For Catholics That Have Doubts About Christianity

[poorinspirit]

This thread are for those that are catholics that are having doubts about christianity because of the teachings in their church and/or the doctrines of the RCC. I am not catholic so I shall not be jumping all over you for having doubts about Jesus, or the RCC so feel free to share your doubts and misgivings that has been plaguing you from time to time. If you want proof that I am not catholic, here is a testimony from a real "catholic" that saw the simplicity of the Gospel in Jesus Christ apart from catholicism.

A ROMAN CATHOLIC TESTIMONY

I understand that there may be a variety of reasons that would cause a catholic to have doubts in Jesus Christ. It may be because of the downplay of the reliability of the Bible, and/or the RCC seeing nothing about the theory of evolution that would threaten anything they believe, but it bothers you. Little things that builds up to an overwhelming doubt that is nagging at you to stop believing in Jesus Christ: DON'T!!!

Do not allow anything to turn you away from the simplicity of the Gospel that is in Jesus Christ. Trust in Jesus and all His promises to you so you may rest in Him. Forget about all those "works of grace" as if more is needed. Just continue to rest in Jesus that you are His for you are complete in Him when you came to Him, thus no more labouring to become His for you are His. We live by faith in Jesus that He shall enable us to live as His by loving others as He loved us.

Ephesians 1:12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

1 John 3:22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Ephesians 2: 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Romans 11: 5Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Romans 4:5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

The RCC would like to place herself between you and Jesus as the means to Jesus. The RCC has placed other "mediators" between you and Jesus.

Jesus did not give any invitation to the Church or to any other mediators. All invitations has been given by the One Who Offered it: Jesus.

John 10:1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber...7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

1 Timothy 2:5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

So forget about all those doubts as to whethor or not you did enough penance in getting out of purgatory. If sin is plaguing your life, come to Jesus to deliver you from it so that it will no longer have dominion over your life and trust him that He has forgiven you and cleansed you from ALL unrighteousness.

1 John 3: He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Galatians 2:I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Hebrews 2:18For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Romans 6:11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

1 Corinthians 10:13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Peter 4: 1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

John 6: 28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 3:3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: ....9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. 11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

So feel free to place your trust in the Lord and all His promises to you so that you may finally rest in Him.

Matthew 11:28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Hebrews 4:1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.... 9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Jude 1:24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Any catholic that are not suffering or having doubts about christianity, you need not reply.

Any former catholic that wish to edify by the scriptures and add their testimonies, please feel free to do so. I ask you to apply faith in God to cause the increase so that they may return to their first love, if not for the very first time.

[Guest]

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:

for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32

[Murse32]

I'd like to say, good job on this post. I am an ex-catholic (wishy washy catholic that is). It's one thing to read on someone else's beliefs, it's something completely different when you were part of it for years and held them as your own. I would go to church often, more or less to appease my mother and would witness people doing the same thing every weekend. It got to a point you could call it before it happened...same tradition, different day. I would witness the same words being repeated, people kneeling and crawling around the feet of statues in prayer. Praying to Mary for fogiveness, praying to the saints of lost items to help them find their car keys...I mean, C'mon!!!! I would never be so bold as to say if you are Catholic you are Hell bound, I believe there are hell bound "catholics" like there are hell bound "protestants"...those that call themselves Jews but are not, if you will. But if you do call yourself Catholic, where is your faith? Is it in Christ or Mary? A living God or an inanimate statue? This will show you where your heart is. If you say you pray to anyone other than God, you have done wrong. kneel before a statue? wrong. Pray in repitition? in vain...God hears your heart, not what passes your lips. All I would ask, is you really read your bible and ask yourself if you are doing God's will or simply putting on what "looks" and "feels" holy.

[Gauntlet]

I was born and raised Catholic but just today I was baptized with water into --you guessed it-- a Baptist church. Some people place great importance on denomination and look down their noses at people who are of other denominations. I am not one of these people. Just as I don't particularly care which brand-name of shoe I'm wearing, I do not really care about denominations. If you are a Christian and have genuine belief in all the right things, that's all that matters. I view the competition between denominations like the competition between brand-name logos or fast-food franchises.

[princess2000]

Any catholic that are not suffering or having doubts about christianity, you need not reply.

You told me not to but here's the thing, your wrong. I mean this the nicest way possible, but some of these beliefs are just down right missunderstoood. I've read a couple books and I can pull up even more websites in defence of my beautiful and much beloved faith. I AM A ROMAN CATHOLIC.

