How much of a Christian are you?

Are you Catholic? May I have an example of what the Catholics withheld?

At this point my conspiratorially minded friends usually tell me, in no particular order:

The Merovingian Heresy
All the guff about the Knights Templar
The Last Secret of Fatima
The Gnostic Gospels
etc.

By definition, everything IN the Bible is actually taught/ available for reading....

sure here are some

>They dont encourage people to read their bible because they are afraid of people changing religion.

>the principles of tithing

>The "Our Father Prayer" did you know that the word listed before that prayer is "pray like this" not "pray this" ...why Catholics always repeating that prayer..

>they teach people to practice again and again prayer even if its not in the bible.

more more more..

I see that there are many misconceptions about Catholicism. One thing though, the Bible is taught from preparatory school and learning about Salvation History is one of the most enjoyable sessions in convent schools. I empathized with Job and Jabez ever since I can remember. Ruth and Naomi is a favorite story. And the Lord's prayer is invoked each time I want to praise God, or when I am in need, or when I sense that temptation is near. It is a wonderful prayer. It is Jesus' prayer.

I like what you said. You prefer coming to God in honesty, not tradition. Paul wrote that if we are led by the Spirit, then we are true believers. So many only practice Christian rituals, but do not have a relationship with God. Rituals are meaningless, relationship is what God seek. Look at the prayer of David in Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." He wanted to walk before God with a pure heart.

See also Isaiah 1. God holds it against Israel that they keep all the rituals, but their heart is far removed from Him.

May you be blessed for seeking to follow God in rightiousness. You are a good excample for many of us.

Blessings

Hi steelmoggy, a mentor once told me that each moment of our lives must be lived Christ-like, that is, if we die the next moment, we are ready to be with our God. Isn't it that means that the Holy Spirit must dwell in us all the time? And that God wants us to make Him our habit all the time?

That's a very good poiint, but I know that I couldn't manage it.

For example, this evening I REALLY lost it with soemone who's been 'winding me up' for some months now - I wrote them a very curt note and have effectively ended our friendship.

Had I gone to take communion in that stae of mind it would not be good, IMO. I need to bring msyelf back in to a state of mind where I can genuinely ask for forgiveness with a sense of repentance - basically mean it when I say the confessional prayer at the start of the service.

I'm not convinced anyone can keep that way 24/7 - I for one am only human.:)

Hey, there is this old saying that goes - Make new friends but keep the old, those are silver, these are gold. This is an unsolicited advice but friends could truly be a pain in the ... ( sorry for the terminology, couldn't think of a more appropriate one right now) but it does not mean we have to terminate the friendship. God is a forgiving God, we must be forgiving, too, even if we are not God, ha ha. Give yours friend and yourself a breather. Patch things up later when cooler heads prevail. Hey, steelmoggy, it's all right to receive communion even if we felt angry moments ago. God is so swift in forgiving He had done it the moment you realized you offended Him.

Thanks for that - the person involved and I have had difficulties in our relationship for some months now - they're not too happy with me taking my Christian beliefs as seriously as I do, and a few other things. I'm not sure what I've done wrong, and have asked, and the eprson has refused to tell me....so I'm afraid that in order to keep my own sanity I need a loooong break form this person!

But I'll take on board what you say!

Yes! And I'd be here saying prayers for you. God bless you always, steelmoggy.

Hi sweetchariot, Fr. Mario's mass was broadcast live on television. Am sure many had heard his story. But you are right, we must disseminate further to the ends of the earth. Let us keep on telling...

Am sorry, lotterylover, but the evangelicals have so many denominations with varied beliefs I could not provide you statistics. My cousins who are Pentecostals say that they could hear mass in a Catholic church because Christ is also present there. The Catholics though contend that the Holy Communion is so sacred that one must cleanse first before partaking. That is why the sacrament of confession is there, to purify one before allowing oneself to be in communion with God.

I am with you about the communion being a very sacred process and that you should cleanse yourself before partaking but I believe I can go straight to Christ for that and whomever I may have offended. I know that confession is also a good for the soul but then again it should be to the person you have offended.

We could go straight to Jesus and ask for forgiveness if our sins are light. But if the sins are grave such as abortion which is tantamount to murder, and premarital sexual activities which is a grave abuse of the body (the temple of the Holy Spirit), or rumor mongering which actually is stabbing one's neighbor, I believe that we need a man of God to affirm that our sins had been forgiven. Jesus said that what the apostles had forgiven on earth so He had forgiven in heaven. I'd like to live the rest of my life knowing that God had truly forgiven because someone here on earth had given me that assurance. Confession is sacred too. God erases every wrongdoing we've committed the moment we sincerely ask for His loving mercy.

No, Jesus instructs us to confess to one another, as practised by the Celtic Church till it was destroyed by the Roman Church, not to a priest. In fact Jesus specifically commands us not to have priests.

As far as I know it is only the Roman Church that believes in the Thomasean doctrine of Transubstantiation

all the best urban

I have not read the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. The voluminous work requires intellectual focus. Have you read it? As for Aristotle's philosophy, I must have done some readings back in college. Honestly I could not remember his teachings now. I am sure though that his propositions are in conformity with the facts of life. He was a pillar in Greek education. As for transubstantiation which the Catholics believe in, I yield to the infallibility of the Roman Catholic Church. I cannot claim to be well versed in all the doctrines and profess I can argue with the terminologies in question. I live by my faith. Understanding is a blessing. Catholics, first and foremost, are Christians. The Church was instituted by Jesus Christ. He told Peter "Upon this rock, I will build my church." I cannot question my Lord. I can only obey.

No, the words Jesus used in reference to Peter means a little rock or a stone but the word he used to say upon what he would build his Church was a different word in Greek meaning a seizable rock. This rock to which he referred is Peter's statement that Christ is the Son of God. And this is how the early Church father's understood the statement. Rome is not infallible the original doctrine was the infallibility of the council of Bishops.

Catholics are a perversion of Christianity

all the best urban

I am sorry but I can only read and understand English. I cannot argue when it comes to Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic. I rely only on the modern translation set before me. I view the story like this. Jesus literally and metaphorically bestowed upon Peter the cornerstone of His church. I do not want to argue about the preposition "upon." English is not my native language. I understand it the way they taught it in grammar school. I do not wish either to convince you to believe in something you obviously abhor. But I do abide by my Catholic faith. Calling us perverts was just a blow below the belt. Do Christians really say such sweeping statements? Isn't it that is more unChristianlike? How can I think that "all the best" be sincere. Let us not try to destroy one another. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor. That is more important than all the rebuttals we conceive in our minds. I rest my case.

Oh, please do not misunderstand, 'perversion' here does not imply what you take it to. In this context it only means that Catholicism is a corruption of Christianity. But this is not to denigrate any Catholic believer. There is only one true Church and it is composed of exactly and only of those that truly accept Jesus, some of those may be of the Roman Church but adherence to Pope's and Priests and false doctrines makes that hard.

all the best urban