Can Catholics be born again?

It's possible, but highly improbable....It's most likely they will have their second chance at life, but their first chance of salvation in the Great White Throne Judgment. This spectacular event will occur immediately after the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ......The Word of God makes it clear that most people have never been "called" during this age—even most people in our so-called "Christian" society. Millions may know about God. But they do not truly "know" God. For God tells us, "He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). And again, "Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/... http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/print-bk.cg...

Catholics are spiritually born again (and again and again) through:

• Belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior

• Living the Gospel to the best of our ability

• Daily rededicating ourselves to Jesus Christ

• Receiving new life in Baptism

• The forgiveness of sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation

• The infusion of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands in Confirmation

• Taking the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ into our bodies through the Eucharist (Holy Communion)

• Even during the penitential season of Lent

These are a few ways that Catholics are spiritually born again. We usually just don't use those words.

With love in Christ.

The trinity isn't a Catholic component in any respect, it extremely is a factor of almost each Christian denomonation. Being 'born back' is a greater hassle-unfastened term between protestants. And basically a word to the guy who suggested the King James Bible, i'm unsure the place you're getting your counsel from yet that version is starting to be much less and much less hassle-unfastened, maximum church homes at present use the NIV, and as for swearing on it, no you will truthfully swear on a Bible via fact the Bible itself says to no longer swear on something, "enable your confident be confident and your no be no".

It is through Baptism that we are "born again" (or "born from above") of "water and of the Spirit" (John 3:3-5). Read the entire chapter of John 3 which speaks of being "born again" and please note that it is all about Baptism. Despite what some Protestants believe, being "born again" doesn't mean "having an emotional high" or "making a decision for Christ," though these are fine and good, the latter being necessary after the age of reason; being "born again" very clearly refers to Baptism of water and of the Spirit. This regeneration of water and Spirit is necessary to enter the Kingdom of God.

For many non-Catholic "Christians," it's just "the individual, the Bible, and Jesus," and, ignoring the question of where the Bible came from in the first place, any mention of man and his institutions assisting in the plan of salvation is seen as a contradiction of 1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus." This, of course, ignores that which comes four verses before --

I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men.

and two verses after --

Whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle (I say the truth, I lie not), a doctor of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

-- let alone the rest of the Book which is filled with teachings and exhortations, showing clearly that Paul acted as a "mediator" among the Word, the word, and the people. James 5:19-20 clearly speaks of the roles we humans play in salvation --

My brethren, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him: He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins.

-- as does 1 Timothy 4:16:

Take heed to thyself and to doctrine: be earnest in them. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.

You're already born again, and you receive Jesus every time you go to Mass.

You see, the evangelical and fundamentalist types who deny that you are born again, think that it's about making a "personal decision." Of course, we know that there is nothing in ourselves that can bring us to salvation--so any reliance on a personal decision is at the very least a flawed and distorted view of the Gospel. That is why we have the Sacraments: So that salvation always comes from outside of us, and no one can boast about his salvation, as if it were something he achieved.

A decision for Christ does NOT save you, and it does not make you born again. Ignore "Chris" above. He is spreading false doctrine, because he claims his choice saved him. *smirk*

Absolutely. It just goes by different wording, but a person who lives their life for Christ is born again-just my opinion, I really don't think Jesus cares what we call it as long as we turn our lives over to Him.

I think the dogma of any church can get in the way of the Holy Spirit. But, belonging to a church is a way of learning more about God, being in fellowship, sharing, and contributing. I was raised Baptist, but I've known great people of all denominations, people that I believe were acquainted with Jesus Christ on a personal level.

God bless.

Edit: I'm so glad God has all this under control, the flying analogies and dogma and attitudes here are mind boggling! Bottom line for me: if you have a relationship with God, know Jesus to be your Savior-you are born again because you look at life through different eyes, eyes that have had the "blindfold" of this world removed, eyes that see Him, ears that hear His voice, and a heart that beats for Him, and because of that, you also have a loving attitude towards others and a tolerance for difference of opinion.

You already are, if you were baptized. Baptismal regeneration = born again.

"Born-again" and "saved" are not synonymous, and although evangelical/fundamentalist Christianity has made it seem so, they do not have the patent on that definition.

Edit: And I'm getting "thumbs down" because the evangelicals and fundamentalists don't like this take on born again, but in fact it is what the Church teaches and is Scriptural. They call the single moment when they acknowledge Christ as their Lord and Savior being "born again". Fine with me if they see it that way, but I have a problem with their insistence on putting everyone into the same box. Especially since the Church has been teaching baptismal regeneration for many centuries before "born again" became attached to the word "Christian" as a doctrinal identifier.

Edit again, with apologies to the person who posted the question: My goodness, Chris. Such anger. In the interest of full disclosure, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and was subsequently baptized by full immersion at a Southern Baptist church, where I remained for several years. My conversion to Catholicism came later. However, the Church recognized my previous trinitarian baptism as a valid sacrament.

So by anyone's definition I was "born again". But never did I once think water would "save" me.

You know what they say about assumptions, dear.

You are not much of a Catholic if you don't know that when you are baptized you are "born again."

Chris, you are the heretic. We are saved by grace, and that is faith AND works. Why don't you try and read James chapter 2 and find this out yourself. If your faith is real, then it will lead to good works, thus true faith is wrought in good works and they do help you get to heaven.

There is a difference of opinion. AFAIK Catholics believe you are born again at baptism. Evangelicals (like me) believe that baptism only symbolizes being born again, something that happens quite independently of baptism itself.

Either way, "born again" is an analogy. The Bible has other ways of saying "born again". It says that you are "a new creation", "God's workmanship", "born of God", having "eternal life", your "life in Christ", and so on. I'll explain.

It's basically saying that God is responsible for the change that has happened to you in becoming a follower of Jesus (if, as you say, he trully is your Lord and Saviour).

When you were born, your relationship with God was in a state where you were by nature opposed to God, where you thought of yourself as the ruler of your life, and therefore under God's condemnation.

However, God by his love and mercy chose to forgive your past misdeeds and create new life in you, a new life in which you acknowledge God as the ruler of your life. It really is like being born a second time.

This is not something you have the power to achieve yourself. That is why Jesus made the analogy to being born. You did not get your parents to conceive you and give you birth. In the same way, the spiritual change in you, your new life that submits to God, is the work of God in you. It is not simply a change in how you live, it is literally a new life. God is your "father in heaven" literally.

Hope this clears this up for you. If you need more explanation, feel free to send me a note.

One is born again in Water Baptism. If you've been Baptized, you're born again.

If you do the whole 'born again' thing at this stage of your life, you're essentially becoming a fundamentalist Christian (or 'fundie' as they are called here). It isn't part of a Catholic's vocabulary.

Your baptism was the point at which you were "born again".

Beware of that phrase and also of the phrase "saved", another fundamentalist Christian calling card.

EDIT: I can't let Chris's comment pass without comment. He refers to Born Again Catholic as a cultist, and she is without question one of the kindest and most open-minded people you will encounter on R&S, and the number of "thumbs ups" she gets prove that fact. Chris, on the other hand, is a fundamentalist Christian who hates more than I thought it was possible for someone who calls himself a Christian to do.