The concept of a Pope is not found anywhere in Scripture. Catholicism teaches that Peter was the first Pope, the rock on which that church is built. The Bible teaches that that Rock is Christ, as the Apostle Peter himself testified (Acts 4:8-12). (Also Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Co-rinthians 10:4). When the Lord Jesus said "...upon this rock I will build my church," He wasn't speaking of the weak and bungling Peter who would soon deny the Lord three times with oaths and swearing. He spoke of Himself, the One who never wavers. As Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Funny how we just finished going over this in Religion class the other day. It's like God was preparing me for this. Let's do some clearing up. Jesus is the Rock of our SALVATION, you guys have it in your music enough. We're gonna play OT history: Where did Solomon build the Temple in Jeruslem?

A: Over the gateway to the Realm of the Dead (remember they believed that punishment and reward came in this life up until the Maccabeen revolt)

It was built on the rock that made the gateway. Jesus said that Peter was the rock on which He would build His church. Key word CHURCH, this is not salvation, this is CHURCH! And do you not think Jesus did not already know Peter would deny Him three times, yet He still gave Peter the role to guide us in our faith. Jesus picked Peter to make sure that the heriseys wouldn't get a strong hold to destroy the church. However, even Jesus realized Peter would falter (someplace in Acts, I think it's post Acts 13) so he sent Paul. Paul, and the other Apostles are to Peter as our Bishops are to Pope Benedict XVI. Even though we teach that the Pope cannot be wrong on matters of Faith and Morals, he meets with the Bishops (obviously not all of them) and pours over the Bible with them and prays about it before he teaches something.

The Catholic Church forbids priests, nun & popes, to marry, however, Peter was married (Matthew 8:14 ), and so were other apostles. 1Timothy 4:3 condemns any religious group which forbids marriage.

It's more of a lifestyle choice then being compleatly forbbidden. Here's an example a priest used, say a parishoner is dieing, and he/she wants the Anointing of the Sick before he/she passes on. Now say Father Joe Whoever is married and his son is sick with the flu and the other priests are sick with the flu too because the son gave it to them. The priest is going to natually be more worried about his son then the dieing parishoner. It's a choice to take on all of the parishoners as children then to marry and have children.

Now to this I would like to add that married men can become priests. This is a topic that came up when our Perminant Deacon's wife died. Here we do need to do some defining: Perminant Deacon - one who is called to the religous life after marriage. Transitional Deacon - one who is called to be a priest, usually un-married.

Ok, so let's say Deacon John's wife died when he's only 45, leaving him with their 2 daughters. At the Bishop's discression, Deacon John could become a priest. However most cases are the Deacon's wife dies while the deacon is in his 60s and the Bishop rules against it.

The rosary is an important part of Catholicism. Over those beads millions of "Our Fathers" and "Hail Mary's" have been recited. Yet the Scripture says in Matthew 6:7, "When you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..." Vain repetitions is an accurate de-scription of someone praying the rosary. The Lord said that "heathen" use vain repetitions when they pray, and He commanded us not to follow them.

Does he even know how to pray the Rosary properly, I've got mine sitting right in front of me, you know the pink one I'm freaking out about in my sig? It's got crystal beeds and it's a chain and iit's got a silver picture of Mary with a picture of Jesus on the back and, of course, the crusifix on the end, also silver. Anyway, this isn't about the rosary I cary around (BTW I've got two, one's from the Holy Land), it's about how to pray the Rosary.

Here's what I learned: The rosary was a gift from Mary to allow the lay people to pray as often as the religious people did. The lay people before 1700 could not read (most of them, there was the rare few that could) and so could not remember the Psalms, they heard the religious people praying and wanted in on it. So Mary sent St. something, I forget, with the Rosary, you pray 152 prayers and you meditate on various mysteries in the life of Jesus,

"Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays)

The Annunciation: The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she is to become the Mother of Jesus. Luke 1:26-38.

The Visitation: Mary visits and helps her cousin Elizabeth. Luke 1:39-56.

The Nativity: Mary gives birth to Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem. Luke 2:1-20.

The Presentation in the Temple: Jesus is presented in the Temple. Luke2:21-38.

The finding of the child Jesus in the Temple: Jesus is found in the Temple and "all who heard Him were amazed." Luke 2:41-51.

Mysteries of Light / Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays)

The Baptism in the Jordan: Jesus' public life begins when John baptizes him in the Jordan. Matthew 3:13-17.

The Wedding Feast at Cana: Jesus performs his first sign, turning water into wine. John 2:1-11.

The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God: Jesus calls everyone to enter the Kingdom of God. Matthew 4:12-17.

The Transfiguration: Jesus briefly reveals his divine glory in the presence of Peter, John and James. Mathew 17:1-8.

