about catholicism in one form or another at some point or another
Can a catholic brainiac please explain why you believe these things, if they are untrue, how they can be defended, and how they can possibly line up with biblical teaching, if that is the agreed upon standard.
1. they pray to Mary
2. pray to statues and shrines
3. they dont teach the bible, they teach from their own tradition
4. priests are called "father"
5. they forbid priests from marrying
6. they call the pope "the holy father"
7. they forbid the eating of meat.
8. they dont recognize jesus as god, he is merely a "person" in a "trinity" of gods.
9. the priests pressume to have power to forgive sins.
10. they believe that the pope, a mere man, is infallible
2007-08-03 17:32:19 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That is a good question, thanks for asking.
I'm an EX-catho, and just because all these points didn't make any sens in my heart, I knew the rc was a false religion, which through me to seek God even more thoroughly. All of what you mention is totally practiced in our french (Quebec) rc churches and all of them are abominations to God, so how come they do that, and still call themselves christians, since they do what God hates???
But don't try to tell them the truth, they can't stand it at all, they live for their religion, but not for the truth and God, and what He stands for!
Don't they know that the Great Whore, Babylone (the second) is the Vatican (the city sitting on 7 hills, rome is the only place in the world with 7 hills)??
You should check this site (free viewing videos) about the end time prophecies, they have good teachings, but even I, when I first came to the Lord Jesus, God showed me many things about the rc that they teach. ANd back then, I hadn't even read the Bible...
http://www.endtime.com/videos2.asp
2007-08-03 17:42:14 · answer #1 · answered by monfille 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
1) Catholics don't pray to Mary.
2) Catholics don't pray to statues and shrines.
3) The Mass has 3 times in it when they read from the Bible. The sermon is usually based upon those passages (unless the priest is just a bad sermon writer). If you go to church throughout the year, you will have heard the entire Bible and heard thoughts on it from the priest. How is it you assume they don't teach from the Bible?
4) The titles of many religious vocations centers around a family as imagery. Nuns are called Sisters, Monks are called Brothers. I think it's a great way to think about it.
5) Priests are dedicated to the life of the Church. When a priest is called away to live elsewhere, marriage can become an issue. I believe the Catholic Church will have to reconsider this stance, since there may soon be too few priests to move around anyway.
6) See question 4.
7) Catholics are not forbidden from eating meat. You're thinking of every Friday in Lent, they should refrain from eating meat. It's a form of fasting. Just a helpful hint: Avoid Red Lobster on those days...it's crazy.
8) They recognize Jesus as God. And they don't see the Trinity as "gods." (Plural) The Nicene Creed mentions that Jesus is God. "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man."
9) God forgives sins...not the priest. "God grants the penitent 'pardon and peace.'"(Catechism paragraph 1424) The Sacrament of Reconciliation consists of seeking 3 things:
--Forgiveness from God
--Forgiveness from the Church
--Forgiveness from the one you offended.
The Priest can grant absolution and bring you back into standing with the Church. The Priest can remind you that God forgives your sins. The Priest can tell you to go seek forgiveness from the one you offended. But a priest doesn't grant God's forgiveness of sins.
10) The infallibility of the pope is not absolute. It has only been invoked 2 times: The Assumption of Mary and the Immaculate Conception. It's not like anything the Pope says is infallible, which is a common misconception. But even then, the infallibility doesn't lie in the fact that it's a man doing it, but that God leads the Church. I disagree with the infallibility thing in a large part because I disagree with the 2 infallible statements. But the idea is that God is infallible.
Hope this helps!
Matt
2007-08-04 00:52:56 · answer #2 · answered by mattfromasia 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
OH my god, another one. You don't know what you're talking about and you're attributing this stuff to Catholics when it is just all misunderstood and/or in the wrong context.
1. Yes, so what? Mary is our friend, we don't worship Mary.
2. NO, they don't pray to statues and shrines, these are just physical reminders of the person or event that we like to recall or pray to (saints are our friends in heaven).
3. It's the BIBLE AND TRADITION, not either one or just one.
4. Yeah, so what? Happens in lots of religions.
5. Priests don't marry so they can have more time to concentrate on their parish (family). Some married men, however, are actually allowed to become priests if they were priests in another religion that allowed marriage. They don't hold jobs in regular churches, but usually are assigned to schools, hospitals, convents/monasteries, nursing homes, etc. not regular parish priests.
6. Yeah, so what? It's a title of respect.
7. No, they don't. How in the world did you ever hear that one? Only certain days a year, Fridays between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, are Catholics forbidden to eat meat, because in our culture it is considered a staple of the diet and we are making a sacrifice on those days. Look it up elsewhere for more reasoning on this.
8. Yes, they do recognize Jesus as God.
9. THe priests don't "assume" anything, it's a power transmitted in their ordination. They represent Christ in that capacity.
