Why I am Catholic

[Meriweather]

I knew religion was foolish when I was 12. Some people never grow up.

Or is it that some never progress beyond 12-year-old thinking?

 

[NotfooledbyW]

If I were to choose a religious denomination, it would certainly be the Roman Catholic Church.

Everything about its rituals and traditions are so comforting.

I imagine a congregant feels strengthened when s/he attends mass; confesses his/her sins; has some favorite saints to pray to; and interacts with priests and nuns (many of whom still dress the part) who do such good work in schools and hospitals.

Being comforted by the religion of your choice is your absolute right and I am pleased if you find yours or are happy with what you have.

More than half of Catholics who vote, voted for Biden and want civil and political business such as women having a right to terminate their own pregnancy to be kept separate from personal religious beliefs.

If your personal belief is opposed to abortion, because life begins at conception, do not be involved with women who have sex but do not want to have a baby.

 

[Meriweather]

If I were to choose a religious denomination, it would certainly be the Roman Catholic Church.

Everything about its rituals and traditions are so comforting.

I imagine a congregant feels strengthened when s/he attends mass; confesses his/her sins; has some favorite saints to pray to; and interacts with priests and nuns (many of whom still dress the part) who do such good work in schools and hospitals.

All the above plus inspired. As students we were taught to take something from the Mass away with us to incorporate into our lives during the coming week. A week or so ago the Gospel was about the two sons whose father asked them to go work in the vineyard. The first said no, but changed his mind; the second said yes, but never went. The point addressed in the homily was, "How is your 'yes' doing?" If we say 'yes' to God each morning, how is that 'yes' doing throughout our day?

Mass and the Sacraments are not something left in church--they are something we take with us and incorporate into our lives throughout the week.

 

[Votar Roja]

I read through 15 pages, and nobody refuted this post:

Why I am Catholic
(A brief excerpt from the booklet “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth”)

QUOTE:

Among the Christian churches, only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. (Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots.)

Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. The line of popes can be traced back, in unbroken succession, to Peter himself. This is unequaled by any institution in history.

Even the oldest government is new compared to the papacy, and the churches that send out door-to-door missionaries are young compared to the Catholic Church. Many of these churches began as recently as the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. Some even began during your own lifetime. None of them can claim to be the Church Jesus established.

The Catholic Church has existed for nearly 2,000 years, despite constant opposition from the world. This is testimony to the Church’s divine origin. It must be more than a merely human organization, especially considering that its human members— even some of its leaders—have been unwise, corrupt, or prone to heresy.

Any merely human organization with such members would have collapsed early on. The Catholic Church is today the most vigorous church in the world (and the largest, with a billion members: one sixth of the human race), and that is testimony not to the cleverness of the Church’s leaders, but to the protection of the Holy Spirit.

FOUR MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH

If we wish to locate the Church founded by Jesus, we need to locate the one that has the four chief marks or qualities of his Church. The Church we seek must be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches. 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). 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)
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)
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)
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.

Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth

Man’s ingenuity cannot account for this. The Church has remained one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church he established (Matt. 16:18, 28:20). He guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness (Exod. 13:21). Today he guides us through his Catholic Church.

The Bible, sacred Tradition, and the writings of the earliest Christians testify that the Church teaches with Jesus’ authority. In this age of countless competing religions, each clamoring for attention, one voice rises above the din: the Catholic Church, which the Bible calls “the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).

Jesus assured the apostles and their successors, the popes and the bishops, “He who listens to you listens to me, and he who rejects you rejects me” (Luke 10:16). Jesus promised to guide his Church into all truth (John 16:12–13). We can have confidence that his Church teaches only the truth.

END EXCERPT QUOTE

EXCERPT SOURCE: Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth

 

[Votar Roja]

Being comforted by the religion of your choice is your absolute right and I am pleased if you find yours or are happy with what you have.

More than half of Catholics who vote, voted for Biden and want civil and political business such as women having a right to terminate their own pregnancy to be kept separate from personal religious beliefs.

You are so far gone into the realm of nonsense and evil that there is probably no dragging you back.

 

[NotfooledbyW]

the realm of nonsense and evil

​

Experience witnesseth that ecclesiastical establishments, instead of maintaining the purity and efficacy of religion, have had a contrary operation. During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution. [James Madison, A Memorial and Remonstrance,addressed to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1785] 220826^ac< generation1776​

dvng.21.12.27 #203 “There's no good reason to make a religious argument. None is needed. The science is clear.”

NotfooledbyW said: choice is your absolute right and I am pleased if you find yours or are happy with what you have.

More than half of Catholics who vote, voted for Biden and want civil and political business such as women having a right to terminate their own pregnancy to be kept separate from personal religious beliefs.

vtrrj.23.10.19 #285 “You are so far gone into the realm of nonsense and evil that there is probably no dragging you back.”

