Ran across this on another site...
1. Catholics do pray to saints and Mary, for intercession, to Christ. Christ is the one mediator between God and us. But we can all pray for one another. Those who are in heaven are not dead in Christ, they are alive-alive in Heaven worshipping God, so if we pray(the word means ask not worship)then these Saints in Heaven can pray to Jesus on our behalf. The Body of Christ does not end when you die from this life.
2. Catholic only worship the Triune God-Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
3. Catholic immitate Jesus by honoring his Mother(4th Commandment).The word honor means to glorify. We only honor and glorify her, but no worship for she was only human. She was not divine like Jesus.
4. The Bible, or at least the New Testament, was written BY CATHOLICS for the only Church started by Jesus which is the Catholic Church. St. Peter is the foundation the Church was built on.Matthew 16:18. The Catholic Church can trace every one of our Bishops to the Apostles and their has been an 2000 year unbroken line of Popes of 266 from St. Peter(The Rock-Cephas) to our current Pontiff Pope Benedict XV1. The New Testament, all 27 books, was decided by Catholics in the 4th Century. The basic test for whether you are a true Christian is whether you believe the Nicene Creed. We developed it to be a test of Christian orthodoxy.
5. The Catholic Church can prove, unlike many people here, with REAL evidence that it is the only TRUE CHURCH of CHRIST. He established the Catholic Church, and in fact the first time we hear the word Catholic used was by St. Ignatius of Antioch in the year 107 ad during the time the Apostle John was still alive. He said,""Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop or by one whom he ordains [i.e., a presbyter]. Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church" (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110]).
6. The Catholic Church has Priests, Deacons and Bishops, just like the hiarchy of Acts.
7. The Catholic Church is the Mother Church of all Christians like; Baptists, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopals, etc. We acknowledge all these Protestants as Denominations of us. We consider them imperfectly united with the Catholic Church, but they are just as much a Christian as I am. The Fullness of Christian Truth is only found in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church Christ founded. Many of these Protestants have a bit of a watered down version of what Christ left us because of their own personal and fallible choice to not follow the faith of the Apostles. The further you move away from the source the weaker it gets. Check out the "Early Church Fathers". These writings from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Century, shows you that these Christians believe exactly how the Catholic Church does today.
8. As far as South America is concerned, or any place for that matter. Birth Control is a moral evil. God said to be fruitful and to multiply. Up to the 1930's all Christians believed that contraception was evil. BC was actually orginally developed for Eugenics, which means to kill off babies of minorities, catholics and jews. Hitler and early Pagan Rome loved contraception and abortion for certain types of people. While the Catholic Church has always stood firm as she always will do. American Catholics in the last 20 years have been using bc, but the Church is firmly against it. It shows you that Christ was smart in having shepherds for his sheep who are prone to get lost. 1 Tim 3:15."The Church is the foundation and bulwark of Truth."
9. Lastly, no organization on earth has done more positive for the world than the Catholic Church. While we have had some horible Popes at times, and some weeds within the Roses. And men have done tragic things in the name of his Catholic Church, which is sad. It does not take away from all the positives and how Catholicism has shaped the world. We have established more Hospitals, half way homes, pregnancy clinics, half-way houses, food banks, shelters than any group on the face of the Earth. This is a 2000 year legacy of helping our fellow man, which is without reproach historically. We started the first Universities to educate man-kind. In fact, in the 1600-1800 almost 80% of all higher learning institutions were Catholic, and the other 20% was Government.
10. There is no question, historically or by the fruit we bear that the Catholic Church is the original Church of Christ and the only Church started by Jesus and the Church with the largest population(1.1 Billion). The Catholic Church gives more money to helping people, than all the combined Churches or other faiths combinedl Christ is King, and we praise him for His Glory. The Catholic Church's success is the evidence of Christ working through us, and the bad things that have happened is when sin corrupts men and it is that sepparation from God where individuals do horrible things no matter what faith group you belong to.
