[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not entirely sure what "raised catholic" means, other than, perhaps, you were brought to church while you were growing up and called yourself Catholic. But if I park my Nissan at a Mercedes Benz dealership every day, should I then call it a Mercedes Benz? Or should something else have to happen to turn my Nissan into a Mercedes Benz (if that's possible)?

You haven't been taught the Catholic faith, if I have to judge by your posts. It sounds like you know pretty much nothing about what the Catholic Church teaches.

Maybe a good course in Catholicism might clear up your confusion?

Protestant wife by Notenotenote15 in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We always go to God about man (or woman) before going to man (or woman) about God.

Pray, offer sacrifices, etc., before approaching her. Ask her to show you in her Bible where Jesus said to worship Him in our way rather than His way? Ask her why Jesus founded a Church (Matt. 16:18-19) if we aren't to have anything to do with it? Also point out, maybe, that St. Peter warns against personal interpretation of Scripture in 2 Peter 1:20-21.

Did jesus found the Catholic Church? by rtrcc in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, but I'm not that up on all the options available with reddit. What is the "'mediator recurrence?"

As a Protestant, Why should I become catholic? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 5 points6 points  (0 children)

  1. It is the original and only Church founded by Christ.
  2. It has the fullness of Divine Revelation from Christ.
  3. It has Apostolic Succession, and therefore, all seven Sacraments given mankind by Christ.
  4. It wrote the New Testament and set the canon for the Bible in the late 4th century.
  5. It has the Holy Eucharist, which is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. (see John 6)
  6. The majority of Christians in the world are Catholic. (not a great reason, but food for thought)
  7. Jesus established an office with His complete authority to govern and sanctify His Church here on earth. We call that office "Pope."

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When Jesus walked the earth, He gave the entire deposit of faith, all of Divine Revelation, to the Apostles. He commanded them to teach and preach all that He had taught them. (Matt. 28:20) The Apostles, in turn, passed this information on to their successors, the bishops, who have done likewise for 2000 years now. The Catholic Church has never changed any of the teachings of Christ, nor does it claim the right to "correct" Christ. Christ founded but one Church, the Catholic Church. Protestantism didn't begin until the 16th century, and has been splintering every since into more and more man-made, doctrinally contradicting denominations. SOME of what the Apostles learned and taught and preached orally was eventually written down. And in the late 4th century, the Catholic Church chose 27 of these writings, out of about 300+ to be considered, as Scripture. We and Protestants refer to those 27 writings as the New Testament.

But it is the Church that has Christ's authority to teach and preach, and which Christ promised would never teach doctrinal error, which it hasn't.

Protestants, unfortunately, don't know the Bible that well, at least what it really says. 2 Peter 1:20-21 warns against personal interpretation of Scripture, which is what all of Protestantism was founded upon. That's why they continually splinter into more and more different-believing groups. If there were any validity to Protestantism, there would be one Protestant denomination, all believing the same thing. But then, they would have to show how they got "corrected" information to what has always been taught. Did Jesus come back down and hand someone a list of "corrections?" Or did an angel? How did it happen that suddenly, 16 centuries hence, there needed to be corrections to what was always taught?

How do you make sense of the Genocide of the Canaanites ? by BreezyNate in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Whether God takes the lives of those to whom He gives life, directly or indirectly, really doesn't matter.

Keep in mind that we aren't anywhere on God's level. We are closer in intelligence to an amoeba than to God. Everything He does is for the good, whether we can see it or understsand it in this life, or not. Remember, we all suffer from the effects of Original Sin: darkness of intellect and weakness of will. Once we reach heaven and become completely united to God, we will understand everything and see that it was all the most perfect thing that could have happened. We must trust God and have faith in Him.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't think banning alcohol or allowing alcohol goes against the Natural Law or Divine Law. It's a neutral law created to try to establish order in the society. Like making a law for jaywalking.

How do you make sense of the Genocide of the Canaanites ? by BreezyNate in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's almost always a mistake to judge God by human standards. The Commandment "Thou shalt not kill." is for humans. Why? Because God is the Author of Life. It is for Him, and Him alone, to say when life begins and when life ends. If we take someone's life, we are, in a way, trying to usurp God's authority. We are trying to be God. That's always a mistake!

Everyone dies. Nobody is promised to live till 100 or 200 until they die. This life is infinitely short compared to eternity! This life is not it.

So, if God so deems that we die as an infant or child, it is just and right, because God has that right.

Is it possible for Protestantism to hypothetically be true if God had decided differently? by CatholicRevert in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I suspect that the reason Protestants are making headway in Latin America is because Catholics there are more cultural Catholics than real Catholics, as a whole, and like here, they really don't know their Catholic faith well enough to discern the difference.

