Crises of faith

[minkymurph]

I was brought up a Jehovah’s Wittness and converted to Catholicism and have come to question my conversion. I converted to Catholicism for the simple reason I wanted to be Catholic. As a child and right into adulthood, I had a fascination with Catholicism. I had a fascination with Mass, statues, the rosary. I left home at 18 and bought a statue of Mary, rosary beads and tried to pluck up the courage to go into a Catholic Church. That’s just a bit of background. My first child was born 5 years ago after 13 years of marriage, (I put off children because of the JW’s.) and I am now blessed with two beautiful, healthy sons at 43. My problem is, from I came into the Catholic faith I have been riddled with doubt, mainly because I distrust myself to know what God askd and sometimes wonder if I became Catholic because I had a romantic notion of the faith. I love my faith and adore Mary, I have been to Lourdes twice from I became Catholic but I worry that I only THINK it’s true and is that enough? I had a long discussion with my fundamentalist friend last night in one of our intense debates about pre-destination and what annoyed me was I started to doubt my own faith. I didn’t agree with what she was saying but I thought what makes me so sure I have it right? I would have to say, if the Catholic Church is not the true faith and the true Church of Christ, I have nowhere to go. I love being Catholic but I frequently question myself and my motives for becoming Catholic and constantly question myself if I am doing the right thing. Forgive me for sounding fickle but I would love someone to tell me yes you are right which sounds arrogant and sounds like I need approval from people and have not enough faith. Responses please!

 

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

If you have doubts about Christianity, then may I suggest that you research Prophecy and it’s fulfillment. It’s rather interesting and convincing.

If you have doubts about Catholicism, I suggest you research the Pope and the Papal Office. Also, research our saints. They are all so interesting.

I think research is your answer. The Truth is not afraid of research.

 

[love4mary]

This is what was told to me when I was doubting my conversion.

Satan knows he has lost another soul, and to get you back, he will try every trick including planting the seeds of doubt. when this happens, take your concerns and doubts to Jesus, He will not leave you in the dark. And don’t forget our Blessed Mother Mary, give this also to her and ask her to lead you to Jesus.

 

[anniemart]

God bless you for sharing your deepest thoughts here…I read St. Faustina’s diary and I learned this: She was entrusted to bring to the rest of the world, the rest of her brothers and sisters (including you and me) one of the greatest messages ever to be delivered.

Trust in Him.

So simple, yet so hard to do when we expect that the answer should be so much more complex than this.

If you haven’t read about St. Faustina yet, you can find her diary online and learn for yourself how many times she doubted herself. Before she could comletely Trust in Jesus, she had to get rid of all her doubt. She endured much self-doubt at the hands of her own fellow sisters. She never gave up.

You are right where you belong…you are in the only Church Jesus created. Shove your worries off of your shoulder and pray for your friend; someday, with you as the instrument, she will come home as you did.

I will pray the ABC’s of the Divine Mercy for us tomorrow in front of the Blesseed Sacrament. Jesus, thank you for this opportunity.

Jesus, I A****sk You for mercy.
Jesus, I ask that you teach me to Be Merciful.
Jesus, I ask that you strengthen my Complete trust in You. Amen.

 

[Mimi]

This is what was told to me when I was doubting my conversion.

Satan knows he has lost another soul, and to get you back, he will try every trick including planting the seeds of doubt. when this happens, take your concerns and doubts to Jesus, He will not leave you in the dark. And don’t forget our Blessed Mother Mary, give this also to her and ask her to lead you to Jesus.

It seems, minkymurph, (that can’t be your Christian name, I hope)
that you were calleded very early on in your life.
Even St. Augustine prayed “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” which is scriptural as well.

Do you know the Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel?

Holy Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against
the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do you, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into
hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the
ruin of souls. Amen.

Try this before you go to sleep every night, or whenever you feel those doubts welling up.

May Jesus bless you and Mary keep you,
Mimi

 

[Mimi]

Posted by anniemart:

I will pray the ABC’s of the Divine Mercy for us tomorrow in front of the Blesseed Sacrament. Jesus, thank you for this opportunity.

Jesus, I Ask You for mercy.
Jesus, I ask that you teach me to Be Merciful.
Jesus, I ask that you strengthen my Complete trust in You. Amen.