1. Catholics do pray to saints and Mary, for intercession, to Christ. Christ is the one mediator between God and us. But we can all pray for one another. Those who are in heaven are not dead in Christ, they are alive-alive in Heaven worshipping God, so if we pray(the word means ask not worship)then these Saints in Heaven can pray to Jesus on our behalf. The Body of Christ does not end when you die from this life.
2. Catholic only worship the Triune God-Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
3. Catholic immitate Jesus by honoring his Mother(4th Commandment).The word honor means to glorify. We only honor and glorify her, but no worship for she was only human. She was not divine like Jesus.
4. The Bible, or at least the New Testament, was written BY CATHOLICS for the only Church started by Jesus which is the Catholic Church. St. Peter is the foundation the Church was built on.Matthew 16:18. The Catholic Church can trace every one of our Bishops to the Apostles and their has been an 2000 year unbroken line of Popes of 266 from St. Peter(The Rock-Cephas) to our current Pontiff Pope Benedict XV1. The New Testament, all 27 books, was decided by Catholics in the 4th Century. The basic test for whether you are a true Christian is whether you believe the Nicene Creed. We developed it to be a test of Christian orthodoxy.
5. The Catholic Church can prove, unlike many people here, with REAL evidence that it is the only TRUE CHURCH of CHRIST. He established the Catholic Church, and in fact the first time we hear the word Catholic used was by St. Ignatius of Antioch in the year 107 ad during the time the Apostle John was still alive. He said,""Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop or by one whom he ordains [i.e., a presbyter]. Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church" (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110]).
6. The Catholic Church has Priests, Deacons and Bishops, just like the hiarchy of Acts.
7. The Catholic Church is the Mother Church of all Christians like; Baptists, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopals, etc. We acknowledge all these Protestants as Denominations of us. We consider them imperfectly united with the Catholic Church, but they are just as much a Christian as I am. The Fullness of Christian Truth is only found in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church Christ founded. Many of these Protestants have a bit of a watered down version of what Christ left us because of their own personal and fallible choice to not follow the faith of the Apostles. The further you move away from the source the weaker it gets. Check out the "Early Church Fathers". These writings from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Century, shows you that these Christians believe exactly how the Catholic Church does today.
8. As far as South America is concerned, or any place for that matter. Birth Control is a moral evil. God said to be fruitful and to multiply. Up to the 1930's all Christians believed that contraception was evil. BC was actually orginally developed for Eugenics, which means to kill off babies of minorities, catholics and jews. Hitler and early Pagan Rome loved contraception and abortion for certain types of people. While the Catholic Church has always stood firm as she always will do. American Catholics in the last 20 years have been using bc, but the Church is firmly against it. It shows you that Christ was smart in having shepherds for his sheep who are prone to get lost. 1 Tim 3:15."The Church is the foundation and bulwark of Truth."
9. Lastly, no organization on earth has done more positive for the world than the Catholic Church. While we have had some horible Popes at times, and some weeds within the Roses. And men have done tragic things in the name of his Catholic Church, which is sad. It does not take away from all the positives and how Catholicism has shaped the world. We have established more Hospitals, half way homes, pregnancy clinics, half-way houses, food banks, shelters than any group on the face of the Earth. This is a 2000 year legacy of helping our fellow man, which is without reproach historically. We started the first Universities to educate man-kind. In fact, in the 1600-1800 almost 80% of all higher learning institutions were Catholic, and the other 20% was Government.
10. There is no question, historically or by the fruit we bear that the Catholic Church is the original Church of Christ and the only Church started by Jesus and the Church with the largest population(1.1 Billion). The Catholic Church gives more money to helping people, than all the combined Churches or other faiths combinedl Christ is King, and we praise him for His Glory. The Catholic Church's success is the evidence of Christ working through us, and the bad things that have happened is when sin corrupts men and it is that sepparation from God where individuals do horrible things no matter what faith group you belong to.