Question on the Church founded by Christ

[Quietfire]

With no disrespect to religions outside the Church, I would like to ask a very serious statement/question. It may be a bit complex, so please bear with me.

When Christ established His Church He did so from the remnant of Judaism. Through [b]Him[/b], the Church established herself and all those outside were considered pagans, right?
600 years later we have the religion of Mohammed.
1500 years later we have the reformation and as such we now have 30 thousand plus denominations.

Although the Church teaches tolerance, isnt it safe to say that these religions are still considered pagan? One way or another they have delineated from the teachings of Christ and have followed what [b]they[/b] think is the best way to serve God.
Again, I am not being disrespectful here to any religion outside the Church. I am just trying to get a stronger grasp onto the truth. After all, I was not always Catholic.

The Church was called "the way" or "Christ's Church" by those within. The word "religion" was not an issue like it is today.
If you were alive when Christ walked the earth then you would not have been asking Christ, "What shall we call your religion now, since we are not Jewish?" Those he chose (the apostles)simple did what He taught them and often called it "the way" since it was a way of life not a religion. Later the names "Christian", "Christ's Church" and especially "Catholic" was used to [b]describe[/b] the Church, because she was in fact "universal"-"containing the whole", as the word catholic denotes.

Somewhere along, the Church established by Christ became a religion. Obviously this was coined by man, since the word religion means "mans relationship with God". God didnt start a religion, he established a church. Although to me, there is a huge difference in man starting a religion and God establishing a church...getting that point across is difficult for me to put into words.
My arguement is that the Church is not just a religion in the sense that men have coined, so to speak. But rather, she is "the way", the only way to worship God properly.

Those who did/do not agree with the teachings given by Christ to the Church(the way), ended up leaving and starting [i]their[/i] own way (religion-church, if you wish) to worship God. [i]They[/i] protested (Protestant) against one issue or another and decided that [i]they[/i] could build a better church,a better religion, a better way.
Who on earth can build a better way to worship God then God Himself?

In my mind, I cannot understand how a person can disagree with an establishment founded and created by God Himself and through Him is guided by the Holy Spirit, and then willingly choose to make for [i]themselves[/i] another, [i]more comfortable for them[/i],
way to serve God (another church).

On top of everything else, we now have New Age religions. Those who are so far removed from what Christ taught, but claim that they are doing exactly what God teaches through Scripture. They say that yes, they got the Bible from the Catholic Church, but the Church is not an earthly authority, that God is the only authority that we must listen to.

Did I miss something is Scripture? Did God NOT give authority to SOMEONE here on earth? Someone with the power to loose and bind? Someone to forgive sins or not? Someone to pass on His teachings until the consummation of the world? Did He not say that He would send another to guide and protect so that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His earthly establishment?

They also question Jesus' death on the cross.
One claimed that since Jesus didnt die according to the law made by God, He is not the Son of God. Now wouldnt a claim like that simply mean that you would discount the entire Holy Bible and that you are then Jewish? (since the Jews do not use our 'old testament' ).

Or they claim that since we call God..."God" and not by His sacred name then we do not worship the true God. That Jesus is not a sacred name of the Son of God (for those who still claim that he IS the Son of God) and therefore we should call Him by his sacred name only. Yet when asked to provide these names, no one can agree on what they are or some are so unusual that you wonder where they got them from.

Isnt is safe to say that if you are Catholic, then you are part of the Catholic race....the "universal" race of God?. I only ask because to the Hebrews, being Jewish was two fold...a way to worship and a race. I may not have worded that correctly but I think you understand.

Lastly, am I wrong in thinking that many a man has removed himself from the way God wanted to be worshipped? Some do so without proper knowledge of the truth I know, but others even after explaining to the best of your abilities still refuse the truth from Christ's own and only Church.

Pax

Edited October 2, 2005 by Quietfire

[phatcatholic]

some good points here. i will respond to the questions:

[quote name='Quietfire' date='Oct 2 2005, 10:17 AM']When Christ established His Church He did so from the remnant of Judaism.  Through [b]Him[/b], the Church established herself and all those outside were considered pagans, right?[/quote]
well, pagans are those who do not believe in the One God. they instead believe in many false gods.


[quote]Although the Church teaches tolerance, isnt it safe to say that these religions are still considered pagan?[/quote]
religions that do not espouse the One God are pagan. not all religions that are non-Catholic are necessarily pagan. for example, Judaism isn't pagan. however, Buddhism is.


[quote]Who on earth can build a better way to worship God then God Himself?[/quote]
no one.


[quote]Did I miss something is Scripture?  Did God NOT give authority to SOMEONE here on earth?  Someone with the power to loose and bind? Someone to forgive sins or not?  Someone to pass on His teachings until the consummation of the world?  Did He not say that He would send another to guide and protect so that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His earthly establishment? [/quote]
looks like you didn't miss a thing


[quote]One claimed that since Jesus didnt die according to the law made by God, He is not the Son of God.  Now wouldnt a claim like that simply mean that you would discount the entire Holy Bible and that you are then Jewish? (since the Jews do not use our 'old testament' ).[/quote]
well, that woudln't mean discounting the ENTIRE bible, b/c we do share some books in common w/ the Jews. however, it would mean disrediting the deuterocanonical books and the entire NT, since these were made part of the canon by the authority of the Church, and the Church gets her authority from that very God-man who died on the cross to save us all. if he is not God come down to save us, then everything the Church has ever said and done is pointless.


[quote]Isnt is safe to say that if you are Catholic, then you are part of the Catholic race....the "universal" race of God?.  I only ask because to the Hebrews, being Jewish was two fold...a way to worship and a race.  I may not have worded that correctly but I think you understand.[/quote]
well, i wouldn't call Catholicism a "race." what's beautiful about the Church is that ALL are welcome, regardless of your nationality.


[quote]Lastly, am I wrong in thinking that many a man has removed himself from the way God wanted to be worshipped?[right][snapback]743628[/snapback][/right][/quote]
you are not wrong.