AboutMarco Expertise I am a catholic physicist and I am married with four children. I can give a scientific
proof of the existence of the soul. I am very interested in the following issues: faith
and science, rational proof of the existence of God, christianity versus other religions,
the Bible, protestantism versus catholicism, miracles. Probably you will find interesting
my answers to questions such as: "How can I know that God exist?", "How can I know that
catholicism is the true religion?", "Why does evil exist?", "Who created evil?", "Why does
Hell exist?", "Why did Jesus have to suffer on the Cross?" , "If God knows everything,
why did He create those souls who go to Hell?"
Question What exactly happens to a Catholic when he marries a Protestant in a Protestant ceremony? Is he automatically excommunicated? Is he considered truly married in the eyes of the Church? What?
Answer Dear Sam,
as far as I know, a catholic man can marry a protestant woman, but he must ask his local priest for a dispensation.
If the marriage is contracted without such a dispensation, the mariage is not considered legittimate.
However, this is outside my expertside; you should ask a priest.
Your brother in Christ,
Marco
PS I would likr to discuss some differences between catolicism and protestantism
First, let me discuss the concept of Church.
Who has the authority to interpret correctly the Bible and to teach correctly Jesus' teachings?
Only a person who knows and understands what Jesus taught can teach what Jesus taught.
So, who are the persons who really know Jesus' teachings?
Many think they are teaching what Jesus taught, but they teach different doctrines, therefore it is evident that they are teaching only their opinions, because Jesus cannot contradicts Himself.
Jesus gave the commandment to teach the Gospel ONLY to His disciples and He NEVER gave this commandment to the crowds; this clearly proves that not all can teach the Gospel, but only those who have been taught and sent (directly or indirectly) by Jesus.
How did the Church's mission pass to each generation?
The Bible explains this to us.
Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them, and said, It is not right that we should neglect the word of God to serve tables.
6:3 Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.
6:6 These they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
The apostolic mission is passed to other people directly from the apostoles.
Acts 14:19 And certain Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, who, having persuaded the people, stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead.
14:20 Yet, as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made disciples of many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
14:22 Strengthening the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God.
14:23 And when they had appointed elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord, in whom they believed.
Again it is Paul (who in his turn received the apostolic mission with the laying of hands, see Acts 9:15-19) who appoints the elders.
1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate.
2 Timothy 1:6 For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
Paul writes clearly that the presbyterate is received with the imposition of hands.
The prespityters in their turn, appointed other people:
2 Timothy 2:2 And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.
Christ founded His Church 2000 years ago; He ordered the apostoles to teach His Word, and they appointed other people, who in their turn appointed other people, etc. so that the apostolic mission has lasted until our days.
This is the catholic Church, which receives its apostolic mission form Christ and teach the true teachings of Christ, as they were given to the apostoles.
There is an historical connection between the present catholic church and the church founded by Christ 2000 years ago, while there is no historical connection between the many protestant denominations and the church of Christ.
In fact Christ never appeared to Luther or Calvin, etc.; Christ never authorized Luther to found a new church and to teach his opinions as if they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
All the apostoles did many powerful miracles which proved that they were really sent by Christ, but Luther did no miracle in order to prove that his interpretations were really inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The protestant churches teaches many sinful doctrines, for example that divorce and remarriage are permissible, that abortion is permissible (some denominations), etc.
Mt 16:18 And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
16:19 And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Christ founded His church 2000 years ago and He assured us that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against His Church.
If the protestant churches were the church of Christ (which one among thousends of different denominations?), it would mean that Jesus lied when He said that the gates of Hell would have not prevail against His church.
In fact, before 1500 dC there were only the catholic church and the eastern orthodox church.
Since both the catholic church and the orthodox church teach doctrines such as prayer for the dead, prayers to saints, etc. if protestants were right, this would imply that the church founded by Jesus 2000 years ago had been defeated by Satan for about 1500 years.
Christ spent more than three years with His disciples and taught them; How is it possible that Jesus' teachings were forgotten and replaced with sinful teachings for about 1500 years?
All the people who lived during those centuries would have been induced to sin by the church founded by Christ; it is absurd that a loving Father would have allowed this to happen, and this would have certainly meant that the gates of Hell had prevaled against the church of Christ, in contradiction with His own words.
Christ cannot contradict Himself; if Christ has taught through His Church certain doctrines for 1500 years, these doctrines cannot be considered sinful.
Besides, only to Peter Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven; this proves that Jesus gave Peter a special role in the Church. This special role still exist in the Church of Christ, and it is the role of Peter's successor, the Pope. This special role allow christians to identify with certainty the only true Church of Christ. There is in fact an historical continuity between Peter and the present Pope, the apostolic succession.
