Posted on 11/16/2023 6:30:57 PM PST by ebb tide
There are no “versions” of Catholicism.
Have you not heard of the Apostles Creed?
Catholics believe in Sacred Scripture / the Teachings of Christ, sacred Tradition handed down by the apostles and recognized saints and also the "Magisterium" of the Church. How the Faith has been, and should be, taught.
The Pope can certainly not change scripture, nor can he change tradition. These things exist above and beyond him. There is not, nor should there, an "old form" or "present form."
there most certainly is though.
I'm old enough to remember when Vatican 2 was implemented and the uproar it caused.
And if there is not different forms, then what's with the current broohaha over traditional Latin masses and the current one?
Your analogy fails because we have Scripture and the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And even in the aforementioned fields, the teachers use the relevant book, they don’t teach what they feel like.
Jesus’ command to people was *Follow Me.* He didn’t say to follow a religion or humans who set themselves up as some kind of spiritual authority.
So if that's all you need, why do churches have pastors? Why even go to church?
God gave churches elders, overseers, prophets, apostles, teachers, and deacons and the qualifications for those positions are found in Scripture as well. (1 Corinthians 12, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1)
Why go to church? Because we are commanded to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25) and as a means to minister to each other and encourage and pray for each other. It’s good to hang out with other believers, and for corporate worship.
There is only unity in the faith. All religion is man-made (see James 1:27), full of half-truths and outright lies. Please show me any religion not corrupted, that doesn’t twist and turn with cultural demands.
Faith is a gift from God, only God imputes righteousness for all who believe - just as he did with Abraham in Genesis.
Doesn’t matter if protestant or catholic or even moravian, all are still religions, and in the case for Christian based religions they add and subtract from God’s word.
“Religion is free and personal and doesn’t require a church or any clergy.”
I get the gist, but is true if Christainity is substituted for ‘Religion’ which is not to be desired, except in the form of a persinal relationship with Jesus
Christ.
“Yet people will do this for Christianity”
Not really.
Christians are never alone, they always have a Teacher.
Jesus lives within us, and we live in Him.
And he has given us the Mind of Christ.
Our book is the Bible and the Holy Spirit guides us into all understanding.
So when we read The Word, we ask/pray for The Holy Spirit to reveal undestanding to us.
Jesus=Rabbi=Teacher.
The Rock upon which God built hiscchurch was / is Jesus.
He long was the Rock way before Peter was proclaimed a pebble.
That’s why being a Christian is not having a religion.
It is having a personal relationship with Jesus.
In your example, how did calculus, physics ,biology and even philosophy come about?
Someone figured it out, wrote books about it and passed it on. Others took that and expanded upon it etc. Every subject you mentioned is the same with the exception of philosophy which is basically learned logical reasoning which I’d say 50% of society has none.
There’s many folks who can pickup a calculus, physics and biology book and figure it out, no teacher required if the book is written well.
Look at colleges today... Kids come out dumber than when you went in...
Religion is no different. It started, is history, folks wrote about it, summarized it over many years from thousands of manuscripts and scriptures and put it in a book. There’s different many versions of the bible just pick one you like.
Who’s to say the manuscripts and scriptures written and chosen for the bible were all accurate accounts? You don’t, and that’s where hope and faith come in... You assume they are because you want to believe they are. Some have been proven others have yet to be, again faith.
As I stated, religion is personal and free. Doesn’t require a church or clergy.
If that’s what you or any wants and need have at it. I don’t.
You are hilarious.
This would stop if the Roman religion required priests to be married to a woman. Like the Apostles were.
Yes, Jesus established His One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church on Peter for saints and sinners as a path to salvation. Jesus is building His church through baptized members. Matthew 16
Some of whom have left the practice of the Catholic faith orto follow men and women that have established “christian churches” without the full faith of Christ’s teachings and follow false beliefs.
The Catholic Church hopes that all will return to the full belief and practice of God’s Truths, even those sinners in the leadership of the Catholic Church and those that have left for other religions or no religion.
Even Napoleon who tried to destroy the Catholic Church returned to Confession and the Mass before his death.
Each of us has a choice to accept the teachings of Jesus or reject them. And to follow them and live according to His commandments.
Would that also include wearing man-made idols known as scapulars or miraculous medals as some have processed to trust in?
One can say they believe in God, but not have faith or believe His Truths.
The Catholic Church is the Body of Christ composed of its baptized members on earth, in Purgatory and in Heaven. 1 Cor 12:13
But you do raise an interesting question. Hating Catholics, which you then define to not all be Roman.
Care to expand on what you mean by Catholic but not necessarily Roman?
Purgatory is a non-biblical belief. If the shed blood of Christ is insufficient to cleanse a person of all sin then nothing will. We’re either forgiven of all sins as the Bible teaches or we’re not. If it’s the latter then there is nothing to cleanse us of sin.
It has confession and absolution for people so that they would not be driven mad by their sins, nor be mistaken about what constitutes a sin in their case.
Because it draws hatred and ridicule way out of proportion to the typical religion bashing by heathens, especially gays and those in Hollywood.
It emphasizes the most important commandments, among them Mass and the Eucharist, which are very condensed remembrances of what Jesus did while on earth. They are done very formally in fulfillment of his strict commandment at the Last Supper -- every word in the Mass refers to scripture related to Him, especially the New Testament, and the ceremony has been perfected over 1700 years, recent abuses of it notwithstanding.
The Real Presence of God at the Mass in the form of the Eucharist.
IMHO.
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