Catholic living in Protestant nation

[GRod]

Hello everyone. I am a cradle Catholic and feel like im starting to lose faith in the Catholic church. I attend mass every weekend and study apologetics and try to read the bible every now and then. I love God. I am a very devout Catholic. I live in Texas which is primarily protestant. After receiving so many attacks from everyone on almost everything about the Catholic church i am constantly trying to defend the faith. I feel like a lone ranger agaisnt everyone…I am starting to think “what if their right” what if evrything i have learned and defend is just a defense but we catholics are still no good? What if im just brainwashed. Protestants attack the church all the time and i believe my arguments as they make sence but still have doubts. Has anyone had this problem. All my friends are protestant. Again they think were wrong on evrything and corrupt attacks about the pope all the way down to catholic girls and nuns. Im so upset…in my eyes if the Catholic church is wrong than there is no God. I need some advice. Thanks

 

[joeybaggz]

GRod
The RCC is the church founded on Peter, by Jesus Himself. It teaches one truth, one set of doctrine and dogma that is to be believed by all. Your protestant acquaintances believe in anything they want. Every pastor, minister, preacher, evangelist, or whatever they call themselves believes in whatever he or she wants. They all say they are moved by the Holy Spirit, yet they disagree on every point. Ask yourself, and them, is the Holy Spirit doing that bad a job that they can’t agree on a consistent teaching on an issue. For instance, Jesus said when it comes to marriage, “what God has joined together, no man may divide.” Yet protestants get divorced and remarried any time they want… What’s their reasoning, ask them that. (And yes, they will point to the Catholic concept of annulment, but Christ gave Peter the power to loose and bind - which of course they will obfuscate all over the place trying to deny that) There are hundreds of examples, I could go on for pages.
One thing to remember. For protestants to legitimize themselves, they must deny two things; the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the apostolic succession of the Catholic priesthood. These two things they must attack because not to do so, would destroy the foundation of their beliefs vis-a-vis Catholicism.
I suggest you do some reading of many of the good Catholic apologists. Scott Hahn, Matthew Kelly, Mark Shea and others on the internet. And one book you really should get a copy of is Karl Keating’s "Catholicism and Fundamentalism - The attack on the Roman Catholic Church by Bible only Protestants. (I believe that is the title, though another poster might clarify it better I might have slightly misquoted the title; I don’t have a copy handy.
Don’t give up. Christ didn’t defend the religion, he established it. Now look at a crucifix over a Catholic altar and see what it got Him. He calls us to bear witness, He doesn’t demand we succeed. Keep your faith, it is priceless.

 

[GRod]

Thank you Joeybaggz you are right. I need to stop trying to succeed in apologetics all the time and just be a good example. Have you experienced the same as me?