@@Brian-Ahavah how are you trying to use this Bible verse? For my understanding Jesus is showing us the difference between the exterior righteousness that the Pharisees appear to have, vs the interior righteousness we have in our hearts given to us by grace through faith. The Pharisees were religious, but they didn’t do what they preached. That’s what Jesus had against them. If the Pharisees would have understood their own teachings they would have been able to identify Jesus was the Messiah.
From the refusal to pass the cup of wine to all believers at mass (an unprecedented sin against the Lord) to the introduction of infant baptism, the Catholic Church has always followed the rules of the world and howled with the wolves.
Since reverting to catholicism after 15+ years as a charismatic evangelical, I have been contemplating how "religion " became a dirty word. It's time to switch the script
It's mostly because of how religion has become a tool to oppress and exploit people instead of it uplifting people. I've had my share of watching rich pastors using their influence to turn their followers into their wallets. And priests abusing their position as spiritual leaders for favours and doing unspeakable things. And that's not including the terror groups using religion to fuel their agendas.
@@Brian-Ahavahto be Christian one must be Catholic and loyal obedient to Rome or HELL awaits. If a person wilfully rejects the holy Catholic Church they are damned. For proof of this please watch the warning or illumination of conscience by Christine Watkins. Then Following Padre Pio - who show’s the true beauty of Catholicism which is everyone’s true home! Also look up Marian apparition’s down the Catholic centuries. God bless.
We have such a personal relationship, we actually get invited to super at least once a week. They get invited too, but they their man made tradition prohibits them from doing so.
Yes it's so good 😊, matter of fact im gona be at the Mass in less than 1 hour and will be receiving the living bread, the Passover Lamb! And that is as personal as one could get!
@@rainy-sec Apparently you don't hear the indwelling Holy Spirit communicating with you, or you would not say that taking Jesus into your digestive tract "is as personal as one could get" with God. So sad for you.
WOW!!! This was one of the arguments I tried to make as a teenager in the 90s when I walked away from the Catholic church. Unfortunately, the internet wasn't around back then, and no one I knew could argue against me or persuade me not to leave. 33 years later, I finally returned home.
I think the word religion has become a excuse not follow the need of a organized system of instruction . Thinking we can figure out our faith on our own. That's exactly why Jesus instituted the Church, the Catholic Church !
We profess to believe in one catholic and apostolic church. That extends to the Eastern Church as well. Sadly, people are only aware of the Roman Church and not the rest of us. 🙏🙏🙏☦️
No, He built the church to build up the number of believers. We don't need it explained to us, it's clear. The Lord wanted a world that believes in Him, not leaders in ivory towers who twist what it says into something else.
@@marijakurosaki3967Catholic in the sense of the apostles creed means universal. One Christian church. In the beginning there was one Christian Church, before it got corrupted over the centuries. It is the beliefs of that original church we need to get back to. And for that you need the Bible.
Thank you Keith. We, Catholics, really need someone like you to defend the Church. You really understand the critique from Protestants and you are able to speak to them given your experience of being a pastor. I really appreciate your channel as I am often at loss on how to answer the anti Catholic sentiment. God bless you and your family.
Religion = middlemen/gatekeepers between God and man. Once necessary because of man's degenerate condition. Rituals and priests and such stood between you and God by necessity. Christianity = God becoming man, raising man OUT of said degenerate condition through His life, death and resurrection; doing what the rituals and priests could never really do. And in so doing, ripping whatever "gate" there was off the hinges and hurling it into the abyss. Remember: at the Crucifixion the "veil" or barrier that kept people out of the Holy of Holies was *ripped in half* . Obvious meaning: man can simply approach God *directly* now because any "mediation" has already been performed by Jesus, as both Sacrifice and High Priest.
The critique about religion comes from Matthew 23. I'm protestant, this critique about religion comes from the Baptist and non denomination protestant camp. Which is everywhere in the USA. You don't have to answer or defend your position, everyone is talking passed each other anyway. The definition of "works" and the word itself is also seen negatively. It's all a mess with this crowd, honestly it's not worth engaging. God bless
@@The_Surge8760 you should be able to defend your faith according to Peter. 1 Peter 3:15, which reads: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.".
@@Brian-Ahavahexactly. And He set up a Church, the Catholic church, with His apostles as the first Bishops. So who are we to tell Our Lord no, we dont need that hierarchy, we will do it ourselves. PRIDE, just as this commentor said. That is pride that wont allow you to be obediant to the hieraechy of the Church that the Godman Himself set up. Did He not say peter you are the rock on which i will build my church? What did He mean by that if we all are just supposed to get our interprwtations straight from the Holy Spirit? What need would Jesus have of peter if everyone xan just make up their own denomination based on what they decide to bwlieve and not believe? Pride.
@@kml111712 Roman Catholicism was not set up by God. Here are a few of the non-Biblical changes Rome has made over the years: AD 250 A human priest becomes essential in obtaining forgiveness. 400 Apostolic succession embraced. Only priests who can trace their ordination to the early popes can declare forgiveness of sins. 431 Baptism regenerates. 431 The Council of Ephesus. A growing practice of devotion to Mary begins. 476 The last Roman emperor of the West dies. Thie bishop in Rome assumes more political power. The pope had direct power over lands in central Italy until the unification of Italy in 1870. 500 Sacrifice of the mass 1050 Purgatory becomes Roman Catholic teaching. The pope offers indulgences to those participating in crusades. 1139 Celibacy is imposed on clergy at the Second Lateran Council 1215 Transubstantiation adopted at the Fourth Lateran Council 1229 The Council of Toulouse forbids the laity to read the Bible. 1453 Fall of Constantinople to the Muslims and the death of the final Roman emperor. “Pontifex Maximus” became part of the Bishop of Rome's official title. The Pontifex Maximus was the pagan chief high priest in ancient Rome. 1547 The 7 sacraments that Catholics celebrate only become a matter of faith at the Council of Trent. Justification by grace through faith alone declared a curse. 1650 The term “Catholic” first used in the 17th century. It is not found in the Bible. 1854 Immaculate Conception states that Mary was not conceived in original sin 1950 The Assumption of Mary, states that at the end of Mary’s earthly life, she was taken body and soul into Heaven.
We shall submit to the Ultimate authority, not the men who claim to speak on behalf of said authority. Those men who claim you do not follow God because you do not follow them reek of pride and arrogance.
Yes I’ve heard this so many times . Thank you Keith. Usually with family members . They have come to realise they need their sacraments and prayer life .
@@jd3jefferson556 Catholics have more personal relationship with Christ because Christ is the living bread which came down from heaven in the Holy Eucharist and He always presence with us waiting for all humankind to turn to HIM to believe in Him and to receive Him with our pure and humble heart to feed our soul. So the church is the body of Christ and Only Christ build His Church with the authority of His heavenly Father through His Apostle Simon Peter only not even through His 11 Apostle BUT ONLY ONE CHURCH.
Yes. Without the blessed sacraments and stopping to pray during the day, we flounder about. Young people are expecting this problem, that's why there's more growth in the catholic church now.
Spot on! Thank you for addressing this. I’ve been hearing it for the past 25 years. I’m starting to just roll my eyes at it. I’ll never forget Cornerstone Music Festival shortly after my conversion in 2000. The merch tent was packed with shirts, stickers, and patches saying things like “Yes to Jesus. No to religion.” It was the theological flavor of the month that just has never gone away. I had many conversations and debates that week with vendors, fellow festival attendees, and even a couple conference speakers about this and various other anti-Catholic topics. I’ve never felt so exhausted & bruised, but also so used by God!
Actually.. the love of Christ must be perfected in us . Love is the wedding garment. And St Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 says that without love you have nothing. Read 1 St John chapters 1-4. If you do not love nor know how to love then you do not know God. And if you do not know God then God will tell you to depart from him, I never knew you.
