Catholicism Is Hard

[NyawehNyoh]

.
I used to think my chances of making it to Heaven were better than ordinary people because I was a Catholic. But in point of fact, my chances were worse because I had undergone Confirmation; which means that God would be holding me accountable to comply with everything Rome teaches and stands for: the Commandments, the dogma, the rituals, the Traditions, the Canon Law, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the whole Catechism; plus everything that Jesus and the apostles taught in the New Testament.

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 they've been a faithful Catholic for fifty years, none of that will count. Mortal sins are that lethal.
_

[Catholica]

.
Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon16: If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.

I used to think my chances of making it to Heaven were better than ordinary people because I was a Catholic. But in point of fact, my chances were worse because since I was a professing Catholic, then God would be holding me accountable to comply with everything Rome teaches and stands for: the Commandments, the dogma, the rituals, the traditions, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the whole Catechism; plus the New Testament.

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 they've been a faithful Catholic for fifty years, none of that will count. Mortal sins are that lethal.
_

Hi NyawehNyoh,

A proper understanding of the way of salvation is that Jesus' sacrifice made salvation possible, and then Jesus laid out a way that would make it possible for us to receive it in every time and age. 

In order to do this, Jesus:

Taught us all about himself so that we might be able to know Him and love Him.
Himself lived the life that he taught, and in doing show gave us the example of how we are to live our lives.
Sent the Holy Spirit to preserve the truth and lead us into all truth.
Established a Church to go forth to the whole world teaching and baptizing.
Gave the Church leaders the authority to govern and perform a ministry of reconciliation.
Gave us Himself in the most holy Eucharist to aid us in our difficult journey.

I'm probably missing something because I am writing this off-the-cuff. 

Being saved without Jesus is impossible.  Jesus is He who saves.
Being saved without knowing Jesus is next to impossible.  Jesus can save those who have no way of knowing him, since he is God.  However this way is very unsure.
Being saved with Jesus requires that we love him and obey him through faith, and the way that Jesus spelled out is actually very difficult if you pay attention to the Bible.
Being saved after knowing that Jesus established a Church, the Catholic Church, as His aid to your salvation and then failing to enter is impossible.
Being saved after entering the Church and then separating himself from communion with God by committing a grave sin knowingly and freely, and then remaining in obstinate unwillingness to repent of that sin, is impossible.

So yes, being a Catholic is difficult.  You have to follow Jesus, and all that he taught, and in his way of life, and to obey his commandments, and to love your neighbor, and to stay in communion with the body of Christ which is the Church.  None of the things in the sentence preceding this are only required of the Catholic.  They are required of all Christians.  Being a Catholic makes all of that easier because you are actually able to know Jesus and love him and doing what he commands becomes sweet even if it is at times difficult.  His yoke is easy and burden is light for those who love him and receive the grace that he pours out through the Church.  Those who try to get in another way are like thieves who try to sneak in over the gate.  It just doesn't work.

Being Catholic is difficult because being a Christian is difficult.  Being a Catholic is just the way Jesus established that we would receive all his help in living a very difficult path that is narrow, not wide.

[NyawehNyoh]

.
I was baptized an infant into Roman Catholicism and subsequently completed enough catechism for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

By the time I was twenty-four years old, I had resigned myself to a future in hell because by then I concluded that earning my way into heaven via Catholicism was hopeless. It's requirements are just too demanding. You'd have to be divine in order to succeed, whereas I am only human; and that is a really big handicap.

It's easy to be human without even thinking about it because humanness comes natural to me. But it's not easy to be divine without thinking about it because divinity doesn't come natural to me. It's easier for me to think, feel, speak, and act like a termite than to think, feel, speak, and act like God.

Catholics stronger than me might succeed in persevering to the end, but what about after that? How about persevering throughout eternity? Can they keep it up that long without losing their grip.?

Catholics can't slack off in God's world, i.e. they're not home free. Getting to heaven is only the beginning. In order to stay there, Catholics have to continue complying with everything that Rome teaches and stands for; which includes Jesus' instructions.

● Matt 7:26-27 . . Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
Right about the time that I had resigned to a future in hell --a friend suggested that I buy a Bible and begin reading it for myself.