10. No, the pope is only infallible when he speaks ON DOCTRINAL MATTERS EX CATHEDRA which means he has to be addressing an issue of what Catholics have to believe, he has to specifically SAY he's speaking "FROM THE CHAIR" of Peter (with the authority handed down from Peter, the first pope.) This very rarely ever happens. It hasn't happened for years and years, not in my lifetime.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK and have a little respect. Nobody's asking you to believe, but all this information is on the internet on established Catholic websites and you're being just silly to talk this way on YA.
2007-08-04 01:02:20 · answer #3 · answered by Mandaladreamer 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not Catholic but I may add some answers I have learned.
1. They pray to Mary because she is the Mother of Jesus and they are asking for her intercession to Jesus in Prayer. It is like asking you to ask Jesus for help. He helped her at the wedding by changing the water to wine. Same thing. It is not worshiping her.
2. As far as I know the statues are not an object of worship.
They are a visual aid like a painting.
3. They absolutely do teach from the Bible.
4. Priests are called father because he is like a father of his church and those in his church are like children he cares for.
5. They take a vowel not to Mary because they are married to the church.
6. The Pope is the considered the father of the church. The first church father was Peter the apostle.
7. they are not forbidden to eat meat. They eat fish on Friday as a fast from meat.
8. As far as I know they do recognize Jesus as God the son.
part of the trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus is not God. He is the Son of God. There is only one God the creator of all that is, I must say.
9. The Bible says we all have the power to forgive sins.
10. I don't know about this question except that they consider him Most Holy and is voted as the head of the church.
2007-08-04 00:53:52 · answer #4 · answered by Rev. TomCat 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
*Is Catholic, with degrees in theology*
I am sure that you are well aware of the scripture verses for each one of these, if not look them up at http://www.scripturecatholic.com and many many other places. Thus I will not be giving scripture refs.
FIRST, "biblical teaching" is not the "gold standard" for Catholic theology. I should know. Scripture is only one of the supports for Catholic Theology. In order to do Catholic theology you need philosophy, science, reason, logic, history, understanding of literature, etc. as well as revelation and the teaching authority of the Church.
The "gold standard" is not "is this in scripture", but rather "is this true?" Catholic theology is a whole different league than much of Protestant theology. Scripture is an inerrant form of revelation but it is also limited in what it contains.
VERY IMPORTANT: A theologian's relationship with Christ is vastly more important than his ability to argue based on scripture.
Lets deal with your topics one by one.
1. Catholics pray to Mary. We understand prayer differently than Protestants. For most Protestants prayer is an act of worship or adoration. Catholics do not understand pray in this limited fashion. Not all prayer is worship or adoration. The prayers offered to the saints are prayers of petition and we understand this type of prayer differently than Protestants. In the Creed we say "I believe in the Communion of Saints" and it is because we so believe that we pray to the saints.
2. We do not pray to statues. We will pray at shrines and might have a statue before us when we pray. Or not. We pray in this way because humans are visual people and we pray with our senses not just our minds. You have to remember that Catholicism came out of a very vibrant and visual culture so it is in the social fabric of who we are.
3. We do so teach from the bible. Look up Vatican II and see all the scripture quotes. Also I would like to point out that the Bible is Our Tradition. It is the inerrant written form of part of the content of the Catholic Faith.
4. Yes so?
5. Not true. Only Roman Catholic priests are forbidden from marrying, but this rule can be and is bent. However, no priest, once a priest can ever marry, even if his wife were to pass away. This is true across the board.
6. Yes again so? Is not the Pope the spiritual father of the Catholic Church?
7. Not true. One should fast on Fridays and during lent. Abstaining from meat is the norm but this does not apply to all people and in the modern time we may substitute an adequate penance of our own choosing.
8. Not true. Christ is fully God.
9. Christ gave priests the power to forgive sins.
10. Yes so? The Pope is not infallible in all situations though. Papal infallibility is limited in scope. It only says that the Pope cannot teach falsehood. It says nothing about teaching perfectly or teaching in the best way or most accurate way.
2007-08-05 21:33:03 · answer #5 · answered by Liet Kynes 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1 We pray to many saints for their intercession. That is, we ask for them to pray with us. We do NOT worship any but the Holy Trinity. How is that wrong?
2 We do not pray TO statues. They are images to remind us of the person they represent. The statues hold no power or sanctity other than the real person they represent.
3 The bible was assembled as a tome in the third or fourth centuries by Catholic scholars using traditional teachings. Bible as a word come from the Greek "biblio" which means "source". And further, to correct you, we do teach the bible. We do not attempt to interpret it willy-nilly like the protestants.
4 Yes they are called Father. I am also called Father by my children even though the out of context command you refer says " call no man Father but your Father in Heaven". Please refer to "willy-nilly" above.
5 Priests are required to be celibate. What is your problem with that?
6 Yes Holy Father. Head Shepard. You are in the "willy-nilly" zone still.
7 Forbid eating meat? Now you are just making things up. There are certain holy days when we abstain from certain flesh as a penance to mortify and humble ourselves. Even on those days fish is allowed.