@@truthnotlies@truthnotlies Reminds me of that line in that blasphemous 'Sparkle Creed' where they say, "....that love is love is love, so beloved, let us love."
I love how they say it (whether they mean it or not) as if you not only don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, but that THEY have a better relationship with Jesus. I don’t think people realize the arrogance of coming at someone about their faith like that in such a way.
Does a blind man think it's arrogance for the sighted person to describe the color "blue"? John 9:41 "Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."
@@YoujustgotJ1NXED You missed the implication. Just as a physically blind man cannot truly comprehend a color he has never seen, a spiritually blind person will be uncomprehending when a Christian shares spiritual truths with him, as I do. Some church people, baptized and all, have never truly trusted that all of their sins have been forgiven by Jesus' finished, once-for-all, propitiatory sacrifice on the cross; they have head knowledge, but deep down inside they are trusting in their own relative goodness, or in their church membership, or in their reception of sacraments, etc., far more than they trust in the finished work of Christ for their redemption. Such people never hear or experience the indwelling Holy Spirit, and they cannot understand it when true believers state that they share intimate fellowship with the local Real Presence of the Holy Spirit at any time of day. That is why the faux Christians place so much emphasis on eating Jesus; it's their material substitute for the REAL Real Presence. God is Spirit, not baked flour dough and fermented grapes.
“It’s not about religion, it’s a personal relationship” does sound like a Christianese cliché. But this is what it means. It is all about the concept of the priesthood. Protestant version: you repent of your sin (including your sinful attempts to justify yourself) and trust Jesus alone to save you. You are forgiven, justified, adopted and accepted as Christ’s child. You are permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit. Jesus now intercedes for you 24/7 before the father. God communicates with you through the Bible and prayer. He will sanctify you until you die. This is because Jesus is the perfect priest. Heb 7:23-28. He doesn’t die. You only go to him once. He is perfect. His offering (himself) is perfect. So the Protestant has a direct, personal relationship with God. The Catholic, on the other hand, and according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), needs the Roman Catholic priesthood to go to God for him. You go to the priest once a year and make your confession. He will make you do some penance. CCC 1459. You go to mass, also called the Eucharist, and your sins are forgiven until your next mortal sin. At the Eucharist, the priest offers sacrifices CCC 1369 This sacrifice wipes away sins and preserves you from future sins CCC 1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist …wipes away venial sins. Usually, your penance isn’t enough. You have to do more penance after you die. But the priest can give you an indulgence. CCC 1471 CCC 1476 from …spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church’s treasury. CCC 1477 This treasury includes the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the treasury too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints… So Protestants have a personal relationship with God and Catholics don’t, because Protestants have a better priest.
The very word "Religion" comes from the Latin "Religare" which means "to bind together" - as in "having a RELATIONSHIP with"... What Protestants are really telling Catholics - albeit unknowingly - is: "Religion isn't about a relationship... it's about a RELATIONSHIP"!!!
The most intimate, amazing experience that we can have with Our Lord is to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. Our relationship with Him is built on that. You can only get that in the Catholic and Orthodox religions.
Yep, I hear this all the time and totally agree. I typically hear it from Evangelicals and non-denoms that have fallen away and don’t want to go to church. They justify that they can do things like go camping, go to sporting events, or just do whatever on Sunday, because Jesus is alright with them. There’s this hippie-dippie view of Jesus that he just hung out with the apostles and never went to the temple or practiced any formal religion.
Boom!!! Thank you Keith..my protestant friends used to say " it's not religion but a relationship " to me as well. I really never understood why but you explained it very clearly and logically. God bless!!
Confusion has come to characterise the teachings of self-professing churches. Thank you, Keith, for capturing this concept so clearly. In 1 Corinthians 14:33, Paul states, 'For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the Churches of the saints.' These questions come to my mind: 1. Who defines what a 'relationship with Jesus' looks like without a common religious standard? 2. If Jesus entrusted His authority to the Church, why should individuals dismiss the role of religion in their relationship with Him? 3. Why would Jesus and the apostles endorse practices like Baptism and the Eucharist if religion is unnecessary? Like the 'Chinese whispers' game, the proliferation of churches has brought about damaging doctrinal distortions, as each split drifts further from the original message of Christ. Most Pentecostal groups today would be completely unrecognisable to the early Church Fathers.
If you are out of a "regula fide" you don't have a rule of faith, is just a denying of: history, authority and sacrifice... In another words: a mutilated Christ, a denying of what Christ left, you don't accept Christ gifts (a church that teaches, scripture to read, and an apostolic tradition to receive). Because the bible does not interprets itself, someone reads it, and every head a different world, that's why we need a church to teach us and to unify us (what saves, what authorities Chtist left, how we know there are 73 books and not 66 or 78 or whatever number AND so on).
Excellent, Bible not self interpreting. Jews and Muslims cannot understand the countless ‘churches’ within Christianity, the greatest voting block in America, and ineffective.
Keith I love your reflection brother, I have a brother (sibling) who left The Church and everything you talk about in all your sessions are exactly what I witnessed in his ways. He despises the Church and all Catholics, more or less denounces Our Lady as the Mother of God, the Pope and all Church leaders and clergy etc.... He dragged all his family along with him and groomed them as well. My Mom was French Irish and was totally devoted to the Church and after she died he basically said that she had no chance of spending eternity in the loving arms of God. Wow, needless to say we had some very ugly moments. Overtime I told him not to ever bring that issue up against me and my Catholic beliefs and he has backed off. I pray for his return and hopefully he will come back.
Well said ☺️ I’m in the process of converting to Catholicism and I’m struggling to find a video explaining why it’s good/important to ask for intercession from the Saints and the blessed Mother Mary. I understand and believe that they can hear our prayers and pass them onto God, but is there a reason God cannot always hear my prayers? Is it because Job’s friends were told to ask Job to pray for them as he was more righteous? God is the same yesterday, today and forever and it says that He is unable to turn His gaze toward sin… Would love a video on this if possible 🙏🏻 May God bless you and thank you for your fantastic work in Catholic apologetics! You’ve really helped me and my husband 🌷
No God can always hear your prayers. The justification for praying to saints would be that they have been made perfectly righteous by God so their prayers are more effective.
Read the books of Maccabee’s. There is a chapter where there was a battle and some soldiers had idols or abominations in their pockets when they died and so they had to call on God to take away their sin and give them forgive . They were interceding on their behalf hope it helps
Another thing I would add: all Christians (as far as I know) would agree it is good to ask your brothers or sisters or neighbors to pray for you. Does this mean God cannot hear your prayers? Does this mean you cannot pray to God yourself? By no means! Asking for the intercession of the saints and particularly Mary is no different.
Very good, and very needed. The meaning is that - because Catholics have a priesthood - therefore we do not "pray directly" but go through the priest. And of course, we call on Saints (although that call is for help, in addition, not instead of). And how much more "personal" can the relationship be, than (1) Communion whereby Jesus comes into our bodies (2) Adoration when we sit and talk to Jesus directly. You see, the whole problem is that the protestants don't believe in the Real Presence. Instead they think talking in their heads is "personal relationship". Problem is - the demons can be talking to you too, and without a solid Catechesis they wouldn't know the difference.
Well stated. But many Protestants believe in the real presence, just not in transubstantiation. We definitely disagree on the concept of the priesthood. We regard Jesus as our sufficient, perfect priest. And yes, we only have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide us.
