Posted on 02/20/2015 3:22:59 PM PST by NKP_Vet
1.“Catholics worship statues.” This stereotype is painful to hear. Not only is this completely false, but it is ludicrous. Despite the fact that there are 801 millions Protestants world-wide, according to the Pew Research Center, my rant will be geared towards our brothers and sisters in the United States. In this country, approximately 51.5% of people are Protestant Christians. Realistically, most of these families have pictures in their home, which is completely normal, right? Right. They have pictures of their loved ones, both living and deceased. Is it not hypocritical then to say that Catholics are idol worshipers, when these families have portraits of their loved ones on the walls? If these Protestant families can have pictures of Uncle Bernie and Mawmaw hanging on the wall, then most certainly the Church can present pictures of our beloved Jesus, his disciples, and the saints.
2.“Catholics pray to Mary instead of God.” This is a very common misconception throughout the Protestant community, and while I can understand why it is, I am also disheartened that many jump to such a harsh conclusion of the Catholic faith. We don’t pray to Mary, we ask her to pray for us, just as a Protestant asks their deceased grandparent/parent to watch over them.
3. “The saints can’t hear your prayers, because they are dead.” I beg to differ. Since when is anyone who is in Heaven considered dead? We call it the afterLIFE for a reason. In fact, there is biblical proof that the saints can hear our prays: -Revelation 5:8 “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” -Revelation 8:3-4 “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”
4. “Mother Mary isn’t important; she’s just like anyone else.” If our Blessed Mother isn’t important, then every female would have had an immaculate conception. For this reason, that is why the declarative statement above doesn’t make sense. Of course Mother Mary is important, she gave birth to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What is so amazing about the Catholic faith is the fact that we recognize the importance of Mary, and we honor her accordingly. She is a role model and saint for all Christians to look up to, because she submitted to God completely. Until the day another woman gives birth to Jesus, no one will ever be just like Mary. She is a very special, holy woman.
5. “Catholics made up all their rules.” Every single tradition we have in the Catholic Church, namely during Mass, has biblical roots. Not to mention the fact that Jesus was the founder of our Church. I don’t know about you, but Jesus doesn’t make mistakes.
6. “God said to confess sins to Him, not a priest.” This one is a personal favorite of mine. Drum roll please. -James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” It is true that we pray directly to God, and ask Him to forgiveness, however for sins (mortal) we do as Jesus commands and confess it to one another (our priests). Jesus said this directly to his disciples, so through Him, they were able to forgive sins. This power passed down to every priest, and so on and so forth. That felt good.
7. “Catholicism is a cult.” Jesus Christ founded this Church more than 2,000 years ago, I would hardly call it a cult.
8. “Catholics aren’t Christians.” The word Christian is associated with anyone who follows Christ’s teachings, and since the Catholic Church does just that then we are to be called Christians. Not to mention Catholics were actually the first Christians.
9. “Catholics added books to the Holy Bible.” This one is so hilarious it hurts. For 300 years there was no Bible, only random writings from the prophets like St.Peter etc, until the Catholic monks compiled and canonized what is now known today as the Holy Bible. (That is until the Protestant Reformation occurred, in which one man *Martin Luther* removed 7 books). Ouch.
10. “Catholics believe you can pay your way into Heaven.” We definitely do not. That is a huge misconception which occurred during the Protestant Reformation.
Despite the many stereotypes that hang over our faith, the important thing to remember is our Church has stood the test of time and remained for more than 2,000 years. Whether you are Catholic or Protestant-- we are all followers of Christ, and He is the ultimate goal.
Did Pastor Billy Bob tell you to say that? Come on now, tell us the truth.
“And taking credit for what God did is not wise to say the least”
God used the church he founded, the Catholic Church, to give the world the Bible. Deal with it. It’s fact, no matter how much you deny it.
Excellent
God used Judas also so what’s your point?
