There is a gentleman that I've gone out with a few times. We've talked quite a bit via email as well.
We seem to get along well and I find him smart and funny and I like that he seems to alternate between bashful and calmly confident of his abilities.
He's a practicing Catholic and as far as I can tell his faith is real.
However, I'm not a Catholic and I have very different views on evangelism, how knowable God is, and Heaven/Hell.
I've begun to get the feeling that he would like to pursue a relationship with me and I find myself concerned. Not that there's anything wrong with him, but that it might simply not be viable to allow myself to be pursued by him.
I'm certainly not about to convert to Catholicism. While the church I attend does hold to some tradition, I just disagree with several of the Catholic teachings.
We've not yet had a dtr conversation yet but I feel the time has come to know what I'll say when we do.
I also feel that he is unlikely to become a protestant of any kind.
Previously I'd been saying "well, if he's clearly saved, what's the problem?" but obviously I'd been speaking hypothetically. Now I'm wondering if I was too liberal in my assessment of what was neccessary in a boyfriend/potential husband.
Sadly, I have only recently begun to seek God's will in this. I'd also like to know what the general Christian community thinks.
The Roman Catholic Church did not decide which scriptures to put into the bible. The internal evidence and Church history made that decision long before the RCC took power and became the dominant church. They are not the original Church either and God did not make that promise to the RCC.
Brio,
When you compare the teachings of the Vatican and true Christianity you will find vast serious differences. I am a former Catholic and know their teachings inside and out, back words and forwards. You should know what they believe and then have that discussion with him. It is possible that he does not really understand what the teach. He may be like so many that they are just caught up into "traditions" and believe the many lies the RCC conjures up about who they are. The scriptures state that the Husband is the spiritual leader of the home. Do you want him to be that leader? Is he well grounded in God's word? These are key points to consider.
Here is a New York Times article in pertinent part about how the Vatican feels about "other Christian Faiths".
ROME, July 10 � Pope Benedict XVI restated Tuesday what he said were the �defects� of Christian faiths other than Roman Catholicism, prompting anger from Protestants who questioned the Vatican�s respect for other beliefs.
�It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity,� the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, which represents Protestants in more than 100 countries, said in a statement. The Vatican document repeated many of the contentious claims of a document issued in 2000 by the Vatican office on orthodoxy, which Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger headed for more than two decades before being elected pope in 2005.
The document released Tuesday focused largely on the Vatican definition of what constitutes a church, which it defined as being traceable through its bishops to Christ�s original apostles. Thus, it said, the world�s Orthodox Christians make up a church because of shared history, if �separated� from the �proper� Catholic tradition, while Protestants split from Catholicism during the Reformation are considered only �Christian communities.�
The document repeated church teaching that the Roman Catholic Church alone is the mediator of salvation, though other beliefs can be its �instrument.�
�These separated churches and communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation,� the document read. �In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church.�
"The Roman Catholic Church did not decide which scriptures to put into the bible. The internal evidence and Church history made that decision long before the RCC took power and became the dominant church. They are not the original Church either and God did not make that promise to the RCC."
Walter
Lets say for arguments sake that you are right...then where is that "original church" that God promised would not be corrupted and that would still be there when Christ Returns?
And if it wasn't The Catholic Church that decided which of the 300 or so letters and books (that were being circulated around at that time as being "inspired" by God ) -- to put into The New Testament...then who did? And when did they do it?
There is no way that you can Dance around the fact that it was The Catholic Church that decided the canon for The New Testament. The Catholic Church simply compared what was in those letters and books to what they had as "the Deposit of Faith" given to them by Christ. If it did not "mesh" with The Truths they had then it could not have been inpired by God.
As for Nonsense. There are (as of the last census) over 30,000 different churches (all based on Scripture) preaching different "Truths". Each one says that "no one has all the truths". Everyone is Interpreting Scripture as best they can and then finding others that agree with them and then starting their own church. I am sure that you could find some "DEFECT" in all 30,000 churches, yet God still uses them for Salvation. Is this what God wanted? Is this what God wanted for us? For His Plan of Salvation?
When the Pope spoke of "defects" this is what he was speaking of. Every Catholic Priest can trace his lineage all the way back to The Apsotles and to Christ. That Truth is Irrefutable. Walter, your "knowledge" of The Catholic Church is dubious and I wonder if there is some other reason for this dislike of Her.
brio, please forgive my brief reply here.. running out of time before I have to head into work.
I was originally raised catholic and spent the first 15 years of my life in the catholic church. I can honestly say we learned very little about Jesus, and there was no encouragement to actually read the bible/God's word. Instead, there was a series of rituals and routines which are kept as holy.
Being out and away from that church now years later and confessing Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I can see it for what it is.
My humble advice here.. if he does not talk about Jesus all the time or rarely mention what Jesus has done in his life or for him.. be very careful. You sound like a real living relationship with the Lord is important to you, and for God's glory it should remain that way. This is going to sound really bad, but I have yet to meet a single catholic person who seems to have a living, growing relationship with Jesus.. simply because the church I went to and some I see today still portray Jesus to be a helpless baby in His mothers arms rather than our Savior, and the one who filled many prophecies.
Be very very careful sis.. my entire family is non-practicing catholic and every time I talk to them it's like an enticing gamble/deal from below where the adversary is. I'm hoping and praying one day God will open eyes and hearts in the catholic church and get something right, but more often than not.. if they're not on fire for Jesus you'll be led astray from the Lord quickly by charm. Sounds like you have been charmed a bit, enough to seek out advice.
