Callings, but to different religions

[ejp123]

In the cathloic fatih we use language such as “a calling to the priesthood.” what are we to think about those who feel this same kind of attraction, urge “calling” but to be a buddhist monk or a jewish rabbi? Or a woman who feels called to be a priestess? Are we to assume that they are misinterepreting the call and that it is really to the priesthood or a nun? or that it is satanic and not of God? It doesn’t make sense to me to think that God would call someone to be a religious leader of some kind outside his church, especially those faiths that don’t believe in Christ. Yet these indiviuals might feel this same kind of calling within there respected religion. Just a thought.

 

[Aloysium]

In the cathloic fatih we use language such as “a calling to the priesthood.” what are we to think about those who feel this same kind of attraction, urge “calling” but to be a buddhist monk or a jewish rabbi? Or a woman who feels called to be a priestess? Are we to assume that they are misinterepreting the call and that it is really to the priesthood or a nun? or that it is satanic and not of God? It doesn’t make sense to me to think that God would call someone to be a religious leader of some kind outside his church, especially those faiths that don’t believe in Christ. Yet these indiviuals might feel this same kind of calling within there respected religion. Just a thought.

Maybe you can tell us. Who do you know that has an unusual “calling”? The thing would be to ask them.

 

[bzkoss236]

In the cathloic fatih we use language such as “a calling to the priesthood.” what are we to think about those who feel this same kind of attraction, urge “calling” but to be a buddhist monk or a jewish rabbi? Or a woman who feels called to be a priestess? Are we to assume that they are misinterepreting the call and that it is really to the priesthood or a nun? or that it is satanic and not of God? It doesn’t make sense to me to think that God would call someone to be a religious leader of some kind outside his church, especially those faiths that don’t believe in Christ. Yet these indiviuals might feel this same kind of calling within there respected religion. Just a thought.

Sometimes I think it comes from the person themselves. It is something that seems desirable for whatever reason, which makes it seem like a calling, but could in reality just be based on an emotional decision; a ‘feeling’. The same could be said for some of those who may feel ‘called’ to the priesthood or the religious life.

I feel some people are genuinely called, but others are given a choice (which may leave them conflicted).

 

[ejp123]

Maybe you can tell us. Who do you know that has an unusual “calling”? The thing would be to ask them.

If I could tell you I would not have put the idea out there. Im looking for different viewpoints because don’t have an answer.

 

[runningdude]

Humans have an innate desire to be usual and productive members of society.

As religion is often a big part of someone life, a desire to engage it more thoroughly is natural. All desire to do good come from God. Even better when this desire leads the individual to discern the true church founded by God.

As for woman who feel “called” to the priesthood, if the desire is authentic, then it is disordered. It would be the same as a woman who felt called to be the father of her child. A woman who feels this way is blameless, so long as she doesn’t invalidly attempt ordination. An example of an “inauthentic” desire would be on motivated solely by the trappings of authority (greed basically). I couldn’t tell you which motivation is more common, though I hope the former.

 

[Aloysium]

If I could tell you I would not have put the idea out there. Im looking for different viewpoints because don’t have an answer.

How did the question arise? Do you find yourself interested in possibilities that you are uncertain about pursuing? Are you unclear as to where your life should go? Is this out of concern for someone special in your life? The senarios you describe in the OP sound too hypothetical to me.

 

[CantareVivace]

In the cathloic fatih we use language such as “a calling to the priesthood.” what are we to think about those who feel this same kind of attraction, urge “calling” but to be a buddhist monk or a jewish rabbi? Or a woman who feels called to be a priestess? Are we to assume that they are misinterepreting the call and that it is really to the priesthood or a nun? or that it is satanic and not of God? It doesn’t make sense to me to think that God would call someone to be a religious leader of some kind outside his church, especially those faiths that don’t believe in Christ. Yet these indiviuals might feel this same kind of calling within there respected religion. Just a thought.

