What is is like to be Catholic?

Question

What are the pros and cons of being Catholic? I also would like to know what a Catholic is supposed to believe in. In addituion, is it okay to marry a non-catholic? Do Catholics believe that everyone goes to the same heaven?

Answer 1

1)It's great and spiritually fulfilling and the summation of all the other Christian groups, It is really universal,apostolic and united in doctrine
2( Check the catechism of the catholic Church which is available on the Net or a local bookstore
3) Yes,if he or she will let the catholic fully practice the faith and to raise their child as Catholic
4) Yes
Non Catholics and Non Christians and Catholics who go to heaven can only do so by the grace of God

Answer 2

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:

5. The third day he rose again from the dead:

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:

7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:

9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:

10. The forgiveness of sins:

1l. The resurrection of the body:

12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

This is what the Catholic Church believes. I was raised Catholic and I went to several other Churches. I enjoyed all of them and they all had something different to offer but the Catholic church is the only church that has been around since the time Jesus walked the Earth and They still study the bible that was not revised by King James. You would not be able to marry a Non-Catholic in a Catholic church

Answer 3

Personally, if I were not Catholic, I would not believe in any kind of religion. I believe it is everything we need to know. Life would be pointless without it because it is the fulness of the truth. Why settle for second best as if there was such a thing? It can be painful at times, but also very joyful and beautiful. It is OK to marry a non-Catholic provided the rite is performed in the Church by an ordained Caholic priest. The same heaven exists for all.

Answer 4

For me, being a Catholic gives me the concrete means to live a life of grace in service to the Lord.

Pros:
Reception of the Holy Sacraments. I have received all except Holy Orders.
Being connected to history, and being part of a spiritual family that includes the Apostles and the Lord Jesus Himself.
Partaking in the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus at Holy Mass.
Being able to attend any Catholic Church in any part of the world and feel at home.

Cons:
Having to put up with anti-Catholic bigotry.

To answer your other questions:
A catholic can receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony with a non-catholic provided that the couple receives pre-marital instruction, promises to raise any children in the Catholic Faith, and receives permission from the Bishop.

Yes, as there is only one God, and One Lord Jesus Christ, there can only be one heaven into which all of the saved enter.

Answer 5

Depending who you ask ? For me, although to service the criteria is hard at times, more than enough evidence suggests that's the way things are whether you want it or not, whether you believe it or not, whether you like it or not !

A catholic believes what Holy Mother Church teaches as revealed truths of God.

You may marry a non-catholic with conditions and perhaps it is not sacramental but valid nonetheless.

As there is only one God, one Church, so on... the logical conclusion is that there is one you guessed it... Heaven.

Answer 6

Friendly, kindly.. and enjoy.... catholic doesn't force people be a catholic religion. It doesn't matter how many people will come in the church....the reason why you go to church is to thank for all the bless came in your life and ask god to forgiveness of your sins,.. Because we are only a human, the temptation is always on our back... We have 10 commandments we always follow....
view this link
http://www.catholic.org.uk/library/catechism/thecommandments.shtml

http://www.fisheaters.com/lists.html

The Apostles' Creed
is called by this name because it is considered to be a true summary of the beliefs of the Apostles themselves. It is the oldest Creed of the Church in Rome, to which St Peter himself brought the Christian faith. It is even older than the ‘Nicene Creed’ which we say at Mass every Sunday, and which is a fuller expression of the Catholic Faith. We follow the Apostles’ Creed here because it allows us to focus on the basic beliefs of our Faith.

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated
at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.

every mass, we always pray for people who suffered in sickness, hungered, poor, needs help. and.etc. we always pray for us .......................................
also yes, catholics can marry with non-catholics.. you can't say that ohh i don't love that guy/woman, because she / he is not catholic. You can't control love.
Catholic believe that there is only one god, heaven, purgatory, and hell. God has 3 trinity.. Father, Son and the holly spirit.

Answer 7

Look up the Nicene Creed. It is a statement of our beliefs.

Yes, it's okay to marry a non-Catholic. However, you must be willing to raise your children Catholic.

We believe that everyone has the chance to go to heaven.

The pros: truth, life, home, the answers to everything, unity of belief, and most important - the Holy Eucharist.

The cons: none. Wait... my sins.

God bless.

Answer 8

Being Catholic has brought me much closer to God and increased my desire to practice "works of mercy," including feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, working to free the oppressed, etc. I have found victory over "nuisance" sins that I never could overcome when I was a protestant, thanks to the Sacraments, and my prayer life is richer and more constant.

I can't think of any cons to being Catholic except people assume negative things about you and accuse you of things that aren't true -- like they say we Catholics worship Mary or think that we have to work to be saved and never read the Bible and stuff like that.

Catholics have to believe in this:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

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,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with 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 believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.


Yes, it's okay for a Catholic to marry a non-Catholic provided he/she has dispensation and both parties are absolutely free to be married and understand the Sacrament of Matrimony that they are about to receive.

Yes, Catholics believe there is only one heaven and that any person of any religious persuasion may go to heaven, because it is only Jesus who saves and He can saves whomever He wishes to save.

Answer 9

Pros: Actual teachings of Christ, and all seven sacraments, including the Eucharist, about which Jesus said: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:53-43).

Cons: Maybe not as much fun as evangelical services.

To know what Catholics believe, you have to look at what Christians have always believed since the early centuries of the faith:
http://www.catholic.com/library/fathers_know_best.asp

Yes, Catholics can marry noncatholics, with approval of their bishops. Most marriages in my parish are mixed.
http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/marriagefaqs.shtml

Yes, there is only one heaven.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 10

I don't want to answer the majority of your questions on Catholicism, I'm not the right person to do so. I was born and raised Roman Catholic (family from Italy, including myself) and have since moved on with semi-ill feelings toward the Church. I do, however, want to say that Easter and Christmas Masses are the most beautiful services I have ever been to. I also find the Catholic Church beautiful and full of wonderful art.