Cant make my mind up

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allan77

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Hello again everyone,

I have been feeling more and more pull towards god and going to church for some time.
I have been searching for answers to certain religious(christian) issues I feel I do not understand, which i feel i need answered before i start going. I’ve had many nice and helpful replies here in these forums. However I’m still not convinced about a lot of things.
I was not raised with religion, as my parents were, and still are athiest.
I am ok with this, as i feel i have not had religion forced upon me like a lot of people i know. (some are happy with that and some are not)

My question is this-
If i decide not to go to church, because i cant decide who is right or wrong (mainly between catholic and protestant) as I understand both sides of the arguments, can i just worship god in my own way from home, or can i go to either church every now and then, and can i just show up or do i need to join the church? Please advise,

Thanks for taking the time to read,

Allan

Thanks for taking the time to read
 
allan77 said:
Hello again everyone,

I have been feeling more and more pull towards god and going to church for some time.
I have been searching for answers to certain religious(christian) issues I feel I do not understand, which i feel i need answered before i start going. I’ve had many nice and helpful replies here in these forums. However I’m still not convinced about a lot of things.
I was not raised with religion, as my parents were, and still are athiest.
I am ok with this, as i feel i have not had religion forced upon me like a lot of people i know. (some are happy with that and some are not)

My question is this-
If i decide not to go to church, because i cant decide who is right or wrong (mainly between catholic and protestant) as I understand both sides of the arguments, can i just worship god in my own way from home, or can i go to either church every now and then, and can i just show up or do i need to join the church? Please advise,

Thanks for taking the time to read,

Allan

Thanks for taking the time to read
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Hi Allan! 👋

I see you are making great use of the forums and have come here with many questions. That’s wonderful. I will pray for you as you continue on your spiritual journey, and I hope you will pray for me.

I don’t know that there’s an “official” Catholic answer to your question, but I will say that most churches that I know of (Catholic and non-Catholic) are more than happy to have non-members attend their services. You would be more than welcome to attend a Catholic Mass and even talk to the priest about your questions/concerns afterwards. The only caveat is that non-Catholics cannot receive the Eucharist/Communion.

I would really encourage you to do that: go to Mass and talk to a priest. He should (hopefully) give you some good advice and solid direction. We internet evangelists can only take you so far. 🙂

But don’t be afraid to continue to ask questions here. Some of us here can be gruff and may take some of your questions the wrong way, but please be forgiving and not too easily offended. 🙂 We mean well (most of the time!) 😉
 
I have a friend (non-catholic) who visited the Cathedral during the day. There were no
services going on, but he just sat there at first, just reflecting on his life. He said it was
a peaceful experience, one he had never had in his church.(which was not open during
the day.)
You might try that when you feel pulled and conflicted. Just go for the experience of
peace. Unfortunately, some of our churches have had to be closed during the day when
no services are going on due to vandalism, but usually near downtown or at Cathedrals,
you might find them open.

Later on you might wonder why this experience is there, but that’s for another time.🙂
 
Hi Allan77 … I also responded to another of your posts ;)…

Here are some of my random thoughts as I read your post …

First of all, I believe that there is a God, a Creator … our existance is not a randome event .😉

I also believe that there is an indelible mark upon our soul [as we are Created by God] … .read Romans and some early Christian Writers and you might understand this as a Law of God written on the hearts of all mankind …

God speaks to us and we respond and answer in varying degrees [as we are also in dialogue with other sources - some good, some bad and some indifferent] …

Communities of people come together to worship … The Scriptures are a result of those faith communities … they were written by those communities for the benefit of those communities … while the scriptures are a tool of evangelization … you do not make yoru self a “Christian” [as an example] … but you are brought into and recognized by that community … so while you can probably attend any church you want on any given day, without a commitment you would remain set apart …

So you are on a journey of faith … In addition to joining some faith communities and studying with them, getting to know and understand what they believe … I could make some recommendations on reading and study … The Scriptures [Bible], early christian writings [Jurgen’s has a very good three volume set] and some work like Augustine’s “Confessions” would be a good start … Good Luck
 
I think your timing is great! As someone who came into the Catholic Church Easter Vigil 2007, I believe a good place to begin is with RCIA, which should be starting everywhere in the very near future. (Ours starts tonight.) The initial part is a period of inquiry. Talk to your local priest. He would be glad to give you any information you might need. Go, ask questions, fear not!! A search for Truth is worth the trip!

I like the suggestion to just go and sit in the church. Visit the Stations of the Cross, too.

I will keep you in my prayers.
 
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