Thank you,
God, for my Catholic faith! Before I go further, let me say that I know some amazing, inspirational non-Catholic Christians. However, as a head-over-heels-in-love kind of Catholic, I
look around, sometimes in horror and sadness at some of the congregations outside
of the Church. They are missing out on so
much at a time when we need it all.
Certainly heaven is not just for Catholics but since most of us lack perfection, we need all the help we can
get to reach there. And all of it—not just some of
it—is in the Catholic Church.
get to reach there. And all of it—not just some of
it—is in the Catholic Church.
Here are
some of the reasons that Protestant churches are not safe places.
some of the reasons that Protestant churches are not safe places.
1) Women pastors and bishops. They are
inconsistent with the Church Jesus began. There are over 2000 years of unity among the Bishops
on a male only priesthood, beginning with the 12 male apostles. Ample
historical evidence explains Why Women Can’t
be Priests. I want to be led in the way Jesus established.
inconsistent with the Church Jesus began. There are over 2000 years of unity among the Bishops
on a male only priesthood, beginning with the 12 male apostles. Ample
historical evidence explains Why Women Can’t
be Priests. I want to be led in the way Jesus established.
2) No confession. Sin is instyle these days; indecency and scandal are often even idealized. Add in the
pornography epidemic, legalized abortion, contraception, and more people than
ever are skipping Church on Sundays , so more than ever before, we need a Church
that offers reconciliation with God. The sacrament of confession is the power
Jesus gave his priests beginning with the apostles when he said, “Whose sins
you forgive are forgiven, whose sins you held bound are held bound.
3) Protestants are a mixed bag on prolife
teaching.
God is prolife and so is the Catholic Church; no compromises. I am thankful to
be in a Church that does not mince teachings and entertain notions that a baby
can be killed for the sake of convenience.
Some poor congregations even have women pastors that bless
abortion clinics and those that attend Planned
Parenthood Abortion Federation’s prayer breakfasts. Heaven help them!
teaching.
God is prolife and so is the Catholic Church; no compromises. I am thankful to
be in a Church that does not mince teachings and entertain notions that a baby
can be killed for the sake of convenience.
Some poor congregations even have women pastors that bless
abortion clinics and those that attend Planned
Parenthood Abortion Federation’s prayer breakfasts. Heaven help them!
4) Marriage is not a Protestant sacrament. Catholics are not immune from struggles but
our teaching is clear, no divorce. Annulments determine if there was a valid
marriage to begin with. It’s not always easy but it’s clear and consistent. Marriage
is a Catholic sacrament and thus has sacramental graces inherent. For
Protestants, Martin
Luther broke away and set a new course for marriage. According to him, it was humans and not God that joined people
together in matrimony, so then humans can break the union asunder. In the early Church of
England, the idea that marriage was not a sacrament was used by Henry VIII to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon
so he could marry Anne Boleyn and eventually four others.
our teaching is clear, no divorce. Annulments determine if there was a valid
marriage to begin with. It’s not always easy but it’s clear and consistent. Marriage
is a Catholic sacrament and thus has sacramental graces inherent. For
Protestants, Martin
Luther broke away and set a new course for marriage. According to him, it was humans and not God that joined people
together in matrimony, so then humans can break the union asunder. In the early Church of
England, the idea that marriage was not a sacrament was used by Henry VIII to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon
so he could marry Anne Boleyn and eventually four others.
According to Religion
Dispatches.
in
modern times, the thinking that marriage is a human custom rather
than sacrament “turned out to have great value in moving marriage equality [same-sex] forward in moderate and progressive Protestant churches. In fact, one of the
important arguments for marriage equality is founded exactly on the Protestant
insistence that, unlike Baptism and Eucharist, marriage is a human custom, the
participants in which are specially blessed in the church. As such, its
customary rules and structure can change as human societies evolve.”
Dispatches.
in
modern times, the thinking that marriage is a human custom rather
than sacrament “turned out to have great value in moving marriage equality [same-sex] forward in moderate and progressive Protestant churches. In fact, one of the
important arguments for marriage equality is founded exactly on the Protestant
insistence that, unlike Baptism and Eucharist, marriage is a human custom, the
participants in which are specially blessed in the church. As such, its
customary rules and structure can change as human societies evolve.”
5) Actively
homosexual church leaders fail to grasp truth and understanding. A bishop who divorces
his wife, marries a man, then later divorces him too, lacks the ability to
lead his flock in truth. While Protestant leaders debate
the acceptability of an active homosexual lifestyle, the Catholic Church,
as always, stays the course. The Church
is unapologetic in offering help through Courage
and makes beautiful videos like The Third Way: Homosexuality
and the Catholic Church in order to teach truth and draw people into a love
that surpasses all others.
homosexual church leaders fail to grasp truth and understanding. A bishop who divorces
his wife, marries a man, then later divorces him too, lacks the ability to
lead his flock in truth. While Protestant leaders debate
the acceptability of an active homosexual lifestyle, the Catholic Church,
as always, stays the course. The Church
is unapologetic in offering help through Courage
and makes beautiful videos like The Third Way: Homosexuality
and the Catholic Church in order to teach truth and draw people into a love
that surpasses all others.
More than
ever before, I need the comfort and surety of the Catholic Church. Society is
not leading with faith and morals and too often Protestants are following
society.
ever before, I need the comfort and surety of the Catholic Church. Society is
not leading with faith and morals and too often Protestants are following
society.
Protestants
are also ostracized from their heavenly family while we freely access the
Blessed Mother and all our brothers and sisters in heaven, the saints. We also
receive Jesus in the Eucharist and attend Mass where the Last Supper and Holy
Sacrifice is made present at every Mass.
Imagine not having access to those precious gifts.
are also ostracized from their heavenly family while we freely access the
Blessed Mother and all our brothers and sisters in heaven, the saints. We also
receive Jesus in the Eucharist and attend Mass where the Last Supper and Holy
Sacrifice is made present at every Mass.
Imagine not having access to those precious gifts.
This isn’t
about being better than people of
other faiths, because we are not. It is
about having something better– to
help us navigate our time on earth and lead us to heaven. Let us pray for unity among all our brothers
and sisters. May they be drawn to the
truth as the failings outside the Church become more obvious.
about being better than people of
other faiths, because we are not. It is
about having something better– to
help us navigate our time on earth and lead us to heaven. Let us pray for unity among all our brothers
and sisters. May they be drawn to the
truth as the failings outside the Church become more obvious.
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