I am Baptist. I was raised Baptist. But I have been looking into Catholicism. It seems as if it has a more narrow path. And i was always taught that as a christian you should follow a narrow path. The question I am asking is what is a better more structured religion. they both believe the the basics, (trinity, Jesus the son of God. The virgin Mary mother of Jesus etc.) At this point I'm very confused on if i want to convert or not. what is your opinion?
oh and i would NEVER become an atheist. God is my rock
I would recommend that you contact your nearest Catholic Church and ask them when the next R.C.I.A. (Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults) class is. This class will take about a year and will cover all of the major teachings of Roman Catholicism and delve into some of the more subtle teachings. It is not an obligation to formally convert, so you could go and take the course and if you don't feel comfortable converting by the time the class finishes, just don't go through with the rites themselves. No one will think the lesser of you -- and they will likely be pleased to have your voice join the class and help you learn about Catholicism.
Catholicism is far more structured, has a lot more required beliefs which may not be questioned, and believes some things that are not based on the bible as it places a lot of weight on church tradition as well. I think the big question is whether you believe all the extra things that catholics have to believe (the catholic church is the only true church and there is no salvation outside it, the bread and wine really change into body and blood, the clergy structure of bishops, priests and deacons is the only possible one, if you do not attend mass every week you are in trouble with god etc). The catechism that sets it all out is a very big book!
if you want to convert convert if you don't then don't
every religion is Still pretty silly
atheism is another option
have you seen pictures of Jesus?
he is white but he was from the middle east he should be darker.
Adam and eve should be black because that is where humans evolved from.
yeah the Catholic path is so narrow they have reverted to confessing sins to a mere man so he may intervene and forgive their sins. Or the pope claims is the authority on earth to change the word of God. As a baptist, you know better and were raised better. Stick with what you are, baptist is a good choice.
I am non denominational myself . I think that too much emphasis is on the name over the door and not enough on who's house it is.
Catholicism does have a beautiful emphasis on ritual and tradition. And this is all fine and good, just beware of it becoming lip service and going into auto pilot. that's the danger of repetitive ritual.
Personally I could not join the Catholic church as I do not believe that praying to Mary is going to do any good. No matter HOW good she was, she is not God, and I cannot bring myself to equate her with Him.
Best wishes & God Bless!
I am glad you are asking for opinions because a great many people will give you just that, their opinion and state it as if it were fact.
God bless you for questioning your faith, any faith, only through sincere questioning and discernment can you find the truth.
As for me, I believe what the Bible says in Matthew "you are my rock (Petra) and upon this rock I will build My church and not even the gates of hell shall prevail"
That makes Peter the first Pope in an unbroken line of Popes to the current one.
Also at the last supper when Jesus says "this is my body" and "this is my blood" and tells us to do the same in his memory, I believe the Eucharist through the miracle of Jesus truly is just exactly what He tells us it is, His sacred body and blood.
Thanks for asking.
There are many dogmatic differences between the Baptists and the Catholics. I have to tell you that only you can decide what is best for you. I am a Catholic and I would love you to join the family. We have such beauty in our Church and faith. Don't go by the answers you receive here because particularly on this forum there is so much hatred toward the Catholics and the bashing is constant that you will never really get a good answer and the Catholic ones are mixed in with these hateful ones. I suggest praying on the subject. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the Truth and the faith of Christ. Do your research on the faith, the roots of both Baptist and Catholic, and if you can honestly say you believe all of the Catholic faith then convert, if you cannot then continue to pray and to search. Eventually the Truth will set you free.
RCIA classes talked about by the first answerer is a good idea with no obligation, try it out.
I don?t know if I would qualify salvation in the Catholic Church as ?narrow,? but I will be honest in that I?m not sure what you mean by that. To me, the major difference in salvation between the two faiths is that in Catholicism, we consider salvation to be a life long quest as opposed to a single conversion experience. Now this quest USN?t the same for everyone and I believe God calls us towards different paths, but we are all called to rise above our simple mortality and take a seat at the Last Supper of Christ.
Nobody can tell you what?s right for you, you must make that judgment for yourself. I can only tell you to learn as much as you can, and walk your path with a clean conscience. You might want to attend s few Masses and get involved with a RCIA program, you will not be pressured to do anything against your own conscience.
No matter what you choose, I think God gave us a critical mind so that we may challenge and explore our faith. I think learning more about he world around us is giving glory to God?s creation and that is exactly what you are doing. I know it?s easy to look at a situation like this as a crisis, but look at as a path towards greater understanding. As a Catholic, I am both flattered and inspired by your interest in the faith that I love so much. Even if you decide Catholicism USN?t right for you, I?m sure you will develop a greater respect for my Catholic brothers and sisters, and that is more than anyone could ask. Dominus cecum.
Catholicism vs Protestantism?