Protestants usually think that their interpretations are inspired by the Holy Spirit ; but they are divided in thousends of different denominations and they have different interpretations.
Since the Holy Spirit cannot contradicts Himself, it is evident that their interpretations are only fallible human opinions.
In fact, when Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, He was speaking directly to the apostoles only, and NOT to the crowds. John 16 :12-13"I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
It is then illogical to use this verse to claim that Jesus has promised the Holy Spirit to everybody, because He was speaking only to the apostoles, united with Peter, whom Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
I believe that God loves us; it follows that God has not abandoned us to our fallible human interpretations and opinions.
Through the prophets, God prepared the Jews (even if only some of them) to receive Christ; Christ remained with His disciples for about three years and half and taught them all the necessary moral and spirital knowledges for our salvation, so that in their turn they could teach others, who in their turn could teach others, etc.
In this way the teachings of Christ has spread throughout the world and the centuries through His Church, the catholic Church.
A loving Father would never abandon His children to their human and fallible opinions.
A loving Father would certainly give His children a “guide” so that they could receive His holy and good teachings.
This “guide” is the Catholic Church, the Church founded by Christ 2000 years ago.
Usually prtestants say that the catholic church has been corrupted :
If this were true, it would mean that Jesus was a lier, because He said that the gates of Hell would have not prevailed agaisnt His church.
The truth is that corrupted men have been present within the church since the very beginning (Judas was one of the apostoles), but the church was never corrupted because its teachings were always good.
Judas was sent by Jesus to teach the Gospel, to heal the sick, to cast demons (see Mt 10 :1-8)
The fact that there were men within the church who commited grave sins, does not mean that the church is corrupted.
Every man is responsible of his own sins, but the church is a divine institution and is above its human members and its doctrine is divine.
The fact that Judas was corrupted does not mean that church of Christ was corrupted.
Usually protestants believe in the Sola Scriptura principle, but there is in this case no verse in the Bible which establishes this principle. This is then a striking contradiction of protestantism.
The Bible did not come down from the sky one day.
The biblical canon was established by a Concilium of catholic bishops three centuries after Christ, and so the christian communities lived for three centuries without the New Testament.
Jesus never wrote anything, which clearly proves that the christian faith cannot be founded on a book.
Jesus founded a Church , and NOT a book.
Jesus chose to found a living Church, a living and visible guide for all christians, to help them to understand the Truth.
Jesus is still the head of the Church and He still leads His Church.
Jesus still teaches and guides us through His living Church, the Catholic Church.
The Bible says that “The Church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1Timothy 3 :15).
Jesus gave the Church the authority of binding and loosing (Mt. 18 :17-18).
Jesus never wrote anything ; the New Testament has been produced by the Church, and the Church still produces writings to teach us the spirital and moral Truth.
The same Holy Spirit Who inspired the authors of the Bible, still leads the Magisterium of the Church in its apostolic mission.
The Cathechism contains the official teachings of the Church, and it is to be considered inspired by the Holy Spirit.
You can find the Cathechism on line at
www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/ccc.html
Protestants usually say that they are born again, but the Bible explains that those who are really born of God cannot sin
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are the sons of God; and what we shall be has not yet been disclosed: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
3:3 And every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
3:4 Whoever commits sin practices lawlessness: for sin is lawlessness.
3:5 And you know that he was revealed to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
3:6 Whoever abides in him does not sin: no one who sins has either seen him or known him.
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he who does right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
3:8 He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
5:18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who was begotten of God keeps him, and the wicked one does not touch him.
Many protestants illude themselves that they are saved because they accept Jesus as their personal savior, even if they go on committing grave sins.
Jesus Himself said explicitly that salvation cannot be obtained without keeping some Commandments :
Mt 19:16 And, behold, one came and said to him, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
19:17 And he said to him, Why do you ask me what is good? there is no one good but One: but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.
19:18 He said to him, Which ones? Jesus said, You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
19:19 Honour your father and your mother: and, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
Jesus repeatedly said that those who love Him, keep His commandments
14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
14:21 He who has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is who loves me: and he who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him.
So, if you think to love Christ, but you do not keep His commandments, you are deceiving yourself; you do not love Christ.
And if you believe in Christ without loving Him, you are not different from the demons casted by Jesus.
Also they believed that Jesus is the Son of God, nevertheless they are in Hell.
Usually protestants say that all sins are equal, which is in striking contraddiction with the Bible.
In fact there are two different kind of sin: the mortal sin and the venial sin.
This is explained also in the Bible.
1 John 5:16 If any man sees his brother commit a sin which does not lead to death, he shall ask, and God shall grant him life, for those whose sin is not to death. There is a sin to death: I do not say that he should pray for that.
5:17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin that does not lead to death.
