Smoke
Done here.
I find much about Roman Catholicism very disturbing and repellent, but no more so than I find that view.
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How do you view: the Catholic Church
- Thread starter Searcher of Light
- Start date
tomspug
Absorbant
I believe that the Roman Catholic church is part of Christianity.
But I also am cautious of the church's attachment to power, money, and non-Biblical tradition. It adds so much to the church that seems so unnecessary and so unlike the original church and possibly distracted from the message of Christ. I am not a fan of hierarchy in the church. Protestant churches treat pastors and church-goers as equal, generally with open relationships between them.
To me, the Catholic Church represents an inability to escape from the patterns of this world, opting instead to adopt Christianity to fit snugly inside them.
But I also am cautious of the church's attachment to power, money, and non-Biblical tradition. It adds so much to the church that seems so unnecessary and so unlike the original church and possibly distracted from the message of Christ. I am not a fan of hierarchy in the church. Protestant churches treat pastors and church-goers as equal, generally with open relationships between them.
To me, the Catholic Church represents an inability to escape from the patterns of this world, opting instead to adopt Christianity to fit snugly inside them.
Francine
Well-Known Member
"Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is." -- Bishop Sheen
Smoke
Done here.
What would you say are the most common mistakes about what it is?
Francine
Well-Known Member
1. That Catholics worship Mary (we offer hyperdulia, not latria, and in English the word "worship" has drifted to mean exclusively latria).
2. That Catholics deleted the commandment about graven images from the bible (we did not alter the bible whatsoever, and in our teaching materials we consolidated the first and second commandments because they are talking about the same thing, and we separate women out from property in the commandment against coveting to affirm her humanity).
3. That Catholics believe we are saved by works rather than faith (we affirm St. James when he teaches that we are saved by the kind of faith that also produces works).
4. That Catholics added seven books to the bible (which is a neat trick, considering that the Eastern Orthodox have those same books in their bible).
5. That Catholics hold oral tradition over scripture (we hold Sacred Tradition (2 Thess 2:15), Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium (the bishops speaking with one voice) to be three branches of the same deposit of faith delivered once to the saints).
Francine
Well-Known Member
Perhaps the repetition does. It's a personal devotion, and not part of the public worship of the Mass, although quite a few people love to be seen doing the Rosary before Mass.
Smoke
Done here.
Ah, good. None of those have anything to do with my reasons for disliking the Catholic Church.
(By the way, the Orthodox have more books than you do.)
*Paul*
Jesus loves you
That's hardly suprising, it's never going to win me a popularity contest that's for sure.
Smoke
Done here.
Why?
Hail, Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with thee.
(Straight out of the Bible; the angel said it to her.)
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
(Also from the Bible, Elizabeth's words to Mary with the name "Jesus" added.)
Holy Mary, Mother of God
(Jesus is believed to be God, and Mary is his mother.)
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
(Intercessory prayer.)
Smoke
Done here.
It will in some circles.
Francine
Well-Known Member
Ah, good. None of those have anything to do with my reasons for disliking the Catholic Church.
Indeed they do, but they also don't have the binding and loosing charism of infallibility which comes with the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
*Paul*
Jesus loves you
These are just word games Francine, if you pray this prayer you are doing much more than offering reverence you are placing you salvation in her hands:
FIRST NOVENA PRAYER IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
Behold at thy feet, 0 Mother of Perpetual Help, a wretched sinner who has recourse to thee and confides in thee. 0 Mother of mercy, have pity on me. I hear thee called by all the refuge and the hope of sinners: be then, my refuge and my hope. Assist me, for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth thy hand to a miserable fallen creature who recommends himself to thee, and who devotes himself to thy service for ever.
I bless and thank Almighty God, who in His mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation.
It is true that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin, because I had not recourse to thee. I know that, with thy help, I shall conquer.
I know. too, that thou wilt assist me, if I recommend myself to thee; but I fear that, in time of danger, I may neglect to call on thee, and thus lose my soul.
This grace, then, I ask of thee, and this I beg, with all the fervor of my soul, that in all the attacks of hell I may ever have recourse to thee. 0 Mary, help me. 0 Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.-----3 Hail Marys.
SECOND NOVENA PRAYER TO OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP
0 Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. 0 purest Mary, 0 sweetest Mary, let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, 0 Blessed Lady, to help me, whenever I call on thee; for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on thee, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.0 what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion, fill my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even only think of thee. I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my good so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering thy name. Let my love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.---3 Hail Marys.
THIRD NOVENA PRAYER TO OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP
0 Mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of all the gifts which God grants to us miserable sinners; and for this end He has made thee so powerful, so rich, and so bountiful, in order that thou mayest help us in our misery. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners who have recourse to thee: come to my aid, for I recommend myself to thee.In thy hands I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I entrust my soul. Count me among thy most devoted servants; take me under thy protection, and it is enough for me. For, if thou protect me, I fear nothing; not from my sins, because thou wilt obtain for me the pardon of them; nor from the devils, because thou art more powerful than all hell together; nor even from Jesus, my judge, because by one prayer from thee He will be appeased.
But one thing I fear: that in the hour of temptation I may through negligence fail to have recourse to thee and thus perish miserably. Obtain for me, therefore, the pardon of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace ever to have recourse to thee, O Mother of Perpetual Help.-----3 Hail Marys.
Novena Prayers to Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Smoke
Done here.
And they know they don't, so that puts them one up on the Vatican again.
Francine
Well-Known Member
Some of those Catholic private devotions can be really silly. I'll stick to the official documents.
Quiddity
UndertheInfluenceofGiants
Or one down...And they know they don't, so that puts them one up on the Vatican again.
tomspug
Absorbant
I heard it on the radio once. It was fine, but after about the twentieth time it just started to creep me out. Repetition can do that.
Also, I don't like hearing prayers to someone who is not God.
Smoke
Done here.
In my dad's hometown, they used to have the Rosary on the radio every Saturday night. Then polka music. You'd have loved it.
Francine
Well-Known Member
In my dad's hometown, they used to have the Rosary on the radio every Saturday night. Then polka music. You'd have loved it.
If someone recorded a Rosary set to polka music would you buy it?
Smoke
Done here.
No, but that was so funny I nearly sprayed Diet Pepsi everywhere.