catholicism: stray from bible teachings?

Question

Why do catholics ask a man(priest) for forgivinsee, when the bible clearly states that we must go through Jesus Christ?

Why do catholics pray to a woman born of sin(Mary) like each one of us, when again we must go through Jesus Christ?

Why is purgatory precehd when there is no mention of this in the bible?

The bible states that all sins are forgiven at the point of salvation, because Christ's death satisfied all God's wrath against sin. So why does catholicism make one go through a process meidated by the church and it's sacraments to work it off over the lifetime of the believer?

For those who say I don't know what the bible teaches, yes I do. I have spent the last 2+ years reading and studying the bible.
Yank, I really could care less if I *mistyped* a word.
I knew I would get a backlash from catholics, but I also get a backlash from liberals, even though I know they are wrong too.
But, let the answers continue

Answer 1

You are on the right track and asking all the RIGHT questions. If the world was asking your question, with a desire to know WHAT the Bible teaches, there would be no catholic church. In fact, this is why PROTESTANTISM exist. Many former Catholics left the church and formed the protestant movement when they began for the first time to pick up their Bibles; one example of a former catholic--monk is MARTIN LUTHER and many more before and after him. With out these men of faith in the past, the world would be much more darkness than it is in today. We would not have the Bible circulated to be read either. These men and women gave up their lives so that the world can have Bible to read, instead of depending on a priest, or Mary (a mere human being chosen to be a vessel by GRACE), or paying to save your self from purgatory or in purgatory.

In order to get an answer to your questions, you need three things: 1. Bible 2. knowledge of ancient pagan history 3. honesty.

Now, remember Rome had her own religion before Christianity came along. When Rome realized that she was fighting a losing battle trying to wipe out the christian population, she resort to a different plan inspired by Satan her invisible advisor. Constantine the Great would stop the persecution and Christianity would become the religion of the State. This knew idea sounded great, but the Christians were now in a GREATER trouble. Pagan Rome became the Roman Catholic Church, but she NEVER gave up her PAGANISM beliefs and worship style. She simply TRANSFERED all her deitys or idols by changing their names. She gave them names like: Peter, Paul, Mary and etc. Her teachings didn't change either, she simply mixed them with the true teach of the Christians all ready in existence. When the true Christians protested against this kind of things, then began the DARK AGES and the persecution of the real Christian with the real Jesus and the real teachings. Rome also tried to kill any person and FAMILY and reformer or protester who tried to preach the truth. These were the days of heartache and pain the true church. In order to keep the masses of people in IGNORANCE, Rome sought to keep the Bible hidden from public, this is why We have priest today. The Priest serve for two reason: 1. To keep people away from the true high priest which is Jesus. You don't need to ask Jesus forgiveness nor confess your sins to Him alone if you already have a sinful human being high priest on earth to intercede on your behalf. 2. To keep people away from the reading of the Bible. If they have the priest to interpret it, than they don't have to read because in this DECEPTION, only the church can interpret the scriptures.

PURGATORY is a form of GREED by sinful human beings pretending to be Holy in order to take advantage of the poor and gulliber sincere believers who do not have the Bible to know better in a dark age. Martin Luther was like one of them, but he discovered a Big Bible locked up in chain one day. He picked it up and boy!! He felt the love and mercy of Jesus and the power of the news of salvation. He realized according to the letter to the HEBREWS in the new testament, the Jesus was His High Priest!! Joy and relief came into the heart of this MONK. When he tried to present the teachings of the BIBLE to the Roman Church, he was called a devil dressed in monk clothes. He pronounced condemned and excommunicated from the church. I have not even said the half-----you NEED to read books on history of the church and the Protestant movement.

MARY----- is simply a goddess from other religions combined in the philosophy the Romans and Greeks. Again this is a TRANSFER. The real Mary would be so surprise and disgusted to see how much ignorant souls have exalted her so high, that you need to go THROUGH her in order to get to Jesus---how amazing. But for those who know history this makes a lot of since. The Roman Goddess Diana or Artemis or Ishtar and etc..., was was highly revered. She had many breasts, to represent her motherhood and many other ideas.

