Expert: Sal - 5/1/2007

Question
Dear Sal,

                 Hi its me again. I got sick last nite and I feel horrible! Anyways, its just a cold I think. Is this right way to go to heaven?

1. Accept the Lord Jesus as your personal savour (make him the most important thing in your life);
2. Believe that he is the son of the living God and that he is able to love, help and forget your sins.
3. Confess your sins to Jesus Christ. Confess your sins to the Father, not for forgiveness but so he will intercede for you in behalf of your request.
4. Remember that you are saved through Christ, not of works lest any man should boast, it is a gift of God.
5. However once saved produce good works.
I have been just curious and another thing why do non catholics say that we catholics are the beast? A Christian of non catholic said to me Catholicism is of the beast of the antichrist I was so upset. He said to leave the church because satan dwells within it. He thinks we are of babylon. I was troubled by it. Why would this guy say such a thing about the catholic faith. Is he wrong for saying such a thing about the catholic church. He shouldnt jugde others for there beliefs he is so into the bible and he has the interpretations wrong the bible is catholic and of hebrew/Greek origin. Why do people act like that? Seriously.

I have founded my calling for sure but I just want to make sure that its the right calling: I love the nuns and there way of life but I want to make sure its my call. I have a learning disablity so dont mind me. I was born with ADD ADHD I even have a syndrome so dont mind me. Sometimes I feel like nobody wants to be around me and stuff because of my problems I wear a hearing aid. I was teased for being different. The faith of God help me get through my difficult times. I am thankful for that. I even get false seizers which is like rough I cry and I say why did God made me like this. My mother said, unlike the people that are my age they already have moved out of the house because if your 18 or 21 your on your own. But I cant be on my own I have problems and my mother feels bad that I have to go through that. I look like I am normal but I have problems inside that I try not to let it out. I hold it in. It sucks, to be different. Does God except people like me? Does the church except people like me as well. And what are the catholic beliefs. I am still learning about my faith.

Answer
Hello Jacqueline:

It's nice to hear from you again. In your list of steps in salvation you left out to enter God's Church--the Catholic Church. The acceptance of Jesus's Church is an important step in salvation. Yes, God does make exceptions and save other people. However, Jesus would not have died for the Catholic Church if he did not want everyone to belong to it. The normal way to be saved includes membership in the Catholic Church outside of which there is no salvation.

You also said in your list that the priest does not forgive sins, but only intercedes. Jesus told the first Catholic priests, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). So the priest does forgive sins.

People who attack the Catholic Church do so for many different reasons. Some subconsciously realize that the Catholic Church is the True Church and are too proud to admit that they are wrong and enter the Church. So they attack the Church in order to make themselves feel better about not belonging to Jesus's One True Church. They have no biblical basis for their disbelief because the Bible is a Catholic book. The New Testament was written by Catholics for Catholics.

Yes, God loves you as you are and so does His Catholic Church.

God Bless You,
Sal