The Institution of the Eucharist: The Passover meal receives a new meaning with the institution of the Eucharist, anticipating the glory of the Kingdom. Matthew 26:26-29.

Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)

The Agony in the Garden: Jesus suffers his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and overcomes temptation through prayer. Matthew 26:36-46.

The Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus is taken to Pilate and is mocked and whipped at the pillar. John 19:1-3.

The Crowning with Thorns: Jesus is crowned with a circle of sharp thorns. Matthew 27:27-31.

The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus carries the cross to Golgotha. Mark 15:21-24.

The Crucifixion: Jesus dies on the cross. Luke 23:33-46.

Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays)

The Resurrection: Jesus rises from the dead on the third day. Luke 24:1-12.

The Ascension: Jesus ascends into heaven forty days after resurrection. Mark 16:19-20.

The descent of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit descends upon Mary and the apostles. Acts 2.1-4.

The Assumption: Mary, "when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body" (CCC, 974). Luke 1:46-55.

The crowning of Our Lady Queen of Heaven: Mary is crowned Queen of heaven and earth. Revelation 12:1."

http://www.ocytoronto.org/resources/rosary.htm

Catholics pray to Mary and the saints, ... However, the Bible plainly declares in1I Timothy 2:5, "...there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. " Since Christ is the only mediator between God and men, why pray, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners...?" And why go to a confessional to find a mediator (a "go-between") between yourself and God?

You said it yourself dude, "Pray for us sinners" we're asking her to pray for us, we ask the saints to pray for us. We believe that the dead can be prayed for and that the dead can pray for us. We also pray prayers to God which we attribute the writing of to certain saints. No matter what we're just asking them to pray for us.

Mary is called the "Blessed Virgin," but she did not remain a virgin after the birth of Jesus. Matthew 13:55 reads, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is his mother called Mary? And his brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?" Mary had a large family. She was definitely not the "Blessed Virgin" after the birth of Christ.

Greek Time!!!! Ok so the Greek language, and I guess the Hebrew langage too, didn't have a word for male cousin, male uncle, and I'd assume for female relatives either. So brother, here is ues to mean cousin, or uncle. Besides, you call eachother brothers and sisters, does that mean you're all related, doesn't that mean your're in an incestuous relationship with your significant other? Two can play the literal game.

Another fictitious element of the Catholic religion is purgatory, a place where people who missed hell but weren't good enough to get into heaven suffer until their sins are "purged," at which time they are allowed into heaven's gates. As with other points we have mentioned, one can search the Bible from cover to cover without finding a hint at such a place. What we discover repeatedly, though, is that Christ Jesus the Lord has already "purged" our sins (Hebrews 1:3). 1 John 1:7 says further, "...the blood of Jesus Christ his (God's) Son cleanseth us from all sin." According to God, purgatory is unnecessary and nonexistent.

Dang I'm just tearing this to shreads!

"According to Vatican II, "in purgatory the souls of those �who died in the charity of God and truly repentant, but who had not made satisfaction with adequate penance for their sins and omissions� are cleansed after death with punishments designed to purge away their debt." The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes purgatory as place of "cleansing fire."[1031]...

Belief in the existence of purgatory is also expressed at every Mass. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, prayers are offered for the dead. Usually the Mass itself is also offered for someone suffering in purgatory. The person�s name is announced or published in the Sunday bulletin."

http://www.reachingcatholics.org/purgatory.html

"OBJECTOR: Purgatory is like a second chance for people who have not been good disciples of Jesus in this world. If they didn

[OneLight]

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[princess2000]

I'm sorry I didn't mean that poorinspirit was wrong to form this, I meant that poorinspirit was wrong to say that Catholics not questioning their faith should not post anything. We have as much a right to answer questions as anyone else here, if someone desides to remain a Catholic because of an answer I or anyother Catholic give we cannot control that.

poorinspirit

I'm sorry if I hurt you in anyway I was infuriated that you told Catholics who aren't questioning their faith to not reply, it is basically saying, at least to me, that I should not make any attempts to defend my faith either. Again, I am sorry if I hurt you.

Peace out!

~Beka

[Massorite]

Any catholic that are not suffering or having doubts about christianity, you need not reply.

You told me not to but here's the thing, your wrong. I mean this the nicest way possible, but some of these beliefs are just down right missunderstoood. I've read a couple books and I can pull up even more websites in defence of my beautiful and much beloved faith. I AM A ROMAN CATHOLIC.

