I grew up as a Catholic, born in 1949 – and in my earliest days of school we were taught from something called the Baltimore Catecism – and my research and disputes for all Catholics is posted here for all to read and pray about .. my research says since its 1885 debut, the Catechism commissioned by the Third Council of Bishops in Baltimore has instructed generations of Catholic faithful – like myself growing up – may have supplied an easy to read question and answer format, but the Catechism combines a whole bunch of “Catholic doctrinal teachings” ( men’s ideas, thoughts and organizationa guidelines ) .. with little meaningful exposure to Biblical Scriptural Truth .. yet a summation of many practical applications – not necessarilly backed up by what I read in my Bible.
Over time .. I hope to add some of the areas I have come to doubt .. and better understand .. through no help from The Catholic Church? I recall times when I heard Catholics profess the thought – “if you are not Catholic then you are going to hell ” … so in this blog .. I’ll post and you decide ..
6. Q. Why did God make you? … A.. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.
The Bible says:
Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Isaiah 43:7 – Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Ephesians 3:9-10 – And to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
The Term “Church” from Scripture ..
The word translated “church” in the English Bible is ekklesia. This word is the Greek words kaleo (to call), with the prefix ek (out). Thus, the word means “the called out ones.” However, the English word “church” does not come from ekklesia but from the word kuriakon, which means “dedicated to the Lord.” This word was commonly used to refer to a holy place or temple. By the time of Jerome’s translation of the New Testament from Greek to Latin, it was customary to use a derivative of kuriakon to translate ekklesia. Therefore, the word church is a poor translation of the word ekklesia since it implies a sacred building, or temple. A more accurate translation would be “assembly” because the term ekklesia was used to refer to a group of people who had been called out to a meeting. It was also used as a synonym for the word synagogue, which also means to “come together,” i.e. a gathering. “Body of Christ” Since believers have been united with Christ through spiritual baptism, they are sometimes corporately referred to as the body of Christ. (Rom. l2:4-5; 1 Cor. l2:11,13,l8,27; Col. l:l8; Eph. 5:30) The idea seems to be that the group of Christians in the world constitute the physical representation of Christ on earth. It is also a metaphor which demonstrates the interdependence of members in the church, while at the same time demonstrating their diversity from one another. (Rom. 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:14-17)
If one goes to http://www.BibleGateway.com .. and does a “keyword search” for the term = Catholic – this is what you get – No results found.
9. Q. What must we do to save our souls? ( emphasis by me – Get To Heaven? )
A. To save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity; that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our heart.
The Bible Says: ( Top Seven Answers )
Romans 10:9-10 Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
John 6:28-29 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Titus 3:5-6 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
NOTE: I could not find any answers related to – (a) recieving any sacraments? (b) confessing sins to any priest?
10. Q. How shall we know the things which we are to believe?
A. We shall know the things which we are to believe from the Catholic Church, through which God speaks to us.
Note: I wonder what happened to God’s Word?
11. Q. Where shall we find the chief truths which the Church teaches?
A. We shall find the chief truths which the Church teaches in the Apostles’ Creed.
NOTE: The Apostles’ Creed sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or “symbol”. It is widely used by a number of Christian denominations for both liturgical and catechetical purposes, most visibly by liturgical Churches of Western tradition, including the Roman Catholic Church, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Western Orthodoxy. It is also used by Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists.
Sounds like the Roman Catholic Church is still saying what it has always professed in my lifetime – The Church has all the answers
.. and their “priests” ( sinners just like us ) .. they have the right answers – and NOT THE BIBLE? I remember my mother telling me that they could not read and interpret God’s Word – but that they needed the “priest” to explain and interpret God’s Word from Scripture – seems to me the Roman Catholic Church is still trying to tell us that today? .. they have the answer and everyone else is WRONG!
The Catholic Church teaches that the 7 sacraments are signs of grace, instituted by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church ( NO ONE ELSE? .. Only The Roman Catholic Church? ) , by which divine life is dispensed to us .. and the visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions… whatever that really means? .. and by whose interpretation? Men? God?
The Catholic Church “lays claim” of and by itself … that it alone is the universal sacrament of salvation, the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church in the strict sense are seven sacraments that “touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith”. The Roman Catholic Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for “salvation” ( No Where To Be Found In The Bible ) .. and although according to The Roman Catholic Church – not all are necessary for every individual, and has placed under anathema those who deny it: “If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous; and that, without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain of God, through faith alone, the grace of justification; though all (the sacraments) are not ineed necessary for every individual; let him be anathema.”
NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU IN RIO LINDA … “anathema” means .. a formal curse by a pope or a council of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine.
The Church further teaches that the effect of a sacrament comes ex opere operato, by the very fact of being administered, regardless of the personal holiness of the minister administering it. ( If that were Satan Himself .. I guess this means it’s “all good”? ) However, a recipient’s own lack of proper disposition to receive the grace conveyed can block the effectiveness of the sacrament in that person. The sacraments pre suppose faith and through their words and ritual elements, nourish, strengthen and give expression to faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists the sacraments as follows: The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
Personally, I like what Paul says in Philippians 3:4-11 (NIRV) ..
4 I have many reasons to trust in my human nature. Others may think they have reasons to trust in theirs. But I have even more. 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am part of the people of Israel. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I am a pure Hebrew. As far as the law is concerned, I am a Pharisee. 6 As far as being committed is concerned, I opposed and attacked the church. As far as keeping the Law is concerned, I kept it perfectly. 7 I thought things like that were for my benefit. But now I consider them to be nothing because of Christ. 8 Even more, I consider everything to be nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. To know him is the best thing of all. Because of him I have lost everything. But I consider all of it to be garbage so I can get to know Christ. 9 I want to be joined to him. For me, being right with God does not come from the law. It comes because I believe in Christ. It comes from God. It is received by faith. 10 I want to know Christ better. I want to know the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings. I want to become like him by sharing in his death. 11 Then by God’s grace I will rise from the dead.