As a former cradle Catholic, I have found many Protestant churches much more welcomin

[kangnamdragon]

I have to say that one of the many reasons why I left the Catholic church wasn’t so much the Catholic teachings but the way in which the Catholic church really fails to reach out in fellowship not only to its own parishioners, but to others as well. I have been received into the Anglican church for a few years now along with my wife and my son and I must say that our teachings and Liturgy is about 90% the same as Roman Catholics and the way we are close to Christ and really share that with our parishioners and others is something I really missed out on for many years. Why does the Roman Catholic church really lack that zeal for fellowship and out reach?

funny…that chocolate cake sure reaches out to me, that lustful image sure reaches out to me, speeding sure reaches out to me…fortunately I can use my reason and not just rely on warm feelings.

 

[contramundum7]

I also evaluate customer focus performances of suppliers and service providers. But when it comes to worshiping God, I know that God is the one who makes call. I am just a disciple. So evaluating a worship service is applicable if we are talking about secular business.

In our relativistic society,this is one of the effects of the creeping secularism in shaping our perceptions, even in the area of worship. One scholar called it “Country Club” mentality - simply put, the tendency of defining all experiences in terms of customer satisfaction. Because our society has been immersed in secular thinking, we forget that our relationship with God is no longer a customer-supplier relationship.

So when we rate our worship service against these criteria, we in effect redefine our relationship with God as that of a customer-supplier. God must be amused with this behaviour.

Very interesting point. The only thing i wonder about is your use of the term “creeping secularism”. I don’t think it’s creeping anymore - i think it has devoured its prey…
It has occurred 2 me that one of the dangers of having such an affluent society is: we begin to feel that religion is like everything else: it should feel good and involve NO pain whatsoever… A lot of Protestants (& Catholics…) probably skip over that verse in Scripture about how we are to “take up” our crosses and carry them… Either that, or they twist the verse’s meaning… I’m sorry 2 say this, but i can’t help but think that, well, that (especially) Protestants seem to be pretty good at that kind of thing…

 

[dessert]

funny…that chocolate cake sure reaches out to me, that lustful image sure reaches out to me, speeding sure reaches out to me…fortunately I can use my reason and not just rely on warm feelings.

:coffeeread:
Yeah you can get to me through my stomach all the time.

 

[contramundum7]

funny…that chocolate cake sure reaches out to me, that lustful image sure reaches out to me, speeding sure reaches out to me…fortunately I can use my reason and not just rely on warm feelings.

I wanted to leave the Church a few times over such “unfriendliness” and frankly - based on the info provided in the Post - i feel i was far more justified in doing so than [whoever it was you responded to]. Yet, if one considers that there is only ONe Church and that that Church has “things” the other so-called churches do not, well, then how can he/she leave?
OK, go visit your friends at Good Book Baptist down the street, but don’t just ditch the Catholic Church altogether.
I read this thing by St. Catherine of Sienna the other day. She said something that i have been thinking for a very long time now (was so thankful she confirmed that my thoghts were not so far off after all…). She said that (don’t quote me quoting her, but something like) Jesus and the Church are one and the same…
So if you reject the Church, you reject Him…
Though i didn’t realize it at the time, when i first had that thoguht to jump ship, THAT sentiment (as per St. Catherine) was what stopped me… I could never give up the Blessed Sacrament (the Real Presence)… Imagine it: Jeus Christ Himself on Earth… (Matthew 28:20)… not just our concept of Him, but His very Presence… It never ceases to fill me with awe…

 

[Chancellare]

Very interesting point. The only thing i wonder about is your use of the term “creeping secularism”. I don’t think it’s creeping anymore - i think it has devoured its prey…
It has occurred 2 me that one of the dangers of having such an affluent society is: we begin to feel that religion is like everything else: it should feel good and involve NO pain whatsoever… A lot of Protestants (& Catholics…) probably skip over that verse in Scripture about how we are to “take up” our crosses and carry them… Either that, or they twist the verse’s meaning… I’m sorry 2 say this, but i can’t help but think that, well, that (especially) Protestants seem to be pretty good at that kind of thing…

I must admit you’re right and I was still looking at the whole process. The sad part is the prey did not even notice it.

We live in a society that was founded on Jeffersonian ideals of separation of Church and State but in so doing lost the struggle to nurture its soul.

But this might be another thread…

 

[AngelRose81]

What you can say to them is, “Thank you for your concern. I have found a Bible Christian fellowship that is both closer to home and closer to my heart, and that is where I have been attending Church lately. I certainly respect my father’s ministry here, but I have found that my spiritual needs are better met at my new spiritual home.”

Good idea. I think I’ll try that next time I see them if they ask.

 

[contramundum7]

I must admit you’re right and I was still looking at the whole process. The sad part is the prey did not even notice it.

We live in a society that was founded on Jeffersonian ideals of separation of Church and State but in so doing lost the struggle to nurture its soul.

But this might be another thread…

Actually, most people don’t understand the sep of Church and State issue (I didn’t either until recently)

. Jefferson never wanted there to be a wall of separation between the two, a wall that worked both ways. He only wanted the state to stay out of Church affairs… not for the Church to stay out of government entirely…

 

[awantz]

This is just my opinion on how things work in Protestant churches from my expierence…

When I have gone to Protestant churches lately (the last time was at Christmas) for my dad’s sake (he’s a minister), I’ve not felt truly welcome at all. His congregation of course doesn’t know about my being in RCIA and becoming Catholic so I get the usuall “you know you can come to church sometime other than Easter and Christmas” by EVERYONE. And out of respect for my father I don’t snap back and say “well, I have been going to church, every Sunday and other days for quite a while now”. I don’t want to make things bad or hard for him. Its hard enough having your daughter become Catholic. But every Sunday at the Catholic Church I attend, I am warmly welcomed by the people I know and don’t know. Even during the scruitines, when I got back to my seat someone would lean over and say congratulations or welcome home. Even during the sign of peace I got some hugs. Every one that has said something to me has , in my opinion, been so sincere in their words. But I never felt that in my Protestant church. I just felt like they were being nice b/c I was the minister’s daughter or just because they thought they had to be or something. Kind of a “cold love”. That’s a whole lot of the reason I came to the Catholic church. I’ve never felt anything but sincere LOVE from everyone I meet in the church. I truly feel at home.

