What is the minimum standard to be a practising catholic

Erren Music

What is a catholic
To mods,

I am disturbed that you closed this thread for trolling, I have a genuine enquiry, I have asked with respect and manners, and I have indicated my lack of belief.

I will re-post the thread

I am an atheist but I would ask for your assistance to qualify what a catholic actually is. I have a few questions. Thanks for your patience.

How often to attend church
How often should they pray
How much money should they donate to christian issues or the church
Should they volunteer

How many people here in Ireland are only catholic by way of a cert from the church, but in reality are not religious in any way.

Please ask other questions or issues I have not considered.

Thank you.

Fanny Cradock

Don't be disturbed. I believe the thread was posted for other people's trolling, not yours. Let's try to behave on this thread, folks.

TravelJunkie

I'm not Catholic, but a christian.

However, I imagine that you'd get a similar answer in that being a Catholic or a christian has nothing to do with how many prayers you say or services you attend.

I'd say it's to do with the state of your heart and if it belongs to Christ.
(That comes from understanding that you're a sinner, in need of redemption, and this comes through accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, believing that he is the son of God and that he died for our sins, then accepting him into your life and letting go of things past.)

Secondly, I'd say you have to believe in the doctrine of the Catholic church in order to be a Catholic.

So, if you know any people that go to Church that don't believe in God or Jesus, well then they're not Christians, never mind Catholics.

wolfsbane

TravelJunkie wrote: »

I'm not Catholic, but a christian.

However, I imagine that you'd get a similar answer in that being a Catholic or a christian has nothing to do with how many prayers you say or services you attend.

I'd say it's to do with the state of your heart and if it belongs to Christ.
(That comes from understanding that you're a sinner, in need of redemption, and this comes through accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, believing that he is the son of God and that he died for our sins, then accepting him into your life and letting go of things past.)

Secondly, I'd say you have to believe in the doctrine of the Catholic church in order to be a Catholic.

So, if you know any people that go to Church that don't believe in God or Jesus, well then they're not Christians, never mind Catholics.

From my understanding of the official RCC position, denying any of its dogmas puts one outside the fold. This might seem a bit nit-picking, but it is a real difference - one could be ignorant of a dogma and still be a member (so technically one would not believe the dogma), as long as one did not deny it.

I'm not criticising the RCC on this, as any organisation has the right to its own rules. Just pointing it out as one aspect of being a (real) Catholic.

wolfsbane

Erren Music wrote: »

What is a catholic
To mods,

I am disturbed that you closed this thread for trolling, I have a genuine enquiry, I have asked with respect and manners, and I have indicated my lack of belief.

I will re-post the thread

I am an atheist but I would ask for your assistance to qualify what a catholic actually is. I have a few questions. Thanks for your patience.

How often to attend church
How often should they pray
How much money should they donate to christian issues or the church
Should they volunteer

How many people here in Ireland are only catholic by way of a cert from the church, but in reality are not religious in any way.

Please ask other questions or issues I have not considered.

Thank you.

Yes, from my personal knowledge of my fellow-citizens here in N.I, many/most Catholics would not be devout. Same goes for their Protestant neighbours.