OP, some time ago a friend who knows I’m active on CAF asked me about joining CAF and then wondered if she was better off joining the forum or doing more Catholic reading, etc. I told her reading good Catholic books was a far better way of growing as a Catholic. I don’t think Catholic forums are a good idea for some people and all should spend a modest amount of time here. I think I was a better Catholic before joining; my knowledge of Catholic teaching has been diluted by the abundance of erroneous opinions and the influx of anti-woman red piller types turned me into a feminist (that’s not a completely bad thing, I’ve found). On the flip side, the stridency and merciless attitude towards LGBTQ people has inspired me to be an ally, which is good.
I was immersed in a Catholic for sometime but it was within my parish family and prayer groups; we supported each other and were a safe place to be Catholic socially. When I moved I lost that and turned to internet sources which I’ve found are a poor substitute but beggars can’t be choosers. I suggest taking a break from the forum, read spiritual classics, find Catholic-friendly sources of entertainment to reset where you are in your faith life. CAF isn’t bad, but the benefits of it’s use needs to be individually, maybe daily, discerned.
