One Hundred Fifty Reasons I'm Catholic

You can search for them. It’s easy.

Catholics believe that God wills to give creatures real agency in communicating his grace to the world.

There is, of course, the original decision to become incarnate himself. The gospels give ample evidence that Jesus willed to give the Apostles real agency. He instructs them explicitly to repeat his actions at the Last Supper. He breathes on them after the Resurrection, and gives them the power to forgive and retain sins—which requires that they KNOW peoples’ sins in order to forgive them. The Church has been hierarchical from the very beginning.

Protestants have rejected almost all of the sacramental system, retaining, in most cases, only baptism. Protestant churches vary greatly in the degree to which they are hierarchical, liturgical, and sacramental.

I consider it extreme and slanderous when a Protestant constantly accuses Catholics of idolatry because the Catholic Church is sacramental, hierarchical, and liturgical. On this thread, several people have insisted that the thousands of Catholic catechisms and other books that condemn idolatry are just a vast smokescreen and conspiracy designed to fool outsiders, when the reality is that Catholics are sunk in idolatry.

It is kind of comical to say that the Catholic Church trains people not to think of Jesus. In every Catholic Church, and indeed anywhere a Mass is celebrated, it is MANDATED that a an image of Jesus on the cross—a crucifix—be displayed where is it visible to the people.

I consider it extreme and slanderous when a Protestant constantly accuses Catholics of idolatry because the Catholic Church is sacramental, hierarchical, and liturgical.

Catholics are not being accused of being idolatrous because of sacraments, hierarchy, or liturgy, but rather because they erect statues of dead people, light candles to them, pray to the *saints* the statues represent, and bow down before them.

Which said bowing down before images is forbidden by God.

Exodus 20:1-6 And God spoke all these words, saying,“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

It seems that the pope never got that message.

>>>According to Jesus, His Church is the final earthly Authority: "if he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector." [Matthew 18:17]<<<

It is good to hear from a man who respects the words of Jesus. Would a man be considered a pagan if he did not heed these words of Jesus [these are from the catholic New American Bible:]

"Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven." (Mat 23:9 NAB)

"(For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35 NAB)

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward" (Mat 6:5 NAB)

"Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all." (Mark 10:42-44 NAB)

"They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the invocation of God in prayer." (1 Tim 4:4-6 NAB)

"If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that." (1 Tim 6:8 NAB)

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." (James 5:16 NAB)

Philip

>> You can search for them. It’s easy.<<

Yeah, I did twice now. Once in a question about what Catholics do to please God once again reinforcing the view that Catholics are all about what they do.

>>He breathes on them after the Resurrection, and gives them the power to forgive and retain sins—<<

Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.

>> Protestant churches vary greatly in the degree to which they are hierarchical, liturgical, and sacramental.<<

Um, yeah, so? Why do Catholics always feel obliged to compare themselves to others instead of scripture?

>> when the reality is that Catholics are sunk in idolatry.<<

Um, Yeah. That’s obvious to anyone who watches Catholics bow down before statues.

>> it is MANDATED that a an image of Jesus on the cross<<

Jesus is not on the cross. He proclaimed it finished and is now at the right hand of God the Father. Besides, a statue once again and cannot be confirmed that is in fact what Jesus looked like. It’s a graven image.

Ain’t that the truth.

It’s beyond me how they can still deny.

>>>”Can’t find the Pope in the Bible either!” >>Actually, you do. See my tag line<<...<<<

Isaiah 22:20? What does Eliakim have to do with the Koran-kisser in the Vatican?

Matthew 16:19? So, the pope is Peter?

Revelation 3:7? So, the pope is the angel of Jesus?

You are being facetious, or blasphemous. That would be heresy of the highest order to espouse that.

Philip

>>>Catholic doctrine is based on the Authority of Scripture, Apostolic Tradition (2 Thes 2:15) and Church Teaching (Mat 18:17), all of which, ironically, are found in the Bible.<<<

2 Thess 2:15 and Matt 18:17? The catholic bunch cannot possibly be based on the teachings of the apostles and Christ, because catholics violate their teachings at every turn. These are a few examples:

"Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven." (Mat 23:9 NAB)

"(For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35 NAB)

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward" (Mat 6:5 NAB)

"Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all." (Mark 10:42-44 NAB)

"They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the invocation of God in prayer." (1 Tim 4:4-6 NAB)

"If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that." (1 Tim 6:8 NAB)

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." (James 5:16 NAB)

Philip

In every Catholic Church, and indeed anywhere a Mass is celebrated, it is MANDATED that a an image of Jesus on the cross—a crucifix—be displayed where is it visible to the people.