Beautiful!


Mimi

 

[anniemart]

I learned the ABC’s of the Divine Mercy Chaplet from one of the many prayer cards that I have. They have often carried me over some rough patches; especially when I have had trouble praying…God Bless us and keep us in His embrace always!

 

[Prayer_Warrior]

I think you have received some excellent advice here and I would like to add that you should immerse yourself in the Word of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They will strengthen your faith. Ask yourself specifically what you doubt. Do you doubt the authority of the Church, Tradition, salvation by Grace, Marian dogma, etc? Whatever it is, you can post a thread or research an existing thread on that topic. The folks here can point you to hundreds of books or links on various topics. We are here to help.

Above all, pray. Pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament, offer up penance, go to confession, attend some daily Masses, pray the Rosary, etc. If you pray, receive the Sacraments frequently and study the word of God, you WILL be strengthened!

In addition, here are some great sites that cover general apologetic issues, but be sure to let us know any specific questions you have.

scripturecatholic.com/
davidmacd.com/catholic/index2.htm
biblia.com/dominguez/
socrates58.blogspot.com/
agapebiblestudy.com/Bible%20Studies.htm
angelfire.com/ms/seanie/deuteros/graham_contents.html
biblechristiansociety.com/
scotthahn.com/

And this is just a small sample of my arsenel, I mean, my materials supporting the Catholic Faith.

 

[PapaSquash]

Read the early Church fathers. Or read about the early Church fathers. This IS the Church Jesus founded.

Pray. Ask for faith. Spend some time in adoration. Partake of the sacraments.

I can go to confession and leave feeling very sorry for people who, though they love the Lord, never get quite that same feeling of cleanliness.

Spend time with fellow Catholics, help out the next person who needs it; preach the non-verbal Gospel, help build the kingdom.

When in doubt, pause for a decade of the rosary. Takes less time than when a smoker ducks out for a cigarette, and you can count on your fingers if necessary.

Try to weave the little things that make you a member of Jesus’ Church into your everyday life and you’ll put down deep roots.

 

[QuietTimes]

Sometimes doubt helps us grow in our faith. When I came back to my catholic roots I was plagued with doubt. I doubted everything and held many things suspect. It was not until I started studying that made a difference. I went through periods of discerment like you wouldnt believe, dry times ups and downs it was hard for me. My journey was a very hard one as I am sure many here can attest to that. But through prayer, fasting and obedience,I was able to better understand what God wanted of me now I could never turn back.
If I look back there is nothing, no other religion in the world can fulfill what the Catholic church has to offer.
I am happy that you are here and sharing your story with us. Many of us were where you are at.
Dont let your Fundamental friend cast doubt in your heart. You have the fullness of the truth.
Get to studying for your sake and your children.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

Hi MM, doubting thomas gets a bad rap in scripture, but truth is, I think thomas was one of the most intelligent apostles of Jesus. Truth is, no matter where we come from we all have doubts. What matters is what we do with those doubts. The spiritual thing to do is to draw closer in your relationship with Jesus. The smart thing to do is study the scriptures to show yourself approved by God, that is research your faith and dig your roots deeper. The emotional thing to do is increase your fellowship contacts with fellow christians in the church. What I am trying to get at is you are to love the Lord your God in mind, body and soul. Identify the various aspects of your being and employ chrisitan disciplines in service to our Lord.

Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Luke 10:27
He answered: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ "

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (King James Version)

24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

[shewis]

I find that finding and taking time to pray works wonders. I always feel at peace afterwards. I would also recommend attending a retreat or even better a Cursillo!!

natl-cursillo.org/

I believe the devil is very busy right now and the closer you grow towards God the more the devil will attack your faith. So whatever you think, don’t be down on yourself. Without doubt, you cannot have faith!

