Posted on 05/28/2014 5:50:04 AM PDT by WVKayaker
That we will. :)
That’s right which is why what we (Catholics) are required to believe about them is pretty simple.
The Pope’s function flows from common sense more than anything. If a doctrine is confused or debated and this debate causes dissension and division then he speaks up on the matter and is protected by the Holy Spirit when doing so. Protected from teaching error in faith and morals. Not economics not politics faith and morals. It’s pretty simple and common sensical.
Mary was assumed bodily into heaven. There’s nothing in Scripture that says this can’t be done and indeed, what’s so toxic or harmful about believing that about Mary? It’s horrendous that her son would love her so much that he took her up to heave to be with him bodily? That’s a horrible thing to believe? That’s “deifying Mary”, and not just believing it’s an act of supreme love and gratitude on behalf of a son to his mother? It’s crazy it’s crazy to believe that’s anything else other than that. And a message of hope for us that we too will be raised up on the last day, to be again reunited with our bodies in paradise for eternity. It’s a dogma that demonstrates the love and promise of God for ALL of us.
That’s all we are required to believe that’s “more” than your average Christian. We are even allowed to disagree with the Pope when he doesn’t speak ex cathedra. And the so called “blasphemous” titles of Mary so many get in a tither about are not themselves dogmatic. The only one that is is the “Theotokos” or “God-bearer”, which is a pretty accurate description for Mary, unless one doesn’t believe Jesus is God! So many get hung up on the title “Mother of God” as if any mother at all actually creates the soul inside her.
No! All mothers including Mary *bear* the souls inside them, they don’t create them. So just as it’s not blasphemous to call my mother “the mother of 47”, it’s not blasphemous to say Mary was and is the “mother of God” because she didn’t create God she BORE him.
It’s amazing to me that it almost seems as if many LOOK for reasons to disagree with the Catholic Church. The Church’s teachings are quite reasonable, if one is willing to listen with an open heart. A heart willing to admit it may be wrong on occasion.
Good post. Very helpful.
Sounds like alot of the “mandatory” beliefs that RCC requires for salvation are not found in the Nicene Creed.
Must Catholics also believe in Purgatory, Transubstantiation, Only priests can forgive sins for salvation in addition to the Papacy and Marian doctrines?
I think the Lord only mentioned that Faith in Him for forgiveness of sin was required for the Free gift. John 3:16, etc..
What's the difference between Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox?
All it takes to form a new church is a resentment and a collection plate.
Funny!
EsPECIALLY that DAMNED Luther!
I am humble, to be a Christian. Not all Christian are humble.
No sense in calling yourself a “Catholic” if you don’t believe in the Pope or Mary. As a Catholic you are either in all the way or you have effectively excommunicated yourself. I can not fathom the thought of not agreeing with the Pope in matters of faith and morals. I can not fathom the thought of not going to Mother Mary to put in a special word for me with her son. She knows Him better than anyone.
You need to read it again. Then I will translate it for you.
Pope Stephen VI (896–897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber.[1]
Pope John XII (955–964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife.
Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048), who "sold" the Papacy
Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303), who is lampooned in Dante's Divine Comedy
Pope Urban VI (1378–1389), who complained that he did not hear enough screaming when Cardinals who had conspired against him were tortured.[2]
Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), a Borgia, who was guilty of nepotism and whose unattended corpse swelled until it could barely fit in a coffin.[3]
Pope Leo X (1513–1521), a spendthrift member of the Medici family who once spent 1/7 of his predecessors' reserves on a single ceremony[4]
Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), also a Medici, whose power-politicking with France, Spain, and Germany got Rome sacked.
So, apparently, does His MOM!!
Let's try some easy math:
There are approximately 1.2 billion Catholics world wide;
If merely 1% of them 'ask' Mary for help just once each day;
that means that 12 million separate prayers are headed Mary's direction every day.
Given that there are 86,400 seconds per day... (24 hours times 60 minutes times 60 seconds)
...that means that Mary has to handle approximately 139 'requests' per second!
Purty good fer someone NOT 'devine'!
You guys gots FOOTNOTES??
The MORMONs have links!!!
Well first of all we don’t believe only priests can forgive sins. In times of emergency an act of contrition directed towards God directly is not going to send you to hell. God isn’t going to condemn you if you make every effort to come to a priest (or if none is available).
Your question is a good one though and I must admit I don’t know where to point you for an exhaustive, yet easy to read list of required dogmas, other than the Catechism, which can be dense. I was under the (mistaken) impression the Papacy and the Marian dogmas were the only stumbling blocks for you. I’m sorry that’s my mistake.
Yes Transubstantiation, the Magisterium, Tradition. Sure all these should be included as requirements. All pretty much summed up in the Nicene Creed when we say we “believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church”.
Transubstantiation being taught by the one holy catholic and apostolic church guided by the Magisterium and Tradition (and Scripture of course).
It seems to me though every denomination has their own “magisterium” and “tradition” and therefore teachings though, so in that sense it still only seems to me the only differences between Catholicism and the rest of Christianity are the Papacy and the Marian dogmas.
After all, when really pressed, a Calvinist (for example) will tell you if you believe in free will, you’re wrong. So that’s a requirement for Calvinism. (To believe in double predestination, at least some Calvies require that anyway)
Matt Slick himself says if you’re a Catholic, you’re going to hell, so that’s a “requirement” for Matt Slick-ism. (To not be a Catholic)
An AOG will tell you you can lose your salvation, so that’s a “requirement” to be AOG. (To not commit sin, or else you will lose your salvation)
All different groups of Christians have different requirements; the Catholic Church has simply some more I guess. No one really believes you “just have to have faith to be saved”. Not when one seriously starts to investigate the different Christian “flavors” out there.
I suppose that could be the faith of an individual, but I would submit even if an individual is serious about their faith in God, they would want to find out all they could about God and his plan for them, simply because they love him that much.
Who can say, in other words, “I’m satisfied in just knowing what I need to avoid hell, that’s all I want to know about God”?
Is that really satisfying? Is it really love to say to God, “Just tell me what I need to avoid hell, don’t bother me with anything else”. Really? Is that really loving God? Is that really loving yourself?
Don’t know what else to say. Hope that helps.
For even when we were with you, we laid down this rule for you: "If a man does not work, neither shall he eat."
2. Purgatory is not a place so much as it is a state. In order to enter into God's kingdom you must be pure. Some take longer then others and it's not a place to fear at all.
3. Priests hearing confessions are in persona Christi. He is a stand in you are actually talking to Jesus. (Don't out God in a box). The priest does not forgive sins, Jesus does. The priest is the facilitator.
4. I am not going to address the Pope and Mary again. It's already been posted.
You really don't care anything about us, you just want to pick, pick, pick. I am done posting to you. Have a wonderful day. I do mean that.
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