8 You are terribly misinformed. Jesus is God. The Father is God. The Holy Ghost is God. They are distinct persons and are the same , one God. It is called a mystery of faith. You have to have it to accept it. You can't fully understand it.
9. Dude, Christ passed on the power to forgive sins to His church. It is in the bible and before that it was in our tradition.
10 The Pope is infallible in matters of morals and Church doctrine when he makes an intentional effort to make such a statement. If the Pope says" I think evolution is reasonable and I believe it is factual" I would answer him "Bullshit". In that example, he would be stating a personal opinion on a scientific matter. No infallibility possible.
2007-08-04 00:58:12 · answer #6 · answered by Arnon 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'll only address those that I know.
1. Catholics pray to Mary but they don't worship Mary they way they worship god. An analogy I like to use is to see god and Mary like our parents. There are times when we like to go through our mother to ask her to ask our father something on our behalf. That's kind of the idea.
2. Same as above. I assume you mean saints. It's just a symbol. Catholics don't literally pray to the physical statue. The statue is just a representation.
5. Marriage is a distraction from allowing those who commit to religious life to be wholly and fully committed to god. If the priest gets married, he has another committment - that to his wife and possibly children. If he has another committment, he cannot commit to god - somewhere in the bible says that a man cannot have 2 masters if he wants to serve god.
7. As far as I know, eating meat is not forbidden. Catholics traditionally abstain from meat on Fridays as a form of sacrifice and penance.
8. Jesus is god. The idea of the Trinity is that there are 3 persons in one god. As it, Jesus is God. God is Jesus. Jesus is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is God. These three 'manifestations' are the Almighty God. This is probably one of the most profound doctrines in Catholic faith. I don't think I explained it well.
9. They don't presume. Catholic teachings say that the priest represents Jesus and thereby can forgive sins. But it is not the priest per se that forgives sins. It is Jesus whom they represent who forgives.
10. The Pope is a man. He's only the representative of god. Catholics believe that he is infallible because they believe that the Pope is chosen by god working through the archbishops who elect him. As representative of god in this way, they believe that god works through him. But the Pope is not god.
2007-08-04 00:48:06 · answer #7 · answered by la_lluvia_06 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Of course we pray to Mary, she is the mother of God
Yes, we DO pray to statues, I don't think that shrines are though. The statues are of a saint or jesus, or someone who is important. We pray to them, to help us.
Of course we teach the bible...not all bibles are true though.
Yes, father is what we call our priest.
Priests can not marry. It is not right for them to.
The Holy father is the name of the pope, he is a speacil person who helps guide us(mostly).
No, we do Not forbid meat!!! Only on fridays during Lent. Some Catholic's don't eat meat on any Fridays of the year though.
God is 3 persons, The father, the son(Jesus), and the Holy Ghost.
Yes, god wants us the confess our sins to the priest.
2007-08-04 00:47:03 · answer #8 · answered by Victoria 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't have the time or the patience to type up the answers to the other thingies, but I do know about this one:
5. they forbid priests from marrying
Back in the day, priests were allowed to marry and have a family. Which is legit and all good I'd say, but then the plot of land that the churches were on were family property, and this became a whole fiasco of people privatizing all of this stuff, so it just wasn't fun. So the Catholic church, a big fan of tradition mind you, forbade priests from marrying a long while ago, and this never changed. Simple as that my friends, look it up.
2007-08-04 00:39:06 · answer #9 · answered by Ana Makes Art. 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Okay, as a convert from Catholicism, I can answer some of the questions...
1. They don't pray necessarily to her, but treat her as a special person
2. Again, they don't pray to the statues and shrines, they just have them and are just a place to pray if they wish.
3. No, they teach from the bible.
4. Yes, they are called father. It's like he is the head of the family that is the church, and its just a name.
5. Yes, they should dedicate their life to god
6. Yes, they call him that. Again, just the head of one big family
7. Only on Fridays during lent (just more of a tradition thing)
8. No, he is the son of god, a part of god.
9. Yes, the Priest is a communication between the person and god, almost, and can advise you how to avoid sinning.
10. Nope, however, if he does invoke a certain power, he can claim that a certain message is straight from God, and therefore, is dogma.
2007-08-04 00:42:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
We pray to the Virgin Mary because she is the mother of God and she has a great intercession with God.
We don't pray to statues nor shrines.
We do teach the Bible.
I think we call priests father for respect.
Priests don't get married because they dedicate their lives to God, to serve God, and to teach about Him.
We don't forbid the eating of meat.
We do recognize Jesus as God. And there's no such thing as a trinity of gods.
Priests don't have nor presume that they have the power to forgive sins.
What do you mean by infallible?
2007-08-04 00:46:34 · answer #11 · answered by Lightning 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