 

[SanMichele]

I was brought up a Jehovah’s Wittness and converted to Catholicism and have come to question my conversion. I converted to Catholicism for the simple reason I wanted to be Catholic. As a child and right into adulthood, I had a fascination with Catholicism. I had a fascination with Mass, statues, the rosary. I left home at 18 and bought a statue of Mary, rosary beads and tried to pluck up the courage to go into a Catholic Church. That’s just a bit of background. My first child was born 5 years ago after 13 years of marriage, (I put off children because of the JW’s.) and I am now blessed with two beautiful, healthy sons at 43. My problem is, from I came into the Catholic faith I have been riddled with doubt, mainly because I distrust myself to know what God askd and sometimes wonder if I became Catholic because I had a romantic notion of the faith. I love my faith and adore Mary, I have been to Lourdes twice from I became Catholic but I worry that I only THINK it’s true and is that enough? I had a long discussion with my fundamentalist friend last night in one of our intense debates about pre-destination and what annoyed me was I started to doubt my own faith. I didn’t agree with what she was saying but I thought what makes me so sure I have it right? I would have to say, if the Catholic Church is not the true faith and the true Church of Christ, I have nowhere to go. I love being Catholic but I frequently question myself and my motives for becoming Catholic and constantly question myself if I am doing the right thing. Forgive me for sounding fickle but I would love someone to tell me yes you are right which sounds arrogant and sounds like I need approval from people and have not enough faith. Responses please!

You have to remember a certain definition of a word: Faith. Faith is the trust in the love of not neededing tangible proof. You were obviously chosen by god to be part of the catholic religion, so praise this and it embrace this with gratitude through divine mercy , inner peace and love! Also at the end of the day we are all fundamentalists, we either belive in something or we dont, this is a choice you have to make. Ask for god to help, take a retreat somewhere to be around like minded people who can support you through these times, perhaps take your family to the youth festival in Walsingham :

www.youth2000.org

Read the mystical city of god, this is the most comprehensive source for our lady’s faith and life.

If your friend wants to argue show her the catechism of the catholic faith:

God Bless You and Your Family.

You Will Be in My Prayers.

 

[TraditionalCath]

iam a former jw myself. however, i was a baptized Catholic as an infant. i left the Catholic Church when i was a teenager.i just stopped going. it wasn’t for a lack of belief or anything, i was just more interested in dating at that time, and doing typical teenage things.however, when i was 21, i was exposed to the jw’s because i had at that time gotten newly married. my ex husbands parents were witnesses, and they hated the fact that my family was Catholic. so, arguments would ensue over the next ten years i was married to this man. the witnesses would yark and yark and yark to me about my family being Catholic, so in 1996, i had had enough of the fighting and arguing that i was not good enough for this family’s son. so i got baptized thinking it would stop, and then i would finally be accepted into the family. well, the baptism didn’t do a thing to stop the parents bickering at me. they still harped about my family being Catholic. so i just stopped going to the meetings. i was a good jw believe me. i stood out in the brutalist cold weather at -23 and would place tons of magazines and books. i had alot of bible studies as well. but guess what? one day, i was walking by a little Catholic Church and felt a super strong urge to go inside. so i did.

i was afraid to enter the church because of what i had been told about the church by the watchtower organization. ( i was heavily indoctrinated ) so, i went in as i could not resist the urge to go in the church. i looked around a bit, and saw a cabinet with rosaries on display. and there was one i liked, and without thinking about the jw belief, as that had not even entered my mind at the time i was inside the church, i went and looked at it closely, and saw no priest inside the church.

i went outside, and saw a little house next to the church. so i went and knocked on the door, and a nice priest came out and i told him, father, there is a nice rosary i would like to have! he told me he would come into the church and i went into the church with him, and i said, father i don’t have any money! he told me he would give me the rosary. i immediately took it and felt real joy when i held it in my hands.

so as i went home with it in my pocket, i started thinking to myself, mom would love this! moms birthday was coming soon you see? so i got the rosary home, and my ex didn’t even see it. i had it hidden. i felt incredible joy when i held that rosary in my hands! well, that joy never left me! i was more and more saddened everytime i went to the hall. sad. depressed, lack of real joy.

the holidays would come and go year after year, and i was alienated from my family because of my belief, and i just got more and more depressed as a witness. one day, i decided ( my marriage had just gone down hill because of all the bickering at me over the Catholic faith, and i would defend my family, and i would not be discourteous to my exes family even though they were insanely ignorant and rude to me for 10 years ) just shortly after my marriage had ended, that i would leave the witnesses. i did leave.

it felt really really good to leave. it felt like taking in lungfuls of fresh clean air! it felt like scales dropped from my eyes and i felt like i could TRULY see for the first time in 10 long years!

