Does anyone in the U.S. REALLY believe in Catholicism???? (page 2)

restrangled

The Catholic church usually puts on some pretty cool community events like fairs, and food and clothing drives.

r's hubby

choosing life

I can't say that I believe in it, but I have been around it a lot the last couple of years. There are a lot of differences btween JWs and Catholic beliefs.

To some things, I say definately odd to me. Like wearing the special clothing and living a sheltered life away from regular society, celibacy, etc.

Then, on the other hand, they actually allow more free thinking in religion and are not bound to live by their leader's commands. I guess, they just allow a person to choose the amount of involvement that they wish to have. They talk a lot more about mercy, something the JWs seem to miss. The JWs tend to use scare tactics to a greater degree.

I listened to their PR presentation (about our mission) and they did involve scriptures in it. It was actually about how God notices and rewards even the very smallest demonstations of kindness that we show to others. Kind of inspiring, really.

Then you go to work on the floor and they refuse to give you the time to take care of the patients that is needed. They really don't seem to care if they have good treatment, they just care about the business side of the situation. And they drive their nurses into impossible situations and their best is never enough.

Sorry. I guess I told you about the Catholics and the health care dilemna at the same time.

restrangled

They're pre-marriage counseling usually doesn't include asking the young couple all about their sexual activity. You don't have to worry about your family not showing up to your wedding because of being shunned.

r's hubby

choosing life

Transubstantiation is the belief that the bread and wine actually turn into the body and blood of Christ during holy communion.

I was raised back and forth between Catholc and even more so, Lutheran teachings. I came to understand that I would just have to make my own mind up on that one, as they taught different things. Actually, the Lutheran's thought that either could be true, so I guess they don't see it as big of a deal as the Catholics do.

By the way, I chose that it didn't, was too morbid for me.

Now it just saeems crazy to me now.

Core88

Umm yes, many do. I was a JW and hated the Catholic church with a passion. (since it was the harlot of Babylon the Great and all!) Then I actually went to one here in Indiana, an all Latin mass on a Sunday morning, with a friend. I felt very nervous before I went inside thinking that I would be attacked by the Devil for going into it, and being ashamed that I had gone so far a way from the "Truth". However, to my surprise I felt good inside there. It was peaceful, I enjoyed the service, the chanting was beautiful and the environment was nice too. Anyway I am no longer opposed to there faith. And I have done allot of study on them, both the East Orthodox side of the church and the Western Roman Catholic church. The eastern church does not use the term Transubstantiation, they simple believe that the actual flesh and blood of Christ is present in the bread and wine, and yes they still use both in the communion service while the Roman church just uses the unleavened bread. (the eastern church uses leavened bread and here is a nice link that explains why, http://www.prosphora.org/page27.html) anyway you can trace what is now the Roman and Eastern Catholic church back to the first century which is something the Watchtower can not do with it's own lineage. And there is a nice pod-cast here, http://www.catholicxjw.com/, that I have listened to and enjoyed and learned from. Well that's it for me on this topic for now, nice to talk to you all again, may the Lord bless you all. Corey

poppers

When I was a practicing RC many years ago I couldn't wrap my mind around the transubstantiation thing - so I guess I was really a Catholic. What "proof" was there of this - it was just something else we were supposed to believe.

DanTheMan

My parents and much of my extended family are practicing Catholics, and many of them are quite devout. I have a cousin in seminary, he is a Brother in the church and has devoted his life to charity. He's really a great guy, and his great-guyness was a source of cog diss for me while I was a dub. My mom is a classic neurotic Catholic woman, very guilt-tripping and moralizing, and I'm the classic neurotic son of a neurotic Catholic mother, LOL.

Crazy how they believe, without evidence, that there was guy who lived 2000 years ago that was born to a virgin, could walk on water and make water into wine, and was really truly dead for three days but came back to life again.

lrkr

Never been catholic, but from what I've read and seen, seems like an archaic, 2000 year old set of Roman rites.

abbagail

Re: Does anyone in the U.S. REALLY believe in Catholicism????

Unfortunately many do, but not this kid.

And "RITES" is exactly it. It's nothing but another "WORKS BASED" religion, with "cult leader" at the top who interprets scripture for the rest of the crowd, same as WT HQ does. And even worse, same as WT uses EXTRACURRICULAR WT mags to "feed the sheep," so does the RCC put MORE IMPORTANCE on ITS WRITINGS, Interpretations, Church doctrines, than on SCRIPTURE.

It was the RCC who kept the scriptures from people for, what, 1000 years? They murdered William Tyndale for simply translating it into English.

They initiated the crusades and killed millions.

They have a long string of ridiculous heresies, to boot, transubstantiation being one of them.

We are saved by FAITH and faith alone. No amount of "good deeds" will earn salvation for anyone. The RCC HATED THAT and hence tried to squash the idea at its inception, and still does not believe it. The RCC is based on GOOD WORKS, do this, do that, do this, do that, and maybe you'll get to heaven, etc.

As for confessing, lol, many funny comments, but confessing to the Lord is better than going into the priest cubicle and getting 25 Hail Mary's and 10 Our Fathers to say on your knees to get your sins forgiven -- OR licking elders' boots, lol.

For more info, try some googling:

transubstantiation - heresy

Catholic Church - heresies

etc. etc.

And btw I was an RCC as a young person, eight years of Catholic School, so I feel I can barf all over its totally corrupt "goddess/Queen of Heaven worship empire" from experience. Catholics are majorly duped, but they "like it that way," the pomp, the ceremony, the ritual. It makes people feel "holy" so they just refuse to turn to SIMPLE FAITH & FREEDOM IN CHRIST.

Amen, that's my sermon for the day.

/ag

funkyderek

Mad:

Yes, they do. There are also people in the US and indeed across the world who believe in Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and a whole plethora of equally absurd "isms". It shouldn't really surprise you given that you apparently believe in one the most ridiculous of all (although in true cultlike form, it resists attempts to call it an "-ism").

Mostly, they believe in it because they were taught it from an age when they were too young to question it, and they've been systematically taught never to question it. Some believe it because they were fooled into believing it in adulthood. (This of course goes for all religions, not just Catholicism.)

I do find it funny that the person who has expressed the most vehement opposition to Catholicism in this thread is someone who believes an only slightly different theology, every bit as fatuous.

Does anyone in the U.S. REALLY believe in Catholicism????

Share this