Catholic, What’s That?
Did you know that the Catholic Church is the oldest Christian church in existence? It passes on the Divine Faith given to us by Jesus and His Apostles. No other Church was created by Jesus (unless you’re considering the Eastern Orthodox Church, our sister Church) – all other Christian churches were created by human minds and their various interpretations of the Bible. The Catholic Faith covers EVERYTHING in the Bible! If Jesus said it, it is a rule (Doctrine or Dogma) of the Catholic Church. In this way, the Catholic Church is like the Cadillac and Corvette of all Christian Faiths – it has EVERYTHING! And it’s truly amazing! The problem is that when you have so much information, it can be hard for people to understand or learn. If you don’t know the entire Bible like the back of your hand, then some things may not make sense. That is why we trust in the authority of the Church – it has been running for 2000 years by people who dedicate their entire lives to the Good News. Remember, humans aren’t perfect; but humans can not change Church Doctrine. Hence, the Catholic teachings are the same as when Jesus and Paul taught them. Why settle for anything less?
Yes, why settle for anything less? The path to Heaven is a Spiritual Journey! Don’t be left at the gate. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. He didn’t save us from our sins to be stuck with them. Most Christians never embark on that spiritual Journey, and miss out on the true Joy of the Gospel. Start your Journey today. Here’s the Guide.
As a kid back in the 70′s and 80′s, my family attended church every Sunday at Cavalry Bible in Deptford, NJ. Basically, you sang some songs, read some Bible passages, and then the pastor preached. Not long after High School, I figured out that I could do that myself at home. There was no need to go to church. There was nothing special there. I knew how to read, and I had a Bible.
Fast forward 10 years; I find myself as the Prodigal Son (in the worst sense). Longing to come home. Longing to turn my desecrated life around. About that time, I met a young Catholic girl who was so good (compared to me). I went to Mass with her and was simply mesmerized by the beauty, the reverence, the structure and organization of the worship service. And I had no idea that this was the Church that was started over 2000 years ago in the New Testament. I thought it was just another denomination. Actually, I didn’t even know what a denomination was. I thought that all Christian churches were the same, just a different Pastor. You see, no one ever taught me an iota about the history of the Church – not my pastor, not my public school, not my parents (who were in the same boat). Nor did anyone teach me the beliefs of a Christian church. Aside from the 10 Commandments and loving Jesus, there were no rules. It wasn’t a sin to skip church. I could keep the Sabbath Holy at my own house. It wasn’t a sin to get drunk. It wasn’t a sin watch adult “films”, use birth control or anything of that nature. And I could go on… but now, I’ve seen the light!
Here are the basics:
- The Church was commissioned by Jesus and was founded by the Apostles in the New Testament era. The Church passed on the Divine Faith – there was no Bible back then. Even after the scriptures were written and selected by the Church as inspired (300 years later), only the rich and the Clergy had the Scriptures in hand. The printing press didn’t come along for another millennium. So much for “Sola Scriptura” or the Bible Alone theory.
- Where the New Testament left off, the Church continued on, instituting the Doctrine of the TRINITY, the Canon of the Bible (which books were inspired by The Holy Spirit and therefor included in the Bible), Baptism, and many other Doctrines that we still hold to today.
- That Church that Jesus instituted continues on today, known as the Catholic Church.
- The “Gates of Hell” have not prevailed against Jesus’ Church. There have been bad Catholics throughout history, but humans aren’t perfect – only Jesus is perfect. And Jesus is “with His Church until the end of time”!
- Jesus didn’t let his Church fall into error – that would imply that Jesus failed. Surely Jesus did not intend to have over 40,000 different interpretations of his Teachings. The Doctrine of Church Fathers has been passed down from the Apostles themselves and can not be changed – that would make a different religion.
- A few centuries ago, Protestant “Reformers” left the Catholic Church and started their own Faiths/religions. And then, someone left that faith and started their own, and so on down the line. This is called Human Faith – not Divine Faith. It was not given from God. These reformers wanted to “fix” the Catholic Church; but they actually CHANGED it – they changed Doctrine, they removed books from the Bible canon… they started their own religions.
- This Man Made religion has led to over 40,000 different Protestant denominations. That’s 40,000 different interpretations of the Bible!!! Just think; YOU can start your own Christian denomination too. It’s easy, and tax deductible!