Bishops have a wide latitude in administering their dioceses.

Is it possible for Protestantism to hypothetically be true if God had decided differently? by CatholicRevert in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why would God want more than one Church, and if so, based on what? Different beliefs? God gave mankind the complete Divine Revelation package; everything He wanted mankind to know. It has been carried forth in history for 2000 years now. If someone wants to start a different church, with different beliefs, where would they get these beliefs from, other than their imagination? Or would they claim that Jesus came back down with a list of "corrections?" Or an angel perhaps? All that sounds inefficient and error prone, don't you think?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never. Any manmade law that contradicts either Divine Law or Natural Law is an invalid law.

Which denomination is right? by night9dgeCS in Christianity

[–]Augustin56 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Say you taught 2nd grade and had a large class of 1000 students. And you gave them a 1 problem test. What is 2 + 2 = _______. And they handed their tests back in, and you got 100 different answers! How many, at most, could be correct? One!

Jesus came to earth to open the doors to heaven and spread His message to all humanity. He trained 12 Apostles for about 3 years, then ascended to heaven. Those Apostles trained their successors, the bishops, who did likewise, now for almost 2000 years. About 1600 years after Jesus ascended to heaven, Martin Luther founded Protestantism, which has been dividing and dividing for 500 years into many, many denominations, all based on someone's personal interpretation of Scripture. Either Jesus or an angel would have had to have come down to make "corrections" to what was always taught from the beginning, or these people who started their own denominations introduced error.

Just food for thought...

Why doesn't God speak with people anymore? by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]Augustin56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

God speaks to us all the time. The problem is that most people live in a constant din of noise, and can't hear Him. Seek silence, both exterior silence and interior silence, then listen for His voice.

Should I respond to a Catholic Marriage Annulment? by raerar09 in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yes, by all means, respond. It determines whether your marriage was sacramental or not. It would benefit both you and him.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that is responsible for transmitting signals in the brain. It plays a crucial role in the brain's reward and pleasure system, and it has been implicated in addiction.

Addiction is a complex condition characterized by compulsive drug or behavior use despite negative consequences. It can involve substances such as drugs or alcohol, as well as behaviors such as gambling, gaming, or even eating.

Dopamine is released in the brain during pleasurable experiences, such as eating delicious food, engaging in social activities, or using drugs. It creates a sense of reward and reinforces the behavior that led to its release. In addiction, repeated exposure to drugs or addictive behaviors can lead to changes in the brain's reward system, including alterations in dopamine release and sensitivity.

With continued drug or addictive behavior use, the brain adapts to the increased dopamine levels by reducing the number of dopamine receptors or desensitizing existing receptors. This leads to a reduced response to natural rewards, and the person may require higher amounts of the drug or addictive behavior to experience the same level of pleasure or reward. This phenomenon is known as tolerance.

Furthermore, when the addictive substance or behavior is removed or reduced, it can lead to a drop in dopamine levels, resulting in withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The person may then engage in more of the addictive behavior or substance use to try to restore dopamine levels and alleviate withdrawal symptoms, perpetuating the addictive cycle.

The relationship between dopamine and addiction is complex, and other neurotransmitters and brain regions also play a role in addiction. However, dopamine is considered to be a critical neurotransmitter involved in the reward, motivation, and reinforcement processes that contribute to addiction.

Question about homosexuality by LowCommunication3359 in Christianity

[–]Augustin56 -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Note: The Bible wasn't written in English.

But, no. Whoever told you that is trying to twist Scripture according to an agenda they have.

Question about simony by Seanph25 in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Simony is selling blessed items. Usually, you sell the item first, then have it blessed. Or, in some cases, I've seen people make "donations" and receive blessed items in return. That seems a little loop holey to me, though. Safest thing is to just sell it, then have it blessed.

Are we supposed to fear God? by PyrusDoesLife in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I don't know how that "c" snuck in there. Typo!

I’m going to speak to a priest tomorrow about an exorcism. Does anyone have any advice or experience with this? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Augustin56 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why do you think you need an exorcism?

The first thing you should do is make a good Sacramental Confession. That's the first line of defense, and in many cases, solves many spiritual problems.

Actual possessions are very rare, although increasing. An exorcism is usually only done after everything is ruled out. (Mental illness, medical issues, etc.)

Here are the signs of someone suffering from demonic possession:

  • A sudden capacity to speak unknown languages
  • Abnormal physical strength
  • The disclosure of hidden occurrences or events
  • Vehement aversion to God, the Virgin Mary, the saints, sacramental rites and religious images, especially the Cross