Why Catholicism is the Best Religion

Some religions are superior to others, and Christianity is the best. And of the Christians, Catholicism is the best.

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker


ncregister.com/blog/longenecker/why-catholicism-is-the-best-religion

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As if.

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I know. I know. This is not really politically correct.

You’re supposed to pretend that all religions are equal. The comparative religions professor (who often has comparatively no religion) teaches that all religions are human inventions based on interesting and unique historical circumstances and cultures.

The theory is that religions developed from animism when cavemen grunted at the sun, moon and stars and made up stories about the people who lived there. Then they made up stories about gods, which became myths, and they started making sacrifices to the sky people and then they made more stories and eventually they added rules and so all the different religions just developed.

Like most heresies it is a half-truth, and like most half-truths, it is more believable than the full truth. The full truth is always incredible at first glance and yet completely credible on deeper examination.

Are all religions equal? If you have one of those posters with a sunset and a slogan that says, “We are all climbing the same mountain but by different paths” then you might draw the sentimental conclusion that all religions are equal.

But they’re not. Think it through for a moment. Is Judaism, with its monotheism, rituals, rules and regulations equal to the Aztec religion, with genocidal human sacrifice? I don’t think so.

Is Hinduism, with its ornate mythos, ancient rituals and fascinatingly populated pantheon of gods equal to Jehovah’s Witness? Is Islamic Wahhabism, which condones violence, equal to sherry-sipping American Episcopalianism?

Religions are not the same and they’re not equal. Some religions are morally, theologically and philosophically superior to others, just like some composers and artists are superior to others. McCartney wrote some nice tunes, but he’s not Mozart. Norman Rockwell painted some good pictures, but he’s not Rembrandt.

Likewise, some religions are superior to others, and Christianity is the best. And of the Christians, Catholicism is the best. In asserting this I’m not saying all other religions are rubbish. The Catholic Church teaches that all other religions have elements of goodness, truth and beauty, and we affirm the goodness in those religions. But we also affirm that Christianity is best and we do so for one simple reason.

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Before I explain why I should say what I’m NOT arguing. I’m not arguing that Christians are the best people. We’ve got some pretty great accomplishments in our history, but we’ve got our share of stinkers too. Christians are hypocrites and sinners just like everybody else. I’m not arguing here for how brilliantly the religion has been lived out, but how brilliant the religion is. Chesterton (as usual) was right, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has not been tried.”

I am writing this during Lent, and to put it very simply, Christianity is a superior religion because of Holy Week and Good Friday.

It is superior because of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

What I’m getting at is that Christianity is the only religion that does not ignore or skirt the issue of suffering. Indeed, terrible suffering is at the very heart of our religion. Our central icon is a crucifix. Our central act of worship is a commemoration and re-presentation of the execution of an innocent victim.

Other religions skirt the issue. Buddhism and Hinduism teach that suffering is part of the karmic cycle and the way to avoid suffering is to rise above it through detachment from the material world.

Epicureanism avoids the issue by teaching one to “eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you die.” While Stoicism teaches that one must accept suffering, if possible, with dignity, do one’s duty and pass on.

Islam teaches that suffering is God’s arbitrary choice, and don’t ask questions. Primitive religions have no problem with suffering because they do not have a God who is good. Suffering for them is simply part of the cosmos, and fatalism is their creed.

Judaism comes closest to Christianity in that the Jews accept suffering as an inexplicable part of being the chosen people of God.

But consider what we do with suffering. We struggle over the question, “How can a good God allow suffering?” We rage over the question. We debate it and people become atheists because of this terrible conundrum.

And Christians (and most especially Catholic Christians) say, “Yes, it is a problem, but the whole reason for our religion is God’s answer to the problem. This is not something we sweep under the carpet. This is not something we ignore. Suffering is the whole problem, and the answer is the point of our whole religion. We preach Christ, and him crucified.”

We see suffering as a result of free will and free will as the requirement for true love to exist. If you cannot love freely you cannot love. That free will ultimately produces bad choices and those bad choices produce suffering.

We acknowledge that suffering is the problem, and innocent suffering is really the problem.

Furthermore, within the problem is the solution and within the question lies the answer. We see the cycle of pride which blames others, excludes others and eventually kills others — and Jesus Christ comes into the midst of that cycle of pride and takes the blame. He reverses the cycle and by rising from the dead defeats the power of suffering from the inside out.

Christianity is the one religion that plunges into the depth of the suffering, wrestles with the darkness and comes out the other side, bloodied but triumphant.

We say this is what our hero Christ the Lord did on Good Friday, and this is why we say he is our Savior — because he wrestled with the devil, went through the dark and came out the other side. From that time on suffering had lost its sting and death lost its stench.

For those who would follow him there was hope. For those who would walk with him there was light on the other side and calm after the terrible storm.

