The Catholic Catachism teaches something that I find untrue according to Catholics themselves . . .?

Question

"Has the Catholic Church ever changed its teaching? No, for 2000 years the Church has taught the same things which Jesus taught." (Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 57).

I have seen this type of teaching on Yahoo ansers as well.
Here is a site that demonstrates just a few of those flip-flops.

http://www.bible.ca/catholic-flip-flops.htm

What do you think about this seeming flip-flop of teachings?

Answer 1

Catholics get brainwashed in their schools and know no better. That is why their schools should be shut down, they fill the children with these rediculous lies in the process of their HISTORY REVISION techniques.

Interesting site by the way.
Another that list recent issues of the Catholics Church and pagan protestant daughters is www.1335.com, especially with ROME WATCH.

Answer 2

Note that the Catholic church draws a distinction between what is called dcotrine and what is called dogma.

There are certain fundamental truths that the Christian faith has held since the first century. Things like the diety of Jesus, and the forgiveness of sin through his death. These have not changed.

There are many examples of "dogma", which is the way in which those doctrines are practiced or performed that have changed with time and culture. The Catholica church has never claimed that the "dogma" has not changed.

Glancing over the list to which you linked, each of the things you pointed to were either examples of a "dogma" (the way in which a ritual is performed) or an example of where the church has clarified a doctrine by adding more detail to its teaching about that belief.

Answer 3

I am embarrassed to say that I could tell you of changes that have taken place every week for the last few years! It seems to be happening more and more and faster and faster.....I get calls at least once a week from friends and family about changes in their parish. While these may not affect the Liturgy directly, too many changes does have a psychological affect on people. It becomes a distraction, wearies people and they decide to give it up. They come to Church to be fed the word of God and feel at home in their spiritual house of worship. Instead it is a competition for changes! Yes, flip flopping - conforming too much to the people when the People should be conforming to the Church shows instability and a sense of a loss of direction. There was nothing wrong with the way it was all left for us in the beginning - leave it alone and give harmony and unity a fair chance.....I don't see this as bashing the Christians or Church, but GETTING TO THE SOURCE AND DEFENDING IT.

Answer 4

The initial deposit of Truth given to the World by Jesus Christ has been faithfully preserved and unchanged by the Catholic Church for 2,000 years. That much is true.

That certain disciplines, practices, or laws may be modified is also true. However, these changes are not related at all to the consistent Church teaching of fundamental truths for 2,000 years.

Nice try.

Answer 5

I find the website to be scatter-brained and inadequate as a demonstration of proof of anything. Now that I got that off of my thorax! There are countless examples of changes in Church doctrine that I need not get into. I argue that very little of Catholic doctrine is consistent with the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Church doctrine has and always will be consistent with maintaining its own significance in a changing world.

Answer 6

Catholic teaching has changed slowly.

The guidence of the Holy Spirit over the centuries has led our beliefs to be more and more perfect. We call this Holy or Apostolic Tradition.

The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 C.E.

Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
+ The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
+ Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
+ The Communion of Saints
+ Which writings include in the New Testament?

Things that are even more modern like
+ Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
+ Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

Do Christians who do not allow the continuing guiding force of the Holy Spirit to make their beliefs more and more perfect, still endorse slavery as Colossians 3:22 commands, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything"?

I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. (John 16:12-13)

Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ,to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 80 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect1chpt2.htm#80

With love in Christ.

Answer 7

The cases sited on the web site are not flip-flops. Baptism, for example, can be done either with immersion or with sprinkling if immersion is not possible for some reason. Catholics aren't so legalistic as to say only one method is valid when the Bible itself does not dictate either the quantity of water to be used nor the final degree of wetness the candidate for baptism experiences.

Answer 8

Ok...let's look at your website:

"Officially, before Vatican 2 in 1965 AD, all non-Catholic churchgoers will go to HELL!"

If you click on the link, you see "Before 1965: No Salvation outside the Catholic church!" The two statements are NOT the same. The Catholic Church still teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church. Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit places you inside Jesus Christ's Church. Non-Catholics are considered members of teh Catholic Church, but not in perfect communion with the Church.

"Sign of the cross not practiced by apostles but started in 9th century!"

So what? This is a custom, not a doctrine.

"53 Roman Catholic Doctrines not found in the Bible (1400 years of doctrinal evolution) "

Again, so what? I thought we were talking about how Catholic doctrine has changed. Please stick to the subject.

"Marriage to non-Catholics was invalid until 1818 AD."

This is in regargs to law, not doctrine.

"Eucharist: Withholding the communion cup from the laity began in 1416 AD."

This is in regards to religious practice and custom, not doctrine.

"Eucharist: Frequency of communion changed from weekly to daily in 500 AD."

Again, this is in regards to religious practice and custom. In some parts of the world, because of shortage of priests, communion is not celebrated daily,.

"Baptism changed from immersion to sprinkling in 1311 AD."

Again, a change in religious practice and custom, not a change in doctrine.

"No infant baptism till 4th century."

Again, a change in religious practice and custom, not a change in doctrine.

"No Pope was considered infallible until 1870 AD"

Not true. The doctrine of papal infallibility was defined in 1870, but this has always been a belief of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has always taught that the Holy Spirit guides Christ's church. Since the Church is being guided by the holy Spirit, the teachings of the Church are true and infallible.

I can guess that at some point in your church, you started using computers and e-mail. Do you consider this a change in doctrine of YOUR church?

Answer 9

The church has and always will change in order to bring in more faces on sunday. Christmas was created to gain pagan reformation. The church began as salvation, but many have become money factories. The Catholic Church has become rich and powerful from the sins and fears of others. Jesus taught love not religion.

Answer 10

I studied a year ago with the local Catholic priest in a catechism class, and this came up......

I asked him about this topic, and he states that the Catholic church has not changed in 2000 years.

I then asked him about the justification for: the crusades, the inquisition, the edict of Wyrms (which the teach of the class stated at first he had never heard of, then told me it was pronounced "Verms"). The Priest told me "well, we are not that church anymore, we have changed...."

It is not simply a local priest's mis-statement, this is a very clear contradiction in ideology.

The Catholic church committed some serious atrocities throughout history, and to claim "no change" makes them still accountable. To claim "we have changed" makes them not as ancient as they claim. It is a true Catch 22

Answer 11

The Catholic Church will say that the teaching hasn't CHANGED, it has simply been ADDED to. But there have been plenty of changes made over the last 2,000 years by the Catholic Church, including cellibacy of priests, infallibility of the pope, virgin birth of Mary, etc.