An empty tomb would be a better image to put up.

Jesus isn't still dying. He DIED (past tense) and rose again (Past tense) and NOW is seated at God's right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, interceding for His own, waiting for the time His enemies are to be made His footstool.

1 Corinthians 15:14-19 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Ephesians 1:15-21 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Okay.

I admit it.

I worship statues. I believe that all the statues in Catholic churches are gods, and we Catholics bow down and worship them. We believe that these gods in our churches created the universe and the world, and we owe our existence to them. These statues—oops, I mean GODS—are the source of all the graces we need to save us.

We don’t believe in Jesus Christ—but we do believe that plaster images of Jesus Christ will save us.

And we believe that, by putting up a plaster image of Jesus Christ on the cross, we CAUSE THE CRUCIFIXION TO RESUME.

Yes! Yes! It’s all true! Catholics worship plaster! Plaster made the world! Plaster is the source of salvation! Plaster will get us to Heaven! Plaster makes the crucifixion go on forever and ever. And plaster makes the crucifixion happen again RIGHT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH! Every Catholic church has its OWN crucifixion! All of these marvels are made possible by PLASTER!

Okay.

I admit it.

I worship statues. I believe that all the statues in Catholic churches are gods, and we Catholics bow down and worship them. We believe that these gods in our churches created the universe and the world, and we owe our existence to them. These statues—oops, I mean GODS—are the source of all the graces we need to save us.

We don’t believe in Jesus Christ—but we do believe that plaster images of Jesus Christ will save us.

And we believe that, by putting up a plaster image of Jesus Christ on the cross, we CAUSE THE CRUCIFIXION TO RESUME.

Yes! Yes! It’s all true! Catholics worship plaster! Plaster made the world! Plaster is the source of salvation! Plaster will get us to Heaven! Plaster makes the crucifixion go on forever and ever. And plaster makes the crucifixion happen again RIGHT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH! Every Catholic church has its OWN crucifixion! All of these marvels are made possible by PLASTER!

Nice try Arthur but not being able to defend from scripture is rather sad. It’s not the image that even the pagans worship. It’s a representative of their God. God said not to look to the pagans to see how they serve their gods and serve Him in the same ways.

Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God

You see, it’s not that the image represented “another god”. He said not to make an image to represent Him or serve Him in any way that the pagans serve their gods.

The Catholic Church has blatantly disregarded that admonition and in fact admits such.

“We need not shrink from admitting that candles, like incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in pagan worship and the rites paid to the dead. But the Church from a very early period took them into her service, just as she adopted many other things indifferent in themselves, which seemed proper to enhance the splendor of religious ceremonial. We must not forget that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations, canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments etc. were not identified with any idolatrous cult in particular; but they were common to almost all cults” (Catholic Encyclopedia, III, 246.)

Even to go so far as to admit that they took them from the pagans.

“When we give or receive Christmas gifts; or hang green wreaths in our homes and churches, how many of us know that we are probably observing pagan customs...the god, Woden, in Norse Mythology, descends upon the earth yearly between December 25th and January 6th to bless mankind...But pagan though they be, they are beautiful customs. They help inspire us with the spirit of 'good will to men', even as the sublime service of our Church reminds us of the ‘peace on earth’ which the babe of Bethlehem came to bestow” (Externals of the Catholic Church, 140).

So you can be sarcastic and mock all you want but the sad fact is that the Catholic Church has disregarded the admonition of God and blatantly and admittedly done what He said was an abomination. The RCC has led people into serious error and those who assist them will pay dearly.

Mark 9:42 and whoever may cause to stumble one of the little ones believing in me, better is it for him if a millstone is hanged about his neck, and he hath been cast into the sea.

You do not engage in actual dialogue.

There ya go!

Make a WILD accusation to get the other guy to DEFEND himself and forget what was being discussed.

I'll have to remember this tactic.

Remember PROTESTants, who are trying to crack though the Catholic mindset:

The human mind, when presented with two opposing 'things', will ALWAYS choose the more familiar.

It has NOTHING to do with the 'right' or 'wrong' -ness of the things presented; but how well they KNOW the items.

Thus, the thorough 'schooling' that they receive.

No; they do NOT think of it as indoctrination; because it comes from folks they trust.

What is the fallback excuse for those who do NOT toe the line?

They must have been poorly catechized.

You nailed it.

Yes he did. It’s blatantly obvious they do not believe that scripture is the words of the one true God. It’s sad.

“You are more than welcome.”

For what?

For every verse you quote saying works don’t matter, there is another contradictory one saying they do.

“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17).

“You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24).

“What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says that he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?” (James 2:14).

“For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26).