Home of Rhett & Link fans - the Mythical Beasts!
Hello, brothers and sisters! I'm very excited to be part of such a passionate group of people.
I have noticed in the past that a lot of other Christians are confused or unsure of what my church is all about. I was in the same boat for most of my life, as I was raised Lutheran before I found my way to Catholicism. It took a lot of careful study to unravel the confusion and misinformation I had grown up with, so I just want to be available to foster honest dialogue.
Ask me anything you want about Catholicism, and I will answer respectfully and honestly. And if you want to answer the same question about your denomination, I would love to hear what you have to say on the subject as well.
Some Notes
1. This is not a discussion meant to shake anyone's faith or question anyone's theological foundations. It is just meant to allow us to understand each other better.
2. Abusive language is not dialogue, as per the Kommunity Guidelines. Be nice, but ask any questions you have.
3. Other Catholics are welcome to answer the questions posted here as well, but please make sure you know the answer. I will be using Sacred Scripture and the Catechism to explain Catholic Theology, not my personal opinions on the subject. The Catholic Church is a big place with a diversity of personal takes, but I want to focus on the core of our theology as that is my field of study.
4. I'll pray for everyone who posts here. Please return the favor and pray for me. I know of no soul who is not aided by prayer.
Let's get to it!
Yours in Christ,
EG
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Fantastic! I spent my day with a ton of Catholic teenagers as their substitute teacher, so that was fun. But I'm looking forward to continuing our dialogue on any topic you'd like to discuss.
Greetings spiritual comrade in Christ and fellow mythical beast:
I hail from the Eastern Orthodox Church and am glad to see this kindly dialogue within Christendom. Cheers and many blessings!
Woo! The East is in the house! Good to hear from you. Blessings and peace to you as well!
Hey, Hannah!
Just letting you know that I am still working on a response. Things got a little crazy this week. :)
Ok. I haven't had time to tackle all the facets of this topic, but here's what I was able to squeeze in while studying for my midterms. All the hyperlinks are to my old blog, where I covered those areas in greater detail.
Why does Man need saving? From what?
Man requires salvation because of the stain of Original Sin. When our ancestors Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they left a permanent stain on all their progeny. We are all born under this curse, and are thus unable to reach for heaven ourselves.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the First Sin in this way:
Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. […] Adam and Eve immediately lose the grace of original holiness. They become afraid of the God of whom they have conceived a distorted image. (397, 399)
Sin and Death are the obvious results of the Most Expensive Fruit Salad, but the insidious force of concupiscence comes along with these results. Concupiscence is the desire within us that draws us towards evil no matter how much we wish to fight it. The enemy is already within the gates, and it will truly take a miracle to save the city now. If it is taken completely, nothing will remain but darkness.
What is the way to be made right with God? What roles are played by sacraments, faith, good deeds?
Due to the corruption of the human soul, man cannot find his way to God on his own. I describe this to my students as a brick wall separating us from heaven, God, order, life, and all good things. Jesus’ sacrifice, torture, death, and resurrection forms a bridge over this wall that allows us to be united once more with God.
However, because God loves us so much, He wants us to choose to love Him. Were we forced to love Him, it would not be love, but slavery. Free Will means that we must decide to cross the bridge or stay in the fires of torment we have found ourselves in. This decision must be made every minute of every day. All thoughts, words, actions, and inactions bring us either closer or farther from God.
This is where the Catholic belief in works comes in. We do not believe that our good deeds save us. We believe that they illustrate the interior acceptance of our salvation through faith. They are a symptom of the vaccine, not the vaccine itself. Thus, we praise charitable acts as an exterior sign of a life of faith.
As for sacraments, we believe that those are gifts from God that help us understand supernatural truths better. They allow us to be united with Him in a singular way that helps us continue to fight the good fight. Catholics have seven sacraments, and each has a sacred truth behind it.
Baptism: That we are marked as adopted children of God
Eucharist: That we take part in the death of Jesus so we may also take part in His Resurrection. (I assume
we will talk about transubstantiation in a later installment)
Confirmation: That our choice to be united with God allows the Holy Spirit to work in and through us
Reconciliation: That God is both all-just and all-merciful, and forgives those who ask for it
Anointing of the Sick: That healing is for all four parts of the human person (mind, soul, body, heart), and that God cares for all
Marriage: That we are united in love in a reflection of the Trinity (Man, Woman, God)
Holy Orders: That we share in the sacrifice and personhood of Christ, our brother
The easiest way to look at the relationship between Faith, Works, and Sacraments is this: Faith is key. Sacraments aid us in deepening our faith by helping us grasp at the unseen. Works come about because of a strong Faith.
How does man know he is saved?
Faith. Obedience. Prayer. Living a life of heroic virtue.
If you walk the walk, talk the talk, and trust above all in the mercy of God, you can be reasonably sure that you will be saved through the Grace of God.
In my very first theological blog post ever, I called Grace the greatest gift of God to us, and Free Will our greatest superpower. This is because we believe angels have Free Will, but God did not give them any do-overs. We can come back to him at any time. Angels only get the one shot, and if they fall, they are lost forever.
Dear Hannah,
I'll get to your questions tomorrow when I have more time to answer them fully, but this is an easy one. :)
I am a graduate student in Theology at a Catholic university, and will be completing my Master's by next May. So I'm a theologian in the same way that a blue belt is a martial artist. I don't have my black belt yet, but as a student of the art I can use the title.
I plan on eventually getting my doctorate in Religion and Culture and teaching at the college level, but for now I'm studying and getting as many hours as I can in Youth Ministry, 4th-5th grade Religious Ed, and substitute teaching in the local Catholic high school. So you could say that Theology is basically my life right now. But it's a lot of fun and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
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