When God beckons; it’s prudent to heed the call
43 “pagan” questions with Catholic answers; {5 at a time}
by Patrick Miron
Dear friend in Christ,
Thank you so much for your post. The questions you ask are well thought out but will require
lengthy and extensive replies to provide what you’re looking for. The Problem with that is the FORUM limits the size of post, as well as the PM [private mail] system.
As a FYI: I offer a TOTALLY FREE OF ALL COST course called “BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR CATHOLIC FAITH” It is: 1. Comprehensive 2. Easy to read and comprehend 3. Provides the evidence [usually biblical] of what we do, what we believe and why we can do and believe it. Lessons are e-mailed once or twice a week [your call]. I also answer all Faith questions.
In an attempt to limit these replies to a readable and comprehendible length; I will address 5 of your questions at a time.
Also as filler information:
We hold and believe that there is
Only One True God
That One True God can and DOES have only One True Faith
And that God in the Old Testament [“Yehweh”] chose only One Chosen People; and Christ in the New Testament followed that tradition with founding ONLY One New Church. Which I will demonstrate in your first Question.
One God: [“Triune in Nature”] Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Mt. 3: 13-17 “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all justice. Then he suffered him. And Jesus being baptized,{1} [JESUS: SON OF GOD] forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove,[ {2}God the “HOLY SPIRIT”] and coming upon him. And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, [{3} GOD THE FATHER] in whom I am well pleased.”
This ONE True God; Has Three Divine Persons [Father, Son and Holy Spirit]. One Divine and Perfect Nature which each of them hold in its entirety. THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST PROFOUND AND DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND FAITH-BELIEF. Which is why it requires what we call it; “Faith.”
Exodus 6:7 “And I will take you to myself for my people, I will be your God: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the work prison of the Egyptians.” Mt. 26: 36-38 “Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.This is the greatest and the first commandment”
ALSO you should be aware of something [that most folks aren’t [even “Christians”]; which is THE INFALLIBLE RULE FOR RIGHT UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE. As a FYI, I share it with you here:
[I use caps for emphasis; not shouting]
“Never ever; can. May or DOES
One passage, verse or teaching
Have the power or authority to
Invalidate, make void or override another
Passage, verse or teaching.
Were this even the slightest possibility; [ITS NOT], it would render the bible as useless and worthless to teach or learn one’s Faith.”
Mt. 4: 4 ”Who answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God” 2nd.Tim. 3:16-17 “ All scripture, [IS] inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work”.
Other Christian faiths; all “manmade” and originated by founders who thought they knew more or knew better than God and the only Church He promised to guide and protect, which is WHY there exist today thousands of Protestant sects [means to “protest”]; yet :truth is as it MUST be: singular per defined issue.”
While there are many THOIUSANDS of self -professed; man-made “Christian religions” which started about 500 years ago , there is still Just One Catholic Church holding to the same basic beliefs and practices after about 2,000 Years, with 23 associated, same belief branches. AND Today’s Roman Catholic Church is the only Church and Faith desired by God; founded by God and protected by God; so help ME God! Today’s Catholic Church was the ONLY Christian Faith from the time of Christ for about 1,000 Years [‘The Great Eastern Schism 1010AD]; which too is provable historical fact. And todays Catholic Church is the only one that can prove these claims biblically.
[QUOTE]Dear all,
“I am interested to know more about Christian Religion. Please provide evidences from the Holy Bible.”[/QUOTE] I will endeavor to do just that; however you need to know that NOT everything is in the Bible.
- John 20:30-21“Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing, you may have life in his name.” This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.” John 21:24-25 “But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written.”
- I will use primarily the Douay Rheims Catholic bible and it is the Oldest and truest translation. … http://www.drbo.org/chapter/50001.htm [a historically provable fact]
This also historically provable. Christ died around 33-35 AD. The bible in its entirety was authored by the end of-the First Century or the very early 2nd Century. There was a prolonged period of time when the bible did not exist in book form; although some individual letters did exist. Writing implements were scarce and very costly; PLUS the general population was mostly illiterate. So WORD of Mouth; following OT tradition and practice was very common and relied upon. And the very early Church grew despite not having the bible.