@@joeleach5089 Thank you for being polite. There are too many who just start "yelling" which is not the same as discuss. So let me try too.... all the topics are complex, have been argued for 500 years, and we even had a full Council (Trent) defining & clarifying (which, btw, few read) You cannot have Real Presence without Transubstantiation, because it is mere bread (wheat) and wine. John 6 is literal - count the number of times Jesus repeated Himself. But most of all, there are 152 Eucharistic Miracles, and more being checked, whereby the wheat turns into cardiac muscle, and the wine turns into blood, the new ones benefit from forensic / pathology lab testing so you can't say it's all fiction created by crazy Catholic conspiracy, complete with blood type, DNA, white and red blood cells. Look it up, including Dr Serafini's book "A Cardiologist examines Jesus". All Catholic, btw, because only a valid priesthood with apostolic succession can do this. Actually the Eastern Orthodox priests too have apostolic succession, but afaik they don't have Eucharistic Miracles. You think maybe God is telling us something? Also 1 Cor 11:27 makes no sense as bread and grape juice cannot condemn; but the Real Presence can if consumed in sacrilege - Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi pushing abortion. Yes, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. But if He intended what protestants believe - bible alone and Holy Spirit - then why bother with apostles (he didn't need them), why give them the power to forgive sins (whosever sins you forgive they ARE forgiven; whosever sins you do NOT forgive they are RETAINED). And James 5 again, forgiveness of sins + anointing before someone dies - the Last Rites. That is a full delegation of authority. And notice when that authority was delegated - after Ressurection but before Ascension. Why? Because He was going away, and thus delegated to human beings to continue. That authority was not given to every Tom, Dick, Harry or Judy. And if it was not meant to continue, then everything stops after the apostles died. Add that to the "upon this rock I will build my church.... whatever you BIND etc... LOOSEN ... etc. You can bind with rope, or with doctrine and laws. And, you cannot be "bible alone" when the bible was not canonised till 4th century; prior to that were loose letters of uncertain authorship. And you cannot have bible alone till the printing press was invented - between 95% illiteracy, hand written bibles in sheepskin called vellum. That is why Jesus' final command was "go preach (and thus teach) the Gospel, and not "go distribute the books and the Holy Spirit will be your private tutor". That there are 30,000 denominations shows it doesn't work. Those denominations are not some gentle groups by language; you have 'pastors' "calling out" and condemning other groups.
To me, these are the hardest people to argue with, because they are so ignorant of everything. (Church History, Different interpretations of the same passage, Us being descendants of those who followed the Jewish Religion. ) A lot of times, they think they are in a special group that no one else is in, without ultimately realizing that Different people that say this phrase also have different interpretations and different theology.
@@pianoatthirtySubjective Christianity. Most are even hardcore Republicans or conservatives that despise woke culture but don't see the hypocrisy of having a theological worldview that is entirely subjective.
Personal relationship witk Holly Spirit also : But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Thanku Kieth For defending Our Catholic Church !!❤❤❤ God really using you as His instrument !!May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and protect you and your loved ones.lots of love from Melbourne Australia ❤
These "personal relationship" people can't connect the dots. Jesus literally started a Church so he could be worshiped and to aid in our salvation. Not to mention, our Lord practiced Judiasm...a Religion. 🤦🏿♂️
Protestants love the "personal relationship with Jesus" argument. Nowhere in the bible does it say you must have a "personal relationship with Jesus" to be saved. The New Testament came from the Catholic Church anyway and was written by Catholics. The original church was Catholic and was founded by Jesus. Jesus founded a Church, not a book. The book is the product of the Church but it isn't the entire Church.
@@princessdumbarton9877 The comedienne Kathleen Madigan went to Catholic school. She did a routine “Bothering Jesus.” She contrasts the different approaches Christians and Catholics have to Jesus. It strikes a chord, because it widely accepted to be true!
Nowhere in the Bible say that "you have to accept the Lord as your personal savior" . The Lord says " I am your GOD, you shall not have any other gods before me"! That does not sound as a begging God!!!
Thank you, Keith. I agree with you. When did religion become a bad word? The tradition of the Catholic Church is wonderful. I have met so many people that think the personal relationship is the absolute, and being knowledgeable in the scriptures is the absolute. In fact, these are both part of the tradition. I have been a Catholic my entire life, and I enjoy the fact that I receive the Eucharist in addition to my personal relationship with Jesus.
Well said, Keith. That’s one of those thought-stopping clichés that we all tolerate too often. Thanks for being the one to point out that the emperor has no clothes.
I am religious and am looking at converting to Catholicism but I struggle with this a little myself, I find myself getting wrapped up in the details of the religious doctrine and not focusing on my relationship with jesus as much. I 'm trying my best to be a good Christian, but I can also see how people can feel this way.
I followed this idea for years; I wish a Catholic would have educated me a long time ago. Remember, Catholics, you might be the only source of God some heathens see. I read my way into the church, and it took me over 30 years to get here. God bless you, Keith. Keep up the good fight.
I have often tried to get a definition of “personal relationship”. It is never well defined, and seems to be related to emotional feelings rather than love of God.
This is how I would define "personal relationship". It is all about the concept of the priesthood. Protestant version: you repent of your sin (including your sinful attempts to justify yourself) and trust Jesus alone to save you. You are forgiven, justified, adopted and accepted as Christ’s child. You are permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit. Jesus now intercedes for you 24/7 before the father. God communicates with you through the Bible and prayer. He will sanctify you until you die. This is because Jesus is the perfect priest. Heb 7:23-28. He doesn’t die. You only go to him once. He is perfect. His offering (himself) is perfect. So the Protestant has a direct, personal relationship with God. And yes, people can get emotional about this. The Catholic, on the other hand, and according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), needs the Roman Catholic priesthood to go to God for him. You go to the priest at least once a year and make your confession. He will make you do some penance. CCC 1459. You go to mass, also called the Eucharist, and your sins are forgiven until your next mortal sin. At the Eucharist, the priest offers sacrifices CCC 1369 This sacrifice wipes away sins and preserves you from future sins CCC 1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist …wipes away venial sins. Usually, your penance isn’t enough. You have to do more penance after you die. But the priest can give you an indulgence. CCC 1471 The comedienne Kathleen Madigan went to Catholic school. She did a routine “Bothering Jesus.” She contrasts the different approaches Christians and Catholics have to Jesus. It strikes a chord, because it widely accepted to be true!
@@joeleach5089 I don't see anything exclusively Protestant about your Protestant version. I think we as Catholics would agree with what you wrote, except I'm not sure why you only go to Jesus once unless you are referring to Jesus' One Sacrifice on the Cross as once and eternal, with which we agree. Your Catholic version is about as appealing and accurate as my Protestant version would be I suppose.
When I was a younger lapsed Catholic, some non-denominational evangelical friends tried to bring me to their church. I told them I wasn't sure yet but I respected their commitment to their religion, and oh boy they balked so hard when they heard the R-word. "Hey we're not religious!!!" 😅 I was confused that they took offense, so I asked what they meant and they gave me the "personal relationship with Jesus" line. I pressed the point gradually over a few meetings and eventually they admitted that "well, religion is a tainted word." Admittedly I was looking for any excuse not to attend church, but that thing became a sticking point for me because I thought it was annoying and petty at best if not outright dishonest. Eventually I reverted to the Catholicism of my childhood and the rest is history.
WOW !!! That was an awesome explanation of religion and relationship. I have the best relationship with Jesus Christ because of my church, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!!!!!! GLORY BE TO GOD !!!!!!!
I’ve also recently seen signs that say, don’t seek “church” seek Jesus. When the reality is that Jesus literally establishes HIS Church on Earth on Peter the rock, and that Church goes on to give us the Bible in the put-together, printed form we know today. We wouldn’t know who Jesus is without the “church” they want to demean.
I was talking with my Father in Law about this topic this summer. He said the Baptists "follow the Bible" more than Catholics. I'm a convert. He was raised in the Church and had fallen away but he's starting to come to mass with us, praise be to God. I told him they may read the scriptures more, but to follow the word of God and the WORD of GOD, Jesus Christ and his commandments, you must be Catholic.