guess what? i made my first rosary since i left the faith! i asked mom about an old black rosary i had as a teenager. mom had kept the crucifix!!! she kept it!!! the rosary fell apart after 20 something years of her hanging onto it, but she kept that lovely crucifix!! i was delighted!!! i said mom! please give that to me! i made a rosary and it felt wonderful! that was my beginning of my road home to the True Faith. so if you ever find yourself doubting the faith, hang onto God and Jesus Christ, and say, Jesus, I trust in You!

don’t let your fundamentalist friend try to dissaude you. dig in your heels and cling to Jesus! i will provide you with some links for you to check out in regards to your fundamentalist friend. do we have the truth? oh yeah, we do. absolutely!!

Check out this link:

catholic.com/library/noncatholic_groups.asp

These are the heading for you to look for when you click on the link:

Christian:

Fundamentalism

Fundamentalist or Catholic

How to Talk with Fundamentalists

Seventh-Day Adventism

Sabbath or Sunday (Fathers*)

 

[TraditionalCath]

i guess what i wanted to say was, is that when i entered that little Church, i totally forgot about being a jw, and i felt absolute peace enter my soul. i never felt that as a jw. not because of the bickering either. i just had no peace or joy in my soul. none. i know alot of ex witnesses who feel the same way. even if they weren’t Catholic as an infant either. they told me many many times over they years that they had absolutely no joy as a witness. they never felt peace or serenity until they left the falsetower. they told me that once they became Catholic, they had that same joy i have! they never doubted for a moment that it is the True Church of Christ the King. one other thing also, i went as a young woman to many churches, i was involved in a protestant church off and on for 3 years. i never felt joy or peace or serenity. iam not saying that to cut anyone down either.

i just never felt the truth there. never. i know alot of ex witnesses who will say the same thing, and even alot of ex protestants as well. even ex mormons. they all say the same thing. that they feel and know in their heart that the Church is the Truth.

satan is trying to steal your faith from you, he doesn’t want you to serve God and he doesn’t want you to have joy. he wants to steal your love for God. he wants you to have doubt. he wants to lead you astray. it is very important that you stick close to God and don’t give in to this doubt that you have. stay close to Him and His True Church.

 

[stevedewsu]

First of all welcome to the Catholic Faith. I too am a convert. I think that all of us struggle in our faith. Some of us more than others. I just want you to recall the story of doubting Thomas. Remember that he said he would not believe that Jesus had rose from the dead until he could put his fingers in his nail scars. Jesus then said blessed is he who has not seen and still believes.
You believe! Your faith may not be as strong as some at this time, but remember Thomas. Thomas knew Jesus personally and he had doubt. Jesus forgave him and loved him anyway. You do not have the “proof” that Thomas did and you still chose to follow Christ — You have faith and You Believe! Pray through St. Thomas about this.

 

[minkymurph]

Thank you all for your replies. I’ve had computer problems and it is currently paws up and it took several attempts at resusitation to get on to the internet. Unfortunately my e-mail is not working but I managed to get here. Many of you echo what I would say to someone else and if I could take my own advice I believe I would be a saint. My doubt, is that I am kidding myself the Catholic Church is the true Church and their teachings are truth because I want to believe it and l like being a Catholic. However, I reflected a lot on my fundamentalist friend’s reasoning and have begun to think some very disturbing things. Talking to her makes me think the Catholic Church is the real thing. The disturbing aspect is I’ve begun to think she’s not my friend but in fact an agent of Saten and her beliefs are Satanic! That’s really going too far I know but to me, a God who pre-destines a baby in the womb not to love him and then sends them to hell for it, which is what she says she believes, that teaching to me does not originate with God and that being the case, what’s the other option? I really don’t want to think terrible things of my longest and closest friend and all this talk of Saten disturbs me. I have had really bad experiences because of Saten and demons talk and I don’t want to go their again. I cannot believe God would either do such a thing or be capable of it. According to my friend if I read Romans I will see it. I don’t see it that way. She insisted I read it again (and again and again…) an believes if the Bible is taken word for word we can’t go wrong. To be honest, I haven’t read the Bible in years. I have my prayers, My Lord, Mary, the Mass and I’m under the guidance of the Church. I don’t read the Bible because when I do I end up dazed and confused and don’t know what I believe and it feeds my morbid fear of Saten and demons. I’m not saying reading the Bible is wrong for everyone, but it might be for me. I kind of resolved in my mind never to discuss scripture with my friend again and talk about how I see God and nothing more.

