Am I a lost sheep?

[Exalt]

JOL:

As you probably know, there are many extremely conservative Catholics here. They tend to be exclusionary (Our way or the high way!) and can seem mean spirited. Oddly they do love you (and other folks with similiar concerns), even though thier words are harsh. Just wanted to give you a head’s up.

As regards to you being “a lost sheep,” I think there’s something very important to keep in mind:

God does not fault you for your theological beliefs. (Traditional Christianity has no notion of a theology exam to get you into heaven.) If you honestly believe that X Catholic Doctrine is wrong, God’s not going to fault you for following (what you percieve to be) the truth. How could he? And besides, for all we know it just might be the truth.

If you find something good in your protestant church and your Catholic church, perhaps you can try simply going to both. I know many Catholic friends who attend protestant churches. They get a different kind of spiritual renewal from both. There’s nothing wrong with that. God calls us each in a special way.

Anyway, just a few thoughts for you.

 

[Cathy_of_Alex]

JOL:

Like you, I was raised RC and I left for a year or so and joined a non-denominational Bible-centered church. The church was founded by one charismatic leader in California. They had services in homes of members, lots of Bible-study, baptism in pools etc.

I thought it was great because it was so contemporary, the members were young, the guys were cute, and I got to read the Bible.

I, too, felt the pull you did between being in that church but feeling like I did not really belong there. Occasionally, I would attend Mass with my RC parents. I felt more at home in the RC church but I was unable to articulate why. I chalked it up to the fact that the Mass was what I was used to.

I came to realize that I could not articulate my feelings about the RC faith because I was almost completely ignorant of it. I was very poorly catechized.

I left the non-denominational church, not because I had a sudden reversion to Catholicism but because I felt the non-denominational church was really a cult (some weird things were happening).

It took me many years and lot of self-education and friends to get where I am today.

You’ve come to the right place-the CA forums helped me a lot.

If you are a reader: pick up a copy of Karl Keating’s Catholicism and Fundamentalism. It saved me.

I’m praying for you, JOL.

 

[mlchance]

CARM for anyone who doesn’t know is a Christian Website that exposes false teachings. They of course expose RC as false teachings.

CARM does no such thing because the Catholic Church’s teachings aren’t false. The falsity lies in CARM’s distorted presentation of Catholic teaching. Rather than follow CARM, come home to the Catholic Church. You know? The one established by Jesus Christ.



– Mark L. Chance.

 

[Saint_Michael]

I’m pretty much right there with you, I was raised Catholic but abandoned it as most late teens-twenty somethings do in the CC. But after getting married and having children you look to what you should do in the way of faith. Naturally for me it was the CC since it’s all I knew.

But after coming back I did bounce from Church to Church, but always found my initial attraction to a particular Church was based on things that had little to do with what mattered. I liked the people, but after awhile I realized they’re no different than Catholics, they just made it a point to extend themselves (which was grerat don’t get me wrong). But after a few months I still dealt with the cliques and gossip etc…The sermons were good and enjoyable, but does one base their faith on who is leading the Homily or Sermon?

So I came home, how’s it going? O.K. I go every Sunday sometimes daily Mass. Am I on fire with the Holy Spirit? No. Am I assured I’m saved? No. Am I certain the Catholic Church is correct? No. But I never felt that in any Church, I honestly believe some people are more prone to emotional responses, and I am not one of them, so I stopped looking for any validation. So why do I stay? Well I guess because if the Catholic Church is as corrupted as people say, and the Bible and every other Christian sect branched off the Catholic Church, they would be rotten to the core too. Not often do you see diseased malnourished roots and healthy branches.

That and all the different teachings in the Protestant Churches confused me a lot. I guess really the Eucharist does it for me. How one can read John 6 and come away feeling that Christ meant eat my flesh as metaphorically is beyond me.

But I still go back and forth and really wonder if I’m in the right place. For myself I doubt I will ever know, I’ve never felt anything in prayer or any type of response to be honest, sometimes I doubt there’s even a God. I feel a bit like I’m just cooling my heels with wishful thinking until I die… (pretty depressing I know but it’s the truth)

I guess at this point, one Church is as good as the next, so I may as well stay with what I know and am comfortable with, and started it all so to speak. But I’ve thought about just stopping the entire thing since I seem to just be a wandering soul myself.

 

[Cathy_of_Alex]

Saint_Michael: Doubt is a part of, I believe, everyones journey. Things don’t always happen the way you want so you doubt. You are not sure God is listening so you doubt. I’ve been there. Your faith feels static so you doubt.

Have you tried Eucharistic Adoration? Spending an hour in quiet contemplation and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament has REALLY helped me. No other religion offers this up close and personal time with the Big Guy.