Is being thankful that you're not a catholic arrogant?

I grew up a Catholic till I left home at age 14. My mother was a Catholic Nun till she married my Father.

I remember having to go to confession and confessing my sins before a priest when I really didnt even realize what sin was...

Then the priest would always tell me to say 3 Our Fathers and 6 Hail Marys, or whatever,

I remember as a kid, trying to say them (the prayers) as fast as I could, so that I could just hurry up and get it over with.

There wasnt any true repentence at all.

The idea is that if you mumble a few prayers then everything is ok after that and it takes the place of a true change of heart.

It reminds of me of that pre-written "Sinner's Prayer"...

Ezek:33:31: And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

The entire thing encourages a superficiality; surface work. Just like sprinkling a little "Holy Water" over someone is supposed to make everything ok.

Everything is a ritual like with he Pharisees... Jesus said they washed the outside of the cup but not the inside. Whited Walls.

Now certainly some Catholic Church members are very sincere and some even more devoted to God than people in other denominations.

...But the entire religious set-up is built to encourage a dependence upon the Religious leaders doing things for you, such as sprinking holy water on you, giving you the eucharist; refusing to give you the eucharist if you dont bow down to them, buying your way out of purgatory, and etc.

That is why they find it so necessary to have all the impressive outer trimmings, all the way from the pomp and circumstance of the religious ceremonies to the glorious-looking garments the priests wear. When there isnt anything on the inside, you've got to make up for it on the outside.

Claudia

 

I have no trouble at all saying that I am thankful that I am no longer a Catholic because the entire religion makes a mockery of Jesus Christ and of the sin-sick sinner who at heart longs for a true relationship with Jesus and freedom from the bondage of sin.


Claudia

 

I bet you do. How many variations of Blessings before meal can a person have?

If I pray the Lord's prayer everyday x3 that is not repetition just as if I go to Church on Sunday and repeat the 'Jesus Prayer' "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" 200 times if those things are said from the heart and mind they are not "repetition". Notice once more if you will the little word 'vain' before the word repition the word you seem to be obsessed with.

I snipped the nun part we're not talking about nuns we're talking about prayer. Anyway from Tradition,Reason, and most important a proper interpetaion of Scripture. I enjoy praying from the Anglican Prayer beads I pray this prayer usually-
Cross: I submit my soul to you, Lord Christ. Examine it, mold it, hold tight to it.

Invitatory: "Man does not live on bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of God." -- Matthew 4:4



Cruciform: Here I am, Lord



Weeks: -Banish worldly thoughts from my mind that I will clearly understand the teachings I am about to read.

-May what I read today remain with me tomorrow.

-I am willing to learn, Oh God--teach me your ways.

-Engage your words to my soul, that my actions will mirror your love.

-May the scriptures open new doors that my journey will continue with you.

- Give me the courage to share what I learn from you this day.

-Consume my heart with the passion of your truth.



Exit Cross: The Lord’s Prayer
In Christ,
Nate

Eccere nullus-a-um salus-utis externus Christus!

 

How about repeating the Lord's Prayer?

 

I am thankful that I am not Catholic!
I don't go to the Purgatory but go to the Paradise !
I don't repeat Lord's Prayer but pray with the prayer tailor made by Holy Spirit all the time, suitable for each situation and for each need.

 

Okay, so is repeating the Lord's Prayer "vain repetition?"

 

Sometime pay attention to a lot of the "tailor-made" prayers and see how much repetative jargon is used by the same participants. Over the years, I could almost recite some random prayers as easily as the written prayers in the Book of Common Prayer.

Cheers,

Jim

 

If anyone repeat the Lord's Prayer in vain, she or he is wrong ! No doubt about it.
Even the Holy Name of God should not be mentioned in vain either!

Didn't you know that ? I hope you learned correctly now.

[ April 16, 2006, 01:17 AM: Message edited by: Eliyahu ]

 

In the book store I noticed the so-called Book of Common Prayer interestingly. That might be practiced by the Religions, not by the True Believers Church of Jesus Christ which follow the New Testament Teachings.

 

In the book store I noticed the so-called Book of Common Prayer interestingly. That might be practiced by the Religions, not by the True Believers Church of Jesus Christ which follow the New Testament Teachings. </font>[/QUOTE]Oh, puhleeeeeeeeeze! We Lutherans use a prayer book/hymnal. Does that mean we're not true believers?

 

I give thanks every day that I am not a Catholic, that I have been delivered from those damnable doctrines that daily condemn so many to Hell. God be praised that he saved my soul, showed me the error of that cult, and granted unto me eternal life and forgiveness of sin.
DHK

 

Did you look inside and actually read anything? The BCP is the service guide if you will of the Anglican Church and not one thing inside of it contradicts NT teachings. I resent this attack on my Church and on Millionsof Christians around the globe.