So I picked up a cheap one, and began soldiering thru it a little every day till I eventually came upon the passage below:

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws." (Ezek 36:26-27)

Bang!! That passage really made me sit up and pay attention because it was the spot-on remedy I needed in order to cure the very problem mentioned in post No.2 that was keeping me out of heaven, i.e. the problem of human nature.

But the promise was made to the Jews rather than to non Jews like myself. Would I have to convert to Judaism in order to take advantage of it? Apparently not. According to Eph 2:11-22 the promise has been made available to everyone regardless of their ethnic identity. And besides, according to Heb 8:13, Judaism is obsolete; so converting to it at this point in time wouldn't be useful.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
Confirmed Catholics such as myself can't just up and walk away from their sacred commitment without consequences any more than a Jew can just up and walk away from their Bar Mitzvah and/or their Bat Mitzvah without consequences. In point of fact, apostasy is just as curse-worthy for a Jew as it is for a Catholic.

● Deut 27:26 . . Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.

Catholics may not be contracted with God as per the Jews' religion, but Catholics are accountable to the Ten Commandments as per their own religion; hence, Deut 27:26 is just as binding upon Catholics as it upon Jews.

● Jas 2:10 . . For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

One of the primary reasons that Jesus went to the cross was to liberate his fellow Jews from their religion so they could walk away from it without consequences.

● Gal 3:13 . . Christ redeemed us from the law's curse by becoming a curse for us

Bottom line: The Bible presents a way for people to get their records expunged so that when the books are opened, they will be judged as though they were never committed to either Judaism or Catholicism.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
I suppose there will always be numbers of indifferent Catholics for whom the terrors of Hell are merely academic. But as for me; I was very concerned about ending up there, and convinced in my own mind that Catholicism's way to avoid it is unworkable for people like me. I didn't need religion, no, I needed a knight in shining armor and it just so happens there's a God-given knight available.

● Luke 2:8-12 . .And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

. . . But the angel said to them; "Don't be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a savior has been born to you; he is Messiah, the Lord."

The angel announced the birth of a savior; defined by Webster's as one who rescues. We've all seen examples-- lifeguards, firemen, cops, emergency medical teams, Coast Guard units, snow patrols, and mountain rescue teams. Rescue workers typically save people in distress who are facing imminent death and/or grave danger and utterly helpless to do anything about it.

One day, right out of the blue, a co-worker asked me: Cliff; did you know that Jesus Christ died for you? Well; up till then I had always believed that Jesus was a victim of cruel circumstances; I sure never expected anything as personal as him going thru all that for me.

In an instant I realized that Christ himself had made a way out of Hell for me and all I had to do was take it; which I very soon did by praying aloud this very simple prayer in the witness of two elders:

"God, I know I'm a sinner. I would like to take advantage of your son's death."

What happened next I dare not describe without being looked upon as a man off his medications; but that prayer of mine took. I know for myself that God heard it and granted my request. I've never felt so relieved. It turned out that the angel was right: its announcement was very definitely news of "great joy".
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
● Matt 25:41 . .Then he will say to those on his left: Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.

The Greek word for "angels" is aggelos (ang'-el-os) which is one of the Bible's many ambiguous words. It means messenger; and it isn't limited to spirit beings.

For example at Matt 11:10 it refers to John the Baptist. At Luke 7:24 it refers to John's disciples. At Acts 7:53 and Gal 3:19 it refers to divine apparitions in the form of voices, fire, smoke, earthquakes, and a human likeness. At Jas 2:25 it refers to the spies that hid out at Rahab's home. At Rev 1:20-Rev 3:14, the word aggelos refers to high-ranking church officers.

So, we have in view at Matt 25:41 not only spirit beings, but quite possibly also human beings who serve as messengers for the Devil, e.g. preachers, ministers, Sunday school teachers, deacons, missionaries, evangelists, priests, cultists, etc; whose version of Christianity is a doctored version rather than Christ's.

● 2Cor 11:13-15 . . For such are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

I have a personal interest in this matter. My eldest brother is a Friar; he and I are both now in our mid to late seventies. My brother has been spending his entire adult life obedient to Rome and propagating Catholicism. If it turns out that his version of Christianity differs from Christ's, then my brother won't make it to safety when he passes on. His life's work will go up in smoke, and he'll be branded forever as one of the Devil's angels. That possibility does not set well with me.
_