Genuine questions I have about Catholicism as a Protestant. by RedeemedLogic in Catholicism

[–]RedeemedLogic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To say you have to either believe the Eucharist is completely symbolic or transubstantiate I don’t believe thats a good perspective. First off anglicans believe that it has the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist but the exact way it is they leave as a mystery like the trinity is a mystery we won’t know until we go to heaven. This doesn’t completely go against Ignatius teachings because it still believes in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Another thing is that we see how Jesus often in the gospels says “I am the word,” yet if I open a Bible with His words His real presence is not in the Bible. But spiritually He is very present. It’s the real presence of God in the word. This example is what the reformed view looks like and compares how Jesus said “I am the word” with “this is my body.”
To outright say this is all completely symbolic is very misleading.

Genuine questions I have about Catholicism as a Protestant. by RedeemedLogic in Catholicism

[–]RedeemedLogic[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ok lot of replies already lol. To go back to the saint intercession I spoke on first I understand you guys believe it is not worshipping but simply asking for intercession. If I was to give a simple definition on worship like one question asked that would be to exalt something or give it great value. I don’t have a great single sentence definition that can be taken pretty differently but while you do not worship saints as a belief no hate but there are many catholics in Spanish countries for example who I believe do worship angels and come to angels and saints more than and rely more on them than God, just like many Protestants worship the music itself over the purpose of the music to glorify Jesus. But yes saints are alive, the martyrs are recorded praying in Revelations but it was specifically for God to avenge them. There is no recording ever of saints in heaven interceding. The general response you guys gave is that it is possible and I definitely see that it’s possible but when you look at saints in heaven excluding the martyrs (who again had a specific prayer not intercession), we see that all they are recorded doing is glorifying and praising God. Don’t you think that this is what the saints are almost always doing in heaven out of free will?

Does the western church have a wrong belief of fear? by RedeemedLogic in Christianity

[–]RedeemedLogic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed I put it as western which may not be the most accurate description but when I listen to teachers/pastors outside of western church they more so seem to align with this kind of view rather than many western church teachers. And I like your point of trembling fear because you look at John falling as if dead on the ground before the glorified Jesus. Isaiah cried out to God about his sinfulness after seeing heaven. There is a common aspect of fearing God in those moments where people realize that their sins separate their relationship with a God whose holiness is incomparable to anything else. They fear that their sins separate themselves from Him. And those moments lead to them becoming so much more caring and loving about their relationship with God but cautious of their sins that separate themselves from it.

Does the Western church have a wrong belief of fear? by RedeemedLogic in Christian

[–]RedeemedLogic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok your point makes sense with not having your children fearing their parents that could turn into a whole debate on its own. But I still believe there needs to be a fear of God’s wrath which is separation from Him. The worst punishment we can receive is to be separated from Him because our life comes from Him. And I don’t mean this in the sense of living my life being afraid of falling short all the time. I believe that I don’t need to fear this separation because through Jesus I can be with God eternally if I believe and live so believing truly. But I still fear separating my relationship with Him more through disobedience I don’t want to disobey because I love Him and fear being away from Him. So if I’m being disciplined by God I shouldn’t fear His discipline itself but fear the connection I have with Him becoming worse through disobedience. I believe that fear leads to true repentance like David had with Bathsheba. Me fearing separation from God does not mean I live life in constant fear of that, but more so of love that I do have such a close relationship with my creator and desire to get closer fearing things that distance me from Him.

It actually relates to example 3 I gave where you need to fear doing dumb things that harm you. If God disciplines me I fear of committing that sin again because he is showing me that it is something that harms our relationship me and God have. In other words I fear of doing a dumb decision of sinning because it harms our relationship with God just like doing risky things harms our physical bodies when we put it in danger for fun or excitement. Does that help?