Catholicism Informed or Not?

[amadeus2]

Half the things I studied in school I never used..the most important thing I am learning is to study the Bible.
I never did that at school so now making up for lost time.

Ah, yes. I grew up as a Catholic and never read the Bible during my formative years. After leaving active Catholicism to taste of the world for several years, God drew me to Him at the age of 32. Then I began to read the Bible. I think sometimes of all of those years when my brain so quick and sharp but I never applied it to understanding God.

 

[Lanolin]

Why dont catholics read the bible? They seem so religious you'd think they would be reading their bibles everyday.

Its weird, Im sorry I just dont understand catholicism and have given up trying.

 

[Bendito]

Why dont catholics read the bible? They seem so religious you'd think they would be reading their bibles everyday.

Its weird, Im sorry I just dont understand catholicism and have given up trying.

I was born a Romanist. Back when I was young it was forbidden for people to read the bible. Only the clergy could interpret it you know. LOL As if the Word needs to be interpreted. Its in English! The Romanist church wants its victims to be ignorant and dependent.

 

[Dave M]

it also probably has something to do with the fact that in the early ages the priest would sell get out of perguatory early passes to people who would pay for them, and if you read the bible you know there is no perguatory.

yeap you could pay a priest to get your dead grand pop out of perguatory if you had enough money back in the early ages. Thats pure evil right there

 

[Bendito]

it also probably has something to do with the fact that in the early ages the priest would sell get out of perguatory early passes to people who would pay for them, and if you read the bible you know there is no perguatory.

yeap you could pay a priest to get your dead grand pop out of perguatory if you had enough money back in the early ages. Thats pure evil right there

LOL I guess I lived in the early ages. I remember they did that in the 1950s and into the 60s. They would sell indulgences too.

 

[amadeus2]

As a Catholic I did love God according to what I had [which wasn't much] and where I was. I was baptized in 1949 at 6 years old. Reading the Bible was always discouraged, but no one explained to me why that was so. So along the way I decided to become a priest patly because they could read the Bible but God had another idea and I never made to the seminary.

 

[Bendito]

As a Catholic I did love God according to what I had [which wasn't much] and where I was. I was baptized in 1949 at 6 years old. Reading the Bible was always discouraged, but no one explained to me why that was so. So along the way I decided to become a priest patly because they could read the Bible but God had another idea and I never made to the seminary.

Well Amadeus....You're a priest now...and a king.

 

[Lanolin]

Strange.

I always wondered why catholics believe weird things that werent in the Bible it was just because they didnt bother to read it. How hard can it be to open up a book and read it, well..look you can forgive pagans that never read the Bible for not knowing who Jesus is, but catholics make out like they were the number one fans of Him yet dont know His word.

I thought they were like super sophisticated christians with their fancy church buildings but turns out they really the illiterate hillbillies of christendom. Or philistines...but having not read the Bible they wouldnt get the reference...

 

[Dave M]

most things in the world are not what they seem on the outside. Plenty of God loving Catholics out there, I wonder out of all who claim to be Christian actually read the bible

 

[Bendito]

Strange.

I always wondered why catholics believe weird things that werent in the Bible it was just because they didnt bother to read it. How hard can it be to open up a book and read it, well..look you can forgive pagans that never read the Bible for not knowing who Jesus is, but catholics make out like they were the number one fans of Him yet dont know His word.

I thought they were like super sophisticated christians with their fancy church buildings but turns out they really the illiterate hillbillies of christendom. Or philistines...but having not read the Bible they wouldnt get the reference...

I love this! Keep in mind Dear Lanolin, that there are thousands, probably millions of Romanists who are born again Spirit filled believers. They do get into the Word, and the Word is in them too. Always remember that there are born again Christians from all faiths and religions. Not that they all follow these pagan beliefs but they come out of them all. The Romanist religion is pure evil but a large percentage of the people are honestly seeking Him. If they are honestly seeking Him, He will save them too.

 

[amadeus2]

Well Amadeus....You're a priest now...and a king.

Yes, thanks to God and His Son, things in my life have improved greatly, but the end is not yet, is it?

 

[amadeus2]

I know personally today several Catholics who do read the Bible. The admonition of that church against Bible reading really has been lifted since I was there, but they retain a strong requirements that to really understand the meaning of what you are reading requires the assistance of their priests.

As @Bendito mentioned the priesthood of believers we also need to remember that that priesthood is quite different than the priesthood of the sons of Aaron and the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. God established the priesthood of the sons of Aaron of the tribe of Levi from among all of the children of Jacob... but that was only a type or shadow of the priesthood mentioned by the Apostle Peter:

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." I Peter 2:5

Yes, for those natural children Israel it was what they had, but while we can learn from their experiences in the OT writings we are NOT follow after them. We are to follow after the One who paid the price for us. Jesus paid a price so that membership in this "priesthood" is now open to "whosoever will". You don't have to be son of Jacob or a son of Levi or a son of Aaron as a prerequisite to admittance.

We do however have be prepared before we can enter in fully... Jesus made all of this possible to anyone who was willing.

 

[Lanolin]

I try to encourage the people I know raised catholic background to read the Bible more.

I think the anglican church also have separate ordained priesthoods. Many churches separate their people into 'clergy' and 'laymen' which isnt in the Bible either.