[QUOTE]1. Which is the true religion?[/QUOTE] “TRUTH” logically and Morally MUST BE singular per defined Issue. Pope Benedict said: “THERE CANNOT BE MY TRUTH AND YOUR TRUTH OR THERE WOULD BE NO TRUTH.”
First; you’re right. There can be, and is ONLY One True religion. It is both historically and biblically provable to be today’s Catholic Church.
Mt. 10: 1-8 “And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely have you received, freely give”
- Mt. 16: 13-19 “And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, [Apostles] saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church [SINGULAR], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I [Jesus] will give to thee [Peter] [ALL OF] the keys of the kingdom of heaven.And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven”
- John 17: 14-20 “I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil. They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. Sanctify them in truth.Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. [THIS MEANS PRECISELY WHAT IT SAYS: “WITH GOD’S OWN POWERS AND AUTHORITY] And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. [HERE JESUS GIVES HIMSELF AS WARRANTY OF THE TEACHING TRUTHS TAUGHT BY HIS CATHOLIC CHURCH… NO OTHER CAN MAKE THIS CLAIM!] And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me”
- Eph. 4: 2-7 “ With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body [MEANS ONLY ONE CHURCH] and one Spirit; as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, [ONLY] one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all. But to every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the giving of Christ.”
- Mark 16: 14-15 “ At length he [JESUS] appeared to the eleven [Apostles: Judas Christ betrayer killed himself] as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again. And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” NOTE HERE CHRIST CHANGED HIS ORIGINAL MANDATE TO GO ONLY TO THE JEWS; NOW TO THE ENTIRE WORLD, WHICH REQUIRES SUCCESSION IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH.
Mt. 28: 16-20 “And the eleven disciples [APOSTLES] went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And Jesus coming spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded [TAUGHT] you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”
Eph. 2:19-20 “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Eph. 3: 9-10 “And to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church [singular]the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
1 Cor. 12: 12-13 For just as the body [singular] is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, [singular] though many, are one body, [singular] so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. [SO LONG AS ONLY THE ONE SET OF FAITH BELIEFS IS HELD TOO]
John 10:16“And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd”
So the answer to question #1,is today’s Catholic Church, which is founded by Christ on the Apostles and is historically traceable back to them. The Eastern churches that are in “Schism” WERE a part of the original CC, until they choose to separate themselves from us around 1010 AD. The CC was the ONLY “Christian Church” anywhere in the world until this sad event took place.
[QUOTE]2. What is the true name of God?[/QUOTE]
The short answer is “GOD”
In the Old Testament He is called “Yahweh” / the Omega : the First and the Last; the one that always was and always Is. The “great “I AM!”
Exodus 3:11-14 “And Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said to him: I will be with thee: and this thou shalt have for a sign, that I have sent thee: When thou shalt have brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain. Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they should say to me: What is his name? what shall I say to them? God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM.He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.”
Rev. 22:12-13 “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to his works. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Isaiah 9: 6-7 [ABOUT 700 YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH IF JESUS CHRIST] “For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” The “most commpn name for God remains “Jesus Christ” who among a great many other things fut a “human face” ON GOD for our sakes.
[QUOTE] 3.Why we cannot see God?[/QUOTE]
Once again the short answer [not being glib here], is that God wants to be Known; more than seen. God is [because He us all things good] a Spiritual Entity. … Genesis 1: 1-5 “In the beginning God created heaven, and earth. And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters. And God said: Be light made. And light was made. And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness. And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day. “ &John 4: 23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeketh such to adore him. God is a spirit; and they that adore him, must adore him in spirit and in truth.”
