How do the beliefs of the Catholic Church affect the practices?

Answer 1

Roman Catholic AnswerMost of the beliefs of the Catholic Church have a direct bearing on how to be saved, how to lead a good life and attain heaven. This is important: for a Catholic, they are going to live eternally. This pitifully short time living on earth determines where you are going to spend eternity. Think of it this way, when you have been dead for ten million years, if you look back on your life on earth, you will barely be able to remember it, it was so short. However, this short time on earth is all important because how you live on earth determines whether you spend the rest of eternity in happiness with God in heaven, or in eternal suffering in hell. Now, the beliefs of the Church on how you are to lead your life run exactly counter to what our modern culture thinks is important in your life. So to lead a good life and get to heaven, you probably are not going to be popular, you probably are not going to have "fun" as the world sees it; you are probably going to be labeled as strange, not wanting to be like everyone else: you aren't going to be very popular with the in crowd. Read your Bible again, when Our Blessed Lord says that the way is narrow, and the road rough, and FEW there are that take it, He wasn't joking. The vast majority of people who are trying for the new car, nice clothes, good job, nice vacation, are NOT doing what Our Lord said was necessary to get to heaven. They are the goats on His Left whom He condemns to everlasting perdition. And, you know what? They are surprised! Because they weren't paying attention, and they thought they could get by with going to Mass on Sunday and confession once a year. The beliefs of the Catholic Church affect the practice of very few people, but those that it does, it affects profoundly, and they are different from the world. But they are the ones on Our Master's Right side whom He welcomes into heaven.