“Talks cheap, when it comes right down to it you would not want your children to marry an Evangelical Christian.”
Absolutely right. Especially if she were anything like the folks who call themselves evangelical Christians around here. The horror.
“It's really no different than saying I don't want my child to marry someone of a different race.”
Nah, not at all. Religion isn't like race at all.
Would you be happy for your child to marry a satanist? Or even a Hindu? What if your child started showing signs of abandoning faith in Christ to become a Hindu?
Now of course, non-Catholic Christians aren't as far from Catholicism as Hindus, but the reason why we're Catholic is because we believe that Catholic faith is true. Truer than Baptist or Presbyterian faith. So why would we want our children to give up what is better for that which is lesser?
“The ‘I'm a victim’ routine is silly.”
I'm merely pointing out that it is many non-Catholics who view these differences so vehemently that they're willing to lie about our Church, our Faith and our hierarchs. It's a little hypocritical to run around gibbering one’s head off about “RC edifices” or how Pope Benedict is actually a Nazi and then complain that we Catholics don't want our children to marry your children. LOL.
“If you want to go over each topic I would be happy to do that with you.”
Again, you miss the point. If I believe that Catholic faith is worth holding, and I see non-Catholic “Christians” saying this sort of stuff about my Catholic faith, WHY WOULD I WANT MY CHILDREN TO MARRY ONE OF YOU??
“We can get in a discussion about objective reality, but what's the point.”
The point isn't what specifically I believe about objective reality or what specifically you believe about it.
The point is that we DIFFER about what's objectively true.
And that's why I'm a Catholic and you're not. And why you're a Baptist and I'm not. We DIFFER. We can agree to disagree. And it certainly isn't necessary to be nasty about it. And we can still be friends.
But we DIFFER on some points of religious belief, belief about God, about Jesus Christ, about salvation, about the Church, that are pretty important. At least to me.
And to a lot of the non-Catholics around here, else they're acting pretty nasty and ugly over stuff that they DON'T think is very important, which would be an even stronger indictment of them than if they're being nasty and ugly over stuff they do think is important.
“You view Christians who don't submit to your hierarchy as less and you believe you have a monopoly on truth (objective reality).”
We don't view non-Catholic Christians as less than us. We believe that their beliefs are in some places incorrect. Don't you believe the same about us? We don't believe that we have a monopoly on truth. We believe that all Christian religions have some share in the truth of Jesus Christ. What we believe is that the fullness of faith is found only in the Catholic Church. Don't you believe just the opposite, that the Catholic Church does NOT have the fullness of faith?
“The truth is most RC’s who posted would not want someone to marry outside your church.”
Do you have any kids? If your son or daughter came home with a nice young Catholic girl or boy, who was very devout, very dedicated to her or his faith, and they had that marriage look in their eyes, what would you think? How would you feel about that? What if the young lady or gentleman stated calmly but firmly that as a Catholic, all children would have to be baptized Catholic, raised Catholic, and preferably sent to Catholic school. That there would be no room in the home for any faith other than the Catholic faith.
Because Catholicism is a whole life commitment and that's what's required of us.
Would you like that? Would you be happy knowing that your grandchildren would be taught to believe that the pope is infallible in matters of faith and morals when he universally and definitively defines a teaching? Would you be happy knowing that your grandchildren would be taught to believe that the elements of the Eucharist, the bread and wine, cease to exist at the moment of the Consecration and become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ? Would you be happy knowing that your grandchildren would be taught to believe in, and to go to, auricular confession to a priest, to believe and practice that the priest would then absolve them, in the person of Christ, of their sins? Would you be happy knowing that your children would be taught to believe that after dying in a state of grace (and thus, heavenbound), if one is not free from the attachments to venial sin that he must suffer the pains of Purgatory?
How happy would you be if you thought that your son or daughter might, in order to win his bride / her groom, enter into the Catholic Church and accept all these teachings and practices?
None of that would give you any pause? None of that would make you unhappy? At all?
Do you believe that being a Baptist is important to getting to Heaven or not? If you do, wouldn't you feel distressed if your child abandoned that faith?
sitetest
This (Jesuit-educated) Southern Baptist says not necessarily; remember, though, our churches have considerable autonomy and we believe in Priesthood of all Believers, so you are dealing with a completely different mindset than the Catholic Church.
No
If your son or daughter came home with a nice young Catholic girl or boy, who was very devout, very dedicated to her or his faith, and they had that marriage look in their eyes, what would you think?
I have two boys.
I trust the Lord. Jesus will put us where He wants us. If the girl is very devout and believes THE GOSPEL I'm fine. If she is devout but doesn't know THE GOSPEL I'm fine. In the first case she's a Christian and I trust things will work out. In the latter case she hasn't been told what it is to be a Christian just RC and I'll pray that Jesus has placed my son there to witness.
My older son has dated girls of different races, religion and churches. Some have come to church with us, some haven't. In the end I have to have faith that the Holy Spirit will direct them where they should go.
Would you be happy for your child to marry a satanist? Or even a Hindu? What if your child started showing signs of abandoning faith in Christ to become a Hindu?
Any of these would be distressing and I would be praying for the Lord to intervene. Interesting that you would draw satanism into it.
As far as the abandoning the faith stuff we don't believe the Holy Spirit jumps in and out of believers. If they truly believe THE GOSPEL they will end up being planted in a Christian environment.
Truer than Baptist or Presbyterian faith. So why would we want our children to give up what is better for that which is lesser?
Thank you for your honesty. How can a lesser be an equal?
What if the young lady or gentleman stated calmly but firmly that as a Catholic, all children would have to be baptized Catholic, raised Catholic, and preferably sent to Catholic school. That there would be no room in the home for any faith other than the Catholic faith.
I really wouldn't sweat it. I don't think you can coerce faith. The "sacraments" that the RCC does don't have any more value than the ordinances that are followed in Evangelical churches. The grandchildren would see Grampa reading his Bible and ask questions sooner or later. The Lord would decide if they are His and where to plant them.
I've gone through this. My wife was RC. We went to her church for awhile. I started going to mine, she joined me and she never looked back. My sons both attended RC schools (in my area they are better than public schools and Baptists are a distinct minority). Both boys have become Christians and pretty good at separating truth from fiction.