There is more that I can say, but this is not the place and paper. I love catholic individuals, but truth must be told. There are many good catholic christians and true too, but their SYSTEM is the problem.

Jesus did not leave us in the dark, read the revelation and warn He gave about this church before she even came into existence!!! Revelation chapter 17 and 18. The true church is also discribed in Revelation 12 , especial verse 17.
May God bless you in your search for truth.

Answer 2

Why do people insist on listening to "teachers" who have no authority from God, instead of those who are ordained by God to speak for the only church that Jesus ever personally founded, authorized, empowered, and eternally guaranteed ... which is the Catholic Church?

Why do people attempt to make the Bible the primary authority for the Christian faith, when Jesus clearly founded and empowered the Church ... and not the Bible ... a book which didn't even exist until the Catholic Church produced it, out of it's own sacred and apostolic Tradition?

You obviously have no idea what the bible states, because you have already clearly misinterpreted it's teachings.

If only Christianity was as simple as "once saved ... always saved"!

The only way anyone will ever likely achieve their true destiny in Christ is through a lifetime of full and active participation in all of the work, worship, sacraments, and devotions of the Church.

Of this, personal salvation and justification remain only a small, but essential part.

God expects a lot from his adopted children. It's high time for you to spiritually "grow up" and take your rightful place, in his true Church.

This what the Catholic Church has always maintained, from the very beginning.

For the definitive answers to all your questions, including the complete biblical references and citations, go here ... but be prepared to spend some time studying:

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

Answer 3

(1) The Church clearly teaches that the priest is only the instrument of Christ, and that it is Christ who is in the confessional hearing our sins and giving absolution.

(2) Mary was not born of sin, she was immaculately conceived. I assume you would not hesitate to ask a friend to pray for you? Similarly I do not hesitate to ask the Mother of God, the greatest saint of heaven, to pray for me.

(3) We know that when we die, most of us are not perfect and still carry some of the impurity of sin. We also know that what is impure (sin) cannot be united to what is pure (God). Therefore in order to be united with God we must first be purified (purgatory).

(4) When Christ said that no man is good, he confirmed that we are all sinful. Even after accepting Christ, we continue to fall. St. Paul said that the things he would rather not do he does, and the things that he would rather do he fails to do. We must therefore repeatedly confess our sins, repent, and get back up on our feet with the firm hope that through prayer, faith and love God will help us to become better. This is a lifelong commitment.

Answer 4

I read someone posted John 20:23 ans are using that to defend priests forgiving sins and that person is truly misguided. For only GOD can forgive sins. So what does John 20:23 mean? Simply that Jesus, through GOD, has given the twelve that ability to sit with a sinner and teach them the sinners prayer.

Remember, if it wasn't for protestant founder Martin Luther, individuals would not have a bible. The catholic leaders forbid laymen to have a bible.

All you really need to do is look at the problems inside the catholic church. For me, that tells me that if GOD was in the catholic church these problems would not exist, because GOD takes care of his people.

Mary WAS born of sin and to say otherwise is blasphemy. For only Christ Jesus was the only perfect man and was not born of sin.

Answer 5

'Forgiveness of Sins' - Read John 20:22. This is where Christ gives his disciples the power to forgive sins. Christ delegates his authority to the Church, but make no mistake...it is Christ's authority and he does the forgiving.

'Praying to Mary' - We ask Mary for prayers just like we would ask a fellow Christian for prayers in a tough time.

Purgatory - Christ refers to 2 places in the Bible - Gehenna and Hades. We lose that in most English translations. Go to Biblegateway.com, select Young's Literal Translation and look up Hades and Gehenna. Hades is Greek for Hebrew term Sheol. It is translated into Latin as Purgatorio. Gehenna is what we traditionally refer to as 'Hell' where the 'worm dieth not'.

Answer 6

Confession is biblical, Mary is biblical (the hail Mary is directly from the bible the words of annunciation), the bible specifically states that that you have to have remission of sins.
Although not mentioned by name in the bible it comes from concepts in the bible.

Everything in the Catholic Church comes from the bible or the teaching of the Apostles and their early followers.

IF you really want detailed answers email me, but most just want to hear people bash and won't look any deeper.

