Catholics help?

Question

I am impeccably sorry, but i do not understand your religion. SHouldn't all branches of christainity follow the bible, since all of it is true and just. Where is this "virgin Mary" becoming a symbol of praise or symbol to praise. i just dont see it, and if i miss it, can you show it to me??? and what about all the sections of hell and pergatory and all these other things. WHERE does the bible say all of these things. i wish someone can show me, becuase where i see it, it is a fallen religion.

Answer 1

Its not in Scripture that is why you do not see it.

Roman Catholics consider tradition to be equal to Scripture (its a tad more complicated than that but that is it in a nutshell). The things you bring up here are some of those traditions.

They take Matthew 16:19 and say the church may bind these things (as well as the idea that the Holy Spirit can reveal apart from Scripture to the head of the Church).

Answer 2

You really are asking some pretty complicated issues and issues which have caused confusion in Protestant groups for centuries... So I will have to use references for you to reseach.

However I am glad you believe that the Bible is true and just. Just how did the Bible become the Bible. How did the early Christians know that the Didache and the Shepard of Hermes were not to be included in the Bible while Hebrews and Revelations should? It was decided at a couple Catholic councils around the year 400. Before that date there was no sense of Canon. Martin Luther understood this and he wanted to remove the book of James from the Bible.. So you do accept Catholic authority to at least choose the right Books for the Bible.

Mary: Technically Catholics venerate Mary but praise is restricted to God. Catholics believe that Mary should be called "blessed" and Catholics call her blessed twice, every time they recite the "Hail Mary". If you look in Luke 1:48 it says that "all generations will count (Mary) blessed." Where do Protestant fulfill this scripture?

For more infomation on Mary see:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/blessed_virgin_mary.html

Concerning Purgatory: Catholics were just following what the Jews before them did. Now the word "purgatory" wasn't coined until the middle ages, but the concept dates before the time of Christ. You can find historical references to it in the book of Macabees. In the New Testament we find a number of references to a state of purification before our souls enter the holy of holies. In 1 Cor 3:15 deals with the judgement of believers and says, "if any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet as through fire." This doesn't exactly fit the Protestant image of death and immediate joy and glorification with God for believers.

For more information please see:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/purgatory.html

There's a lot more in those references please study them, and keep seeking after God.

Answer 3

The Catholic faith does follow the Bible. In fact the NT was written by Catholics about the Catholic Church and the faith delivered to the disciples. That is why the bible is a part of Sacred Tradition and none of Catholic teachings conflict with Scriptures. There are those who are critical of the Catholic Church as prophesied in Scriptures as those with itching ears unable to endure sound doctrine who say that Catholics contradict Scriptures but these accusations have no veracity.

As for St. Mary, the Bible certainly says that Christians will honor her as blessed and you can find this in Scriptures where the Angel came to Mary and addressed her, proclaiming her blessed among women. Purgatory is also supported by Scriptures. therefore your criticisms are unfounded.

But, take Protestantism, there is a can of worms of theological speculation, division and false teaching. But, of course, the Scriptures never promised that the Protestant churches had the truth , only the Church created by Christ, the Catholic Church has that promise.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 4

Why would anyone expect a Chuch that was personally founded, authorized, empowered, and guaranteed by Jesus Christ, that PREDATES the Bible, and that WROTE the entire new testament, be in any way SUBSERVIANT to it?

The only reason you don't understand all these things is because you were indoctrinated by a faith tradition that has little in common with the true and authentic Christian faith, that made up their own self-serving rules, in opposition to the true church, and that did all this with no authority from God whatsoever.

The Catholic Church will never become a fallen relligion, because it will always belong to Jesus, and he won't permit it.

The only fallen religions are the ones that broke away from the authentic truth, power, and grace of the Catholic Church.

Your ignorance of some of the most basic understandings of true Christianity, that even the original protestant reformers believed and observed, is more than suifficient proof of this.

Answer 5

Catholics have 2 foundations, the bible and human traditions - the first provides the roots while the latter provides the window for growth and takes human history into consideration. The virgin Mary is not praised or worshipped, but is honored as Jesus' mother and venerated to intercede and pray for us...much like the saints.

Answer 6

It is all in how you read it. I know that it seems obvious to you, but the Catholic position is just as obvious. During the Reformation, the Roman Catholics rushed to produce one of the first Bibles in English, and passed them out all over Europe. Why? Because they assumed that when the common guy on the street read the Bible he would see that Catholicism was obviously Biblical.

But your view of the role of Scripture in Christianity is based on centuries of Protestant tradition. While the Bible was always valuable to the Church, it was never taken as the absolute rule of all faith and practice. The canon of Scripture was not formalized (ecumenically) until the 7th century at the Council of Trullo, and even then the canon did not match the books found in any modern Bibles (Protestant or Catholic).

Answer 7

It is obvious that you believe in Sola Scriptura (Bible alone).
Sola Scriptura doesn't make since. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Bible is the only authority. As a matter of fact is says that the Church has the divine authority to govern (Matt. 16:13-20 and Luke 10:16). The Bible also tells us that the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth (Tim. 3:15). Finally, the Bible clearly states that not everything is recorded in the Bible (John 21:25) So how can the Bible be the only authority when it clearly says that it isn't?

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 8

sure, i'm a practising Catholic. I do sense undesirable while, at Christmas and Easter, all those "two times a year" Catholics pop out - yet then I understand that it must be worse. it ought to okay be conceivable they do no longer pop out in any respect. this is common for somebody, who attends Church each and every week, to bypass to Mass on Christmas, Easter, and Holy Days of criminal accountability. I commonly ask your self merely how lots greater durable it relatively is for human beings, who do no longer attend Mass many times, to get out and bypass to Mass some time in line with year. we will not think of it, as a results of fact all of us comprehend what we'd be lacking. i do no longer think of those "two times a year" varieties can completely take excitement in what it relatively is they are lacking. in the event that they did, that they had be at Mass greater suitable than two times a year. i'm proud to be Catholic, so this is each and all of the greater disappointing as quickly as I see human beings taking an "oh hum: suggestions-set in the direction of their vocation as lay Catholics. All we are able to particularly do approximately it relatively is pray, and desire that they occasion we set will, sometime, motivate them to start up residing the Catholic existence-form all year around.

Answer 9

You can try to get scripture all the live long day out of these people.All you will get is web sites.They don't read the Bible.If they did there wouldn't be a catholic cult.Read Lev.26:1 and 1 Tim.4:1-3.This faith if you can call it that is of the Antichrist.

Answer 10

Scripture Catholic is an excellent resource:

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is extensively referenced to Sacred Scripture:

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

And there are many, many Catholics who have taken the time to write out explanations of the Catholic understanding of Sacred Scripture including purgatory and Mary:

Bible Christian Society: http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/

Catholic Answers: http://www.catholic.com/

Catholic Bridge: http://www.davidmacd.com/catholic/index2.htm

What I find puzzling is how Protestants can accept if men who were so full of the Holy Spirit that they were able to discern what was and was not Sacred Scripture and establish a canon, how then do you reject what they believed those Sacred Scriptures taught? Catholic "Tradition" with a capital 'T' is best understood as the authoritative interpretation of Sacred Scripture.