Question for Catholics?

Question

Why do catholics consider it the "one true religion". They were not the first Christians in the Bible. The romans murdered many of the early Christians, before finally deciding to adopt Christianity albeit with lots of new rituals. I'm not trying to insult. I just can't see the logic in the statement that they were the first Christians when they were murdering early Christians.

But wasn't Jesus ordered to death by the romans? Yes I know the jews wanted Him dead but the romans had to OK it

Answer 1

The early Christian Church has referred to itself as the “Catholic Church” at least since 107 C.E. (about 10 years after the last book of the New Testament was written), when the Greek term "Katholikos" (meaning universal) appears in the Letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans:

"Wherever the bishop appear, there let the multitude be; even as wherever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church."

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-smyrnaeans-hoole.html

We do not know how long they had been using the term "Catholic" before it was included in this letter.

All of this was long before the Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed from 325 C.E. which states, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07644a.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.

His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).

Although some Catholics dissent from officially-taught doctrines, the Church’s official teachers—the pope and the bishops united with him—have never changed any doctrine. Over the centuries, as doctrines are examined more fully, the Church comes to understand them more deeply (John 16:12–13), but it never understands them to mean the opposite of what they once meant.

The Church Is Holy (Eph. 5:25–27, Rev. 19:7–8, CCC 823–829)
By his grace Jesus makes the Church holy, just as he is holy. This doesn’t mean that each member is always holy. Jesus said there would be both good and bad members in the Church (John 6:70), and not all the members would go to heaven (Matt. 7:21–23).

But the Church itself is holy because it is the source of holiness and is the guardian of the special means of grace Jesus established, the sacraments (cf. Eph. 5:26).

The Church Is Catholic (Matt. 28:19–20, Rev. 5:9–10, CCC 830–856)
Jesus’ Church is called catholic ("universal" in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of "all nations" (Matt. 28:19–20).

For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28).

Nowadays the Catholic Church is found in every country of the world and is still sending out missionaries to "make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

The Church Jesus established was known by its most common title, "the Catholic Church," at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Jesus founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it probably went all the way back to the time of the apostles.

The Church Is Apostolic (Eph. 2:19–20, CCC 857–865)
The Church Jesus founded is apostolic because he appointed the apostles to be the first leaders of the Church, and their successors were to be its future leaders. The apostles were the first bishops, and, since the first century, there has been an unbroken line of Catholic bishops faithfully handing on what the apostles taught the first Christians in Scripture and oral Tradition (2 Tim. 2:2).

These beliefs include the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the sacrificial nature of the Mass, the forgiveness of sins through a priest, baptismal regeneration, the existence of purgatory, Mary’s special role, and much more —even the doctrine of apostolic succession itself.

Early Christian writings prove the first Christians were thoroughly Catholic in belief and practice and looked to the successors of the apostles as their leaders. What these first Christians believed is still believed by the Catholic Church. No other Church can make that claim.

Answer 3

The early church fathers refered to the Church as Holy Apostolic and Catholic as well as Orthodox. The early Church had Bishops- which in Greek is related to episcopal or overseer- when you se the word overseer in the Bible for clergy that is a Bishop.
As I am Orthodox I can comment on the Liturgies of Saint John Chrysostom and Basil while these were named after 4th century Bishops they were bassed on Liturgies that existed before them such asthe Liturgy of Saint James used in Jerusalem. The foucus of Christian worship and life before constantine was the Eucherest you can see this by the writings of Jsutinthe Myrter that is the hear of the Liturgy. The changes in the Liturgies after Nicea was the introduction of the creed, a standardised Bibical canon. Many of the Bishops at Nicea had been on death row before Constantine converted. The major changes in the Roman see came ater the fall of the Western Roman empire. Where Bishops were privously equal with the sees of Larger cities going to ones the Synod felt were expliary the bishop of Rome wanted more athority and power which lead to the schism.
This is why the Orthodox and catholics both calim to be the first Church and the other one went astray.

Answer 4

The Catholic Church is the true Church because it is the only Church started by Christ and the apostles. They are the first Christians and there were no other although there were heretical sects aligning with the Church like the Gnostics and later the Arians.

The Roman emperor made Christianity a legal faith within the empire but I do not know of any new rituals that you claim. The Catholics were the victims of murder and not the ones doing the murder.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 5

Umm...I think you're mixing up some of the facts here.