Ironically, I think these "relationship-not-religion" evangelicals have picked up some of this from the critique of "religion" in neo-orthodox Protestant thinkers like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who spoke of the need for a "religionless Christianity" to address a godless age. I think they've misunderstood Bonhoeffer, despite the ambiguity of his language. Bonhoeffer was critiquing a liberal cultural Christianity that takes its cues from the world and accepts a comfortable "religious" ghetto, a privatized spiritual existence, without relevance to real challenges to Christian faith. Whatever Bonhoeffer's errors and ambiguities, his book "The Cost of Discipleship" reveals a serious Christian who did not intend to deconstruct all church order and liturgical-sacramental life in the name of "personal relationship." Actually, I think he would have dismissed that "relationship" nonsense as very similar to the German Pietism that eventually tended toward liberalism and cultural surrender to anti-Christian ideologies.
Hey Keith, love your content. I was wondering if you could talk about the Divine Office. I was introduced formally by Paul Rose’s channel, Sing the Hours. It’s incredible really. It gives words and context to prayer. It blew me away when I found out that the Clergy isn’t required to say Mass daily but they MUST recite the Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours. Too many Catholics aren’t intimately familiar with the official prayer of the Catholic Church and that’s a shame. I was just wondering what it means for you. I’m sure you could be more eloquent than me. lol. Viva Cristo Rey!
It’s simple. The baby Jesus, through Mary, by the Creator, saved us all, individually, from our fallen and continuously fallen state. We are saved. The Catholic Church captures all that-but come to Jesus however you can. Crawl. I do because I’m broken
Thank you for this video, let me add that having tradition, community and worship does not exclude, but facilitates a true relationship for Jesus Christ.
I've always found Aquinas's definition of religion to be simple, yet profound. Religion is a sub-virtue of justice [that which is due to God]; the practice of expressing reverence and worship to the divine. Aquinas considered it a natural virtue and a fundamental part of a person's character.
Oh, I love it when someone tells me that they are Christian, but they do not like organized religion. I will put a very surprised and confused expression on my face and ask them “so you prefer disorganized religion?“ Most of those people don’t know how to respond, at least at first. I.
As Protestant I don’t think this is protestant accusation against the Catholic church (although I don’t doubt you have heard it that way and you are right that it would be a terrible non argument ) but rather just a claim made by “spirit not religious” hippies who claim to be Christians. Basically what I’m trying to say is I’ve heard this claim against Protestant churches as well.
The word "personal relationship" is fail to reflect the meaning of the word of "church" (ekklesia) which is always means "community", a communial relationship which each other and with God.
A very good point regarding personal relationship with Jesus. I can see how it results in people wanting to be in charge of how they practice their beliefs. It’s like this is their way of not submitting to Jesus because of feeling loss of independence. I just had a conversation about this with a college student. Many believe this way of thinking is the way “educated” people think- being ‘smart enough’ not to let people/ institutions tell you what to believe. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this .
You made me smile at the hip beach pastor. Ive made that connection myself. As far as relationship, isnt there a verse about being Christs friend if we obey?
You hit the nail on the head when speaking about people's objection to authentic authority. They don't like the idea of being accountable to the authority. This true about both Protestantism and atheism.
As I was walking up to receive Holy Communion I heard Christ say to me,” move out the way”. I contemplated on that and he’s right. I’ve been trying to take hold of the steering wheel instead of trusting in Jesus to take full control of it. I pray that it isn’t just a relationship but a full on guidance by the Holy Spirit to lead my steps my thoughts my speech. Amen
💯 i was engulfed in the new age self cult for 11 years and once told a catholic i was spiritual not religious and he said to me " oh you dont like commitment " it only clicked to me when i was baptized into the Catholic church last Easter. It was a long road a journey starting in islam family, to buddhism, hinduism, taoism, hippie rubbish that led me to new age and finally home with christ in the church HE ESTABLISHED the catholic church one true holy apostolic church.
Religion is HOW we forge a personal relationship with Jesus ...on HIS terms.
@@Brian-Ahavah how are you trying to use this Bible verse?
For my understanding Jesus is showing us the difference between the exterior righteousness that the Pharisees appear to have, vs the interior righteousness we have in our hearts given to us by grace through faith.
The Pharisees were religious, but they didn’t do what they preached. That’s what Jesus had against them. If the Pharisees would have understood their own teachings they would have been able to identify Jesus was the Messiah.
The Catholic Church in particular has popular rituals that are superstitious and do not correspond at all to the demands of Jesus Christ.
From the refusal to pass the cup of wine to all believers at mass (an unprecedented sin against the Lord) to the introduction of infant baptism, the Catholic Church has always followed the rules of the world and howled with the wolves.
I pray that many Catholics will nevertheless convert to Jesus Christ and be saved.
@@Brian-Ahavah God bless you.
We must never stop telling the uncomfortable truths to Catholics and praying for them.
Since reverting to catholicism after 15+ years as a charismatic evangelical, I have been contemplating how "religion " became a dirty word. It's time to switch the script
It's mostly because of how religion has become a tool to oppress and exploit people instead of it uplifting people.
I've had my share of watching rich pastors using their influence to turn their followers into their wallets. And priests abusing their position as spiritual leaders for favours and doing unspeakable things.
And that's not including the terror groups using religion to fuel their agendas.
@@Brian-Ahavah Um, what?
The first step secularist did to break down religious authority. After that "relationship" become "just spiritual".
@@Brian-Ahavahto be Christian one must be Catholic and loyal obedient to Rome or HELL awaits. If a person wilfully rejects the holy Catholic Church they are damned. For proof of this please watch the warning or illumination of conscience by Christine Watkins. Then Following Padre Pio - who show’s the true beauty of Catholicism which is everyone’s true home! Also look up Marian apparition’s down the Catholic centuries. God bless.
@@ElizabethBattleWhat about that didn't you understand.
We have such a personal relationship, we actually get invited to super at least once a week. They get invited too, but they their man made tradition prohibits them from doing so.
Yes it's so good 😊, matter of fact im gona be at the Mass in less than 1 hour and will be receiving the living bread, the Passover Lamb! And that is as personal as one could get!
@@rainy-sec Apparently you don't hear the indwelling Holy Spirit communicating with you, or you would not say that taking Jesus into your digestive tract "is as personal as one could get" with God. So sad for you.
@@JuanGonzalez-kb3gm A marriage supper no less!
Why did Jesus establish a church Did he start a Bible reading club and make up your own mind
The Holy Eucharist goes into our souls not digestive tract, then disappears after a short time
WOW!!! This was one of the arguments I tried to make as a teenager in the 90s when I walked away from the Catholic church. Unfortunately, the internet wasn't around back then, and no one I knew could argue against me or persuade me not to leave. 33 years later, I finally returned home.
I got caught up in the hippie Jesus crap years ago. Now it makes absolutely no sense to me.
😅😂😅😂
Remember Jesus draws in different ways and the path looks different for all. Be convinced but don’t denounce others’ paths
@@pamelabalcom5583 John 14:6 means there is only one path .
Our Lady of Guadalupe, ORA PRO NOBIS !
I think the word religion has become a excuse not follow the need of a organized system of instruction . Thinking we can figure out our faith on our own. That's exactly why Jesus instituted the Church, the Catholic Church !
And not to have to answer to anyone. It’s all about authority. Their intention isn’t to ditch authority, but that’s at the root.
Amen
We profess to believe in one catholic and apostolic church. That extends to the Eastern Church as well. Sadly, people are only aware of the Roman Church and not the rest of us. 🙏🙏🙏☦️
No, He built the church to build up the number of believers. We don't need it explained to us, it's clear. The Lord wanted a world that believes in Him, not leaders in ivory towers who twist what it says into something else.
@@marijakurosaki3967Catholic in the sense of the apostles creed means universal. One Christian church. In the beginning there was one Christian Church, before it got corrupted over the centuries. It is the beliefs of that original church we need to get back to. And for that you need the Bible.
Thank you Keith. We, Catholics, really need someone like you to defend the Church. You really understand the critique from Protestants and you are able to speak to them given your experience of being a pastor. I really appreciate your channel as I am often at loss on how to answer the anti Catholic sentiment. God bless you and your family.
because its sun worship pretending to be christianity. just youtube a video on it.
