To all you Catholics.....?

Question

I truely mean no disrespect just some honest answers. I love learning about others' paths but am very confused about Catholics. Catholics claim to be Christians right? How come you confess to man instead of God? How come you do infant baptism? Jesus taught forgiveness so then why are divorced couples banned from the church? Is any of this mentioned in the NT? IF so please provide scripture!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to educate me in this matter!!! (((Hugs)))

Answer 1

+ Are Catholics Christians +

Most non-Catholic Christian denominations accept Catholics as Christians. A very few do not.

A dictionary would say that a Christian is someone professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Catholics would fit this definition.

In the Nicene creed, from 325 A.D., Catholics profess:

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father.

Through Him all things were made.

For us and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried.

On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are baptized as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

We truly are spiritually "born again," we just don't usually use those words.

For a complete description of what Catholics believe, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm

+ Reconciliation +

The Catholic Church believes that "Only God forgives sin."

When a penitent person asks God for forgiveness, his (or her) sins are immediately forgiven.

Catholics also believe that when someone sins they not only hurt their relationship with God, they also injure the entire church, the body of Christ.

Jesus said, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Luke 20:22-23)

Oral confessing sins is recommended over and over in both the Old and New Testaments:
+ James 5:16
+ Acts 19:18
+ Matthew 3:5-6
+ Mark 1:5
+ 1 Timothy 6:12
+ 1 John 1:9
+ Numbers 5:6-7
+ Nehemiah 9:2
+ Sirach 4:26

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation with a priest ordained in the name of Jesus Christ not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1422 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm

+ Infant Baptism +

The Catholic Church teaches, "Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called."

Infant baptism is not a new thing. There are non-biblical documented sources starting in the second century telling of infant Baptism.

There are even several passages in the Bible where whole households were baptized. This would include everyone who lived there, men, women, children, and infants.

Acts 16:15, "After she and her household had been baptized"

Acts 16:33, "then he and all his family were baptized at once."

Acts 18:8, "came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized."

1 Corinthians 1:16, "I baptized the household of Stephanas"

St. Paul wrote that baptism has replaced circumcision (Col 2:11-12), and in Judaism circumcision was performed primarily on infants.

By the way, infant baptism is also practiced by the majority of Protestants in the world, including Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Dutch Reformed, Methodists, and others.

For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1250: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2.htm#1250

+ Divorce +

The Catholic Church believes that God does not recognize civil divorces.

Jesus said, "Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (Mark 10:9)

However there may be hope of a declaration of nullity.

The term "annulment" is a misnomer because the Church does not undo or erase a marriage bond.

Rather the Church issues a declaration of nullity when it discovers that the parties were not truly joined by God and hence a full spiritual sacramental marriage as understood by the Church was not present.

Then the parties are free to marry for the first time.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

How come you confess to man instead of God?

The very first thing Jesus did after he was resurrected was to give his apostles the power to forgive sins in his name. This was the most radical, blatant, frontal assault on evil that the world has ever known, and it still is. God knows, we need it!

How come you do infant baptism?

Infant baptism is the most potent demonstration of salvation with no works at all. In fact, nothing is required of the infant. The church supplies the water and the faith, simply because God desires all to be saved. Baptism is also always 100% effective ... at any age.

Jesus taught forgiveness so then why are divorced couples banned from the church?

They're not banned from the church. Divorce is not necessarily even a sin. But since marriage is a life long bond, established by both the couple and by God, once a marriage has been validly consummated, there is no such thing as a divorce. Anyone who splits up and then remarries is living in a technical state of serious "sin" and so cannot receive holy communion. They can however, still attend Mass, just like everyone else.

Father K already gave you the scriptures on all of this.

Answer 3

Reconciliation (also known as Confession and Penance): Penance is a Sacrament in which the sins committed after Baptism are forgiven.
Biblical references: Matt 9:2-8; Jn 20:22-23; 2 Cor 5:17-20; James 5:13-16;
Matt 18:18; 1 Jn 5:16


The practice of Confession arises from the example and command of Jesus, who showed that human nature could be used by God as an instrument of grace and forgiveness. He said "That you may know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sin..." (Mt. 9:6; Mk 2:7-10; Lk 5:21-24). The Hebrew title He used was "ben Adam" meaning "Son of Adam." This was the Hebrew way of saying "a human being." Jesus always gloried in His Humanity, since through It He redeemed us. He communicated this authority to His Apostles on Easter night, "Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven, whose sins you shall retain they are retained" (Jn 20:19-23). In this way He gave the Apostles the power to give "Peace" (v.21), which is nothing less than the reconciliation of man with God.

The text even makes clear how Confession is to be conducted. Christ's representative, the priest, must decide whether to forgive or retain. Therefore, the penitent must confess each and every serious sin, that is anything which separates him from Christ. If the priest judges he is truly sorry, He must absolve since Christ's Passion merited forgiveness for every repentant sinner. Only if the person shows no willingness to give up sin does the priest retain, that is withhold absolution, as we "do not give what is holy to dogs" (Mt 7:6).


Baptism: Baptism is a Sacrament which cleanses us from original sin,
Biblical references: Acts 2:38-39; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; John 3:5; Matt 19:14;
Luke 18:15-16; Col 2:11-12; Rom 6:13; Acts 16:15; Acts 16:33; 1 Cor 1:16; Mark 16:16;
Rom 5:18-19; Mark 10:14; Jos 24:15; Matt 8:5ff; Matt 15:21


Never heard of divorced couples being banned from the church

Answer 4

You asked some good questions. I wonder how much Scripture they will use to back up what they say. As the true Christians know the ONLY truth comes directly from the Bible.

Why do catholics call their pastors father?

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Matt. 23:9

What about the euchrist? Catholics believe that this is the actual body and blood of Christ and without it there is no forgiveness of sin so it must be done all the time. Scripture says it was only done once and there is no need to do it again because it's been paid. To keep doing it is an abomination go God.

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Heb. 10:12

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Heb. 10:14

What about mary worship? Why pray to the saints? This is idolatry and it's sin. Why confess sins to a man. The preist is just as sinful and so it the pope because they are men. What does Scripture say?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Notice the "He" is Jesus not the pope or any priest! Jesus is the only one who can forgive sin. Period.

Answer 5

>>How come you confess to man instead of God?<<

We do confess directly to God. This is a common prayer we say during the rite: "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen."

Jesus gave men the authority to forgive or retain sin (confessing directly to God and receiving absolution through His authorized agent are not mutually exclusive):

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'" -- John 20:21-23


>>How come you do infant baptism?<<

http://www.catholic.com/library/Infant_Baptism.asp
http://www.catholic.com/library/Early_Teachings_of_Infant_Baptism.asp

>>Jesus taught forgiveness so then why are divorced couples banned from the church?<<

They aren't.

Answer 6

I'm not Catholic, but you do make some interesting points.

Answer 7

We are Christians and we were the first Christian Church

Answer 8

Great questions! I cannot wait to hear the answers!

Answer 9

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/baptism.html

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/divorce_remarriage.html