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Avila123
Guest
Lot of hurt and disobedient children moving between churches.
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doormouse73
Guest
Just speaking from my observations among fundamentalists:
rfournier103;11339719:
~I’m spiritual/don’t believe in organized religion.
Ask him to explain “disorganized religion”.
~Too much man-made stuff/doesn’t teach from the Bible.
Like altar calls, revival meetings, dress standards, Bible version standards, and on and on and on…
~It’s a Church of hate.
*Women.
*Gays.
*Won’t let non-Catholics take Communion.
And fundamentalists just loooooove gays, and “women in their place”.
~Because of the sex-abuse scandal they have no moral credibility.
Want a list of phediphile Baptist preachers? The list is long
~Who are they to tell me what I can/can’t do with my body?
Don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t drink, watch TV…
~I want a divorce and the Church won’t let me.
Divorce is the unforgivable sin in fundamentalist churches.
~The Church is trapped in the past/needs to “get with the times”.
Because the concert arenas/mega-churches are sooo today.
~The Catholic Church always wants money.
At least the CC does not demand a person “tithe” thier income.
~The Church doesn’t want me to read from the Bible.
The average fundamentalist sermon reads one or two Bible verses and the rest of the half hour is filled with the “preacher’s” opinion on what the Bible says.
~The Church doesn’t want me to have a personal relationship with God/Christ.
In actual fact, the average fundamentalist congregation has a “personal relationship” with the preacher.
/QUOTE]
Brilliant,nicely put over,
i think the trust of the priests is still there,along with respect for them.but the cover ups the Church has done,and what has been done re the idealogical Catholics.they see no Jesus in there…
this is why i do love the pope Francis…
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Misplaced_Book
Guest
I see a lot of generalizing in this thread. A few former Catholics charitably and ably put in their experiences and there wasn’t a rabid bitterness there.
I myself am an ex-Latin (I didn’t leave the Catholic Church…Orthodoxy considers itself the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church) and don’t feel cranky about it. I was involved for many years, a Third Degree Knight of Columbus, Vice President of my Newman Center, tutored others and studied the Latin faith for years.
I write this not to brag or claim myself as an authority, but to debunk the notion that people who leave are ignorant of the Faith or otherwise duped. I had my eyes wide open as I walked out the door, and there was no malice there.
Roman Catholicism is quite logical, and quite sound…but it hinges on one thing. That the Pope is who he says he is, and has the authority he claims to have. If that belief is broken, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards. That is exactly what happened to me. I don’t hate the Roman Pope, I don’t hate the Latin Church…it has several things to laud about it, and most of my friends are still in the Latin Communion. I would love to see Old Rome reconciled and Pope Francis put on the Diptychs, HOWEVER, I fully believe that I was on the wrong side of the Schism, and had to right myself. So here I am.
I myself am an ex-Latin (I didn’t leave the Catholic Church…Orthodoxy considers itself the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church) and don’t feel cranky about it. I was involved for many years, a Third Degree Knight of Columbus, Vice President of my Newman Center, tutored others and studied the Latin faith for years.
I write this not to brag or claim myself as an authority, but to debunk the notion that people who leave are ignorant of the Faith or otherwise duped. I had my eyes wide open as I walked out the door, and there was no malice there.
Roman Catholicism is quite logical, and quite sound…but it hinges on one thing. That the Pope is who he says he is, and has the authority he claims to have. If that belief is broken, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards. That is exactly what happened to me. I don’t hate the Roman Pope, I don’t hate the Latin Church…it has several things to laud about it, and most of my friends are still in the Latin Communion. I would love to see Old Rome reconciled and Pope Francis put on the Diptychs, HOWEVER, I fully believe that I was on the wrong side of the Schism, and had to right myself. So here I am.
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Georgia
Guest
A former Catholic mentioned the fellowship in the Protestant churches. That’s something I very much missed when I crossed the Tiber. It draws lots of Catholics in and it makes it harder to leave.
At my former church, I knew who was missing on any given Sunday. People arrived early and were seated before the service. I doubt I saw ten people arrive late in a year and there was only one service on Sunday morning. You knew who sat where. Once church was over, no one moved until everyone moved. People then mixed together, chatted, and lingered. There was a bonding that took place. There’s something to be said for that sense of belonging that is created by having the same group in the same place, at the same time, every Sunday. It became very personal and very social.
Most attacks from ex-Catholics I have heard quoted doctrine that was bent almost beyond recognition. I don’t think it is fair to entirely blame the quality of catechesis. No matter how well some teachings are presented, human beings sometimes misunderstand. It is out job to humbly point out the mistakes when they are being presented to us as truth and never responding in a way that will reinforce hostility.
I have met a few who left over marriage issues. In those, Catholics married a divorced person who was never going to allow the church to investigate a former relationship. Quite a few seem to end up in churches in which marriage after divorce is not a big deal.
At my former church, I knew who was missing on any given Sunday. People arrived early and were seated before the service. I doubt I saw ten people arrive late in a year and there was only one service on Sunday morning. You knew who sat where. Once church was over, no one moved until everyone moved. People then mixed together, chatted, and lingered. There was a bonding that took place. There’s something to be said for that sense of belonging that is created by having the same group in the same place, at the same time, every Sunday. It became very personal and very social.
Most attacks from ex-Catholics I have heard quoted doctrine that was bent almost beyond recognition. I don’t think it is fair to entirely blame the quality of catechesis. No matter how well some teachings are presented, human beings sometimes misunderstand. It is out job to humbly point out the mistakes when they are being presented to us as truth and never responding in a way that will reinforce hostility.