Religion = middlemen/gatekeepers between God and man. Once necessary because of man's degenerate condition. Rituals and priests and such stood between you and God by necessity.
Christianity = God becoming man, raising man OUT of said degenerate condition through His life, death and resurrection; doing what the rituals and priests could never really do.
And in so doing, ripping whatever "gate" there was off the hinges and hurling it into the abyss.
Remember: at the Crucifixion the "veil" or barrier that kept people out of the Holy of Holies was *ripped in half* . Obvious meaning: man can simply approach God *directly* now because any "mediation" has already been performed by Jesus, as both Sacrifice and High Priest.
The critique about religion comes from Matthew 23. I'm protestant, this critique about religion comes from the Baptist and non denomination protestant camp. Which is everywhere in the USA. You don't have to answer or defend your position, everyone is talking passed each other anyway. The definition of "works" and the word itself is also seen negatively. It's all a mess with this crowd, honestly it's not worth engaging. God bless
@@niva6511 all you should really need is the Bible. I know that don’t work for you but it should.
@@The_Surge8760 you should be able to defend your faith according to Peter. 1 Peter 3:15, which reads: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.".
Perfectly said. It’s a lack of humility and an unwillingness to submit to authority, the sin of pride.
@@Brian-Ahavahexactly. And He set up a Church, the Catholic church, with His apostles as the first Bishops. So who are we to tell Our Lord no, we dont need that hierarchy, we will do it ourselves. PRIDE, just as this commentor said. That is pride that wont allow you to be obediant to the hieraechy of the Church that the Godman Himself set up. Did He not say peter you are the rock on which i will build my church? What did He mean by that if we all are just supposed to get our interprwtations straight from the Holy Spirit? What need would Jesus have of peter if everyone xan just make up their own denomination based on what they decide to bwlieve and not believe? Pride.
@@kml111712 Roman Catholicism was not set up by God. Here are a few of the non-Biblical changes Rome has made over the years:
AD 250 A human priest becomes essential in obtaining forgiveness.
400 Apostolic succession embraced. Only priests who can trace their ordination to the early popes can declare forgiveness of sins.
431 Baptism regenerates.
431 The Council of Ephesus. A growing practice of devotion to Mary begins.
476 The last Roman emperor of the West dies. Thie bishop in Rome assumes more political power. The pope had direct power over lands in central Italy until the unification of Italy in 1870.
500 Sacrifice of the mass
1050 Purgatory becomes Roman Catholic teaching. The pope offers indulgences to those participating in crusades.
1139 Celibacy is imposed on clergy at the Second Lateran Council
1215 Transubstantiation adopted at the Fourth Lateran Council
1229 The Council of Toulouse forbids the laity to read the Bible.
1453 Fall of Constantinople to the Muslims and the death of the final Roman emperor. “Pontifex Maximus” became part of the Bishop of Rome's official title. The Pontifex Maximus was the pagan chief high priest in ancient Rome.
1547 The 7 sacraments that Catholics celebrate only become a matter of faith at the Council of Trent. Justification by grace through faith alone declared a curse.
1650 The term “Catholic” first used in the 17th century. It is not found in the Bible.
1854 Immaculate Conception states that Mary was not conceived in original sin
1950 The Assumption of Mary, states that at the end of Mary’s earthly life, she was taken body and soul into Heaven.
Spot on my friend
We shall submit to the Ultimate authority, not the men who claim to speak on behalf of said authority. Those men who claim you do not follow God because you do not follow them reek of pride and arrogance.
@@steampunkedbull I agree. That's why I follow Jesus instead of those who claim to represent Him.
Yes I’ve heard this so many times . Thank you Keith. Usually with family members . They have come to realise they need their sacraments and prayer life .
The irony is, who can possibly have a more personal relationship with Christ than someone who's in love with the Eucharist
EXACTLY!
@@jd3jefferson556
Catholics have more personal relationship with Christ because Christ is the living bread which came down from heaven in the Holy Eucharist and He always presence with us waiting for all humankind to turn to HIM to believe in Him and to receive Him with our pure and humble heart to feed our soul. So the church is the body of Christ and Only Christ build His Church with the authority of His heavenly Father through His Apostle Simon Peter only not even through His 11 Apostle BUT ONLY ONE CHURCH.
Yes. Without the blessed sacraments and stopping to pray during the day, we flounder about. Young people are expecting this problem, that's why there's more growth in the catholic church now.
Well done Keith. Thanks for articulating the concepts of stoner theology in a way I can understand them!
Stoner theology 😅😅
The Southern California l Calvary chapel stoners
@@michaelmartinx714chuck Smith knows better now!!
Sadly, he can no advice his followers left behind!!!
Spot on! Thank you for addressing this. I’ve been hearing it for the past 25 years. I’m starting to just roll my eyes at it. I’ll never forget Cornerstone Music Festival shortly after my conversion in 2000. The merch tent was packed with shirts, stickers, and patches saying things like “Yes to Jesus. No to religion.” It was the theological flavor of the month that just has never gone away. I had many conversations and debates that week with vendors, fellow festival attendees, and even a couple conference speakers about this and various other anti-Catholic topics. I’ve never felt so exhausted & bruised, but also so used by God!
I JUST LOVE HOW YOU SPEAK. Simple, true and so down to earth. Thank you for taking the time on this one!
🙏👍🙏👍🙏👍amen
"All you need is love" is another one of these watered-down understandings of the Christian faith.
Watered down farther, "love it love," and then you have an lgbtq church 🤷🏻♀️ it's all connected
Actually.. the love of Christ must be perfected in us . Love is the wedding garment.
And St Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 says that without love you have nothing.
Read 1 St John chapters 1-4.
If you do not love nor know how to love then you do not know God.
And if you do not know God then God will tell you to depart from him, I never knew you.
@@JWellsUpdo you think Catholics know God?
@@truthnotlies@truthnotlies Reminds me of that line in that blasphemous 'Sparkle Creed' where they say, "....that love is love is love, so beloved, let us love."
American cafeteria church system!
Moolah is their god
I love how they say it (whether they mean it or not) as if you not only don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, but that THEY have a better relationship with Jesus. I don’t think people realize the arrogance of coming at someone about their faith like that in such a way.
Does a blind man think it's arrogance for the sighted person to describe the color "blue"?
John 9:41 "Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."
makes an analogy about a blind person. *shares an irrelevant verse because it references blindness*
@@YoujustgotJ1NXED You missed the implication. Just as a physically blind man cannot truly comprehend a color he has never seen, a spiritually blind person will be uncomprehending when a Christian shares spiritual truths with him, as I do. Some church people, baptized and all, have never truly trusted that all of their sins have been forgiven by Jesus' finished, once-for-all, propitiatory sacrifice on the cross; they have head knowledge, but deep down inside they are trusting in their own relative goodness, or in their church membership, or in their reception of sacraments, etc., far more than they trust in the finished work of Christ for their redemption. Such people never hear or experience the indwelling Holy Spirit, and they cannot understand it when true believers state that they share intimate fellowship with the local Real Presence of the Holy Spirit at any time of day. That is why the faux Christians place so much emphasis on eating Jesus; it's their material substitute for the REAL Real Presence. God is Spirit, not baked flour dough and fermented grapes.
“It’s not about religion, it’s a personal relationship” does sound like a Christianese cliché. But this is what it means. It is all about the concept of the priesthood.
Protestant version: you repent of your sin (including your sinful attempts to justify yourself) and trust Jesus alone to save you. You are forgiven, justified, adopted and accepted as Christ’s child. You are permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit. Jesus now intercedes for you 24/7 before the father. God communicates with you through the Bible and prayer. He will sanctify you until you die. This is because Jesus is the perfect priest. Heb 7:23-28. He doesn’t die. You only go to him once. He is perfect. His offering (himself) is perfect. So the Protestant has a direct, personal relationship with God.