Examples of mortal sins are given in 1 Co 6:9-10, Eph 5:5-6, Ga 5:19-21.
Sins are not all equivalent for God: to kill or to give a rude answer are not equivalent sins.
Mt 5 :21You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
Mt 5 :22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Here Jesus explains that the above three cases are not equivalent.
Only in the third case, Jesus mentions Hell.
Christ does not consider the first sin (controlled and light anger) and the second sin (light offence) as grave as the third sin (strong offence).
In fact the Sanhedrin has not the power to send a man to Hell.
Usually protestants say that sins are all equal and quote James
2:9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
This verse refers only to the Mosaic Law, but christians are no longer under the Mosaic Law (for example christians must not be circumcised)
Christians are under Christ's commandments and Christ does not consider equal all sins.
Jesus himself says at his trial that the one who delivered him over to Pilate has the greater sin. (John 19:11) Greater than what sin? The sin Pilate was about to commit by putting an innocent man to death? Either way, Jesus seems to consider one sin greater than another.
1 Co 5:1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and such immorality as does not even occur among the Gentiles, that one of you has his father's wife.
5:2 And you are puffed up, and have not mourned instead. Let him who has done this deed be removed from among you.
5:3 For I, though absent in body, am present in spirit, and have already judged him who has done this deed, just as though I were present.
Paul considers the sin committed by that man graver than other sins, because he commands them to cast him away.
If all sins were equal, everybody should have been casted away, because everybody had certainly committed some sin.
1 Co 5:9 I wrote to you in a letter not to keep company with the sexually immoral:
5:10 Not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the covetous, or swindlers, or idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world.
5:11 But now I write to you not to keep company with any man who is called a brother if he is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an swindler; with such a one do not even eat.
5:12 For what have I to do with judging those who are outside? are you not to judge those who are within?
5:13 Those who are outside God judges. Put out from among yourselves the wicked person.
Here Paul commands us not to keep company with those who are called christians but who commit certain sins (sexual immorality, etc.).
These persons are then false christians, and their sins are then graver than other sins.
Protestants allow divorce and remarriage, which is in striking contraddictions with the New Testament.
Mr 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and tested him, asking, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?
10:3 And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?
10:4 And they said, Moses allowed a man to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away.
10:5 Jesus answered and said to them, Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment.
10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
10:7 For this reason shall a man leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife;
10:8 And the two shall be one flesh: so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.
10:9 Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.
10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again about the matter.
10:11 And he said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her.
10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she commits adultery.
Lu 16:18 Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Remarriage is not allowed in the New Testament.
The greek word used in Mt 5:31 is "porneia" which means "prostitution" and NOT marital unfaithfulness or adultery.
The greek word for adultery is "moichiea".You can check this by yourself in every greek dictionary. Jesus said clearly that no man can divide what God joined. He gave no exception to this commandment.
The case of "porneia" of Mt is not considered as a true marriage (this is for example the case of incest); these marriages are not joined by God, and so they must be divided.
Also Paul says in 1 Co:
7:10 And to the married I give this command, not I, but the Lord, Let the wife not depart from her husband:
7:11 But if she does depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let the husband not divorce his wife.
No remarriage is allowed.
Since God never blesses sin, a second marriage does not receive the blessing from God and is only an adulterous union.
Those who remarry after a divorce, live in adultery.
I hope this may help you.
If you should need some clarifications, please ask again.
You can find some information about catholicism also on these links:
catholicism.about.com/religion/catholicism
ic.net/~erasmus/erasmus.htm
I think that faith cannot come only from logic, because to have faith in God means to trust and love God.
I think however that logics and science prove the existence of our soul and the existence of God and that there are many rational arguments strongly supporting the christian faith.
The explanation of these aguments is rather long and Allexperts allows only to give short answers. You can find such arguments in the following site
where I analyse the incongruencies of the materialistic conception of the mind, on the basis of our present scientific knowledges about brain and matter.
This analysis points out how the laws of physics prove that the brain cannot generate consciousness, which existence implies the presence in man of a unbiological/unmaterial element. The problem of consciousness is then strictly connected to the one of the existence of the soul and, consequently, the existence of God.
In the first article entitled “Mind and brain...” you can find a general discussion of the mind and brain problem from a scientific point of view.
In the second article entitled “Scientific contraddictions in materialism”
you can find an explanation of the fundamental inconsistencies of the typical arguments used by materialists, such as the concept of emergent, macroscopic or holist property, complexity, information, etc.
In the section called “FAQ: answers to visitors' questions” you can find the answer to many typical questions, such as "Are there any scientifically proved miracles?", "Does the existence of the universe imply the existence of God?", "Can science explain God?", "Can science establish which is the true religion?", "Can science explain consciousness in the future?", and many others.
