cor 7:7-9 ... Paul unmarried. Mt 19:12; 1 Cor 7:32-33, 1 Tim 4:11-12 ... celibacy. Gen 14:18; Ps 110:4; Heb 7:1-17 ... Melchizedek. 1 Cor 12 ... different roles of members of body.

Now to address your "issue" of Priest molesting children. Shall I tell you of the stories of teachers, police officers, foster parents and child advocates molesting children? How about the protestant ministers?

You must realize that child molesters are 80% more likely to be a member of the childs family - not a stranger. This issue has NOTHING to do with not being able to marry.

When you have a real argument - please come back and let me know. What you have here is VERY weak.

Answer 6

I think Catholics are Christian; the definition of a Christian is a follower of Christ and Catholics do follow Christ. I myself go to a Foursquare Christian Church, but my father is Catholic so I understand your concerns. You are correct in everything you mentioned above...Catholics do do those things and there is no Biblical support for it. The main thing that always bothered me was praying through Mary and the Saints because the Bible makes it clear you are only to pray to God through Jesus. As for asking a Priest for forgiveness he cannot grant it to you and saying X amount of Hail Mary's won't cut it either. I would just talk to them about it and tell them what the Bible says and ask them where they find the Biblical support for some of their practices...but you cannot judge their relationship with God because you do not know it. Their walk with God is a personal thing and only God can judge if their hearts are right.

Answer 7

Pastor Billy says: I'm going to go light on you because I had a Baptist friend (had keyword). I'll paraphrase Mother Teresa "Be the best non-Catholic Christian you can be" in doing so you'll help your Catholic family members be better Catholic Christians.

You are carrying many misconceptions of Catholicism and need to be more honest about the place (Baptist theology) you're coming from. Regarding abuses of authority or sins of the clergy, I challenge you to view this website http://www.reformation.com and than we can talk in broader terms instead of merely analysis of Catholicism for sinners.

Read my blog, email me or leave addition questions here.

One last thing learn some philosophy it will help you understand substance and the reality of how all early Christians believed in transubstantiation of the bread and wine. The one biblical reference John 6 which is extremely literal, so-called "bible believers" cannot accept now why is that? BTW the ones who did stay with Christ are the ones who accepted the change in the bread and wine into Christ's Real body and Real blood just as the scriptures explain. How more personal can one be with Christ than as in the Eucharist receiving his Real Presence into yourself.

I highly doubt Steve has ever been to confession to actually know the numerous penance. Steve's been watching to many Hollywood movies but it is interesting how they use Catholics as the most recognisable Christians in their productions.

Answer 8

I can understand your concern, but aren't you being rather judgmental? Your idea of "salvation" sounds like a game, with "winners" and "losers". The reason the Catholic church holds together is that it recognizes there are many types of spirituality. Protestant denominations tend to fragment because they can't undertand this. Lutherals, Calvinists, Evangelicals and Pentecostals can barely tolerate each other, each insisting that their path to God is the right one.

Not all Catholics pray to Mary for intercession with God. The overwhelming majority of priests are faithful celibates who don't make it into the news. Some Catholics are VERY personal in their relationship with Christ, but Catholics in general have a strong concept of salvation in community, as the "Body of Christ". And if it is a delusion to believe harder in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist than Protestants do, how is this harmful?

God does not see as man sees. Churches promulgate contradictory rules for "salvation" but the final judgment is likely to be more as it appears in Matthew 25: "Whatever you did to one of these least brothers of mine, you did to me."

Concentrate more on building the Kingdom, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping the poor, comforting the sick and imprisoned, promoting social justice, and you may not have time to think about whether their devotions are theologically proper.

Answer 9

Catholics do not worship the Virgin Mary on par with God. In fact we do not worship her, while on the surface it may look like we are praying to her, or to other statues in reality we are praying through them. Mary was the ultimate example of complete submission to God's will we hope to emulate her example (as well as the example given by Jesus). Also Catholics are not forced to pray to Mary and the saints, many do but it is a choice, the Virgin Mary has also appeared many times in recent years affirming our belief in her importance. (Fatima, Medugorje, San Garabaldine, Lourdes).

. Did Jesus say at the Last Supper "Let this be a symbol of my body" no he meant it literally and we take it literally in the sacred tradition of Holy Communion. Do not forget it was Catholics who organized the Bible, so who would know it better than them.

By confessing to a priest, we get the grace that comes whenever we do one of God's sacraments, not only that it is truly a sign of our repentance if we can humble our self to preach our greatest faults to another human.

As for the sexual abuse scandals, it is magnified by the media, VERY few priests do this, and these priests (that do sexual abuse) are not even close to being men of God. Thus your family members will not share in their sin, and I do not believe God punishes an entire faith for the actions of a few.

Do not worry if your friends live like Christians, they will go to paradise. You are misinformed but many Protestants are, due to an age-old anti-Catholic prejudice, which is unfortunately abound in our society. We forget to see that we are brothers in Christ, with the same mission in this world.

Answer 10

okay, first topic is virgin mary.
Not everything comes from the bible, its called sacred tradition, see there was about 200 years before the bible was made since Jesus died.

Catholics pray to saints, the bible doesnt mention this much because there werent any people dieing for Christianity when Jesus was around. But its asking a saint to pray with them, not praying to a saint. It should be praying THROUGH saints, not to them.

http://www.olrl.org/apologetics/statueworship.shtml

second is confession,

i dont know the verse, but when Jesus resurrects He says something to His apostles like "recieve the Holy Spirit, whatever sins you forgive will be forgiven, whatever sins you retain will be retained"
Now these apostles became the priests, so by continuing apostolic tradition the preists still have the power to forgive.

third is transubstantiation,
Jesus said this IS my body, he also made other references to this, such as "whoever doesnt drink my blood and eat my flesh can't enter the kingdom of heaven"

http://www.olrl.org/apologetics/cathansr.shtml#ans22

and this is about Priests marrying

http://www.olrl.org/apologetics/cathansr.shtml#ans27

by the way, not being married doesnt increase chances of child abuse, there are plenty of married pedaphiles.

Answer 11

Neither praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary nor any other Saint is idolotry, because we ask Mary & the Saints to pray to God on all our behalves.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is to a Catholic exactly what Muhammed is to a Muslim or Abraham is to a Jewish person.