Catholicism..... what is it?

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I didn't say that Constantine's creation of the universal church caused a schism, I said the schism came later.

Actually, after reading your post again, you said exactly what I said, just in a more concise way. Sorry.

I know.

I can be a bit too concise, to be honest.

How do you miff off a Catholic?

Say any of the following:

... Mary had more children after Jesus.

... The saints are just dead people.

... The worship of relics is morbid superstition and idolatry.

... Praying to anyone or anything other than God is idolatry.

... Jesus was a Jew.

... The Roman soldiers killed Jesus.

... God wanted Jesus to die.

I forgot one:

... Jesus was "Anatomically Correct".

Actually, after reading your post again, you said exactly what I said, just in a more concise way. Sorry.

Maybe theyll reunite someday.

Wow......... Catholicism seems to be very multi-faceted and complex. Thanks for enlightening me.

I was Catholic for many many years, and pretty much still am on paper. I still halfway believe in it, and I was very devout for a long time. This is what I was taught, I don't want to get into a debate with anybody about whether they agree with what the Church teaches or if what the Church teaches is true. I don't care ether way and people are certainly free to believe what they want, this is just what I was taught.

Catholicism is the original form of Christianity. It was simply called "Christianity" for a long time, and "Catholic" means "Universal" as in the Universal Church. The seven Sacraments are based on the Bible, as are the teachings of the Church. Many Protestants disagree with some of them because they can't find them in their NIV, KJV, etc. Thats because Luther removed books and some verses from other books as well as as the Gospel during the Reformation because he didn't believe they were inspired by God. These books and verses are widely known as the Apocrypha but they ar not. The Apocrypha is a group of other books that are a companion to Scripture that are in some Catholic Bibles. I can't remember all of them but one is named Bel and the Dragon. All Catholic Bibles have the full unedited Scripture, but not all have the Apocrypha. It says so inside or on the box if it does.

The Church also has Tradition, which are extrabiblical things that it does. These things are things like Liturgy, sacramentals, praying to saints, etc. Another thng that many disagree with is the Pope's infallability. That's because many misunderstant it. The Pope is not infallable about anything except matters of the Church and religion. He can't tell you who will win the Superbowl. He isn't a psychic, but Catholics believe that God guides the Pope when he is speaking Ex Cathedra and so is there infallable.

Praying to saints is another misunderstood thing. It's not worship, and to understand the practice you would need to understand Beautific Vision, which is where those in Heaven can see and hear those on earth. The Saints are not considered gods or even demigods, they are somewhat like lobbyists in DC. They help push your case with God so to speak.

Anyway, thats a quick little overview which doesn't tell you all that much. You might like Catholicism for Dummies, which goes into it pretty good. Also if you like religions and just want to learn more, you can go to a local Catholic Church's RCIA classes. Those are for adults who want to convert, but you don't have to want to convert to attend. Some people attend just to learn about it. They usually run once a week from November to Easter. It's free in most places, and some churches have the classes on tape that you can borrow or buy. They cover different topics each week. It's really interesting and because I like religions, I wish that all religions had classes like that open to the public. I know what I'd be doing!

You could also PM Mindsigh, as she has access to a lot of materials that she could point you towards.

P.D.: I did not find your joke funny. I did not find it offensive in any way, just not funny.