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John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

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THATS IDOLATRY

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All the false religions out there can be summed up in one theme: that they are working their own way to achieve their ideal afterlife. What really separates Christianity from all the false religions of the world is OSAS.

One oblation once offered. Calvary was propitiary, the mass makes Christ truly present, but not solely ex opere operato. See, eg, Mark 5:24-34 and Mark 6:1-6. Also, Calvary can be made present, but it cannot be repeated or extended - man can join to it by faith and sacraments.

Biased much?

>implying catholicism is a religion on its own

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Don't be put off by the title, watch this with an open mind.

nice boomer shitpost

Catholicism is okay and I personally hold nothing against it but I can't be Catholic for 2 reasons
1. The Pope is often an arrogant prick and I refuse to follow any MAN blindly, and the Pope is just a man no matter what anyone says. And I personally disagree with a lot of the current one's sentiments.
2. I'm in a sea of Protestants who all have a chip on their shoulders about Catholicism and focus on the terrible shit the Catholics did in the past and are vehemently opposed to it, and if I even say anything in defense of it they get buttmad, ie. "not all Catholic priests are pedos and not all Catholics are evil" is returned with indignation and being accused of being a crypto-Catholic

In my Protestant private school as a boy we still learned all about church history, the saints, martyrs, catechism etc. and I like it but yeah won't ever join up for those reasons. Where I live we've got Protestant, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches all within bicycle distance from my house which I think is pretty comfy, but most other Protestants would rather the Catholics and Orthodox gtfo.

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Neither of them is the precious blood of Christ. I suggest you read Galatians, measure Rome by that standard, and I feel you will 'hold something against it', that is, you will hold its false gospel which damns men to hell against it.

Your two reason really are not reasons at all. They don't deny the truth of catholicism which is what you need to dispute. Remember that in catholic theology non catholics go to hell. If you can't dispute the truth of catholicism then this should scare you into considering it and at least enquiring further for one must be diligent in matters of eternal salvation.

I was baptized and confirmed Catholic…then I f*cked up big times; I came back ,but I'm still unsure. I believe in God, but I have a deep rooted hatred of (in order from lower to higher):
- Christians in general;
- other denominations;
- the RCC itself;
- myself.

I want to believe and I want to be a Catholic because, even with all its filth, sins, miseries and wrongdoings, I still see and know in me that she is God's bride (even if she's still a harlot deep inside, since we are all sinners).

1 Timothy 2:5 is a one and done on Catholicism as far as I'm concerned.

Why do you hate yourself?

Because I wanted to make my family proud and I became a furry homo; because I wanted to be a good person and I'm a mediocre grey worker; because I wanted to be a good Christian and I keep on falling and failing God.
These are the cliff-note SFW reasons why; there are deeper and darker reasons myself I cannot fully grasp nor understand.

And why would that be? If you are talking about the concept of intercession contradicting Jesus being the one mediator, then read the preceding four verses.

Never fall in pride. Never treat others as the superior.

I have, and I'm still not buying it. If you pray for me your praying intercessory prayer for me. That's a good thing. We should all pray for eachother. It's simple and beautiful. But where do you get this weird complicated process of the dead relaying prayers to Jesus for you from this? That isn't right and I don't know why you guys do it.

If any denomination had it 100% correct there wouldn't be a need for the testimony of the two witnesses.

Catholicism has been and continues to be woefully off track, I mean there wouldn't even be all these denominations we have today if people weren't trying to get away from Catholic teachings and it's errors. Not trying to cast down any Christian brothers who are true believers in Jesus but I don't think my observations are unfair either.

Do you fear the wrath of God?

Yes, but I cannot stop sinning; I go to confession, then I make another deadly sin…and my grave just becomes deeper. I feel like giving up; what's the point, I am going to Hell.

Christ will prune you until you bear fruit.

For decades you have deepened an iniquitous way of living. But in the end He always wins. It's winning in me, first by soul, then by mind, later by acts.

He' be better off cutting my roots and throwing me into the fire…at the very least, for a brief moment, I'd be hot and not lukewarm.

That's the correct approach to God.

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If you really believe, you can't be depressed.

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None of us can stop sinning, bud. That's the whole point. You just have to try and keep trying. The fact that you are penitent about your actions is more than enough proof that you desire righteousness. Just keep trying and denying evil thoughts when they come up. Every person on the planet thinks evil thoughts sometimes and stumbles from time to time.

I do believe, but I do not believe enough…I cannot forgive myself and I am afraid to get helped, even by God.


It's just so tiring…I keep failing and then I promise I'll do better. Then as usual I take His name in vain and from there I spiral back into all kind of sins since I have already committed a deadly sin.

Also, I should stop coming here: the mods made it so easy (due to their censoring of threads and posters) for other denoms to hate us Catholics.

p.s.: anime is worthless, and the Jungian stereotypes are hollow in value.