What are you dragging me back from? James Madison’s realm of nonsense and evil of the founding generation.

nf.23.10.19 #286

 

[Votar Roja]

​

Experience witnesseth that ecclesiastical establishments, instead of maintaining the purity and efficacy of religion, have had a contrary operation. During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution. [James Madison, A Memorial and Remonstrance,addressed to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1785] 220826^ac< generation1776​

NotfooledbyW said: choice is your absolute right and I am pleased if you find yours or are happy with what you have.

More than half of Catholics who vote, voted for Biden and want civil and political business such as women having a right to terminate their own pregnancy to be kept separate from personal religious beliefs.

vtrrj.23.10.19 #285 “You are so far gone into the realm of nonsense and evil that there is probably no dragging you back.”

What are you dragging me back from? James Madison’s realm of nonsense and evil of the founding generation.

nf.23.10.19 #286

Blah blah blah

 

[Crick]

Why I am Catholic
(A brief excerpt from the booklet “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth”)

QUOTE:

Among the Christian churches, only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. (Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots.)

Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. The line of popes can be traced back, in unbroken succession, to Peter himself. This is unequaled by any institution in history.

Even the oldest government is new compared to the papacy, and the churches that send out door-to-door missionaries are young compared to the Catholic Church. Many of these churches began as recently as the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. Some even began during your own lifetime. None of them can claim to be the Church Jesus established.

The Catholic Church has existed for nearly 2,000 years, despite constant opposition from the world. This is testimony to the Church’s divine origin. It must be more than a merely human organization, especially considering that its human members— even some of its leaders—have been unwise, corrupt, or prone to heresy.

Any merely human organization with such members would have collapsed early on. The Catholic Church is today the most vigorous church in the world (and the largest, with a billion members: one sixth of the human race), and that is testimony not to the cleverness of the Church’s leaders, but to the protection of the Holy Spirit.

FOUR MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH

If we wish to locate the Church founded by Jesus, we need to locate the one that has the four chief marks or qualities of his Church. The Church we seek must be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches. 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). 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)
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)
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)
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.

Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth

Man’s ingenuity cannot account for this. The Church has remained one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church he established (Matt. 16:18, 28:20). He guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness (Exod. 13:21). Today he guides us through his Catholic Church.

The Bible, sacred Tradition, and the writings of the earliest Christians testify that the Church teaches with Jesus’ authority. In this age of countless competing religions, each clamoring for attention, one voice rises above the din: the Catholic Church, which the Bible calls “the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).

Jesus assured the apostles and their successors, the popes and the bishops, “He who listens to you listens to me, and he who rejects you rejects me” (Luke 10:16). Jesus promised to guide his Church into all truth (John 16:12–13). We can have confidence that his Church teaches only the truth.

END EXCERPT QUOTE

EXCERPT SOURCE: Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth

What tells you, aside from the Catholic Church itself, that it remains the church Jesus intended?

 

[sparky]

, and nobody refuted this post:

I can say 3 hail mary's and 2 our fathers and get away with anything Roja....

~S~

 

[Meriweather]

What tells you, aside from the Catholic Church itself, that it remains the church Jesus intended?

Has the world remained as intended?

 

[luiza]

​

Why You are Catholic​

Because of another batch of a sort of Killer Shots you get when young and innocent .

 

[badger2]

​

Why You are Catholic​

Because of another batch of a sort of Killer Shots you get when young and innocent .

This pedophiliac persuasion now claims the remarkable coincidence of the huge number of genuflectors coming across the US-Mexican border.

 

[badger2]

For a more intelligent sense of balance, the reading assignment should include Carl Gustav Jung's "Why I am Not a Catholic."

 

[Votar Roja]

What tells you, aside from the Catholic Church itself, that it remains the church Jesus intended?

History, early Christian writings, and a proper reading of the scriptures themselves.

Volumes of early Christians writings exist. Most people never read them. They may not be inspired scripture but they are historically accurate and they provide a window into the practices of the first Christians.

 

[Votar Roja]

I can say 3 hail mary's and 2 our fathers and get away with anything Roja....

Ignorant, childish, and bigoted post

 

[sparky]

Ignorant, childish, and bigoted post

recovering catholic post......

~S~

 

[sparky]

Because of another batch of a sort of Killer Shots you get when young and innocent .

resistance is futile ......

~S~

 

[Votar Roja]

 

[Votar Roja]

The Coming Home Network
Catholic Conversion Stories

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Catholic Conversion Stories - The Coming Home Network

Read/Watch hundreds of stories from Protestants and others who have come home to the fullness of the Body of Christ in the Catholic Church.

chnetwork.org

 

[Votar Roja]

Or is it that some never progress beyond 12-year-old thinking?

Bingo. That is exactly right.

Whenever you hear an ex-Catholic say "I went to Catholic school" he is essentially saying that he has a high schooler's level of education about Catholicism.