Do you think the Catholic Church is withholding critical information, vital to Christian beliefs?
373365
I think the the Holy Catholic Church has many archived documents and manuscripts that are not made known to the people for fear of what our response could be.
567572
Doesn't all this ruckus from the Church seem like overkill to you? I haven't seen the Catholic Church so worked up over a movie since The Last Temptation Of Christ. And I haven't seen the Catholic Church so scared since those pedophilia scandals. Maybe the ideas in the book are not so far fetched after all.
816147
What you are not entertaining, is the other possibility, that they CAN be reconciled, and you aren't seeing it, or not letting yourself.  It is not hard, it is right there.   The reference you give supports itself within the bible.  I don't see the problem, sorry.  Perhaps, your bible (Catholic Bible), could be off?    Do a study of the Christian cannon, and how the books were chosen to be included, or left out.  It is fascinating and eye opening.  Don't just assume the catholic church has it right, study for yourself.
312056
I'm not a Bible thumper, I am a Catholic, and I know more about the Bible and Christianity than these new bread born-again no it all's. I was raised up in the Catholic Church and school with mass everyday. That's a commitment to the sacraments, and I have never tried to use Religion to sway my way through life. Catholics believe this: Spirituality is God given and Religions are man made. It is also my responsibility to know the difference, not yours. So do like I do, and tell them to mind their own business.
1048116
Even if the belief is presumed to have come from the Catholic Church, it is subject to subsequent reforms as introduced by St. Augustine and Thomas Acquinas. Many of the Christians know much more than what you know about their community and its long history.
547105
Certainly. What's wrong with them having the information?
1090509
I have known this for a long time, before the Da Vinci Code, because I did some research on Christianity a while back. There is whole lot of things that Christians don't know about their religion, like the fact that proven segments of the Bible are locked away in Vatican City, also there are other segments that provide a completely different view of Jesus, and if these views were held today they would put an end to things like, the requirement of church, the requirement of baptism, the acceptance of Jesus as god, and yet they were thought to be part of the Bible. Also you must remember that the Bible has been translated many times and mis translation from ancient languages into old english is very problematic, especially when it's done by scribes in a medival kings court. You must take everything in the Bible with a grain of salt, the stories in it are probably as they were in the original language, but they are not word for word, and also remember that parts of the Bible are missing, do research on it before you decide what is true.
637305
It messes with people's comfort zone.\n\nThe people that have used the bible to control the masses\nhave taught us to never question the content that THEY \nprovided.\nSo most of us are trained to believe that if we use the brain that God gave us, and actually applied critical thinking to the provided bible,--we go straight to hell.\n\nGreat form of control.\n\nAnyway, please remember that King James only printed what King James felt we needed to know.\nHow biased is that?\n\nFurthermore, don't forget that Jesus was indeed a man, with\na penis, and carnal desires.\nHe was only human.\n\nBottom line---If King James had his writers include the books that told the account of Jesus marrying and having offspring, it would not be disputed today.\n\nDoes anyone ever question how the Catholic bible has a full\nten books MORE than the KING JAMES Version?\nWhat is in those books?\nIs there knowledge that KJ wanted to keep from us?\nOr are the Catholics on to something?\n\nAnd by the way, to see a true account of the real King James, see Mel Gibson's "Braveheart".
458034
i am catholic but i believe most of what you said especially the end part. people trust catholicism for the same reason they trust any other religion (i don't know why i follow the religion i am just guided) people use religion because they have weak minds and hearts. there is nothing wrong with this but religion gives them somethin to hold onto. someone in history i believe it was Marx or Stalin said the church was the "opiate of the masses"
296567
Since there was no Catholic Chruch when it happened, I don't think they covered it up.
305049
Catholics believe that the bible teaches truth about God but is not necessarily historically accurate.
1149593
No....we are not bound to what we can/cannot read/see. Better we read and talk about it then say so without reading. Unless you rather not have such things in your head.  I have not read it, but my SIL has and she is a Christian.\nGod judges us by His Law not man made laws. His law is the Ten Commandments.  Nothing should/could persuade us otherwise.\nWhat unsaved people do not realize is we have no boundaries of what we can/cannot do. We have convictions that warn us of the consequences of doing what would be sinful in God's eyes. \nFar as I am concerned:  this book is just another way of trying to make a fool out of Christ.  I don't have to read/see it to know a devil when I hear of one.\nWe have been warned by Godly people.  Even if you do read/see it, mature Christians know the truth.   \nIt is SAD that people will be led down the wrong path that do not yet know the truth.\nNew Christians may just get confused as they are still in the learning stages of growing in Christ.  Better IF they see it to search for the truth as they read their Bible.\nSatan is the author of confusion.  So we already know who is behind it.
175920
No, both sides need to be known.  Just because you aren't of that faith doesn't mean you don't know about it or had dealings with it.  Plus there are those on this site with a theology background or are currently studying it in college.  They can give insights most can't.
328033
This is something the Catholic church has no revelation of.  There is no need for confessionals.  God said to confess to Him and if you have done wrong to another person, then confess to them as well.
303705
More important than lets say an atheist or agnostic would believe to be so.  Less important as hardcore christians and other bible pushers would tend to believe it is at the same time...
461048
Hmm, good question.\n\nI seem to recall a passage in the Bible about Jesus throwing moneychangers and salesmen out of the temple... apparently their presence in the house of God offended His son.\n\nThere does seem to be a conflict of interest present between the Catholic Church (RCC) and God's Word.  Then again, the RCC's leader, the pope, said that the Bible was something that the average person shouldn't worry too much about, and to just accept whatever the RCC said instead.  \n\nYeah.
63752
Lack of knowledge has to take it, I think. Most of what anti-Catholics know about our faith comes from anti-Catholic apologetics and tracts of the Jack Chick kind, and not any first-hand knowledge. The most ardent detractors are often people who have never seen the catechism, don't know what the CC teaches, and people who've never set foot in a Catholic parish. That's where all the weird stuff about "worshipping statues" and what not comes from.\n\nOf course, some people have a bad opinion of the Catholic church because they are Catholics who were badly served by the church itself. There have been too many bishops too quick to protect their priests and their diocese, and did not care enough about their flock to protect them. I'm thinking of the abuse crisis.\n\nWhere that matter is concerned, I think it will be to us, the laity, to take matters into our hands and make the church listen to us.