The concept of a Pope is not found anywhere in Scripture. Catholicism teaches that Peter was the first Pope, the rock on which that church is built. The Bible teaches that that Rock is Christ, as the Apostle Peter himself testified (Acts 4:8-12). (Also Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Co-rinthians 10:4). When the Lord Jesus said "...upon this rock I will build my church," He wasn't speaking of the weak and bungling Peter who would soon deny the Lord three times with oaths and swearing. He spoke of Himself, the One who never wavers. As Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Funny how we just finished going over this in Religion class the other day. It's like God was preparing me for this. Let's do some clearing up. Jesus is the Rock of our SALVATION, you guys have it in your music enough. We're gonna play OT history: Where did Solomon build the Temple in Jeruslem?

A: Over the gateway to the Realm of the Dead (remember they believed that punishment and reward came in this life up until the Maccabeen revolt)

It was built on the rock that made the gateway. Jesus said that Peter was the rock on which He would build His church. Key word CHURCH, this is not salvation, this is CHURCH! And do you not think Jesus did not already know Peter would deny Him three times, yet He still gave Peter the role to guide us in our faith. Jesus picked Peter to make sure that the heriseys wouldn't get a strong hold to destroy the church. However, even Jesus realized Peter would falter (someplace in Acts, I think it's post Acts 13) so he sent Paul. Paul, and the other Apostles are to Peter as our Bishops are to Pope Benedict XVI. Even though we teach that the Pope cannot be wrong on matters of Faith and Morals, he meets with the Bishops (obviously not all of them) and pours over the Bible with them and prays about it before he teaches something.

The Catholic Church forbids priests, nun & popes, to marry, however, Peter was married (Matthew 8:14 ), and so were other apostles. 1Timothy 4:3 condemns any religious group which forbids marriage.

It's more of a lifestyle choice then being compleatly forbbidden. Here's an example a priest used, say a parishoner is dieing, and he/she wants the Anointing of the Sick before he/she passes on. Now say Father Joe Whoever is married and his son is sick with the flu and the other priests are sick with the flu too because the son gave it to them. The priest is going to natually be more worried about his son then the dieing parishoner. It's a choice to take on all of the parishoners as children then to marry and have children.

Now to this I would like to add that married men can become priests. This is a topic that came up when our Perminant Deacon's wife died. Here we do need to do some defining: Perminant Deacon - one who is called to the religous life after marriage. Transitional Deacon - one who is called to be a priest, usually un-married.

Ok, so let's say Deacon John's wife died when he's only 45, leaving him with their 2 daughters. At the Bishop's discression, Deacon John could become a priest. However most cases are the Deacon's wife dies while the deacon is in his 60s and the Bishop rules against it.

The rosary is an important part of Catholicism. Over those beads millions of "Our Fathers" and "Hail Mary's" have been recited. Yet the Scripture says in Matthew 6:7, "When you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..." Vain repetitions is an accurate de-scription of someone praying the rosary. The Lord said that "heathen" use vain repetitions when they pray, and He commanded us not to follow them.

Does he even know how to pray the Rosary properly, I've got mine sitting right in front of me, you know the pink one I'm freaking out about in my sig? It's got crystal beeds and it's a chain and iit's got a silver picture of Mary with a picture of Jesus on the back and, of course, the crusifix on the end, also silver. Anyway, this isn't about the rosary I cary around (BTW I've got two, one's from the Holy Land), it's about how to pray the Rosary.

Here's what I learned: The rosary was a gift from Mary to allow the lay people to pray as often as the religious people did. The lay people before 1700 could not read (most of them, there was the rare few that could) and so could not remember the Psalms, they heard the religious people praying and wanted in on it. So Mary sent St. something, I forget, with the Rosary, you pray 152 prayers and you meditate on various mysteries in the life of Jesus,

"Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays)

The Annunciation: The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she is to become the Mother of Jesus. Luke 1:26-38.

The Visitation: Mary visits and helps her cousin Elizabeth. Luke 1:39-56.

The Nativity: Mary gives birth to Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem. Luke 2:1-20.

The Presentation in the Temple: Jesus is presented in the Temple. Luke2:21-38.

The finding of the child Jesus in the Temple: Jesus is found in the Temple and "all who heard Him were amazed." Luke 2:41-51.

Mysteries of Light / Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays)

The Baptism in the Jordan: Jesus' public life begins when John baptizes him in the Jordan. Matthew 3:13-17.

The Wedding Feast at Cana: Jesus performs his first sign, turning water into wine. John 2:1-11.

The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God: Jesus calls everyone to enter the Kingdom of God. Matthew 4:12-17.

The Transfiguration: Jesus briefly reveals his divine glory in the presence of Peter, John and James. Mathew 17:1-8.

The Institution of the Eucharist: The Passover meal receives a new meaning with the institution of the Eucharist, anticipating the glory of the Kingdom. Matthew 26:26-29.

Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)

The Agony in the Garden: Jesus suffers his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and overcomes temptation through prayer. Matthew 26:36-46.

The Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus is taken to Pilate and is mocked and whipped at the pillar. John 19:1-3.

The Crowning with Thorns: Jesus is crowned with a circle of sharp thorns. Matthew 27:27-31.

The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus carries the cross to Golgotha. Mark 15:21-24.

The Crucifixion: Jesus dies on the cross. Luke 23:33-46.

Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays)

The Resurrection: Jesus rises from the dead on the third day. Luke 24:1-12.

The Ascension: Jesus ascends into heaven forty days after resurrection. Mark 16:19-20.

The descent of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit descends upon Mary and the apostles. Acts 2.1-4.

The Assumption: Mary, "when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body" (CCC, 974). Luke 1:46-55.

The crowning of Our Lady Queen of Heaven: Mary is crowned Queen of heaven and earth. Revelation 12:1."

http://www.ocytoronto.org/resources/rosary.htm

Catholics pray to Mary and the saints, ... However, the Bible plainly declares in1I Timothy 2:5, "...there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. " Since Christ is the only mediator between God and men, why pray, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners...?" And why go to a confessional to find a mediator (a "go-between") between yourself and God?

You said it yourself dude, "Pray for us sinners" we're asking her to pray for us, we ask the saints to pray for us. We believe that the dead can be prayed for and that the dead can pray for us. We also pray prayers to God which we attribute the writing of to certain saints. No matter what we're just asking them to pray for us.

Mary is called the "Blessed Virgin," but she did not remain a virgin after the birth of Jesus. Matthew 13:55 reads, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is his mother called Mary? And his brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?" Mary had a large family. She was definitely not the "Blessed Virgin" after the birth of Christ.

Greek Time!!!! Ok so the Greek language, and I guess the Hebrew langage too, didn't have a word for male cousin, male uncle, and I'd assume for female relatives either. So brother, here is ues to mean cousin, or uncle. Besides, you call eachother brothers and sisters, does that mean you're all related, doesn't that mean your're in an incestuous relationship with your significant other? Two can play the literal game.

Another fictitious element of the Catholic religion is purgatory, a place where people who missed hell but weren't good enough to get into heaven suffer until their sins are "purged," at which time they are allowed into heaven's gates. As with other points we have mentioned, one can search the Bible from cover to cover without finding a hint at such a place. What we discover repeatedly, though, is that Christ Jesus the Lord has already "purged" our sins (Hebrews 1:3). 1 John 1:7 says further, "...the blood of Jesus Christ his (God's) Son cleanseth us from all sin." According to God, purgatory is unnecessary and nonexistent.

Dang I'm just tearing this to shreads!

"According to Vatican II, "in purgatory the souls of those �who died in the charity of God and truly repentant, but who had not made satisfaction with adequate penance for their sins and omissions� are cleansed after death with punishments designed to purge away their debt." The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes purgatory as place of "cleansing fire."[1031]...

Belief in the existence of purgatory is also expressed at every Mass. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, prayers are offered for the dead. Usually the Mass itself is also offered for someone suffering in purgatory. The person�s name is announced or published in the Sunday bulletin."

http://www.reachingcatholics.org/purgatory.html

"OBJECTOR: Purgatory is like a second chance for people who have not been good disciples of Jesus in this world. If they didn

[princess2000]

Any catholic that are not suffering or having doubts about christianity, you need not reply.

You told me not to but here's the thing, your wrong. I mean this the nicest way possible, but some of these beliefs are just down right missunderstoood. I've read a couple books and I can pull up even more websites in defence of my beautiful and much beloved faith. I AM A ROMAN CATHOLIC.

Peace out!

~Beka

Could you show me in scripture where the bible/God tells us that men have been given the power or authority to forgive sins in place of God?

So Beka. Do you pray and ask Mary or the late Pope John Paul or any of the declared saints to pray on your behalf to Jesus? Do you believe that after one has died that you can pray them out of Pergatory and into heaven?

Do you believe that the only people who are authorized by God to interprete scripture are the Catholic clergy?

Ok, wow, where to begin, um...I deleted most of my original post in this reply-reply post because that'd just get too long. So...

"I. Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins

John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.

John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.

John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.

Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?

Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.

Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.

Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").

2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.

2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.

James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says

[Guest shiloh357]

Ok, wow, where to begin, um...I deleted most of my original post in this reply-reply post because that'd just get too long. So...

"I. Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins

John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.

John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.

John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.

Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?

Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.

Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.

Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").

2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.

2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.

James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says