"Closet" Catholic

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walnutleviosa

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In summary: I am a former Muslim. I joined the Church last year and have been the happiest I have ever been with myself, God, religion and everything that comes with it. I am finally home. The problem is nobody in my family is aware that I have left Islam. It is easy for me to be Catholic since I live far away from them but I feel extremely guilty. I know what I am doing is right…for me yet I feel like I am betraying them. I always think about what would happen if they found out…I do not want to be disowned. Around them I pretend to be Muslim and I “worship” with them. Of course it is not sincere. It is a struggle for me to not be able to be true to them and for them to not be happy and accepting.

Advice? Similar stories? Anything to reassure me would be taken kindly.
 
walnutleviosa said:
In summary: I am a former Muslim. I joined the Church last year and have been the happiest I have ever been with myself, God, religion and everything that comes with it. I am finally home. The problem is nobody in my family is aware that I have left Islam. It is easy for me to be Catholic since I live far away from them but I feel extremely guilty. I know what I am doing is right…for me yet I feel like I am betraying them. I always think about what would happen if they found out…I do not want to be disowned. Around them I pretend to be Muslim and I “worship” with them. Of course it is not sincere. It is a struggle for me to not be able to be true to them and for them to not be happy and accepting.

Advice? Similar stories? Anything to reassure me would be taken kindly.
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Matthew 10:37 If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
 
walnutleviosa said:
In summary: I am a former Muslim. I joined the Church last year and have been the happiest I have ever been with myself, God, religion and everything that comes with it. I am finally home. The problem is nobody in my family is aware that I have left Islam. It is easy for me to be Catholic since I live far away from them but I feel extremely guilty. I know what I am doing is right…for me yet I feel like I am betraying them. I always think about what would happen if they found out…I do not want to be disowned. Around them I pretend to be Muslim and I “worship” with them. Of course it is not sincere. It is a struggle for me to not be able to be true to them and for them to not be happy and accepting.

Advice? Similar stories? Anything to reassure me would be taken kindly.
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You live in the United States? Are you over 18?
 
This is tough. However, first, please; let me say how happy I am that you have come home to Christ. I have read a lot about Islam, and I can understand how difficult it must be for you to tell them. In America especially, people don’t understand how seriously many Muslims take their faith. It isn’t like a ‘book club’ as many ‘Christians’ in America treat their religion. I am not sure if all of you are natural born Americans, but I can only assume that your family takes Islam very seriously.
So then, here you are. A new Catholic, having found the truth, and not sure how to move forward. Well, as hard as it is, I think you should tell them. However, I preface this with you using prudential judgment. I am not speaking about you worrying about ‘offending’ anyone or that people will be upset. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but if you feel that your life may be in danger if they discovered you were Catholic and had changed your religion, perhaps you should not tell them. I am not saying this is the case with your family nor am I assuming anything about them, I just want to make sure I cover all bases because I don’t know you nor them. And I don’t want to go telling you to do something without considering all the angles.
If you know your life is not in danger, I think telling them would be a good thing. And, I would even open the floor to them to ask you questions and that you don’t expect them just to ‘shut up’ and not talk to you about it.
I also would work on not engaging in ‘worship’ with them. I mean its not like you have to run out of the room when they are praying or anything nor should you cancel your visits for Ramadan, however I believe any ‘formal worship’ she begin to cease.
Once again, how wonderful and brave you are for examining Catholicism and seeing the truth. And I pray for you that you are able to have a wonderful dialogue with your parents and family, and I pray that they listen to you and start thinking about joining you.
I pray that one day soon all of you will be receiving the Eucharist. God Bless you!!!
 
Matthew 10:34. "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
35 "For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
36 "and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
 
Anyway,you should try to make them understand you,but i think you should contact with a priest ,Im sure he would help to you. Just pray and dont worry!
 
Welcome to the Church! I am glad you are finding joy and peace in your faith. In your case, I would have recourse to prayer. Simply ask God what His will is for you. It may be that you are too ‘young’ in your faith to take on your family. Or it may be that you are ready to be brave and take the chance that your family may cut you off for bring a Christian. It is between yourself and God. Only you and God know where you are at in your faith journey. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and courage, discretion and prudence. If this feels beyond you, then I would agree with the advice of going to a learned priest for guidance. Good luck!
 
walnutleviosa said:
In summary: I am a former Muslim. I joined the Church last year and have been the happiest I have ever been with myself, God, religion and everything that comes with it. I am finally home. The problem is nobody in my family is aware that I have left Islam. It is easy for me to be Catholic since I live far away from them but I feel extremely guilty. I know what I am doing is right…for me yet I feel like I am betraying them. I always think about what would happen if they found out…I do not want to be disowned. Around them I pretend to be Muslim and I “worship” with them. Of course it is not sincere. It is a struggle for me to not be able to be true to them and for them to not be happy and accepting.

Advice? Similar stories? Anything to reassure me would be taken kindly.
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It has been so hard for you. I guess I can’t really imagine what that must be like.

Really, the worship with them needs to stop, since it is not being sincere or true to your faith.

Disowned? Gosh! That’s terrible.

Naturally, you feel like you are betraying them, because of how you were raised. Had you been raised differently, you wouldn’t even have those feelings.

Could you talk to your priest and see if he, or possibly RCIA, has any advice on this?

Good luck, and God bless you!
 
Christ did say if we are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of us.
 
This link might help. But at the end of the day if your living away from home, you will have to tell your parents, one cannot live a life of lies, not living at home makes a big difference.
I understand I had the same problem from a Jewish point of view, but at the end of the day I had to say and in my case I was thrown out of home, at least your not living at home. You must be prepared for them not to talk to you for the time being, if so, you have to be a faithful Catholic- follow the Lord through his Church, the Catholic Church. To follow Christ you must take up your Cross and follow Him , you cannot have one foot in one religion and the other foot in the other, you have to stand up and be counted, its not easy, I know, But it will give you peace of mind at the end of the day.

youtube.com/watch?v=iL4upLajJSc
 
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