The Catholic, on the other hand, and according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), needs the Roman Catholic priesthood to go to God for him. You go to the priest once a year and make your confession. He will make you do some penance. CCC 1459. You go to mass, also called the Eucharist, and your sins are forgiven until your next mortal sin. At the Eucharist, the priest offers sacrifices CCC 1369 This sacrifice wipes away sins and preserves you from future sins CCC 1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist …wipes away venial sins. Usually, your penance isn’t enough. You have to do more penance after you die. But the priest can give you an indulgence. CCC 1471 CCC 1476 from …spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church’s treasury. CCC 1477 This treasury includes the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the treasury too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints…
So Protestants have a personal relationship with God and Catholics don’t, because Protestants have a better priest.
There are better relationships, it’s only ridiculous when the claim isn’t based on truth, but a subjective feeling.
The very word "Religion" comes from the Latin "Religare" which means "to bind together" - as in "having a RELATIONSHIP with"...
What Protestants are really telling Catholics - albeit unknowingly - is: "Religion isn't about a relationship... it's about a RELATIONSHIP"!!!
What Protestants are really telling Catholics is Protestants do s*t*n's work by fomenting division amongst Christians.
The most intimate, amazing experience that we can have with Our Lord is to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. Our relationship with Him is built on that. You can only get that in the Catholic and Orthodox religions.
Not really, but thank you for at least acknowledging the Orthodox.
Thank you for acknowledging us in the Eastern Church (Orthodox Christians). ☦️
@@marijakurosaki3967God bless you and I love you guys ✝️❤️☦️
The most intimate amazing experience we can have with our Lord is to suffer with him
@@marijakurosaki3967
You who split from the body, are our brothers too
We as Catholics eat Jesus and drink his blood how close can we be to our Lord
Such a good and timely video for me in my life. Many thanks, Keith!
Yep, I hear this all the time and totally agree. I typically hear it from Evangelicals and non-denoms that have fallen away and don’t want to go to church. They justify that they can do things like go camping, go to sporting events, or just do whatever on Sunday, because Jesus is alright with them. There’s this hippie-dippie view of Jesus that he just hung out with the apostles and never went to the temple or practiced any formal religion.
Boom!!! Thank you Keith..my protestant friends used to say " it's not religion but a relationship " to me as well. I really never understood why but you explained it very clearly and logically. God bless!!
Best defense of Catholicism as a religion I've heard.
@glennherron9499You have no understanding.
Well said Keith , thank you.
Thank you for your declaration I saved with that,God bless you
Recently (and finally!) got ur book Convert's guide to Catholicism and I'm enjoying it.
You're a blessing to the Church.
Boom, Keith. You nailed it!
AMEN KEITH!!! Thanks for putting this out!!! ❤ from Kristy in Missouri 🙏🙏🙏📿📿📿
Thank you, Keith, that was well said.
This made my whole week, THANK YOU! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🥰🙏🏼
This was so good! I totally agree. I was brought up with the relational speach. I don't want a buddy, I want a savior.
@@MitzziM Amen!
@@MitzziM relationship is not about making Jesus a buddy but if you don’t have a relationship with Him you don’t have a savior.
I always find it hard to respond to a protestant who argues against Catholicism in this way. This makes so much sense. Thanks Keith!
Catholics do say that you need the mass, Mary, sacraments etc..when confronted with the personal relationship topic to be fair
Confusion has come to characterise the teachings of self-professing churches. Thank you, Keith, for capturing this concept so clearly. In 1 Corinthians 14:33, Paul states, 'For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the Churches of the saints.'
These questions come to my mind:
1. Who defines what a 'relationship with Jesus' looks like without a common religious standard?
2. If Jesus entrusted His authority to the Church, why should individuals dismiss the role of religion in their relationship with Him?
3. Why would Jesus and the apostles endorse practices like Baptism and the Eucharist if religion is unnecessary?
Like the 'Chinese whispers' game, the proliferation of churches has brought about damaging doctrinal distortions, as each split drifts further from the original message of Christ. Most Pentecostal groups today would be completely unrecognisable to the early Church Fathers.
If you are out of a "regula fide" you don't have a rule of faith, is just a denying of: history, authority and sacrifice... In another words: a mutilated Christ, a denying of what Christ left, you don't accept Christ gifts (a church that teaches, scripture to read, and an apostolic tradition to receive). Because the bible does not interprets itself, someone reads it, and every head a different world, that's why we need a church to teach us and to unify us (what saves, what authorities Chtist left, how we know there are 73 books and not 66 or 78 or whatever number AND so on).
Excellent, Bible not self interpreting.
Jews and Muslims cannot understand the countless ‘churches’ within Christianity, the greatest voting block in America, and ineffective.
He is correct.
I was protest Paster for decades,
I am now home, thank God🙏🏻
Blessed are You Lord,
Jesus Christ,
King of the universe ✝️🙏🏻❤️
Every priest in the Catholic church is Sent by God, as Jesus was sent by his father!!!
Made my day Keith !!! Thank You So Much for this ..... God Bless You as well my friend ....
Keith I love your reflection brother, I have a brother (sibling) who left The Church and everything you talk about in all your sessions are exactly what I witnessed in his ways. He despises the Church and all Catholics, more or less denounces Our Lady as the Mother of God, the Pope and all Church leaders and clergy etc.... He dragged all his family along with him and groomed them as well. My Mom was French Irish and was totally devoted to the Church and after she died he basically said that she had no chance of spending eternity in the loving arms of God. Wow, needless to say we had some very ugly moments. Overtime I told him not to ever bring that issue up against me and my Catholic beliefs and he has backed off. I pray for his return and hopefully he will come back.
Well said ☺️ I’m in the process of converting to Catholicism and I’m struggling to find a video explaining why it’s good/important to ask for intercession from the Saints and the blessed Mother Mary. I understand and believe that they can hear our prayers and pass them onto God, but is there a reason God cannot always hear my prayers? Is it because Job’s friends were told to ask Job to pray for them as he was more righteous? God is the same yesterday, today and forever and it says that He is unable to turn His gaze toward sin… Would love a video on this if possible 🙏🏻 May God bless you and thank you for your fantastic work in Catholic apologetics! You’ve really helped me and my husband 🌷
God bless your way home to the True Church ⛪️ ❤
No God can always hear your prayers. The justification for praying to saints would be that they have been made perfectly righteous by God so their prayers are more effective.
Read the books of Maccabee’s. There is a chapter where there was a battle and some soldiers had idols or abominations in their pockets when they died and so they had to call on God to take away their sin and give them forgive . They were interceding on their behalf hope it helps
Another thing I would add: all Christians (as far as I know) would agree it is good to ask your brothers or sisters or neighbors to pray for you. Does this mean God cannot hear your prayers? Does this mean you cannot pray to God yourself? By no means! Asking for the intercession of the saints and particularly Mary is no different.
@@alelilaceda3539 🥰 Thank you!!
Very good, and very needed. The meaning is that - because Catholics have a priesthood - therefore we do not "pray directly" but go through the priest. And of course, we call on Saints (although that call is for help, in addition, not instead of).
And how much more "personal" can the relationship be, than (1) Communion whereby Jesus comes into our bodies (2) Adoration when we sit and talk to Jesus directly. You see, the whole problem is that the protestants don't believe in the Real Presence. Instead they think talking in their heads is "personal relationship". Problem is - the demons can be talking to you too, and without a solid Catechesis they wouldn't know the difference.
@@veredictum4503 This is the best comment ever.
Well stated. But many Protestants believe in the real presence, just not in transubstantiation. We definitely disagree on the concept of the priesthood. We regard Jesus as our sufficient, perfect priest. And yes, we only have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide us.