 

If one follows the order of service called Morning Prayer (The morning service in the Anglican Church) you will find all the scriptures calling all people to acknowledge the one triune God; Father, Son and Holy Ghost. It calls people to acknowledge their sinful estate, repent and seek God in repentance. Everyone of the following readings are actual scripture references. For example, for Easter it reads: "The Lord is risen indeed..." St Luke 24:34, and "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor 15:37. It then goes on to recite St Luke 15:18,19 and 1 St. John 1:8,9.....Every bit of it scriptural. We include each service a reading of the gospel and another portion of scripture as the first and second reading of the Book. Aside from the Apostle's Creed, the entire service is right from the Bible.

I defy you to find us unscriptural and unchristian. I would venture to say that the congregation is more involved in reading the Word throughout the service than in many other churches of a baptistic nature.

Cheers, and God be praised,

Jim

 

Sorry for the generalizing. If you read my post carefully, you would have found that I added one more condition that " which follows the NT commandments." which means:

1) No denomination or its name as per 1 Cor 1:11-17
2) No Pastor as there are only 2 offices in NT which means Elders(=Overseers or Bishop) and Deacons as per 1 Tim 3:1-13. Poimen mentioned in Eph 4:11 should have been translated as Sheperd which is mentioned one of the gifts given by Holy Spirit.
3) Practicing Baptism by immersion.

4) Lord's Supper is performed every week

5) Women wear head covering at the service.

6) People must witness their own testimony of their faith proving that they were born again in the Lord, then they can be baptized. If anyone is not truly born again, she or he cannot be called as a saint ( 1 Cor 1:2)

7) All members are called Brothers and Sisters as per Matt 23:8-11

8) In the church, Discipline must be performed properly.

9) Pulpit should belong to Holy Spirit, not to any individual person or so called Clergy or Priest.


Of course, there are many, many truly born again believers who do not follow the above practices which were kept by Early Church in NT, but the churches which follow the NT practices exactly do not repeat the Ready Made Prayers and so in our church we don't have any prayer book. In some of our assemblies, even the schedule doesn't exist and therefore who is going to preach next week or this week is not decided but only the chair who proceed with the Service is scheduled according to a certain order like age. Then the chair ask " Let's start the service by having one or two brothers pray for this meeting"
Then one or 2 brothers stand up and pray.
In the Lord's Supper, about 10-15 Brothers stand up in the orderly manner, to pray on behalf of the congregation. We normally stand up one by one, then read a Bible verse which each one read during the week, then pray or sing one of Worship Hymnal. These are quite conforming to NT teachings.
Each one's prayer is quite powerful because their prayers are based on their own experience, devotion, and faith.

We separate clearly between Thanksgiving /Praising Prayers at the Worship Service and Supplementing Prayers at the Prayer meeting on Friday.

I notice many churches say that they hold Worship Service, then they ask God this and that, instead of prasing God for what He has already given to us.

I know there are many true believers who do not follow the teachings in the Bible, instead of belieiving that as we cannot invent a new way of salvation, we cannot deviate from the way of gathering in the churches taught in NT as we cannot improve what God has done and demonstrated.

In addition, I know the Book of Common Prayer usually contain very good examples of prayers and one can hardly find fault with them. But that is the writer's prayer actually, and for such model, Lord's Prayer is enough.

In any case there is no way to excuse for the repeated prayers with Rosario or any praying beads which is often found in Buddhism.

[ April 16, 2006, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: Eliyahu ]

 

Jim,

Your common prayer book wouldn't have any mentioning about your needs such as health problem, economic problem, safety and security, educating children etc., and therefore you need your own prayer guided (tailor made) by Holy Spirit, instead of repeating the same words in the book. I know the Common Prayer Book contains very good words according to the Bible, but reading such book is like reading Bible or Commentaries. Prayer is different from Reading.
Thru the prayer, we need to confess our need from our heart, or our heartfelt thanks giving to the Lord, which is made following the guidance of Holy Spirit. Common Prayer is quite different from our heartfelt individual prayers which include sometimes Praising the Lord, Thanksgiving, then Supplementing for our needs and problems and asking Help and Mercy, then we get the answer and can praise God again.

Even the Common Prayers are not supporting the vain repetition of prayers with Rosario or Praying Beads, because Common Prayers in the Common Prayer Book are not repeated but read only once in a week or so, and therefore it is a separate issue. Therefore I can confirm here that Praying with Rosario or Praying Beads are the paganism which is against the teaching by Jesus, in Matt 6:7 ( use not vain repetition)

 

You forgot one of the commands found in the Bible. It is greet one another with a holy kiss. Are you obedient to that practice?

 

You forgot one of the commands found in the Bible. It is greet one another with a holy kiss. Are you obedient to that practice? </font>[/QUOTE]Yes, we greet each other, not necessarily by kissing between men and women because there is another teaching in 1 Cor 7:1

 

You may be repeating the Lord's Prayer again and again because you believe your prayers are not accepted, which sounds tragic!