[wanderingboy]

So I am a seventh-day adventist, I am 16 and I don't really believe a lot of the same stuff as the SDA church does. I have really been interesded in the catholic church and all that it stands for, any advise to me? What are the main beliefs?

[De Maria]

As has been stated, one big difference between Catholics and the rest of us lies with the Pope. Read what Jesus said:
Matt 20:25-26
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
(KJV)

Wrong verse Galveston. This is the one where Jesus Christ established the Papacy:
Matthew 16:17-19 (King James Version)

17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

And this is the one where He confirmed it:
John 21:
15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

So you see, Jesus Christ, God Himself, established one Pastor to watch over His Flock.

Another biggie is with the communion. Catholic dogma insists that to say the bread and wine are symbolic is anathema, but consider this; when Jesus made the following statement, His blood was still in His veins and He was still in His unbroken body, so it could not have been meant literally.

Do you believe that Jesus is God? Because it sounds as though you don't believe that Jesus could make the bread His Body and the wine His Blood?

Jesus said it, we believe it. End of story.

Matt 26:26-28
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
(KJV)

Thanks for posting it. It is precisely what Jesus said and we believe it.

There are many beliefs and practices peculiar to the Roman Catholic church that most of Christendom have never accepted.

On the contrary. Most of Christendom remains Catholic even today. The Catholic Church contains over half of all the world's Christians. And in previous years, the Catholic Church was the only Church.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[De Maria]

so i am a seventh-day adventist, i am 16 and i dont really believe alot of the same stuff as the SDA church does. i have really been interesded in the catholic church and all that it stands for, any advise to me? what are the main beliefs?

You are 16 years old and still under the therefore still under the authority of your parents whom God put in this world to guide you in faith.

Thanks for asking though.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[De Maria]

Now, I'm a bit confused. (you probably think that's an understatement). I know that I have never heard of anyone praying to the Pope, and never said so, but don't Catholics pray to the various saints, especially Mary?

Yes.

If this is true, how do you square it with this?
1 Tim 2:5
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
(KJV)

First: Read the first verse in the same Chapter:
1 Timothy 2

1I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

So, Scripture says that we should ALL mediate by supplication, prayers, intercessions and giving thanks for all men.

So, we are all MEDIATORS. Christ is the sole Mediator BY NATURE. We are the BODY OF CHRIST by grace. Scripture also says:
1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

If we are labourers together with God, then we are labourers together with Christ. And Christ mediates. Therefore we do also:
1 Corinthians 11:1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

And of course, Scripture also says:
1 Timothy 4:16
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Therefore, if we can save others by preaching the Word, then we are mediating.

James 5:20
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

If we can convert sinners, we are mediating.

It also helps to remember that we are all priests of God.
1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

And priests have mediated for God's people from ancient times.

I hope that helps.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[De Maria]

Hello,

Could you please inform me of Catholic beliefs, and how the differ from Christian belief?

They don't. Catholicism teaches the orthodox Christian faith. In other words, Catholicism is the standard of all Christianity. Other Christians have fallen away from the Catholic Church and have adopted beliefs which differ from those which Jesus Christ passed down to His Apostles and in turn they passed down to us.

What are those differences? I'll give you the two main ones.

Sola Scriptura. That means the Bible Alone. It is a false doctrine which contradicts Scripture. Scripture says we should obey the Church:
Matthew 18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Obey our Pastors:
Hebrews 13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

And obey traditions:
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.


Those who teach Sola Scriptura deny all those and thus while claiming to obey Scripture, actually disobey Scripture.

The Catholic Church upholds Scripture and thus obeys everyone of those injunctions.

Sola Fide Or Faith Alone. Scripture says:
James 2:24
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

But believers in Sola Fide claim that we are justified by faith only. It seems an utter and complete contradiction of Scripture. Nevertheless, that is what they believe.

What does the Catholic Church teach on that matter.

We are justified by faith apart from works in the Sacraments. The Sacraments are God's works and we simply believe that He can do what He promised to do in the Sacraments. In Baptism for instance, God promised to wash away our sins:
Acts 22:16
And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

We believe Him. Therefore, when we are Baptized, we are cleansed of our sins according to our faith apart from any works because only God can do that.

However, in preparing ourselves and to be justified in the Sacraments, we justify ourselves by faith and works. We thus exercise our faith and make ourselves better disposed to receive the Grace of God in the Sacraments. The Council of Trent explains it like this:

It is furthermore declared that in adults the beginning of that justification must proceed from the predisposing grace of God through Jesus Christ, that is, from His vocation, whereby, without any merits on their part, they are called; that they who by sin had been cut off from God, may be disposed through His quickening and helping grace to convert themselves to their own justification by freely assenting to and cooperating with that grace; so that, while God touches the heart of man through the illumination of the Holy Ghost, man himself neither does absolutely nothing while receiving that inspiration, since he can also reject it, nor yet is he able by his own free will and without the grace of God to move himself to justice in His sight.

Scripture puts it this way:
Romans 2:13
For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Therefore we are justified in our entire life. First by faith and works, we prepare ourselves for justification by our own repentance, prayers and works of obedience to God. Then in the Sacraments we are justified by God Himself. All we need to do is believe in His promises. No works necessary.

Thank You!

I hope that helps.

browneyedfaith:)

My own daughter is a brown eyed Faith. May God bless you,

Sincerely,

De Maria

[Just_Believe]

There are differences between Catholic doctrine, and true Christian faith. Fr Chuck stated that only fringe Catholic groups worship Mary, well if this is true why did Pope John Paul II have such a strong conviction that the world needed to be saved by Mary, and not Christ? Are you saying that the deceased Pope was a fring Catholic? Christianity is the belief in what Christ had done for the sins of humanity, when he left His throne in heaven as GOD the Son, to offer His life as the spotless, sinless Lamb on the cross when "no other" sacrifice would do to remove the stain of sin on our lives. Jesus and no other rose from the dead as GOD so that we may have everlasting life with Him.
The teachings of the Catholic church, which by the way is a man made religion not Christianity, teaches that salvation is obtained through works, offerings to the church "mainly money" and elaberate rituals which include repeating the rosery over and over, and having fellowship with a waffer.
If you are serious about your salvation read the Word of God and pray to God the Father that with the help of the Holy Spirit to reveal His Son Jesus Christ, you will find the answer to your question. For it is in Christ alone that we have salvation and no other.
Act 20:21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Rom 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Rom 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Rom 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Rom 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
As you can see from the few scriptures I have referanced our hope, faith, comfort & life is in Christ alone. There are many more scriptures that point to the fact in Christ you will find salvation & eternal life, please search the scriptures & find the truth.
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
Joh 5:40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Eph 2:9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
My final thought on this matter is this; man has & will continue to create false religions to suite his own sinful purposes, because we are born into sin & without a personel relationship with Christ we will die in our sinful state ever to be separated from GOD. Religious organizations of yesterday, today, & tomorrow will "not" allow you to pass into eternity, with fellowship with GOD. Only when you confess your sins, believe that Christ died for your sins & rose from the dead that you may have eternal life will open the door of eternal fellowship with GOD.
SO don't put your trust in man, put your trust in GOD through Christ Jesus.

[Just_Believe]

Read Mat 18:15-17 it talks about a fellow believer who has wronged you, not about obeying the church. Hebrews 13:17 when read in context is to obey spiritual authority when it agrees with scripture. 2Th 2:15 obey the gospel of Christ.