I don’t have any statues of the following in my house as many Catholics do:
1) Mary
2) Any Saint
I don’t pray to Mary or expect her to help, as she can’t. I only pray to Christ. Nor do I pray to any patron saint as we are all saints who are in Christ.
Also, I eat meat on Friday which is banned by the Catholic Church based on tradition.
I don’t rely on an “infallible” pope to interpret Scripture for me when they’ve blown it so many times in the past.
I know works won’t save me because I don’t know how much I should do and if I’ve done the right ones. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells me salvation is a gift from God and not works so that none can boast.
Salvation is based upon your belief that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins...past, present and future. Clear as day in the Bible.
I’d echo this for the most part. I think the divine status given to Mary and Saints is extremely questionable.
But I’d say my main issue is the infallibility. It’s a problem the various Orthodox churches avoid by having only a titular head who is still revered and looked upon, but widely acknowledged to be as fallible as anyone else.
And this idea that Catholicism keeps people more united and in tune with God’s message does not hold water. How can it be explained the fact that the Amish have been far more devout in pretty much every area of adherence to God’s moral code than the majority of Catholics. Baptists for example have not seen such a horrific amount of heresy. I mean, Pelosi? Biden?! Why are these people still granted communion? Both are infanticide-proponents. It’s not so say there aren’t a great many good Catholics, but a lot of these people just go to the church on a Sunday and then donate to Planned Parenthood the next.
In the so-called ‘Culture wars’ it seems to me that while many churches have fought tooth and nail and risked a lot doing so, the Catholic church has at times squandered its rather large influence. You have John Roberts, a Catholic, about to vote to PERSECUTE the church by forcing it to provide contraception, and no threat of excommunication is brought?
**don’t pray to Mary or expect her to help, as she can’t.**
Catholics don’t pray to Mary either. Instead, we ask her to pray for us, and to pass our needs on to her Son.
On infallibility, please check into how many dogmas have been pronounced infallible. I think you will be surprised. And did you know that much doctrine was written in the Didache by the apostles? Imagine that?
Catholics also believe that Christ died on the Cross for our sins.
Where we differ here is that Catholics know they are sinners and need to be forgiven for the sins they commit today. Thus Christ breathed the Holy Spirit onto the Apostles telling them, “Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, whose sins you shall hold bound, they are held bound.” That’s in your Bible right?
You receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation and a Catholic is expected to use these gifts. In fact, we all receive a call at our Baptism. What are you doing with your call? OSAS is a false belief.
tradition has nothing to do with eating meat on Friday, it was a church rule and did not apply in every country.....it was an act of penance to bring us closer to God....minor inconvenience at worst.
The Pope is, and always has been, infallible in matters of faith and morals.....he has NEVER blown it, even once, in over 2,000 years. Christ promised that he couldn't.
Many years ago my father’s boss brought his minister around to introduce him to my father...in the course of the conversation, the minister said, ‘do you know who I am? I am the one in this city, when other ministers who have a question about what the Bible says, come to for an answer.’ My father answered him...’do you know who I am? I am the one, who when I have a question about what the Bible says, I ask the Holy Spirit.’
The conversation was quickly ended by my father’s boss...and they exited for lunch.