I'd Like To Be A Catholic

[NyawehNyoh]

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Before taking the plunge, there's a few things you should think about first.

Once you're committed-- completed First Holy Communion and Confirmation --God will be holding you accountable to comply with everything Rome teaches and stands for: the Commandments, the Canon Law, the dogma, the rituals, the Traditions, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the entire Catechism; plus everything that Jesus and the apostles taught in the New Testament, i.e. the gospels and the epistles.

That's a lot to remember, let alone put into practice.

And then there's the matter of mortal sin. When Catholics leave this life with just one non-absolved mortal sin on the books, just one, they go straight to Hell. It's a direct flight; no stopover in a Purgatory. Even if a Catholic managed to be a top performer in faith and practice for fifty years, none of that will be weighed in the balance. They will leave this life as if they'd been a pagan the whole time. Mortal sins are that lethal.

In addition; the Divine judge isn't a political appointee like members of the US Supreme Court, viz; He isn't biased towards the left or to the right, i.e. the justice of God is fair across the board, so that affiliation with the Roman church grants no one a certain amount of special consideration. (Rom 2:6-11, and 1Pet 1:17)
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[Rella]

But you forgot a very important one.

They get last rites, usually. And because of that that priest can absolve those mortal sins.

[NyawehNyoh]

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But you forgot a very important one. They get last rites, usually. And because of that that priest can absolve those mortal sins.

My purpose in post No.1 was to generate a list of liabilities associated with the religion of Catholicism.. The so-called last rites aren't a liability, they're an advantage.

Now that you've begun to generate a list of advantages associated with Catholicism, perhaps you'd like to continue, and add more to it.
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[Jaime]

An error about last rites absolving sin is not an advantage, but an unfortunate misconception, therefore very much a disadvantage. It doesn't matter what any group "says", it only matters what the Bible says. Where is the book, chapter and verse in scripture about a last rites ceremony?

[NyawehNyoh]

Where is the book, chapter and verse in scripture about a last rites ceremony?

Two primary texts are Mark 6:13 and James 5:14-15

NOTE: Converts to Catholicism are not required to limit the extent of their faith and practices to the Bible alone.

BTW: The purpose of this thread is not to find fault with Catholicism; rather, to alert prospective converts to the responsibilities which they will incur upon themselves should they decide to commit to The Church.
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[Jaime]

Those two texts in my opinion have nothing to do with the last rites ceremony. And your phrase would be problematic for me.

[NyawehNyoh]

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Those two texts in my opinion have nothing to do with the last rites ceremony. And your phrase would be problematic for me.

Well then; Catholicism isn't for you.
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[Alan]

NOTE: Converts to Catholicism are not required to limit the extent of their faith and practices to the Bible alone.

Red flag right there, what is that we are being told to believe and under whose instruction?

[NyawehNyoh]

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Red flag right there, what is that we are being told to believe and under whose instruction?

Please specify the "we" for whom you speak. Catholic or non Catholic?
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[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

what is that we are being told to believe and under whose instruction?

I believe there was a list in the opening post:

...the Commandments, the Canon Law, the dogma, the rituals, the Traditions, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the entire Catechism; plus everything that Jesus and the apostles taught in the New Testament, i.e. the gospels and the epistles.

[Jaime]

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Well then; Catholicism isn't for you.
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That would be correct.

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

That would be correct.

[Catholica]

The original poster of course doesn't understand what it is like to be Catholic and doesn't understand the spiritual life.

Before taking the plunge, there's a few things you should think about first.

Once you're committed-- completed First Holy Communion and Confirmation --God will be holding you accountable to comply with everything Rome teaches and stands for: the Commandments, the Canon Law, the dogma, the rituals, the Traditions, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the entire Catechism; plus everything that Jesus and the apostles taught in the New Testament, i.e. the gospels and the epistles.

That's a lot to remember, let alone put into practice.

And then there's the matter of mortal sin. When Catholics leave this life with just one non-absolved mortal sin on the books, just one, they go straight to Hell. It's a direct flight; no stopover in a Purgatory. Even if a Catholic managed to be a top performer in faith and practice for fifty years, none of that will be weighed in the balance. They will leave this life as if they'd been a pagan the whole time. Mortal sins are that lethal.

If you think God only holds Catholics accountable to the commandments you are in for a rude awakening my friend. Hopefully not before it's too late!

All of these things listed are not a lot to remember and do. We don't believe we are saved because we are perfect. But we are accountable for living according to the truth as far as it is revealed and we comprehend it. We can't live in denial, for example, of the reality of free will and our ability to choose to knowingly and willingly commit sin, and that doing so in many cases means rejecting God and choosing self. We strive to love God more than ourselves and it's not always easy, but if you love God then all these things you note are not burdensome but a joy.

In addition; the Divine judge isn't a political appointee like members of the US Supreme Court, viz; He isn't biased towards the left or to the right, i.e. the justice of God is fair across the board, so that affiliation with the Roman church grants no one a certain amount of special consideration. (Rom 2:6-11, and 1Pet 1:17)

Basically false; God does give preferential treatment to those who are in a state of grace and are in friendship with Him, and those who have been grafted onto the vine through baptism.

But you are correct we are not saved simply because we call ourselves Catholic. However being Catholic means we live and walk in the truth and have all the helps of God's grace through the sacraments so that we can both love God and be reconciled to God throughout a life that is difficult where we can fail to love Him as we ought many times. So yes, God doesn't save Catholics because we are Catholic, but as Catholics we have the fullness of helps and surety of his Truth; these things are objectively and subjectively necessary for salvation.

[NyawehNyoh]

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Content Withdrawn
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[NyawehNyoh]

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The original poster of course doesn't understand what it is like to be Catholic and doesn't understand the spiritual life.

My mother was Catholic. My aunt and uncle were Catholics, their son is a Catholic, my eldest brother-- now deceased via cancer --was a Catholic priest 50+ years and ended his career as a Friar. My father-in-law was a Catholic, as was my mother-in-law. Everybody alive on my wife's side are Catholics; her aunts and uncles, and her cousins. My sister-in-law was a "religious" for a number of years before falling out with the hierarchy that controlled her order.

I was baptized an infant into Roman Catholicism and anon enrolled in catechism classes where I went on to complete First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

I have Rome to thank for instilling within me an unshakable confidence that Jesus is a man of integrity and someone to reckon with. Very early in my youth; I began to believe that Christ knew what he was talking about and meant what he said.

Oddly, though I was confident that the Bible is a reliable authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice; I had never actually sat down and read it. When I was 24 years old, a co-worker in a metal shop where I worked as a welder in 1968 suggested that I buy my own Bible and see for myself what it says.

Long story short: in time the Bible led me to a crossroads where I had to make a life changing now-or-never decision; which actually the Church encourages in accord with CCC 1782 which states:

"Man has the right to act in conscience, and in freedom, so as personally to make moral decisions. He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters."

At the core of my decision to renounce Rome was CCC 85 which says:

"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ." This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome."

In a nutshell: I became discontented with being told to accept 2+2=5, viz: I wanted to think for myself, and to select for myself, what to believe and what not to believe.
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