Why because that is what Jesus taught and the Church he left us.

Answer 7

This almost seems similar to what Mormons do. But the Catholic religion does preach the atoning power of the cross. But then the Catholic religion keep obvious apocryphal books in their Catholic Cannon also, & have other doctrinal books. So also the Mormons have the Book of Mormon.

I am one to easily discern, by the Spirit of Truth, what books are apocryphal.

And, what you build on the Rock Foundation (Jesus Christ, the Son & Word of God) that are false doctrines, then these works will be fried. So maybe there is purgatory for Catholics who have been born of God (because of the false doctrines added). No false doctrines will go to heaven. Heaven is a gift of God and not by works, lest anyone boast. But rewards for building on the Rock Foundation according to Gods Word is everlasting.

For mormons, there isn't the purgatory, because they don't receive Jesus atonement for remission of their sins as the Gift of God, but just a step towards salvation or godhead. Then their salvation is by works & they may go to a place of rest, just not heaven with the Lord. They will be in the resurrection of the dead at the Great White Throne Judgment where they will be judged according to their works. Then if they reject Jesus atonement even on their death bed, then the go to hell fire for now.


Why would people pray for the dead or baptize for the dead. The dead hear not and they didn't believe in the Resurrection nor Jesus Christ when they were alive on earth. That is why the dead souls go where God puts them with the other dead souls in the sea, where other dead are, or where the dead are in hell or in hell fire. That is why Maccabbees is concidered false (apocryphal) is because they pray for the dead souls. They are sleeping or in hell fire until the great White Throne Judgment. They aren't going to be part of the 1st Resurrection no matter how much you pray for them or baptize for them.

Answer 8

I'm afraid you don't know your Bible as well as you might think you do. Everything that you've mentioned is either in the Bible or can be inferred from it.

Jesus Himself gave the apostles and their successors the ability to remit or retain sins:

John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Note that forgiveness comes only from God, but it is transmitted through His representatives on earth, the ordained priests who hear Confession.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a member of the Communion of saints in Heaven. Like all other believers, she is alive to God:

Luke 20:38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

Because she is alive in Heaven, she can pray for our needs, the same as any other believer can. It's no different than asking your earthly mother or sister to pray for you.

Purgatory is inferred through several Scriptures, including one in Maccabees, which Protestants conveniently ignored and removed from their Bibles. One verse in Maccabees states that it is a good and wholesome thing to pray for the dead. If their eternal fate is already decided, then there would be no reason to pray for the dead.

And finally, there is a difference between being forgiven of sin and still having to satisfy the justice of God for the consequences of those sins. Jesus discusses this concept in the following verse:s

Matthew 5:25-26 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

It's the same principle as if you were pardoned by the governor of your state for committing a crime, but you still had to paid restitution in civil court to the family of your victim. (Think O.J. Simpson, for example.) Absolution means that you are pardoned for your sins, but you may still have to deal with the consequences of them.

So the teachings of the Catholic Church are based on sound Scriptural principles, whether you choose to believe it or not.

Answer 9

For the first 280 years of Christian history, Christianity was banned by the Roman empire, and Christians were terribly persecuted. This changed after the “conversion” of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine “legalized” Christianity at the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313. Later, in A.D. 325, Constantine called together the Council of Nicea, in an attempt to unify Christianity. Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion that could unite the Roman Empire, which at that time was beginning to fragment and divide. While this may have seemed to be a positive development for the Christian church, the results were anything but positive. Just as Constantine refused to fully embrace the Christian faith, but continued many of his pagan beliefs and practices, so the Christian church that Constantine promoted was a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism.

Constantine found that with the Roman Empire being so vast, expansive, and diverse – not everyone would agree to forsake their religious beliefs and instead embrace Christianity. So, Constantine allowed, and even promoted, the “Christianization” of pagan beliefs. Completely pagan and utterly unbiblical beliefs were given new “Christian” identities.

Answer 10

I am not a preacher and I ain't going to preach to you honorable ladies and gentlemen here, but you do know, I presume, that your attitudes, your sneering, and your hateful words do Christianity no favors? (Poster, I just now pushed the Spell Check which Yahoo provides, and I recommend it to you).