MBTI is useless and these representations are absolutely terrible and even more inaccurate than the general ones.

I have a lot of unrelated pics. :)))

anime is art (some)

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130 exactly and I enjoy PC Gaming and Anime.

regarding the text

explain for what reasons Christianity is the best and how the reason for Christianity correlates with catholicism. The two reasons might conflict each other

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the social (sexual) part is fucked up. Not christian norm
109

74

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110.

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56 robot

Protestants splinter from each other.

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I know right? Cromwell must be spinning in his five graves over those candlesticks

And you wonder why pictures like this one exist?

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Christ actually feed people so there’s a huge difference

hmm made me think

I still feel empty and alone

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begome gristian socialisd

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Wrong: you, me…all of us. We all are empty inside and alone: it’s not a feeling, it’s reality.

Glad I'm not alone on here.

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A lot of denominations split from the Catholic church and are all rooted in the protestant separation and Calvinism to say protestants were a single unit that later went off into it's own fracturing is not the truth.

Christian socialism is possible. Christian Marxism is an oxymoron.

Yup: Fascism, Falangism, Iron Guard, etc…

6. What is of far greater moment, however, is the fact that the remedy they propose is manifestly against justice. For, every man has by nature the right to possess property as his own. This is one of the chief points of distinction between man and the animal creation, for the brute has no power of self direction, but is governed by two main instincts, which keep his powers on the alert, impel him to develop them in a fitting manner, and stimulate and determine him to action without any power of choice. One of these instincts is self preservation, the other the propagation of the species. Both can attain their purpose by means of things which lie within range; beyond their verge the brute creation cannot go, for they are moved to action by their senses only, and in the special direction which these suggest. But with man it is wholly different. He possesses, on the one hand, the full perfection of the animal being, and hence enjoys at least as much as the rest of the animal kind, the fruition of things material. But animal nature, however perfect, is far from representing the human being in its completeness, and is in truth but humanity's humble handmaid, made to serve and to obey. It is the mind, or reason, which is the predominant element in us who are human creatures; it is this which renders a human being human, and distinguishes him essentially from the brute. And on this very account - that man alone among the animal creation is endowed with reason - it must be within his right to possess things not merely for temporary and momentary use, as other living things do, but to have and to hold them in stable and permanent possession; he must have not only things that perish in the use, but those also which, though they have been reduced into use, continue for further use in after time.

7. This becomes still more clearly evident if man's nature be considered a little more deeply. For man, fathoming by his faculty of reason matters without number, linking the future with the present, and being master of his own acts, guides his ways under the eternal law and the power of God, whose providence governs all things. Wherefore, it is in his power to exercise his choice not only as to matters that regard his present welfare, but also about those which he deems may be for his advantage in time yet to come. Hence, man not only should possess the fruits of the earth, but also the very soil, inasmuch as from the produce of the earth he has to lay by provision for the future. Man's needs do not die out, but forever recur; although satisfied today, they demand fresh supplies for tomorrow. Nature accordingly must have given to man a source that is stable and remaining always with him, from which he might look to draw continual supplies. And this stable condition of things he finds solely in the earth and its fruits. There is no need to bring in the State. Man precedes the State, and possesses, prior to the formation of any State, the right of providing for the substance of his body.

8. The fact that God has given the earth for the use and enjoyment of the whole human race can in no way be a bar to the owning of private property. For God has granted the earth to mankind in general, not in the sense that all without distinction can deal with it as they like, but rather that no part of it was assigned to any one in particular, and that the limits of private possession have been left to be fixed by man's own industry, and by the laws of individual races. Moreover, the earth, even though apportioned among private owners, ceases not thereby to minister to the needs of all, inasmuch as there is not one who does not sustain life from what the land produces. Those who do not possess the soil contribute their labor; hence, it may truly be said that all human subsistence is derived either from labor on one's own land, or from some toil, some calling, which is paid for either in the produce of the land itself, or in that which is exchanged for what the land brings forth.

I don't believe in the hierarchy, but I agree with the concept that all are different. How would you judge such a hierarchy without letting your own religious dogma influence your view?

34

literally flip that around

Communism is atheism. This is even more cancerous than boomer posting.
You probably lack any knowledge of history, communism and Christianity.
What are you even doing on this board then? lol.
Bolsheviks murdered millions of Christians, Christian blood flowed like rivers in Russia. Their press all over the globe was explicitly anti-Christian. They subverted the church wherever they went, tried to destroy the faith of the people.

Yeah I mean…if you take communist propaganda seriously, believe they never lied, then project your good intentions, ignore the facts completely, you might end up saying dumb shit such as this.
Maybe if you bake a shit in the oven for a long time it might eventually turn out to be a cake. Who knows.

Did you hear about those Cuban women who got beaten up by government thugs for worshipping on palm sunday? Socialism is awesome!