if i wanted to become a catholic

[rockytopva]

So... What do I consider the worst church? What do I consider the worst denomination?

Well... My own! When I got started...

1. Our pastor was once an evangelist
2. He kept up with all the great evangelist and would have them for revival
3. He would also have ministry groups such as "Shekinah Glory" for revival
4. Order of service...
*** Prayer
*** Music with wonderful worship leaders
*** A time to pray over the sick
*** Special music
*** Sermon
*** Invitation to all for prayer

Wonderful service! Here is an excerpt of the special music.

 

[rockytopva]

So... Why do I consider our church the worst? It is simply because we could not keep the revival going. Once our old evangelist pastor retired the spirit of revival went with it. Here is an excerpt of one of our old church services.

 

[GodsGrace]

It's what catholics do as they follow doctrines of demons instead of what God's Word teaches.

I've had many many conversations with catholics and they all seek to justify using extra biblical teachings to justify their unbiblical practices

So catholics are actually believing that Jesus failed to put all mankind needs to know concerning salvation in to His Word which is a round about way of claiming Jesus is a failure and a liar and everyone should look to Mary and dead saints for Truth.

And satan and his demons are laughing the whole time at catholics who are so easily deceived in to following doctrines of demons
View attachment 73355

I kept reading and also read what @rockytopva posted.

I'd like to make a few statements myself in regards to the conversation you two have had.

1. I don't really give any importance to the conversations you've had with Catholics.
If you want to provide support for anything you post about Catholics, you'll have to provide OFFICIAL docs of the teachings of the CC. Otherwise, it's just YOUR opinion as to what they teach.

2. Having much involvement with the CC and even having taugth there (children) I can testify to the fact that they teach exactly the same gospel Protestants teach. No difference.

3. Every denomination teaches something we will not all agree with. Nothing new here.
The CC does teach some doctrine that can be found in books not included in the "Protestant" bible,,,but will not be found in the 67 books of the Protestant Canon.
This does not make the CC a church of demonic teachings.

4. I have to strongly disagree with rockytopva about not being able to state to someone that they are NOT CHRISTIAN when, in fact they are not. (not to change the rules,,,just a discussion point). I understand this problem really well and it's under discussion by staff at times. (not here).
BUT, is a person Christian just because they THINK they are? Are JWs Christian?
JWs, for instance, do not believe in the most basic tenet of Christianity - Jesus is God.
So how are they Christian??
Christianity will lose all meaning if we do not even adhere to understanding WHAT Christianity believes.

5. Your gif is rediculous.

 

[rockytopva]

I kept reading and also read what @rockytopva posted.

I'd like to make a few statements myself in regards to the conversation you two have had.

1. I don't really give any importance to the conversations you've had with Catholics.
If you want to provide support for anything you post about Catholics, you'll have to provide OFFICIAL docs of the teachings of the CC. Otherwise, it's just YOUR opinion as to what they teach.

2. Having much involvement with the CC and even having taugth there (children) I can testify to the fact that they teach exactly the same gospel Protestants teach. No difference.

3. Every denomination teaches something we will not all agree with. Nothing new here.
The CC does teach some doctrine that can be found in books not included in the "Protestant" bible,,,but will not be found in the 67 books of the Protestant Canon.
This does not make the CC a church of demonic teachings.

4. I have to strongly disagree with rockytopva about not being able to state to someone that they are NOT CHRISTIAN when, in fact they are not. (not to change the rules,,,just a discussion point). I understand this problem really well and it's under discussion by staff at times. (not here).
BUT, is a person Christian just because they THINK they are? Are JWs Christian?
JWs, for instance, do not believe in the most basic tenet of Christianity - Jesus is God.
So how are they Christian??
Christianity will lose all meaning if we do not even adhere to understanding WHAT Christianity believes.

5. Your gif is rediculous.

There are denominations that are "way out there"

 

[rockytopva]

Wernher von Braun finds Christ... But he did not specify the denomination!

From Rocket Scientist to Christian..."Through science man strives to learn more of the mysteries of creation. Through religion he seeks to know the Creator."— Wernher von Braun "One day in Fort Bliss, a neighbor called and asked if I would like to go to church with him. I accepted, because I wanted to see if the American church was just a country club as I'd been led to expect. Instead, I found a small, white frame building...in the hot Texas sun on a browned-grass lot...Together, these people make a live, vibrant community. This was the first time I really understood that religion was not a cathedral inherited from the past, or a quick prayer at the last minute. To be effective, a religion has to be backed up by discipline and effort." — Wernher von Braun

I would say that whatever the denomination... Being backed up by discipline and effort is huge. I consider myself Pentecostal. In my early days our church was indeed backed up by discipline and effort. When the discipline and effort went out the window so did the church. I asked my grandmother about this. Her reply was that the church was like this all along. Find a good pastor and the whole countryside comes out. Get a lazy one and there are no problems finding a parking place!

 

[rockytopva]

If I wanted to point anyone to any church I would ask to first visit there and get the feeling on if you wanted to stay. I would look up the churches and give my best bet, probably recommending a few.

1. The worship
2. The teaching
3. The senior pastor
4. The feel of being there

This is what the Russian leader Vladimir the Great did in the year 987. He sent envoys to study the religion before settling on Orthodox....