I have met a few who left over marriage issues. In those, Catholics married a divorced person who was never going to allow the church to investigate a former relationship. Quite a few seem to end up in churches in which marriage after divorce is not a big deal.
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Marie5890
Guest
Ive seen this happen within our RCIA program. People come wanting to learn more or to “Come Home” after having left.
But because of former marriages, they end up walking away.
It’s a BIG turn off for them.
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PRmerger
Guest
This is a big one, to be sure.
Everyone who divorces and wants to re-marry wants the permission of their church. If they can’t get it from the CC, then they seek another church which accepts this.
Church shopping.
Sadly, this is an example of creating a god after one’s own image, rather than conforming one’s views to God’s.
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George14
Guest
Many of those walkijg may not be aware that the grounds for annulment would apply to their marriages, in that behavior that shows up later in life can indicate a defect that was there at the time of the marriage. For example, infidelity possibly betrays an inital defect in the promise, or psychological issues were so severe that despite appearances they reveal incapacity of one kind or another.
Far from making excuses, the process is intent at getting to the truth, and truth has a way of hiding. A casual discussion with the moderator of RCIA is insufficient for exploring such things, and many stop there…
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Marie5890
Guest
Most people arent that spiritually mature to think in those terms.
People who are coming to RCIA are looking to be part of a faith community. And they feel marginalized because of their past…
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Marie5890
Guest
Agreed.
But for many that I have seen come and leave, their past is something they leave in the past and have moved on.
For those of us who have been taught the Church’s teaching, we “get it”…
For others, it just looks like hoop jumping/red tape/beauracy (sp?)…And if they have been thru a tough and messy divorce, they have zero desire to go thru all of it, all over again…
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PRmerger
Guest
I get that.
But let’s just be clear. Divorce and re-marriage is adultery. These are not our words, but the words of Christ, and any person who says, “I disagree with the Catholic Church’s position on divorce and re-marriage” is actually saying, astonishingly, “I disagree with Christ’s position on divorce and re-marriage.”
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RyanBlack
Guest
Something that is really quite common. I suspect everyone has been guilty of this at some point.
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PRmerger
Guest
I don’t think I have.
While I have been guilty of a lot of other things, I am pretty sure I am not guilty of this.
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RyanBlack
Guest
I doubt it–coming from you or anybody else. There’s no reason to get all defensive over it. It’s really the same sin as that of our first parents. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is prone to it.
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PRmerger
Guest
And yet here you are condemning others?
Or are you saying, “I am not condemning. I am simply pointing out an error.”
If it is the latter, then, right back at cha.
If it is the former, then why do you reserve for yourself the right to condemn yet condemn others for doing this?
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RyanBlack
Guest
Pick whichever makes you feel better about yourself. In either case, it appears to me that you are more accomplished at giving than receiving, which is probably true of me as well.
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PRmerger
Guest
I think you were simply pointing out what you believe is an error.
Same as I was.
To wit: church shopping is an error–it results in creating a god in one’s own image rather than conforming oneself to God’s image.
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Marie5890
Guest
I am clear about that…I get that.
But let’s just be clear. Divorce and re-marriage is adultery. These are not our words, but the words of Christ, and any person who says, “I disagree with the Catholic Church’s position on divorce and re-marriage” is actually saying, astonishingly, “I disagree with Christ’s position on divorce and re-marriage.”
Im just explaining why many people dont come into communion with the Church and walk away…
People are baffled as to why they are drawn to other denominations. They shouldnt be. This is one of the biggies.
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PRmerger
Guest
Indeed.People are baffled as to why they are drawn to other denominations. They shouldnt be. This is one of the biggies.
This, and someone dissing them (priest, principal, fellow Catholic in the pew).
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Misplaced_Book
Guest
People leave the Latin Communion for all sorts of reasons. I think it is not a good idea to generalize about this.
I left the Latin Church because I came to believe I was on the wrong side of the Schism, so I hopped the fence. There was no malice or bitterness in this decision, it was a painful realization that I had to address.
Not everyone who leaves, leaves because they are ignorant or angry, or bitter about something. Roman Catholicism is quite logical and sound…but it depends on one thing: That the Pope is who he says he is, and has the authority he claims. If that belief is broken, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards. That is what happened to me.
My belief in Universal Jurisdiction and Papal Supremacy was shattered into a million pieces, and couldn’t be rebuilt. That is why I am where I am. I was a 3rd Degree Knight, Vice President of my Newman Center, and quite involved in the Faith. Once I discovered the Orthodox Faith, there was no going back.
I left the Latin Church because I came to believe I was on the wrong side of the Schism, so I hopped the fence. There was no malice or bitterness in this decision, it was a painful realization that I had to address.
Not everyone who leaves, leaves because they are ignorant or angry, or bitter about something. Roman Catholicism is quite logical and sound…but it depends on one thing: That the Pope is who he says he is, and has the authority he claims. If that belief is broken, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards. That is what happened to me.
My belief in Universal Jurisdiction and Papal Supremacy was shattered into a million pieces, and couldn’t be rebuilt. That is why I am where I am. I was a 3rd Degree Knight, Vice President of my Newman Center, and quite involved in the Faith. Once I discovered the Orthodox Faith, there was no going back.
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PRmerger
Guest
I think you are operating under a misapprehension that folks in this thread have made any generalizations, at all, about why people leave the CC.
No one–not a single person–has posited anything at all about “everyone” who leaves the CC.
No one has said a single “generalization” as it pertains to why people leave.
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