@@joeleach5089 Thank you for being polite. There are too many who just start "yelling" which is not the same as discuss. So let me try too.... all the topics are complex, have been argued for 500 years, and we even had a full Council (Trent) defining & clarifying (which, btw, few read)
You cannot have Real Presence without Transubstantiation, because it is mere bread (wheat) and wine. John 6 is literal - count the number of times Jesus repeated Himself. But most of all, there are 152 Eucharistic Miracles, and more being checked, whereby the wheat turns into cardiac muscle, and the wine turns into blood, the new ones benefit from forensic / pathology lab testing so you can't say it's all fiction created by crazy Catholic conspiracy, complete with blood type, DNA, white and red blood cells. Look it up, including Dr Serafini's book "A Cardiologist examines Jesus". All Catholic, btw, because only a valid priesthood with apostolic succession can do this. Actually the Eastern Orthodox priests too have apostolic succession, but afaik they don't have Eucharistic Miracles. You think maybe God is telling us something? Also 1 Cor 11:27 makes no sense as bread and grape juice cannot condemn; but the Real Presence can if consumed in sacrilege - Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi pushing abortion.
Yes, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. But if He intended what protestants believe - bible alone and Holy Spirit - then why bother with apostles (he didn't need them), why give them the power to forgive sins (whosever sins you forgive they ARE forgiven; whosever sins you do NOT forgive they are RETAINED). And James 5 again, forgiveness of sins + anointing before someone dies - the Last Rites. That is a full delegation of authority. And notice when that authority was delegated - after Ressurection but before Ascension. Why? Because He was going away, and thus delegated to human beings to continue. That authority was not given to every Tom, Dick, Harry or Judy. And if it was not meant to continue, then everything stops after the apostles died. Add that to the "upon this rock I will build my church.... whatever you BIND etc... LOOSEN ... etc. You can bind with rope, or with doctrine and laws. And, you cannot be "bible alone" when the bible was not canonised till 4th century; prior to that were loose letters of uncertain authorship. And you cannot have bible alone till the printing press was invented - between 95% illiteracy, hand written bibles in sheepskin called vellum. That is why Jesus' final command was "go preach (and thus teach) the Gospel, and not "go distribute the books and the Holy Spirit will be your private tutor". That there are 30,000 denominations shows it doesn't work. Those denominations are not some gentle groups by language; you have 'pastors' "calling out" and condemning other groups.
@@joeleach5089Where did the Bible come from.
Their "Personal relationship with Jesus" = gaslighting anti-Christian word salad
To me, these are the hardest people to argue with, because they are so ignorant of everything. (Church History, Different interpretations of the same passage, Us being descendants of those who followed the Jewish Religion. ) A lot of times, they think they are in a special group that no one else is in, without ultimately realizing that Different people that say this phrase also have different interpretations and different theology.
You’re right. It seems like a losing battle since most don't really have the intelligence or desire to understand anything deeper than “my truth”.
@@pianoatthirtySubjective Christianity. Most are even hardcore Republicans or conservatives that despise woke culture but don't see the hypocrisy of having a theological worldview that is entirely subjective.
Personal relationship witk Holly Spirit also : But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The Holy Spirit dwells in the Catholic Church since the year 33AD. He guides her to all truth
This was so good Keith! This particular argument has been on my heart in discussing with my Protestant sisters! Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Catholics has the most intimate relationship with God . Can you imagine consuming Jesus flesh and blood in the Eucharist.
Another banger, Keith! All Protestant theology is just elevation of the self above everything else.
And tithing upfront
Shoooo! Preach it brother! You’re spot on!
Thats a very good explanation for us catholics. Thank you for illucidating why religion is importamt and our relationship with God our creator.
Thank you!!!!! This statement makes me nuts and as soon as I go back to address it I get radio silence.
Thanku Kieth
For defending Our Catholic Church !!❤❤❤
God really using you as His instrument !!May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and protect you and your loved ones.lots of love from Melbourne Australia ❤
These "personal relationship" people can't connect the dots. Jesus literally started a Church so he could be worshiped and to aid in our salvation. Not to mention, our Lord practiced Judiasm...a Religion. 🤦🏿♂️
I found a relationship with my love Jesús thru my beautiful catholic church, after 20 years of being away. Praise our Lord Jesus Christ 🙏🏻
Protestants love the "personal relationship with Jesus" argument. Nowhere in the bible does it say you must have a "personal relationship with Jesus" to be saved. The New Testament came from the Catholic Church anyway and was written by Catholics. The original church was Catholic and was founded by Jesus. Jesus founded a Church, not a book. The book is the product of the Church but it isn't the entire Church.
In defence of personal relationship with Jesus, my relationship with Jesus made me Catholic.
@@rouxmain934 That's great. I guess I'm trying to say that people think Catholics don't have a personal relationship with Jesus.
@@princessdumbarton9877 The comedienne Kathleen Madigan went to Catholic school. She did a routine “Bothering Jesus.” She contrasts the different approaches Christians and Catholics have to Jesus. It strikes a chord, because it widely accepted to be true!
Nowhere in the Bible say that "you have to accept the Lord as your personal savior" . The Lord says " I am your GOD, you shall not have any other gods before me"!
That does not sound as a begging God!!!
That door behind you is creeping me out… 😱
Sorry, I get easily distracted.. 😆
Excellent message! I’m going to send this to my Protestant sisters. 🙏
Haha I see what you mean 😂 about the door
KEITH ..... BEAUTIFUL!! Keep answering your calling ..maybe some of these people with 'hate' in their heart will change.
I prefer organized religion over disorganized religion.
Protestantism is a pandemonium!!!
Thank you, Keith. I agree with you. When did religion become a bad word? The tradition of the Catholic Church is wonderful. I have met so many people that think the personal relationship is the absolute, and being knowledgeable in the scriptures is the absolute. In fact, these are both part of the tradition. I have been a Catholic my entire life, and I enjoy the fact that I receive the Eucharist in addition to my personal relationship with Jesus.
Amen, Keith !!! ❤🙏
Well said, Keith. That’s one of those thought-stopping clichés that we all tolerate too often. Thanks for being the one to point out that the emperor has no clothes.
I am religious and am looking at converting to Catholicism but I struggle with this a little myself, I find myself getting wrapped up in the details of the religious doctrine and not focusing on my relationship with jesus as much. I 'm trying my best to be a good Christian, but I can also see how people can feel this way.
The so called personal relationship with "Jesus" is what's leading so many souls to the devil
It was not the spirit of Samuel who replied to Saul when he went to see the witch...
Grande Keith io ti seguo dall'Italia e sono un giovane cattolico! Qui però non c'è il problema del protestantesimo ma dell'ateismo
Thank you very much
I followed this idea for years; I wish a Catholic would have educated me a long time ago. Remember, Catholics, you might be the only source of God some heathens see. I read my way into the church, and it took me over 30 years to get here. God bless you, Keith. Keep up the good fight.
This is the same argument as:
You know I Love you,
so why do we have to get Married?
I have often tried to get a definition of “personal relationship”. It is never well defined, and seems to be related to emotional feelings rather than love of God.
This is how I would define "personal relationship". It is all about the concept of the priesthood.
Protestant version: you repent of your sin (including your sinful attempts to justify yourself) and trust Jesus alone to save you. You are forgiven, justified, adopted and accepted as Christ’s child. You are permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit. Jesus now intercedes for you 24/7 before the father. God communicates with you through the Bible and prayer. He will sanctify you until you die. This is because Jesus is the perfect priest. Heb 7:23-28. He doesn’t die. You only go to him once. He is perfect. His offering (himself) is perfect. So the Protestant has a direct, personal relationship with God. And yes, people can get emotional about this.
The Catholic, on the other hand, and according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), needs the Roman Catholic priesthood to go to God for him. You go to the priest at least once a year and make your confession. He will make you do some penance. CCC 1459. You go to mass, also called the Eucharist, and your sins are forgiven until your next mortal sin. At the Eucharist, the priest offers sacrifices CCC 1369 This sacrifice wipes away sins and preserves you from future sins CCC 1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist …wipes away venial sins. Usually, your penance isn’t enough. You have to do more penance after you die. But the priest can give you an indulgence. CCC 1471
The comedienne Kathleen Madigan went to Catholic school. She did a routine “Bothering Jesus.” She contrasts the different approaches Christians and Catholics have to Jesus. It strikes a chord, because it widely accepted to be true!
