What Every Catholics Should Ask

2edged — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:39:05 +0000

What if I die today will I be in heaven?
Why is it that my church is the “the one true church” yet I cannot assure of heaven?
If the pope cannot assure spending eternity in heaven, how about me, an ordinary Catholic?
Why is it hard for me to ask questions regarding my faith? Do I consider it evil to ask? Am I too embarrassed? Or too confident to my church I haven’t bothered to check it out?
Have I read the official catechisms of my church? Have I read Bible references? Are the verses used to justify the teachings biblically sound or out of context?
What is the difference between veneration and worship? Can I give examples of both to give clear distinction from the two words? Does lighting candles’, kissing images, and praying to saints, kneeling to go to the altar while reciting the rosary a form of worship or veneration? Can all devotion mention be given to God and call it worship then the same devotions will be given to saints and the Virgin Mary be called veneration?
When I read the Bible specially the New Testament why cant I read about the popery, priest, monks, nuns, indulgences, purgatory, scapular, relics, rosary, prayers for the dead, good works, infant baptism, confession, confirmation, last rites, holy water, etc?
Does having been able to trace the roots of the church to the New Testament church make my religion true even if it doesn’t really resembles it? Are their any more ways to know if my church is true?
Are early church fathers (Augustine, Justin Martyr, Jerome, Origen, etc) reliable? The church to confirm the doctrines has used them but some of them contradict each other and contradicts some teachings.
Have I kept the 10 Commandments if following them will assure me of heaven? How about the other more than 500 Mosaic laws that I need to fulfill? And how about the Church’s approximately 700 dogma and teachings? Have I followed them flawlessly if I do not want to go to hell?
If committing sin to me is a mistake and makes me imperfect how about those things that I should have done but didn’t (sin of omission)?
Is Jesus my Savior or is He just my Helper to go to heaven?
Why is the doctrine of papal infallibility only came to be a teaching today? Does that mean from the past centuries of not having this doctrine the Catholic Church is in error and not guided by the Holy Spirit or is it just a man made teaching?
What does the Bible meant of adding things to the Bible and receiving a curse from it? (Rev. 22:18).
If I have to take all of this Catholic teaching by faith yet its contrary to the Bible what does my faith be?
Could I pick and choose what I want to believe in the teaching of the Catholic Church? What about those laws of the Church that condemns me if I neglect some of their teachings?
If Jesus did 99% of my salvation on the cross and leaves me 1% to finish it how will I know I had enough of 1%?
Romans 5:1 says that we have peace with God through being justified by faith. Do I have that peace and assurance?

For further information:

Answers To My Catholic Friends http://www.chick.com/reading/books/218/218cont.asp

Understanding Roman Catholicism

http://www.chick.com/reading/books/160/160cont.asp

What Every Catholic Should Know

http://www.whateverycatholicshouldknow.com/

1994 Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

Council of Trent

http://history.hanover.edu/early/trent.htm

A Hopeless Poem

2edged — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:04:12 +0000

This poem is quite interesting:

Until His Coming

I thank God that my limbs

Are complete

I thank God my eyes can see

The look in each face

I’m grateful for the job

I’m sure came from heaven above

I’m grateful most of all

For a chance to be

With His Son in this perilous land.

What have I got that

I can not give up

For everything is His,

My name and my heart

In spite of it all I still slip

And fall

Into temptations, shortcomings

From my call

How long will He bear

With my shortfalls?

How often will He forgive

The blunder I encounter?

Can He feel the sorrow

In my soul?

For I truly try but always

Run dry.

I only hope he will grant

The faith that I need

For I know not how long I must wait

For the coming of Jesus

My master and savior

I only hope its soon before I fall

Out of salvation!

There are people who can relate to this poem. Their struggle to please God and keep them saved or be saved is truly frustrating. No matter how hard they try, they fall. Shortcomings will come and wash away what good works they have built for God. So what seems to be the problem? They are the most sincere, hones, loving, zealous, church going, and peaceful people in the world that if being good is the primary requirement to go to heaven; they will be first in line. First, frustrations they have is not a result of their failures and mistakes as human beings but rather for not coming in terms with what God really wants: accept His unmerited mercy as a gift. Second, being good is not a requirement to go to heaven, doing good works doesn’t earn us salvation.

What is the common denominator between religions? Whether its world religions like Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism; cults like Jehovah’s witnesses, Mormonism, Iglesia ni Cristo, Ang Dating Daan, Seventh day Adventist and even some Protestant and born again groups the tie that binds is ‘good works’. They do good works in order to be saved and remain saved. But over and over the Scripture tells us we are saved through justification by faith ALONE (Romans 1:7; 3:22, 28, 30; 5:1; 9:32; Gal. 3:11, 16, 22, 24, 26; Phil 3:9; Heb. 11, John 1:12; 12:44-50, 20:31; Acts 13: 39, 15:11; 16: 31; Eph 2: 8-10). We are saved by His mercy (Titus 3:5). How in the worlds will we pay His mercy? Salvation is of God’s DONE work not of what can man DO (Eph. 1:13). No one can fall out of salvation because we are held by God double grip (John 10: 27-30). What sin can ungrip you from the hands of God or unseal yourself from the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). These false religions, cults and some Christians who accept this heresy can be sum up by these statements:

Whenever there is a high church, there is a low Saviour,

Whenever they ar big on laws and ordinances, they are small in grace and mercy

Whenever there is big emphasis on good works, there is a low emphasis on salvation

Whenever there are high esteem with tradition of men, there is a low esteem of the Bible

Much can be said to this subject (which you can check my blog entries) but let me ask some final questions. Please be open minded and honest as you answer:

1. Can you honestly say to yourself that you accepted Jesus offer to come to Him all those weary and heavy laden and He will give you rest?

2. Are you following Christ or just following orders?

3. Are you really following the Bible or just traditions of sinful men?

4. If someone “attacks” your beliefs which do you defend first: The Scripture, Jesus Christ or your religion?

5. Are you doing good works for the love of God or to score points to God?

(The above poem was written by Ann Casanova for Pasugo (God’s Messages official magazine of Iglesia ni Cristo) Nov-Dec. 1991 Vol. 43 No. 6 pg.