Being equally yoked cannot be stressed enough.. you really don't want to be fussing with a partner who lives in a comfort zone and has no interest in a deeper relationship with the Lord, or growing together and "dancing" in God's eyes for the rest of your lives.
Your complaint seems to be one oft repeated. I wonder how many churches you've been a member of since leaving The Catholic Church? And what was it about those churches that you did not like?
I agree with you that there are quite a few Catholics that are just "going through the motions" and have no clue whatsoever. Yet I wonder which is worst...to be indifferent to Christ or to make yourself the center of attention instead of Christ? I've been to "services" where I was not sure who or what we were celebrating...Christ dying for our sins or The Choir or Preacher or Praise Group or Dance Group or Healers or Speaker of Tongues or The Band.
You wrote:
"simply because the church I went to and some I see today still portray Jesus to be a helpless baby in His mothers arms rather than our Savior, and the one who filled many prophecies."
How can you sit through a Mass and not realize that it is All About Christ's Birth...Death and Resurrection and God's Word and what it means for our Salavtion?
I've been a Christian since I was eight days old. As a young boy Jesus was as Real to me as the policeman on the corner. I would "ask" Him for things and often not He would give them to me.
In a three year period...I will hear the whole Bible read at Mass. I doubt that you will have that at your church. most likely your Pastor will read his favorite Scriptures and will most certainly avoid anything that points to The Catholic Church.
I want to add that Salvation is not predicated on being Catholic...there are many Catholics that will be very surprised at death. I am sorry that you never got to learn about what The Catholic Church really believes and teaches and Her History.
If you would like...I will give my testimony as to my relationhip with Jesus. Let me know?
I am now living in a small town in South Korea. Nothing more developed with the gentleman in the states and though I am still in contact with him I am sure nothing will develop in the future. I feel that the move and the sense of detachment I feel from him is God's way of saying "no."
I am sure there are some true believers in the Catholic church and there's a good chance that this gentleman is one of them, but he's not on fire for Christ.
I pray every day that God will prepare me for my spouse, and him for me, that God will make us so we will be good examples of Christ and His church to the community, and make us holy so we can share a life for His glory. This guy is nice, and I may see him in Heaven yet, but I'm not looking for a casual philosophical Christian. I'm looking for one who will love God more than he loves me and love me well because he loves God so much. As far as I can tell this gentleman didn't fit that bill because he wasn't clearly growing in that direction.
there is a huge difference between catholiscism and protestantism . the word protestant came the the word pro test .Protestants pro tested against the papacy which is the roamn catholic church for the persecution of Gods peaople when she ruled the earth from 538-1798 as fore told in bible prophecy. the papacy is also responsible for the so called spurious sunday day of rest which is the 1st day of the week not the second. how ever there are catholics who are true christians and live up to the light God has given them but . martin luther was your great protestant reformer who shed light from the bible and protested the catholic church martin luther the founder and champion of the protestant movement along with many other past reformers identify the catholic church as the harlot from revelation 17 and the antichrist of bible prophecy
The catholic church never ruled the world,a nd certainly not in the time you stated. By 1798 she had not much more than the City state of Rome to rule. The other states, also the Catholic ones, didn't care too much for what the pope said.
Speaking of the pope. Martin Luther was not fighting off the Catholic church, he considered himself Catholic. Luther fought against heresies in the church, that could come up everywhere, in each denomination (and does to this day)...
You're right: protestantism comes from pro testare, whcih is latin and means: to witness for. So, nobody protestet "against" anything. The Protestation in Speyer at the imperial diet of 1529 was some princes and cities of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation witnessing for their trust in God rather than in imperial laws deciding for them what to believe (the same protestant princes did not let their subjects decide themselves oon faith on the other hand).
So it was not at all against anybody, not the pope, and especially not the Catholic church. The apostolic creed still had the words "I believe in the holy catholic church" also for the protestants back then. They considered themselves catholic, the others were "Roman".
And when speaking of Luther and the bible be careful. His use of the bible differs extremely from how modern day biblicists do use it. The bible wasn't a paper pope for him.
I myself am a bit confused in the denominations jungle, but I think it does not matter whether you're Greek or Jew. We should be ONE body of Christ!!!!
I hate to see how some of you guys put Catholicism in a box with "system of traditions" label.
Heck, it's not about teachings or traditions. The core of being Catholic is believing that Jesus Christ left people His physical Body and Blood (which can be received by the believers thanks to appointed priests in Holy Communion). I don't believe it anymore, but once I did as I was raised Catholic. The pope, Virgin Mary, Christian art etc. are only "side effects".
I think WHAT you believe is far more important than HOW you express your beliefs. So as long as you both believe that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation, and that Bilble is his word, it doesn't matter wheter one of you prays rosary and visits some shrines or sanctuaries while the other does not.
All what is required is to accept the ways of the other person (nothing more than as to accept that she or he likes their steak raw while you eat it done, and has their rituals like reading daily newspapers while you read colourful magazines).
As for the children - you can pray at home with them, you worhip the same God, you have the same (almost) Bible after all!!! you can once take the kids to Holy Mass and the other time to a protestant service, explain the differences and let the children decide. After all, everybody has to make their own decision wheter they belong to those who are saved by God's grace, whether Catholic or Protestant or Eastern Orthodox.