@@joeleach5089Kathleen Madigan the comedian? You just hung your argument.
@@joeleach5089 I don't see anything exclusively Protestant about your Protestant version. I think we as Catholics would agree with what you wrote, except I'm not sure why you only go to Jesus once unless you are referring to Jesus' One Sacrifice on the Cross as once and eternal, with which we agree. Your Catholic version is about as appealing and accurate as my Protestant version would be I suppose.
@@lellachu1682 We would say that using priests besides Jesus is a little insulting to Jesus. It implies he didn't do a good enough job.
@@joeleach5089ready our bible, silly. Resurrection Sunday for starters!!!
You hit the nail on the head. Resistance to authority. I will do it my way.
When I was a younger lapsed Catholic, some non-denominational evangelical friends tried to bring me to their church. I told them I wasn't sure yet but I respected their commitment to their religion, and oh boy they balked so hard when they heard the R-word. "Hey we're not religious!!!" 😅
I was confused that they took offense, so I asked what they meant and they gave me the "personal relationship with Jesus" line. I pressed the point gradually over a few meetings and eventually they admitted that "well, religion is a tainted word."
Admittedly I was looking for any excuse not to attend church, but that thing became a sticking point for me because I thought it was annoying and petty at best if not outright dishonest. Eventually I reverted to the Catholicism of my childhood and the rest is history.
WOW !!! That was an awesome explanation of religion and relationship. I have the best relationship with Jesus Christ because of my church, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!!!!!! GLORY BE TO GOD !!!!!!!
"Its not about religion, maaaan, its about a relationship, maaaaaaan."
[Inhales deeply and coughs violently after exhaling]
Well done Bro.Keith🤝🤝
Thank you for defending out Catholic Faith 🤝🤝
You are the modern day St. John The Baptist 👍✌️😀😀
I’ve also recently seen signs that say, don’t seek “church” seek Jesus. When the reality is that Jesus literally establishes HIS Church on Earth on Peter the rock, and that Church goes on to give us the Bible in the put-together, printed form we know today. We wouldn’t know who Jesus is without the “church” they want to demean.
I was talking with my Father in Law about this topic this summer. He said the Baptists "follow the Bible" more than Catholics. I'm a convert. He was raised in the Church and had fallen away but he's starting to come to mass with us, praise be to God. I told him they may read the scriptures more, but to follow the word of God and the WORD of GOD, Jesus Christ and his commandments, you must be Catholic.
Thanks!
Excellent!
Preach it, Keith ❤
Ironically, I think these "relationship-not-religion" evangelicals have picked up some of this from the critique of "religion" in neo-orthodox Protestant thinkers like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who spoke of the need for a "religionless Christianity" to address a godless age. I think they've misunderstood Bonhoeffer, despite the ambiguity of his language. Bonhoeffer was critiquing a liberal cultural Christianity that takes its cues from the world and accepts a comfortable "religious" ghetto, a privatized spiritual existence, without relevance to real challenges to Christian faith. Whatever Bonhoeffer's errors and ambiguities, his book "The Cost of Discipleship" reveals a serious Christian who did not intend to deconstruct all church order and liturgical-sacramental life in the name of "personal relationship." Actually, I think he would have dismissed that "relationship" nonsense as very similar to the German Pietism that eventually tended toward liberalism and cultural surrender to anti-Christian ideologies.
Hey Keith, love your content. I was wondering if you could talk about the Divine Office. I was introduced formally by Paul Rose’s channel, Sing the Hours. It’s incredible really. It gives words and context to prayer. It blew me away when I found out that the Clergy isn’t required to say Mass daily but they MUST recite the Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours. Too many Catholics aren’t intimately familiar with the official prayer of the Catholic Church and that’s a shame. I was just wondering what it means for you. I’m sure you could be more eloquent than me. lol. Viva Cristo Rey!
It’s simple. The baby Jesus, through Mary, by the Creator, saved us all, individually, from our fallen and continuously fallen state. We are saved. The Catholic Church captures all that-but come to Jesus however you can. Crawl. I do because I’m broken
Thank you for this video, let me add that having tradition, community and worship does not exclude, but facilitates a true relationship for Jesus Christ.
I've always found Aquinas's definition of religion to be simple, yet profound. Religion is a sub-virtue of justice [that which is due to God]; the practice of expressing reverence and worship to the divine. Aquinas considered it a natural virtue and a fundamental part of a person's character.
12/12/24. ¡ VIVA Santa Maria de Guadalupe !🙏🌹🙏⚘️
Well said Keith and it needs to be said!
Oh, I love it when someone tells me that they are Christian, but they do not like organized religion. I will put a very surprised and confused expression on my face and ask them “so you prefer disorganized religion?“ Most of those people don’t know how to respond, at least at first. I.
Keep going Kieth.❤The lord be with you!
As Protestant I don’t think this is protestant accusation against the Catholic church (although I don’t doubt you have heard it that way and you are right that it would be a terrible non argument ) but rather just a claim made by “spirit not religious” hippies who claim to be Christians. Basically what I’m trying to say is I’ve heard this claim against Protestant churches as well.
It’s such a dangerous and isolating idea
@@Charlie_alpha_romeo 100%
Thanks for that explanation. That one always irked me. I never could’ve explained it and verbalized it as well as you just did.
fantastic explanation, makes so much sense now. I used to hear that all the time and was wondering if I was wrong.
Great video! Could not agree more 🙌✝️
The word "personal relationship" is fail to reflect the meaning of the word of "church" (ekklesia) which is always means "community", a communial relationship which each other and with God.
Excellent insights! I agree people in this camp do not want to submit to authority.
But who is the real authority? Jesus, our perfect priest (Heb 7-10) or the fallible, mortal Roman priesthood?
A very good point regarding personal relationship with Jesus. I can see how it results in people wanting to be in charge of how they practice their beliefs. It’s like this is their way of not submitting to Jesus because of feeling loss of independence. I just had a conversation about this with a college student. Many believe this way of thinking is the way “educated” people think- being ‘smart enough’ not to let people/ institutions tell you what to believe.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this .
You made me smile at the hip beach pastor. Ive made that connection myself. As far as relationship, isnt there a verse about being Christs friend if we obey?
Yeah I heard that before. I told the person taking Jesus in my body by consuming the Eucharist. Is as personal as it gets
Questioning any leadership structure is super relevant right now.
I keep hearing "I'm spiritual but not religious" form certain people, and they get really upset when I roll my eyes and shake my head.
Way to be! You became part of the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC family. The truth, the way and the life. Merry Christmas!
You hit the nail on the head when speaking about people's objection to authentic authority. They don't like the idea of being accountable to the authority. This true about both Protestantism and atheism.
But who is the real authority? Jesus, our perfect priest (Heb 7-10) or the fallible, mortal Roman priesthood?
As I was walking up to receive Holy Communion I heard Christ say to me,” move out the way”.
I contemplated on that and he’s right. I’ve been trying to take hold of the steering wheel instead of trusting in Jesus to take full control of it.
I pray that it isn’t just a relationship but a full on guidance by the Holy Spirit to lead my steps my thoughts my speech. Amen
Keith got that dog in him
lol @ "Someone on a beach....like, WHOA!" Finding Nemo (the turtles) instantly came to mind. You did that voice well
💯 i was engulfed in the new age self cult for 11 years and once told a catholic i was spiritual not religious and he said to me " oh you dont like commitment " it only clicked to me when i was baptized into the Catholic church last Easter. It was a long road a journey starting in islam family, to buddhism, hinduism, taoism, hippie rubbish that led me to new age and finally home with christ in the church HE ESTABLISHED the catholic church one true holy apostolic church.