The Primary Chronicle reports that in the year 987, after consultation with his boyars, Russian leader Vladimir the Great sent envoys to study the religions of the various neighboring nations whose representatives had been urging him to embrace their respective faiths. The result is described by the chronicler Nestor. Of the Muslim Bulgarians of the Volga the envoys reported there is no gladness among them, only sorrow and a great stench. He also reported that Islam was undesirable due to its taboo against alcoholic beverages and pork. Vladimir remarked on the occasion: "Drinking is the joy of all Rus'. We cannot exist without that pleasure." Ukrainian and Russian sources also describe Vladimir consulting with Jewish envoys, and questioning them about their religion but ultimately rejecting it as well, saying that their loss of Jerusalem was evidence that they had been abandoned by God. His emissaries also visited Roman Catholic and Orthodox missionaries. Ultimately Vladimir settled on Orthodox Christianity. In the churches of the Germans his emissaries saw no beauty; but at Constantinople, where the full festival ritual of the Byzantine Church was set in motion to impress them, they found their ideal: "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth," they reported, describing a majestic Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, "nor such beauty, and we know not how to tell of it."

It is a good thing, I believe, to do research into a church before committing oneself there.

 

[ProverbsInPink]

And to think,some thought Pope Francis was radical.

Pope Leo Declares Jesus Alone Saved the World, Rejects Title of Mary as 'Co-Redeemer'

A decree from Pope Leo's office firmly rejects the claim that Mary, Jesus' mother, helped save the world from damnation,

www1.cbn.com

 

[GodsGrace]

There are denominations that are "way out there"

That goes without saying.

 

[Pathfinder789]

And like the Methodist before us we will have a really great time in revival. But it will only go on for a generation or two before we turn out as bad as everyone..

Good point..
- I agree.
---
Christian history..confirms that pattern.

 

[Matthias]

If you want to become a Catholic, you’ll need to find out what this is about:

 

[quietthinker]

If you want to become a Catholic, you’ll need to find out what this is about:

View attachment 88571

Looks like idol worship.

 

[Matthias]

Looks like idol worship.

It’s veneration of a relic; the skull of St. Agatha.

 

[Matthias]

 

[GodsGrace]

It’s veneration of a relic; the skull of St. Agatha.

In 1126 this statue of St. Agatha (maybe the skull relic,,,I'm not interested enough to find out) was returned to Catania in southern Italy.

This is what was being celebrated.

One of my pet peeves with the CC is that they cater too much to what the people want...what they were taught in the old times when the church depended on the visual due to the extreme ignorance of the people of any given area.

This is most unfortunate and is NOT the proper representation of what the CC teaches.

The new generation of bishops/priests is trying to put a stop to this..but it's going to be a long haul.
Bishops should absolutely ban this instead of encouraging it to try to keep some last die hards interested in the Catholic church.

So let's not let some weird festivity in an, let's say, old-fashioned town be the indication of what goes on in the CC.

This is akin to sensationalist journalism.

 

[quietthinker]

It’s veneration of a relic; the skull of St. Agatha.

I guess Jesus was right into that stuff!

 

[Matthias]

I guess Jesus was right into that stuff!

It’s an abomination.

 

[Matthias]

In 1126 this statue of St. Agatha (maybe the skull relic,,,I'm not interested enough to find out) was returned to Catania in southern Italy.

This is what was being celebrated.

One of my pet peeves with the CC is that they cater too much to what the people want...what they were taught in the old times when the church depended on the visual due to the extreme ignorance of the people of any given area.

This is most unfortunate and is NOT the proper representation of what the CC teaches.

The new generation of bishops/priests is trying to put a stop to this..but it's going to be a long haul.
Bishops should absolutely ban this instead of encouraging it to try to keep some last die hards interested in the Catholic church.

So let's not let some weird festivity in an, let's say, old-fashioned town be the indication of what goes on in the CC.

This is akin to sensationalist journalism.

I’ll look for the Vatican to release a statement condemning it. If that happens, I’ll post it.

Veneration of relics is a longstanding practice in the RCC.

 

[GodsGrace]

I’ll look for the Vatican to release a statement condemning it. If that happens, I’ll post it.

Veneration of relics is a longstanding practice in the RCC.

Like I said,,,I agree with you.

The Pope is also afraid to rock the boat.
To say nothing of the fact that Francis had the Pacha Mama celebration on VATICAN GROUNDS.
I doubt this Pope is too much different.

He DID state, in an official document but not ex-cathedra, that Mary is NOT a co-redemptrix and that this type of talk needs to stop.

Making some headway?

You wanna see St. Anthony's tongue?
My husband and I walked passed the long line that was waiting.

I've been to two churches that have the actual BODY of the saint on display.

People did this back when....
and the church did not discourage them.
Terrible.

You might remember that I taught catechism in the CC for a few years, about 6 or 7.
The children had to learn about the lives of 3 saints.
I chose carefully...to show what a Christian's life should look like.
One was St. Francis.
The booklet included a story about Francis speaking to a wolf in the forest...
this was not on my agenda of course...
but one of the nun's specifically told me not to mention that story.

So, some progress is being made.

It's a shame to mix all this stuff with the true gospel -- which the CC does teach.