One Hundred Fifty Reasons I'm Catholic - And You Should Be Too!

http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org ^ | January 23, 2014 | Dave Armstrong

[NKP_Vet]

1. Best One-Sentence Summary: I am convinced that the Catholic Church conforms much more closely to all of the biblical data, offers the only coherent view of the history of Christianity (i.e., Christian, apostolic Tradition), and possesses the most profound and sublime Christian morality, spirituality, social ethic, and philosophy.

2. Alternate: I am a Catholic because I sincerely believe, by virtue of much cumulative evidence, that Catholicism is true, and that the Catholic Church is the visible Church divinely-established by our Lord Jesus, against which the gates of hell cannot and will not prevail (Mt 16:18), thereby possessing an authority to which I feel bound in Christian duty to submit.

3. 2nd Alternate: I left Protestantism because it was seriously deficient in its interpretation of the Bible (e.g., "faith alone" and many other "Catholic" doctrines - see evidences below), inconsistently selective in its espousal of various Catholic Traditions (e.g., the Canon of the Bible), inadequate in its ecclesiology, lacking a sensible view of Christian history (e.g., "Scripture alone"), compromised morally (e.g., contraception, divorce), and unbiblically schismatic, anarchical, and relativistic. I don't therefore believe that Protestantism is all bad (not by a long shot), but these are some of the major deficiencies I eventually saw as fatal to the "theory" of Protestantism, over against Catholicism. All Catholics must regard baptized, Nicene, Chalcedonian Protestants as Christians.

4. Catholicism isn't formally divided and sectarian (Jn 17:20-23; Rom 16:17; 1 Cor 1:10-13).

5. Catholic unity makes Christianity and Jesus more believable to the world (Jn 17:23).

6. Catholicism, because of its unified, complete, fully supernatural Christian vision, mitigates against secularization and humanism.

7. Catholicism avoids an unbiblical individualism which undermines Christian community (e.g., 1 Cor 12:25-26).

8. Catholicism avoids theological relativism, by means of dogmatic certainty and the centrality of the papacy.

[daniel1212]

I don’t think you Papists really, truly appreciate what you’re getting into here.

Indeed. Such are prey for the naive. The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Proverbs 14:15)

[daniel1212]

And that's saying a lot! Here's an article that could serve as a survey of the Catholic apologetics used on FR:
Unsound Sticks, or, Arguments Catholics Shouldn't Use

Indeed. And more can be added. It looks like this is a list of arguments RCs think they should use.

[vladimir998]

My post was directed toward metmom.

[vladimir998]

“You have a tough time debating the scripture, don’t you?”

No, but you have problem making an argument.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Then why do Catholics ask them for things, as the prayer CB posted clearly shows.

The saints in heaven offer our prayers and petitions to God, as we sometimes ask them to do.

the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Rev. 5:8)

[metmom]

Well, then, Catholics, in asking saints to do things for them, are praying to the saints as to God, in spite of another poster’s claim that it is not so.

[CynicalBear]

Well, maybe we should break it down. Let’s take the prayer of Prayer of Pope Pius XII. [http://catholicism.about.com/od/tothevirginmary/qt/Honor_Immacula.htm]

I’ll use just the bolded excerpts from the prayer.

we cast ourselves into your arms

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (When did we need to replace God with Mary?)

confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (once again Catholics replacing Christ with Mary)

O crystal fountain of faith

Romans 12:3 according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. or "a measure of faith." (but Mary is the “fountain of faith” for Catholics)

Lily of all holiness

1 Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. (for Catholics however, “all holiness” is given to Mary)

Conqueress of evil and death

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. (but Catholics claim it was Mary who conquered death)

Convert the wicked

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; (Catholics have even replaced the Holy Spirit with Mary)

Statement by catholic Bishop Liqouri “.......We often more quickly obtain what we ask by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking that of Jesus.....” She...is our Salvation, our Life, our Hope, our Counsel, our Refuge, our Help” Need I go on? Catholics have replaced virtually every attribute and working of God and given that to Mary in their worship.

[vladimir998]

Please post the actual passage then and explain how you think the context - as you see it - somehow mitigates the point I was making by posting the quote in the first place.

[vladimir998]

Thanks for admitting I was correct.

[redleghunter]

Great work. Working through the post. Wanted to opine on #13. I am sure the Byzantines who have to say something about the supposed peaceful unity prior to the 16th century.

[ansel12]

NKP_Vet’s posts are a part of the evidence of what I am trying to reveal to politically oriented pro-life conservatives and those of us trying to end immigration and protect life, marriage, and conservative America.