So in my opinion its the Protestant church that isn’t very welcoming, it to me is a fake sense of welcome.

The way you feel at the Protestant church is the way I feel at the Catholic Church, but not because of my dad, but because of my husband. The way you feel at the Catholic Church is the way I feel at my nondenominational church.

 

[contramundum7]

The way you feel at the Protestant church is the way I feel at the Catholic Church, but not because of my dad, but because of my husband. The way you feel at the Catholic Church is the way I feel at my nondenominational church.

Maybe the problem isnt as simple as Catholic Church or “other”…
I have experienced coldness in both places…
I stay Catholic because the RC Church is the one Jesus established and HIs presence is there 24/7. I can be in the presence of human beings any time i want (and sometimes i really DON"T want…). When i go to Church, i go to be with Jesus… I couldn’t care less whether people greet me at the door. It’s kind of phony anyway, considering the greeters don’t know me from Adam…
You can only get truly gut-level intimate with Jesus. He is the only One who accepts you as we a are… so what’s the big deal about socializing with a bunch of people who don’t really care or who “love” you (compared to Jesus) “conditionally”???

 

[dessert]

Actually, most people don’t understand the sep of Church and State issue (I didn’t either until recently)

. Jefferson never wanted there to be a wall of separation between the two, a wall that worked both ways. He only wanted the state to stay out of Church affairs… not for the Church to stay out of government entirely…

For All Things neccessary for Salvation

There is a universal prayer written by Pope St. Clement XI and it is very good . order from Tan Books and publ.
imprimatur; Francis Cardinal Spellman Archbishop of NY 1961
ANother Prayer for the Government;
abridged from a prayer comosed by Archbishop Carroll A.D.1800 for the United Sataed of America;
imprimatur; m. De Keyzer, Vic. Gen Brugis, 26 Jan 1962

min order for these cards is 100 but they are only 4 bucks and you can get them into circulation to confirmation members and 1st time converts and even to those like me got one when I was young and forgot how important prayer is in the government.

Read up on the satement testimonies that Cardinals Timothey Manning and John Krol gave before the subcommittee on constitution Amendments of the Senate Committee on the jUdiciary March 7 1974 Roe v Wade They certainly rebuked the descion and are continuing through the work of many people to end abortion. Dessert

 

[contramundum7]

For All Things neccessary for Salvation

There is a universal prayer written by Pope St. Clement XI and it is very good . order from Tan Books and publ.
imprimatur; Francis Cardinal Spellman Archbishop of NY 1961
ANother Prayer for the Government;
abridged from a prayer comosed by Archbishop Carroll A.D.1800 for the United Sataed of America;
imprimatur; m. De Keyzer, Vic. Gen Brugis, 26 Jan 1962

min order for these cards is 100 but they are only 4 bucks and you can get them into circulation to confirmation members and 1st time converts and even to those like me got one when I was young and forgot how important prayer is in the government.

Read up on the satement testimonies that Cardinals Timothey Manning and John Krol gave before the subcommittee on constitution Amendments of the Senate Committee on the jUdiciary March 7 1974 Roe v Wade They certainly rebuked the descion and are continuing through the work of many people to end abortion. Dessert

Thank you for that info. I will do that…

 

[dessert]

Thank you for that info. I will do that…

Well i just went and checked out the former site and found another www.catholictraditiom.org/tradition/universalprayer.htm

WOW they have adopted that prayer it has been my favorite for a year since I seen it parahrased by the St. Charbel group
They have a beautiful pic of Jesus knoking aat the door and the prayer as ST. Clement XI wrote it.

This is a new site I think and has a lot about tradional Catholics
Thank you to you or I would not have looked it up again!

The paraphrased version is St. Charbel, a mystic from Lebanon and the family site is out of Lebanon, but they recently have included other saints and when I started e-mailing them the site kept getting chanded to include more catholic things like the rosary but now is stricly about the saint and some prayers but had been awesome. They even had an outline of the Catholic Catechism, primitive but good for me as I did not haave anything to go by a year ago. I pray for them because they were bombed extensively as all my be lost but the internet stuff. Dessert

 

[contramundum7]

Well i just went and checked out the former site and found another www.catholictraditiom.org/tradition/universalprayer.htm

WOW they have adopted that prayer it has been my favorite for a year since I seen it parahrased by the St. Charbel group
They have a beautiful pic of Jesus knoking aat the door and the prayer as ST. Clement XI wrote it.

This is a new site I think and has a lot about tradional Catholics
Thank you to you or I would not have looked it up again!

The paraphrased version is St. Charbel, a mystic from Lebanon and the family site is out of Lebanon, but they recently have included other saints and when I started e-mailing them the site kept getting chanded to include more catholic things like the rosary but now is stricly about the saint and some prayers but had been awesome. They even had an outline of the Catholic Catechism, primitive but good for me as I did not haave anything to go by a year ago. I pray for them because they were bombed extensively as all my be lost but the internet stuff. Dessert

Tried, but couldn’t get to that site… God bless…