Catholics believe Christianity is the one true religion. We believe that Catholicism -- not Romanism! -- is the oldest expression of the Christian faith, and with good reason -- we can trace our origins and our leadership all the way back to the Apostles, in an unbroken line of succession. The Lutherans trace themselves back to Martin Luther, and then jump over to the Catholic succession. Likewise the Methodists trace themselves back to Charles Wesley & then jump over to the Catholic succession. And so on. I don't know who founded the church you belong to, but it's highly likely that you can only trace it back so far and then you have to jump over to whatever Christian denomination it came out of. You should try it and see where it takes you.

Yes, Romans murdered many of the early Christians, but they were not Catholics. They were pagans. The Christians who murdered by Romans were part of the only Christian Church there was at the time, because there wasn't zillions of denominations. There was just ONE expression of the Christian faith. One universal expression of the Christian faith. The word "catholic" means "universal." So those Christians who were murdered by Roman pagans were part of the universal, or Catholic, Church.

Luther, Wesley and others broke off from the Catholic Church because they had certain grievances, some of which were well-founded. Those particular complaints were dealt with and corrected via the Council of Trent, but Luther, et. al., didn't stick around for that. They left the universal Church instead of making it right and started their own denominations.

Since then, denominationalism has splintered the Christian Church into literally tens of thousands of different expressions of the Christian faith.

This is all recorded history, and it's not hard to find the information on line or at any good public library. So you don't have to take my word for it -- study up on it for yourself and you will see why Catholics (and Orthodox) Christians know that we have the oldest expression of Christian faith because of our unbroken line of succession back to the Apostles themselves, which means we are the Church founded by Christ Himself. Of course, you are, too, because your denomination came from Catholicism one way or another -- it's not like you're excluded in this. Catholic means "universal", remember!

Answer 6

You seem to have the Romans confused with Roman Catholics. The term Roman Catholic refers to the geographic location of the church leadership and not the nationality of its members.

Answer 7

Peter was the first pope who also was the "leader" of the christians. At least as far as I know. By the way there were several books left out of the bible like the book of Mary, the book of Judas etc.

Answer 8

jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to peter, the vatican is the popes, the succesors of peter, hence the original church , the vatican is built on the ruins of the saint peters basilica. emperor constantine of rome adopted christianity as the official religion, he stopped the killing., for doing this he is known as saint constantine, and his mother helena went on a pilgrimage looking for the actual cross jesus was crucified on, they call it the true cross, they say she found it, she also went to the holy land and built churches and charitable places for the poor, she also had pieces of the true cross, some of the churches have these relics, she is known as saint helena. potius pilot washed his hands when they chose barrabas to let free, and not jesus, this was a sign, his blood was not on his hands, the people who were there at the time are the ones who did not choose jesus to be let free. i wasn't born than, so i had no say.

Answer 9

. Why does the Catholic Church believe that it is the only true Christian church? What about other churches?
Jesus said:

"thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18, KJV)

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:20-23, KJV)

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, KJV).

Jesus established only one church, the one He founded on Peter, the rock. He prayed that all His followers would be one, and He promised that He would be with His Church until the end of the world. This was recognized by Saint Paul when he wrote:

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:3-6, NIV).

One faith means one set of beliefs, one set of doctrines; doctrines which never change. There is only one Catholic Church but there are over 26,000 Protestant denominations today; each separated from the other by differing doctrines. Each of these denominations can be traced back to a single individual who was not Saint Peter or one of the apostles.

Every Christian church possesses some of the truths revealed by our Lord but only the Catholic Church can trace its origins all the way back to Jesus and Saint Peter through the rite of ordination; the laying on of hands and passing on of episcopal responsibility and authority. Because only the Catholic Church can be traced all the way back to Jesus, only the Catholic Church can be said to possess all the revealed truth. After all, Jesus founded the Church, promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against it (which means that it would be perpetual and not teach error), and promised to be with it until the end of time. Not at the end of time, but continually until the end of time. Either the Catholic Church was and is the one true Church, or the Bible is wrong, or Jesus lied.

Answer 10

You're right. The Catholics are not the first Christians.

To claim they are the first is simply a fib.

Same logic system as used by Adolf Hitler during WWII where Pope Adolf said all Germans are superior to the everyone else (which Hitler copied from the European Pope) aka:

religious brainwashing (aka fibbing) by the child crime covering up monopolistic European Pope.