That said; God is “All Powerful” and able to do any, yes, ANY Good thing. Not only did God become Incarnate man through Jesus Christ, but there are times when God had Angels [also spiritual beings] {the term means “God’s messengers”}, appear in human form.
Tobias 5: 5-8 “ Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk. And not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him, and said: From whence art thou, good young man? But he answered: Of the children of Israel. And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way that leadeth to the country of the Medes? And he answered: I know it: and I have often walked through all the ways thereof, and I have abode with Gabelus our brother, who dwelleth at Rages a city of the Medes, which is situate in the mount of Ecbatana.
So we know now that God AND His Angels are “Spiritual Realities”; Spiritual Beings. In the First Book of Genesis, the first book of the bible we are informed that man [humanity] is made in the “image and likeness of God”
Gen. 1: 26-28 “And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth. And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. And God blessed them, saying:Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth”
Humanity is the pinnacle of the hierarchy of ALL Created Things. [the term means “to make something out of nothing]. So just HOW & WHY does man alone,of ALL created things in the Universe emulate the God who Created us?
Only man [humanity] is given a mind, [not speaking here of the brain], a intellect [not meaning ones “IQ”] and a freewill which are ALL prenatally attached to mans’ Soul. And like “God” [but to a lesser degree]; these things are too, Spiritual Realities. And like God they are also immortal. Cannot be killed and do not die. It is this “Other Self
of humanity” that will be judged in the Judgment; and will “see God” [intuitively] and then either attain heaven or hell; which ever OUR lives choices have determined. Man mortal bodies were Created from dust and will return to DUST upon death.
Genesis 3: 13 “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return”
So that explains the HOW; now let’s address the WHY?
Isaiah 43 Verses 7 & 21 “And every one that calleth upon my name, I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, and made him. & This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise”
Man exist by God’s desire to be known, loved and served; fully and obediently. In fact the ENTIRE Universe exist so that man COULD know, in Awe and Wonder, that a Good God exist; and then freely choose to love and serve Him; or deny and hate Him.
In Old Testament times Yahweh appeared under various forms; but never as a human being until the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Some of the forms were:
Fire: Exodus 3:2 “And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burn”
A Cloud: Exodus 13:21“And the Lord went before them to shew the way by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire: that he might be the guide of their journey at both times”
A Voice: Deuteronomy 5:22 “These words the Lord spoke to all the multitude of you in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire and the cloud, and the darkness, with a loud voice, adding nothing more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone, which he delivered unto me.”
The passages that quote Moses as “seeing” God “face to face” mean that God made His Presence known to Moses in a unique manner. Not a literal “face to face” meeting. Perhaps in the same manner He did with Peter, James and John in the New Testament at the “transfiguration?”
Mt. 17: 1-5 “And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him
[QUOTE]4. Does God have any partner?[/QUOTE]
Not is the sense that I THINK???? You’re asking?
God chose the Jewish nation and ordered them to build for Him a temple:
3 Kings 5:5 “Wherefore I [King Solomon; son of King David] purpose to build a temple to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying: my son, whom I will set upon the throne in thy piece, he shall build a house to my name”
So it was the temple and those that worshiped God in it that were in a sense “God’s partners’.
Likewise it is in the New Testament; under the New Covenant; the only Church and Faith Founded, desired, guided and protected by God; todays Catholic Church that are God’s TRUE “friends,” and “partner” with Him in sharing HIS “Good News” [Gospel]. Others have GRAFTED themselves on to the vine, and are partial truth, and partial partners. BUT only the CC is in full communion with what God founded, desires and protects. JohnJohn.15: 15 “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you”
[QUOTE]5. Does God have a wife and children?[/QUOTE]
NO, that is a fable created by the Mormon /LDS church, just a few hundred years ago.
So this ends Q’s 1 through 5. PLEASE ask any questions this may raise.
God Bless you,
Patrick
On God's Payroll 