His posts reinforce and echo mine and mostly repeats information that I am posting, his posts combined with my posts, leave no doubt of the truth and accuracy of the voting information I am passing on.

The fact that he comes off as so desperate and goes so overboard in twisting everything to make some form of irrelevant last ditch defense for the democrat voting church denomination, is almost as important to making these facts clear to the politically active conservatives as my own posts.

[BlatherNaut]

Catholics have replaced virtually every attribute and working of God and given that to Mary in their worship.

False. The Church teaches (rhetorical excesses and flourishes of some of Her members notwithstanding) that Mary (Mother of God and Spouse of the Holy Spirit) points us to God, not that she herself possesses the power of God.

"His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye."

[CynicalBear]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have heard the denials ad nausea. It’s rather curious too. Catholics obviously understand that praying to them is wrong or they wouldn’t continually deny they do. The evidence, as I illustrated, is that they do however pray to saints.

[vladimir998]

“Luther DID include the Apocryphal books in his German translation of the Bible and he placed them in a separate section just as, hold your hat...JEROME did.”

1) Are you sure you’re not confusing Deuterocanonicals with the Apocrypha?

2) You do realize that including the books in the physical book is not the same thing as accepting that they are canonical or inspired, right?

3) You do realize that Jerome did not decide the issue for the Church, but the Church decided it for him and his Bible. Luther did decide the issue for Protestants and they still abide by his decision, right?

You might want to read this:

http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/jerome.html

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>for a guy in that high and visible influential leadership position to do that , why not just kiss a satanic bible as well?<<<

He did kiss a satanic bible. The Muslim and pharisaic Judaism religions deny that Jesus is the Christ. Only a liar, deceiver and antichrist would deny the divinity of Christ:

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." (1 Jn 2:22)

Satan is the father of lies.

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

Satan is also the great deceiver. One of his strengths against Christ is moral relativism, an ideology in which the Pope seems to be well versed:

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." (2 Jn 1:7-10)

John gives this serious warning against the type of recent activities of the Pope with the Muslims:

"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 Jn 1:11)

The same warning could apply to Christian Zionists (who refuse to discourage the continuation of Judaism) due to their misplaced love for the earthly nation of Israel and Jerusalem; when their love should be centered around the Church in heavenly New Jerusalem.

Philip

[HarleyD]

We don't pray to saints as if they are God. That would be ridiculous.

I've never stated that you pray to saints as if they are God. I said you pray to saints.

Doctrinal development did not cease with their interpretations. By what standard does one decide that it should have?

Building on a existing foundation is one thing. Moving down the street is quite another. The standard is the scriptures. It is what we measure how close or far away we are to our understanding of God.

And if one relies on Sola Scriptura, why should their various writings be held as anything more than opinions?

Various writings help us to understand THE writings-God's writings. We can either accept or reject what is being told to us by others based upon the scriptures. That is the purpose of places like here, to learn what is true from what is false. The Bereans were more noble because they searched the scriptures to find out if what others had written or told them was correct. But it remains our personal duty to search those things out-not to be told and accept. We need to go back to our bibles and search these things out- not our Catholic tracts.

Are you aware that recitation of the Nicene Creed is included in the Mass?

That's very nice. It doesn't change the fact that the Catholic Church today does not believe in the atonement as a sacrifice for sin. That is why you have people here saying Muslims can be saved without the cross of Christ. All they have to do is live a life according to the beatitude. The Catholic Church has become a work based organization.

But I suppose there is a certain irony in what they espouse and what they teach and believe. Eventually they'll modify the Mass to catch up with their doctrinal standards. This is, after all, what doctrinal development is all about, isn't it?

This sums up the Catholic belief: "For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God". Was St. Paul proclaiming "works-based salvation theory" here?

Do you believe a Muslim can be saved by living according to the beatitudes? Please don't try to tell me that Paul believed that. I would recommend a more extensive review of the scriptures than one line.

[HarleyD]

Very informative CB. And what a sweet little prayer you picked out for your example that would melt the heart of any true Catholic. You probably have a bunch of them running to their prayer closets now to light a candle. :O)

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>Thanks for admitting I was correct.<<<

That has to be the dumbest post I have seen in 14 years on FR. I guess you were not expecting so many Christians to expose your misguided religion of ordinances as being anti-Christian.

Philip

[delchiante]

My point is Catholics in those areas vote for those catholics.and if you think pelosi, biden and Cuomo are good, then the problem is with you.. just as you feel you have to defend them because they are in your group.. says a lot..
Explains the blue states and liberalism as a mental disorder... and that liberals are liberals first...

[delchiante]

I was just discussing those high profile politicians who have a chance to repent because they still have breath in their lungs..