 

[Bendito]

I try to encourage the people I know raised catholic background to read the Bible more.

I think the anglican church also have separate ordained priesthoods. Many churches separate their people into 'clergy' and 'laymen' which isnt in the Bible either.

Its because you are dealing with a cult. A religion based on lies and control. There is little truth in the Romanist church. And you have to question everything the religion teaches. Which makes the priests angry, because it is not a religion for thinking people.

 

[Lanolin]

Well, I got into trouble on a different christian forum if I questioned anything the catholic church did. There were other christians on there but I got in the most trouble with the catholics, and in real life the most problems I had were trying to relate spiritually to catholics. It just didnt work.
So now Ive learned to avoid them and the topic of their church completely. And yes they get very angry and defensive, anything you say thats they see is negative is seen as an insult and an offence.

The worst thing I learned about the RCC is that they actually curse people who dont believe the exact same doctrines as they do.

 

[amadeus2]

Well, I got into trouble on a different christian forum if I questioned anything the catholic church did. There were other christians on there but I got in the most trouble with the catholics, and in real life the most problems I had were trying to relate spiritually to catholics. It just didnt work.
So now Ive learned to avoid them and the topic of their church completely. And yes they get very angry and defensive, anything you say thats they see is negative is seen as an insult and an offence.

The worst thing I learned about the RCC is that they actually curse people who dont believe the exact same doctrines as they do.

Yes, having been there among them, I understand the difficulty of dealing with them. The truth of the matter is as the Apostle Paul states it:

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Yes, God alone gives the increase although He most certainly does work through people to supply that increase. The problem with most Catholics is that their hearts are very tightly closely. If God has one us deal with Catholics, we need to remember that we cannot open the door to their hearts and we cannot penetrate the closed door.

What we can do is look for an opening that they have provided. They hear the Lord knocking [through you or me perhaps] and they open up just a crack to see who is there. We cannot be like the overzealous door-to-door salesman who tried to force his foot into the small opening in the door. That will likely make the person angry or suspicious or fearful. This is where the leading of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

We need to be hearing the voice of God in our own hearts and then He will provide the right words. But, force-feeding doesn't work and to try to do it that way is wrong. Remember that in spite of always having the Word of His Father in His mouth, Jesus did not convert every person He met. Undoubtedly many of those he dealt with favorably were among those who cried out toward the end, "Crucify him!"

 

[Lanolin]

Yes thats a good analogy amadeus2.

You can only really invite someone to come over to meet with Jesus but you cant make them go. The frustrating thing is when they say they are interested and may come and then they dont.

 

[amadeus2]

Yes thats a good analogy amadeus2.

You can only really invite someone to come over to meet with Jesus but you cant make them go. The frustrating thing is when they say they are interested and may come and then they dont.

Sometimes they want to please you so that they will feel good about it, saying that they had good intentions, but they have little or no interest really in pleasing the one that matters the most: God!

 

[Lanolin]

Sometimes they want to please you so that they will feel good about it, saying that they had good intentions, but they have little or no interest really in pleasing the one that matters the most: God!

yes. sadly I found catholics in particular to be annoying in that respect of being people pleasers.

I am reading a book, think it WAS based on a true story but now finding it to be a novelisation, called 'The Nun's Story'. By Kathryn Hulme.
It's about someone who became a nun so she could go nurse in the Congo on missions. Well you could probably do that without becoming a nun and not go through all that drama. I'm about half way through it and I know at the end she doesn't stick with her vows (it was made into a movie starring Audrey Hepburn).

I was trying to find if in fact it was a true story and turns out the author who is RCC based it on her lesbian lover.

 

[Lanolin]

Oh ok this thread moved, sorry christ4ever if we getting off topic.

I did read the catholic handbook years back to see what catholics believed (written by the church itself) and was quite shocking to me. I think when people make the choice to convert its a good idea to read the Bible first and see if the doctrines match up.

I think part of the reason is, and this can be true of any man made church - is it will take the truth but then add extra things to it.

In the Nun's .story by Kathryn Hulme the belgian nun was living by 'the Rule' and while us christians do have rules written on our hearts the nuns go to extremes with them...and I would say become something that Jesus warned about someone who's very religious on the outside but empty on the inside and thats a Pharisee.

I dont think everyone can live like that..the people Ive talked to who grew up catholic didnt actually know the gospel because it wasnt really taught, but lots of rules and obligations and rituals were.

In this story, the nun is suggested by her mother superior to deliberately fail her medical exams to show humility. She thinks she is too proud of her nursing skills and showing all the other nuns up. The conflict is between her ambitions as a nurse and sticking to the obligations or vows of being a nun. The option of just being a christian and still being a nurse is not ever considered.

I had seen this black or white thinking in a workmate that was catholic, who seem to think if shes not married that being a nun is the only option for her..i dont know if its because its taught its shameful to be unmarried in the catholic church or what. I dont think its easy to be a nun. In the story the nuns are given little devices used to flagellate themselves as part of their penance. Like a hook or whip for their backs, and it they do something wrong and break a rule they have to beat themselves up for it.

The infraction can be something like they were late for chapel or didnt ask permission to go to the toilet or something. Sounds like extreme boot camp for the wayward to me.