 

[catechumen08]

I was brought up a Jehovah’s Wittness and converted to Catholicism and have come to question my conversion. I converted to Catholicism for the simple reason I wanted to be Catholic. As a child and right into adulthood, I had a fascination with Catholicism. I had a fascination with Mass, statues, the rosary. I left home at 18 and bought a statue of Mary, rosary beads and tried to pluck up the courage to go into a Catholic Church. That’s just a bit of background. My first child was born 5 years ago after 13 years of marriage, (I put off children because of the JW’s.) and I am now blessed with two beautiful, healthy sons at 43. My problem is, from I came into the Catholic faith I have been riddled with doubt, mainly because I distrust myself to know what God askd and sometimes wonder if I became Catholic because I had a romantic notion of the faith. I love my faith and adore Mary, I have been to Lourdes twice from I became Catholic but I worry that I only THINK it’s true and is that enough? I had a long discussion with my fundamentalist friend last night in one of our intense debates about pre-destination and what annoyed me was I started to doubt my own faith. I didn’t agree with what she was saying but I thought what makes me so sure I have it right? I would have to say, if the Catholic Church is not the true faith and the true Church of Christ, I have nowhere to go. I love being Catholic but I frequently question myself and my motives for becoming Catholic and constantly question myself if I am doing the right thing. Forgive me for sounding fickle but I would love someone to tell me yes you are right which sounds arrogant and sounds like I need approval from people and have not enough faith. Responses please!

First of all, minkymurph, I think it’s a good thing that you’re asking questions. When you find the answers you seek, your faith will be strengthened that much more.

My suggestion would be to not dwell too much on what first drew you to the Catholic Church, but rather why you stayed with it all these years.

And lastly, if you find yourself needing more faith at any time, you can always ask God for more faith.

I hope this helps!

 

[minkymurph]

The reason I stay is simple. I love being Catholic. I like my Mass, statues, prayers and the deeping of the things I now know. However, the more I know the more I realize I don’t know and I begin to doubt and ask myself ‘what is truth?’ I have no Catholic friends. My friends are either lapsed and have lost faith in the Church, atheists, and my one born again friend who is a long standing close friend. I have tried to make connections in the Catholic Church but it has just never happened. Concerning my friend, I began to doubt if we should use the title Mother of God for Mary. I believe she is the Mother of the incarnate God and I have discussed this teaching with my friend in great detail until I’m blue in the face regarding how Catholics view the incarnation and how this teaching came about and that Catholics don’t believe Mary was mother of God the Father but she would still say that to give Mary the title Mother of God infers that she is also Mother of God the Father and we should not give humans titles and that many Catholics give Mary more prominance than they do Christ and are more devoted to Mary in prayer and in their worship than Christ. She doesn’t like Mary having a crown, being called Queen of heaven, shrines where Mary stands in front of a statue of Christ like the one at Knock because that makes her more important and she should be standing behind Christ. The Apostles didn’t call her Mother, the book of Acts doesn’t say the early Christians prayed to her and the famous quote, ‘It’s
the Bible’ despite my frequent mention of Revelation 14. I’m not expecting her to say oh yes I must convert to Catholicism but why just come back with the same old arguements time and time again when we have completely exhausted them time and time again? Why does she even want to discuss it I ask myself? Does she just like to argue? Perhaps I should try hitting her over the head with a very large copy of the Catholic Catechism.

 

[catechumen08]

I have no Catholic friends. My friends are either lapsed and have lost faith in the Church, atheists, and my one born again friend who is a long standing close friend. I have tried to make connections in the Catholic Church but it has just never happened.

I’m actually kind of in the same boat. That’s why I find these forums so valuable. None of my friends are Catholic, either. And since I’ve not yet officially been received into the Church, I haven’t really made any connections within the Church, aside from my RCIA instructor. Hopefully all that’s going to change, once the classes officially start in September.

You have my prayers, minkymurph.