Well in some cases yes, it is misinterpreted like in the priestess case. But some have a high possibility of not being misinterpreted like the Buddhist monk one. Callings in different religions is a whole other subject. **Remember though that callings can be misinterpreted. **

 

[R_C]

In the cathloic fatih we use language such as “a calling to the priesthood.” what are we to think about those who feel this same kind of attraction, urge “calling” but to be a buddhist monk or a jewish rabbi? Or a woman who feels called to be a priestess? Are we to assume that they are misinterepreting the call and that it is really to the priesthood or a nun? or that it is satanic and not of God? It doesn’t make sense to me to think that God would call someone to be a religious leader of some kind outside his church, especially those faiths that don’t believe in Christ. Yet these indiviuals might feel this same kind of calling within there respected religion. Just a thought.

A Catholic with such a desire (namely, the desire to commit the grave sin of apostasy) is gravely misinterpreting God’s will.

In general, God calls all men born in this world to the universal vocation of loving Him and all men out of love for Him, and He will also give each and everyone a primary vocation (marriage, consecrated life, generous single life) and a secondary vocation (how they could best apply their gifts and talents according to God’s will).

Now, as for the primary and secondary vocation, we know that God calls all nations to Catholic unity, because the Catholic Church is his Church, Christianity is his religion. All other religions contain to some greater or lesser degree elements of truth and good, and they predispose us to the gospels and towards becoming one with Christ, which means members of His mystical body, the Church.

That being said: clearly, if someone is a members of a different religion or denomination, he may respond to his personal calling the only way he can: within his own tradition. For instance: someone may experience that they are called to consecrated life, and they may try to fulfill that vocation within their religion or denomination. And we have had some men of outstanding virtue who were not Catholic (for instance, recently, Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.).

Did God will them to be Catholic priests? God does not will the impossible. He knows each of us, and it is a great mystery.

Surely God calls certain men straight into His Church. One example I am just reading about is Thomas Merton (who was first an Anglican, then an agnostic, and finally he became a Trappist monk, and in this he fulfilled not only his primary vocation, but also his secondary vocation of writer). Going back in history, we find for instance St. Luke the Evangelist (who was a successful pagan doctor), St. Cyprian bishop of Antioch (who was a pagan magician), St. Jerome (born in a wealthy pagan family and a successful lawyer), St. Augustine (who was originally a Manichaean), blessed John Henry Newman (who was originally an Anglican priest) - just to mention a few instances in which God made sure that the person would not just respond to their vocation as best as they could, but that they would respond to them as best as possible: within the Church.

 

[Minnesota1]

Crazy world. My brother had call to be lutheran, my self Catholic, sister is dalai lama, other brother non denomination Christian. We all believe that our religion is the correct one so go figure

 

[Minnesota1]

Crazy world. My brother had call to be lutheran, my self Catholic, sister is dalai lama, other brother non denomination Christian. We all believe that our religion is the correct one so go figure

 

[ffg]

This is where going to a priest would be the move of a Catholic being pulled in different directions.

Remember, the foundation is that the Catholic Church is the Truth. So if a Catholic has that foundation, then the urge to do something else can be brought in confession or discussed with appropriate people.

If said person doesn’t think the Catholic Church is the Truth, the gift of free will allows them the capacity to go elsewhere, but they would probably want to ask themselves what their goals are - to find truth and try and live for it, or something else.

 

[Ad_Orientem]

A calling is not a feeling, though feelings are usually involved. God can certainly inspire desires, inclinations, etc. to those outside his Church; but to call men and women to spread error would, I think, be in radical contradiction to his nature; he is Truth and cannot lie or deceive.

There is a sense in which even ministers of false religions are fulfilling God’s will, insofar as he permits the exercise of their free will, and brings good out of their defective works; but that’s not a “calling” in any ordinary sense.

I think it is conceivable that God may lead a person to a particular position in their false religion, because this will make it easier for the person to leave the false religion, or for some other reason known to God alone. But in that case he leads them to the position for reasons *other *than the position’s ostensible, definitive functions; therefore it is not a “calling” in any ordinary sense of the word.