That's just it, Dallas. I don't believe Jesus will turn you away because you're not Catholic. Why would Jesus do that when you have been a loyal follower and put him and God first in your life?

This is one of the main differences between Prots and Caths. We Catholic don't believe God judges by WHICH church you go to, but your faithfulness in your relationship with him. Jesus will acknowledge you, as a Baptist (if that's what you are) and me as a Catholic. We also believe, as Catholics, that God will welcome Muslims and others who have been faithful to Him, even though they haven't fully understood Him (because of their culture).

Protestants believe it matters to God what church one goes to i.e. if Anglicans are right, or Baptists, or Methodists. This is what would be discussed every home group I went too and majorly turned me from Prots. They believed everyone in the entire world was damned and in error unless they were Baptist. This totally undermines Jesus sacrifice on the cross which was so we could come to God individually and not be tied to dogmas and rituals and fears of going to Hell. I know it seems to Protestants that Catholics worry more about it, but that isn't my experience. If Prots truly believe faith in Jesus is enough for salvation, they wouldn't believe it matters what Church one goes to or what one believes on circumcision. In this way Catholics believe and trust in Jesus more, because Jesus's sacrifice on the cross is ABOVE our human endeavours and understandsing and beliefs (which are always shaped by our experiences). That's why we have the crucifix - God's sacrifice for our sins always remembered. It reminds us that Jesus died for our sins, so that we, through fellowship with Christ (faith and acting on that faith, because remember even devils believe) are saved. Prots take away the crucifix and instead have the empty cross to remind them of conquering death and afterlife - which in my humble experience has been all Prots care about - how to get into Heaven. Crucifix reminds us of the crucifixion of our sins with Christ, so that through Christ we can be in God's grace. We honour the Virgin Mary, of the Immaculate Conception who "every generation shall call me blessed", we believe in the communion of saints because death is no bar, just a passage into another room, where saints or the Blessed Mother can pray to God FOR us, or anyone who is dead. Prots believe there is no one in Heaven yet, which can't be right because Heaven is out of the current laws of physics, which means time there is not the same as time here.

We believe in Purgatory, which is the process of cleansing that our souls go through before we can enter God's presence (what it is the Catholic church does not say, because we don't know. It may be over before we know it, but it is the transformation we go through at death to be in God's presence), and then we have the final judgement (our soul at mortal death being judged where to go temporarily at least, until the final judgement at the end of the world).Prots believe there is only one judgement, therefore not believe soul can exist independent of body, hence deny all spiritual phenomenons like ghosts, who are restless souls (some demons) despite many evidence of ghosts. Maybe they are in purgatory and before can enter God's presence need to find peace. We don't claim to have all the answers as Catholics. Then we look at human relationships and sexuality. While Catholics seem more sexist (and is to some degree), it's not so bad as many Prot churches. In Prot churches, a husband is often a god to the wife, and she must obey and so forth (that word obey is not used in Catholic marriage services), and his sexual needs pivotal, even to the point of what I believe (and Pope) immoral things like birth control pills. Every Prot woman I know takes the pill. Catholics believe in sexual responsibilty and self-control, in using as far as possible natural birth control, and the husband to respect the woman's fertility by abstaining certain times, and the couple to always respect one of God's purposes for sex, procreation. I believe this is a good and proper teaching, although I do think barrier methods are ok. However, it's only recently we learnt about abortaficient nature of the pills. So, while Prot churches been using them, Catholic and Orthodox churches have said they are wrong, which makes me think God speaks moer to them these days, than Prots who, if they could make such a mistake over life and death, can make a mistake over anything.

They then say we are a canable for belief in transubstantiation (blood and wine is body and blood), and don't even bother to look into the symbolism. Remember that Jesus said the church is his BODY, therefore through the wine and the bread, we become members of his body by spiritual taking of his flesh and blood. Spiritually, it is his blood and body, and through these things our closeness to God is strengthened.

Then Prots attack our priests and say they take upon themselves Godly powers i.e. to absolve sins, not realising the theraputic function of confession. We see that therapy has benefits, and so someone going to priest and confessing things they believe they have done wrong and then be told that, if they are repentent, they are forgiven (the priest being symbolic of Christ at that moment on Earth) they go away feeling better about themselves.

If I take offence it's because of the assumption that I don't understand the Bible and so forth because I am not in the same denomination as you or someone else. That is insulting to me. And I could say the same about you, that you're in error. But I respect your intellectual choice to be baptist and God's free will that has lead you to BELIEVE that baptism is the truth. All I ask is respect that my God given free will has lead me to be Catholic because I BELIEVE it is the truth. We will only know when we are no more of this world, but what matters most is our relationship with Jesus and how we live and how we treat others, not dogmas and doctrines.

That's why I don't argye with you, because you are my sister in Christ. I don't believe in Christ there are denominations, just people resising in different limbs of the ONE body. There are things in the Catholic Orthodox church I don't agree with, but it it the closest to my personal beliefs.

All I ask is respect for my religion. If that can't be given, without saying I need to "see the error", I really don't believe I can continue to post here.