Banshee, serbmarko said Catholics condemn people in the in the first page of these posts. Listen, I can get into a huge theological discussion and I can post thousands of former protestants who are now Catholic. Serbmarko, you still didn't acknowlege how the Bible that you just quoted from (my bible too) came from. Of course I believe that Jesus is my Lord and savior. You believe in "Sola scriptura" (only scripture) while I believe in "Prima Scriptura" (Scripture comes first). Basically Catholics believe in Holy tradition which is guided by the Holy Spirit, which is how the bible came into being. There were many other texts and gospels and so forth but the Church in its wisdom and knowledge of Tradition and with the power of the Holy Spirit put the Bible together. IF you want real scholarly research then read the early Church fathers. These were men who wrote during and after the time of Jesus. They were Christians who fought heresies such as the Gnostic faith. They sound mighty Catholic too me. Look up St. Irenaus who wrote around the year 125 A.D before there was even a bible, St. Ignatiaus of Antioch, Tertullian, Orgien, St. Clement of Alexandria. Read the Didache which is dated at about 60-100 AD is almost verbatum what Catholics practice. These early followers of Christ actually knew someone who knew an apostle and all were from early Christian communties that relied on holy tradition and not a bible to learn about Christ. The Holy Catholic Church teaches and preserves Holy Tradition and Holy Scripture which both are inspired. I can also quote from the bible. When I am done with finals I will post all the scripture you want that will back me up. See Catholics believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Protestants do not. Why? It saids it in the bible. Read John chapter six. Read
And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.
Dixit autem eis Iesus ego sum panis vitae qui veniet ad me non esuriet et qui credit in me non sitiet umquam
6:36. But I said unto you that you also have seen me, and you believe not.
Sed dixi vobis quia et vidistis me et non creditis
6:37. All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out.
Omne quod dat mihi Pater ad me veniet et eum qui venit ad me non eiciam foras
6:38. Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me.
Quia descendi de caelo non ut faciam voluntatem meam sed voluntatem eius qui misit me
6:39. Now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day.
Haec est autem voluntas eius qui misit me Patris ut omne quod dedit mihi non perdam ex eo sed resuscitem illum novissimo die
6:40. And this is the will of my Father that sent me: that every one who seeth the Son and believeth in him may have life everlasting. And I will raise him up in the last day.
Haec est enim voluntas Patris mei qui misit me ut omnis qui videt Filium et credit in eum habeat vitam aeternam et resuscitabo ego eum in novissimo die
6:41. The Jews therefore murmured at him, because he had said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
Murmurabant ergo Iudaei de illo quia dixisset ego sum panis qui de caelo descendi
6:42. And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then saith he: I came down from heaven?
Et dicebant nonne hic est Iesus filius Ioseph cuius nos novimus patrem et matrem quomodo ergo dicit hic quia de caelo descendi
6:43. Jesus therefore answered and said to them: Murmur not among yourselves.
Respondit ergo Iesus et dixit eis nolite murmurare in invicem
6:44. No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day.*
Nemo potest venire ad me nisi Pater qui misit me traxerit eum et ego resuscitabo eum novissimo die
6:45. It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard of the Father and hath learned cometh forth me.
Est scriptum in prophetis et erunt omnes docibiles Dei omnis qui audivit a Patre et didicit venit ad me
6:46. Not that any man hath seen the Father: but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father.
Non quia Patrem vidit quisquam nisi is qui est a Deo hic vidit Patrem
6:47. Amen, amen, I say unto you: He that believeth in me hath everlasting life.
Amen amen dico vobis qui credit in me habet vitam aeternam
6:48. I am the bread of life.
Ego sum panis vitae
6:49. Your fathers did eat manna in the desert: and are dead.
Patres vestri manducaverunt in deserto manna et mortui sunt
6:50. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven: that if any man eat of it, he may not die.
Hic est panis de caelo descendens ut si quis ex ipso manducaverit non moriatur
6:51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
Ego sum panis vivus qui de caelo descendi
6:52. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.
Si quis manducaverit ex hoc pane vivet in aeternum et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mundi vita
6:53. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Litigabant ergo Iudaei ad invicem dicentes quomodo potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum
6:54. Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say unto you: except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.*
Dixit ergo eis Iesus amen amen dico vobis nisi manducaveritis carnem Filii hominis et biberitis eius sanguinem non habetis vitam in vobis
6:55. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
Qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam et ego resuscitabo eum in novissimo die
6:56. For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.
Caro enim mea vere est cibus et sanguis meus vere est potus
6:57. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me: and I in him.
Qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem in me manet et ego in illo
6:58. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.
Sicut misit me vivens Pater et ego vivo propter Patrem et qui manducat me et ipse vivet propter me
6:59. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
Hic est panis qui de caelo descendit non sicut manducaverunt patres vestri manna et mortui sunt qui manducat hunc panem vivet in aeternum
6:60. These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.
Haec dixit in synagoga docens in Capharnaum
6:61. Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard; and who can hear it?
Multi ergo audientes ex discipulis eius dixerunt durus est hic sermo quis potest eum audire
6:62. But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?
Sciens autem Iesus apud semet ipsum quia murmurarent de hoc discipuli eius dixit eis hoc vos scandalizat
6:63. If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?*
Si ergo videritis Filium hominis ascendentem ubi erat prius
6:64. It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.*
Spiritus est qui vivificat caro non prodest quicquam verba quae ego locutus sum vobis spiritus et vita sunt
6:65. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who he was that would betray him.
Sed sunt quidam ex vobis qui non credunt sciebat enim ab initio Iesus qui essent credentes et quis traditurus esset eum
6:66. And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
Et dicebat propterea dixi vobis quia nemo potest venire ad me nisi fuerit ei datum a Patre meo
6:67. After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
Ex hoc multi discipulorum eius abierunt retro et iam non cum illo ambulabant
6:68. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
Dixit ergo Iesus ad duodecim numquid et vos vultis abire
6:69. And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
Respondit ergo ei Simon Petrus Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes
6:70. And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
Et nos credidimus et cognovimus quia tu es Christus Filius Dei
6:71. Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil.
Respondit eis Iesus nonne ego vos duodecim elegi et ex vobis unus diabolus est
6:72. Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray him, whereas he was one of the twelve.
Dicebat autem Iudam Simonis Scariotis hic enim erat traditurus eum cum esset unus ex duodecim
Notice how the Jesus kept repeating himself. Mary in the scriptures saids that all nations will call her blessed. This is scripture yet the only religion that calls her blessed is the Catholic Church. Book of Revelation in Ch. 12 verse 17 calls all those who are Christians the offspring of Mary. That is why we call her mother. Because she is the Mother of God.
12:17. And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Et iratus est draco in mulierem et abiit facere proelium cum reliquis de semine eius qui custodiunt mandata Dei et habent testimonium Iesu
With regards to confession, Jesus told his APOSTLES to forgive sins in his name. Who can forgive sins if not God? Well God gave this power to the apostles. He told them "whosever sins you forgive are forgiven them, whoseever sins you
retain are retained" That is the power to bind and to loose. The apostle can hold sins against people. So confession is biblical. With regards to babtism, baby's have been babtized since the beginning of Christianity. Scripture saids that Paul babtized an entire household. I will post more but I have to go. I hope this helps. God Bless