But it was an “open canon” which allowed them to add the books they did.. an “open canon is in reality no canon
The people had gathered because three young shepherd children had predicted that at high noon the lady who had appeared to them several times would perform a great miracle in a field near Fátima called Cova da Iria. According to many witnesses, after a period of rain, the dark clouds broke and "the sun" appeared as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky.[4] It was said to be significantly duller than normal, and to cast multicolored lights across the landscape, the shadows on the landscape, the people, and the surrounding clouds. The sun was then reported to have careened towards the earth in a zigzag pattern,[4] frightening those who thought it a sign of the end of the world.[5] Witnesses reported that their previously wet clothes became "suddenly and completely dry, as well as the wet and muddy ground that had been previously soaked because of the rain that had been falling".[6]
Estimates of the number of people present range from between 30,000 to 40,000 by Avelino de Almeida, writing for the Portuguese newspaper O Século,[7] to 100,000, estimated by Dr. Joseph Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra,[8] both of whom were present on that day.[9]
The event was attributed by believers to Our Lady of Fátima, a reported apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the children who had made predictions of the event on 13 July 1917,[10] 19 August,[11] and 13 September.[12] The children stated that the Lady had promised them that she would on 13 October reveal her identity to them[13] and provide a miracle "so that all may believe."[14]
The second temple. The first temple did not exist when Daniel received the prophesy. That is why the prophecy was assumed to indicate Rome by protestants, since Roman legions destroyed the second temple.I am pointing out that the prophecy may be more specific...From Daniel 9:26:"...And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." The people that fulfilled that prophecy consisted of the eastern legions. More specifically, the 10th legion destroyed the temple. The 10th legion was made up of Syrians and Turks.
Thank you. Everything you wrote is true. They need prayers.
And thank you for serving our nation.
A human intellect is a terrible thing to see putrefy.
You didn't prove anything...You figure millions upon millions of Protestants are just not intellectual enough to realize what you do is not praying to idols???
I think it's more like you Catholic religious types have duped so many people into thinking your supposed super powers are legitimate...So when you say it ain't worship, it ain't worship...
I don't see how you can call this a legitimate answer to the questions I asked you...
You are avoiding the issue...Why even bother to respond if you are unwilling to respond to the issue...
You are so barking up the wrong tree. I’m not catholic and agree with you on the Mary thing although when I try to reason with people I try to keep venom out of it
Yes some scripture is metaphoric but not all. I can agree to disagree on communion which is not a salvation issue by the way. I don’t limit what God can do and am happy to “go there” any time people can stay civil.
You might want to do something about that chip on your shoulder. I know religion threads get rough but let’s not turn people off to truth
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
You don't get it...You just ain't got enough intellectuals...
Except those in Heaven cannot hear us on earth. If they could there would be a lot of anguish and tears.
In that case the RC charge that there was no canon until Rome provided it would be true, though under that definition of canon that would mean that for most of her claimed history then she had none.
Moreover, it is actually a discussed but unsettled matter among RCs (http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=654381; http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=677608) as to whether Trent actually closed the canon, versus settling that the listed books are Scripture, but not saying other books are not. The Eastern Orthodox Churches were using a larger canon before Trent (including the Prayer of Manasseh) but Trent did not condemn such usage. And as the above forums state the RC apologist Gary Michuta reports that the Council took up the issue as to whether certain books (the Book of Esdras, Fourth Ezra, and Third Maccabees) that were included in [some of] the Latin Vulgates should be rejected by a Conciliar decree, or be passed over in silence. He reports that only three Fathers voted for an explicit rejection, while forty-two voted that the status of these books should be passed over in silence.
But the word "canon" does not necessarily mean a complete list of books, but can refer to "a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works," (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canon) as a canon of great literature.
And which certainly existed in the time of Christ, otherwise He could not have challenged the Jews to "search the Scriptures," as that presuposes a body of accepted writings being Scripture, and the Lord preached from to the disciples,
"which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44) and likewise which Paul "expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening." (Acts 28:23) And for Paul at least, the Law could include Psalms and Proverbs and prophets.
I think you'll find that some of our FR Catholics will disagree.
If you say so.
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