- Protestant Denominations all have different beliefs; but which one is correct? Which one do you want to bet your eternal soul on? Which church will lead you to Heaven?
- The answer is that no Protestant church has the Fullness of the Faith. None of them have Divine Faith. They were all created by humans. Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who married a nun and was then excommunicated – and to think that both he and his wife had taken an Oath before God to live a life of chastity! King Henry wanted a divorce and ended up with NUMEROUS wives! He is the founder of the Church of England or Anglican Church.
- Ask yourself; Whose hands do you want to put your Eternal Destiny in? Martin Luther, John Calvin, Baptists, your Pastor, your good looks, or … Jesus and the Apostles?”
- Catholic Teachings cover the Entire Bible, PLUS all of the Traditions passed down from Jesus and the Apostles.
- The Catholic Church is also the Sole Authority on the interpretation of the Scriptures – if there was no Authority, than the Christian Faith would have crumbled.
- Let me appeal to all the parents and teachers out there. What if you had a teenager or a student that didn’t understand your way of thinking. What if they thought that their way was truly the best and that they were surely right…. Need I say more?
- Questions? Read this sermon – “One True Church”.
The Catholic Church guides us to live Holy lives – to become Saints when we die!
Sadly, many Protestants and Catholics alike fail to embark on any kind of Spiritual Journey. For many Protestants, they find Jesus, read some of their Bible, and that’s it. For many cradle Catholics, they go to Mass, go through the motions and that’s it. And let’s not forget about a large group of Christians who hardly have the time to attend church/Mass, or perhaps think that they can slide by with Christmas and Easter. Don’t let your Spiritual Journey end in the entranceway! Jesus Himself says that “The Gate [to Heaven] is narrow and few will enter it.” Use this detailed list to see how close you are to the mark.
Take a look; here is an overview of some of the tenants of the Catholic Faith. They help us grow closer to Jesus and grow stronger in Spirit (detailed list):
- The 10 Commandments
- The 7 Capital Sins
- The 7 Virtues
- The 5 Precepts of the Church
- The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
- The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy
- The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit
- The 9 Beatitudes
- The 7 Sacraments
- The 4 Marks of the Church
- The 4 Last Things
- 6 Sins against the Holy Spirit
This looks like a lot, doesn’t it? That’s why we call it a Spiritual “Journey”. Work on one flaw at a time, and as you do, you will feel your life GROWING closer to God and Jesus; the Holy Spirit will become more powerful and more NOTICEABLE in your life. Take for example, the Capital Sin of Lust; it is a plague to our society and societies around the globe. Start by going to Confession and earnestly asking for God’s Grace to overcome that sin. He will give it to you! That Grace is a FREE gift from God, but you have to take that gift. ALSO, part of every confessional prayer involves the intention to “avoid the near occasion of sin”. That means that you need to distance yourself from anything that would let that sin creep back in to your life. For the example of Lust, that is a lot! It is everywhere in our society – the TV shows you watch, movies, advertising, song lyrics, immodest clothing, not to mention the whole of the sex industry, including romance novels. That list can go on and on. If you want to remove sin from your life, part of the solution is to remove the TEMPTATION.
I hear quite often from my Protestant brothers and sisters, that all you need is to “Love the Lord”. Well that might be true, if by that you mean: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and all of your soul, and all of your mind, and all of your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” and,
“If you TRULY Love Me, you will keep my commandments.” God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (through the Prophets and Apostles) have given us a lot. And some sayings of Jesus are very hard to swallow, especially to love your enemy, and His teachings on Divorce and Remarriage. So, the Catholic Church guides us in this “Spiritual Journey” with it’s many “rules”. Don’t fight the rules like an angry teenager, but rather, embrace them as teaching tools to help YOU grow in Spirit and in Truth! Remember, it is YOUR eternal soul that is at stake here. You owe it to yourself to seek out the Truth (and follow it). Don’t let your PRIDE stop you from considering the Catholic Church as your home in Jesus. All other Faiths (excepting the Jewish faith), are man made. Think about it. And for my friends who don’t go to any church, simply living a good life is not enough, either. Even Buddhists do that. But YOU have been given the Truth, where a Buddhist may not have. It is far worse to choose Buddha (or choose nothing) over Jesus, than to choose Buddha over Islam, for example. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, the time to get started is now! Need help getting started? Local Services click here. Questions? Email Kevin@CatholicAnswers.us