Who is a Believer?

[Balthazor]

One night I was listening to a Christian Rock station on the radio. They were talking to a Band, I don't remember which one about Christ and how He was presnt in their lives.

One thing struck me as very odd during this conversation. The lead had said that he joined such and such a church and now he was a believer. He went on to say that his Mother was Catholic but now, thank God, she was no longer Catholic and has become a believer recently.....at that point I got confused.

I don't understand, why is it that other Christians somehow think that Catholics do not believe in Christ and in God?

Could somone enlighten me as to why there is this negativity toward the Catholic Church by other denominations, esp protestant, of Christianity?

GOd Bless,

Balthazor

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Balthazor' date='Nov 3 2004, 12:07 AM'] One night I was listening to a Christian Rock station on the radio. They were talking to a Band, I don't remember which one about Christ and how He was presnt in their lives.

One thing struck me as very odd during this conversation. The lead had said that he joined such and such a church and now he was a believer. He went on to say that his Mother was Catholic but now, thank God, she was no longer Catholic and has become a believer recently.....at that point I got confused.

I don't understand, why is it that other Christians somehow think that Catholics do not believe in Christ and in God?

Could somone enlighten me as to why there is this negativity toward the Catholic Church by other denominations, esp protestant, of Christianity?

GOd Bless,

Balthazor [/quote]
Protestant means to Protest the Catholic Church.


They need to knock the Catholic faith so that they can justify theirs.

See Acts 20:29-30.


Be sure to add these to your favorites:

[url="http://www.Catholic.com"]http://www.Catholic.com[/url]
[url="http://www.Catholic-Convert.com"]http://www.Catholic-Convert.com[/url]
[url="http://www.MoralTruth.com"]http://www.MoralTruth.com[/url]
[url="http://www.Catholic-Pages.com"]http://www.Catholic-Pages.com[/url]


God Bless,
ironmonk

[mulls]

"catholic" does not = "believer"

"protestant" does not = "believer"

"christian" does not = "believer"

[mulls]

my mother is catholic. she is not a believer. she could care less.

why do you think that the person you describe would not be telling the truth?

[Balthazor]

Thanks IronMonk,
I know, I have evenagelical and protestant classmates who pretty much think that I am an Idol worshipper or something, and they frequently ask me whether I have asked Jesus Christ to be my personal lord and savior..,,.I tell them I have and I do every time I recieve Holy Eucharist.

It must smell of elderberries to have to base your entire religious being to what you are not, to base yourself on whay you are protesting rather than what you believe.

God Bless,
Balthazor

[Balthazor]

[quote name='mulls' date='Nov 2 2004, 11:02 PM'] my mother is catholic. she is not a believer. she could care less.

why do you think that the person you describe would not be telling the truth? [/quote]
That is too bad for your Mom....I am sorry.
But, you know, she may have an interior faith that you are unaware of.
Have you ever talked with her about it?
Not everyone is a "loud" beleiver, some people are very religious and spiritual without talking about it much, my Parents do not pray in public much and I thought that they weren't very religious. But when I talked with them a little I was amazed at the depth of their faith and devotion.

I still hope that your mother's faith increases

God Bless,
Balthazor

[Ricky2]

Some Protestant denominations (all hard core fundamentalists I believe) are still waging the wars of the Reformation. This is a terrible pitty for if they focused on what unites us instead of what divides, they would be good alies in the fight against Christ's true enemy - the secular New Age.
Ricky2

[mulls]

[quote]That is too bad for your Mom....I am sorry. [/quote]

me too.

[quote]But, you know, she may have an interior faith that you are unaware of.[/quote]

you know a tree by its fruit (matthew 7). trust me, she doesn't.

[quote]Not everyone is a "loud" beleiver, some people are very religious and spiritual without talking about it much, my Parents do not pray in public much and I thought that they weren't very religious. But when I talked with them a little I was amazed at the depth of their faith and devotion.[/quote]

if you know Jesus why wouldn't you rep Him? i'm not dissing your parents, i think that's great for them. but again, you know a tree by its fruit. i know my mom. and many other catholic unbelievers. and many other evangelical nonbelievers.

[quote]Have you ever talked with her about it? [/quote]

of course. she needs the Lord. badly.

[quote]I still hope that your mother's faith increases [/quote]

thanks bro, me too.

[D0RK4JP2]

Gday,

I have always found protestants very odd for one main reason - they're not Catholic. All religions that have come from splitting from the Catholic Church base themselves moreso on 'how we are wrong', instead of 'how we are right'.

If a protestant tells you you're not a believer just ask them what you're supposed to believe in, and, if it's anything like what they believe, tell them you're certainly not!

The people who used to debate with GK Chesterton, a contemporary Catholic Theologian, always used to say they enjoyed it because they had so much to agree with him on. In comparison to Humanistic Atheists, we have alot we can agree upon with our protestants brothers - cept they tend to like picking fights with us - they suffer from 'seperation anxiety' (from their Holy Mother the Church!)

JMJ.

[Balthazor]

I suppose you could be right mulls......I know quite a few people who were spiritual zombies in high school. They said they were Catholic but they really did not get into it, didn't go to church ever, didn't really want to live for Christ or care about Christ.
Then a Pentacostal classmate took them to his church, and suddenly they were very devoted to learning the Bible and worshiping God. I am very glad they found God, I am sad they did not find Him in the Catholic CHurch, but then again I don't think they ever really went or listened much.

Either way I am happy that they found God, it very well could be that this guy's mom was the same way.

God Bless,
Balthazor


P.S. Don't be to hard on your mom. You said you can judge a tree by it's fruit.....well, you are her fruit and judging by your posts you are honestly seeking God and to do God's will. Perhaps she did not have much influence on that, but non-the-less you are here.
Don't give up hope on her. Sometimes the fruit nourishes the tree, pine tree's shed needles give them acidic soil to grow in, perhaps you are the product of the tree that is creating the right kind of soil for her faith to grow in.

[Paladin D]

I get pretty annoyed with such claims are made. However, [b]there are[/b] people who claim to be Catholic but do not believe. Same can be said for Protestants.

But I've noticed that some Protestants tend to go overboard and claim devout Catholics are not believers.

[cmotherofpirl]

Mulls please remember the generation difference. Many people my age are very religious on the inside, but keep it to themselves. We are not part of the "let it all hang out" group.
Remember the gospels about showing.. and the left-hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?
Most of us learned that very well.

[mulls]

we're commanded to shine our lights.

not for the sake of practicing righteousness in front of others, but so people will glorify God.

"religious on the inside"......what every hypocrite i know claims to be.... "i'm spiritual in my own way."

it makes me shudder.

[dUSt]

[quote name='mulls' date='Nov 3 2004, 01:03 PM'] "religious on the inside"......what every hypocrite i know claims to be.... "i'm spiritual in my own way."

it makes me shudder. [/quote]
I think that most of the people in heaven are those that lived a life of sainthood without anybody else knowing.

It's called humility. I need more of it.

[Paladin D]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Nov 3 2004, 01:24 PM'] Remember the gospels about showing.. and the left-hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?
Most of us learned that very well. [/quote]
What's that? (Seriously)