Fallen Away Catholics

[carinapir]

I agree with Havana1 but in more general terms.

I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school my whole life but after High School there were no youth groups or activities that were of my age group. Perhaps I could have done more to seek them out but at college age you are way too cool to make that effort. Maybe going to Catholic school makes one complacent, I’m not sure. In hindsight (I’m 32 now) I feel that bridging the gap between adolescence and adulthood should be a major focus for the Church. Do any of you remember what it was like to be that age? Were you at your most devout? It’s your first taste of real freedom and it’s so easy to get distracted. The Church spends a lot of time working with children and RCIA but seems to leave certain groups out in the cold. Now, I don’t think that this in on purpose at all. I just think that Church members haven’t realized the issue yet.

I also think that converts have a very different perspective than those who were raised Catholic. RCIA classes set you up with others also converting, with a sponsor, a support group, but if you’ve been going to Sunday school all your life, once you “graduate” you are deemed fully catechized and sent on your merry way. Again, I don’t think this “abandonment” is intentional, and perhaps not all young people experience this, but it was my experience and, generally, that of my other Catholic school friends.

I also wanted to add that I fell away, firstly, because it was the first opportunity to experiment with not going to Church on Sunday and it stuck. And secondly because of “boy” issues. Let’s just say that boys at Catholic school are the same as other boys and don’t do much for the self-esteem. When unleashed upon the general population, it’s easy for a girl to get carried away. To me, I feel that falling away is a much more personal thing than what people here seem to think that it is, but perhaps that is just the limitations of the written word. It’s not always about stubbornly wanting to do what you want with your body and life. Sometimes there are (not to sound dramatic) emotional issues that a person cannot see through.

 

[havana1]

I agree with Havana1 but in more general terms.

I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school my whole life but after High School there were no youth groups or activities that were of my age group. Perhaps I could have done more to seek them out but at college age you are way too cool to make that effort. Maybe going to Catholic school makes one complacent, I’m not sure. In hindsight (I’m 32 now) I feel that bridging the gap between adolescence and adulthood should be a major focus for the Church. Do any of you remember what it was like to be that age? Were you at your most devout? It’s your first taste of real freedom and it’s so easy to get distracted. The Church spends a lot of time working with children and RCIA but seems to leave certain groups out in the cold. Now, I don’t think that this in on purpose at all. I just think that Church members haven’t realized the issue yet.

I also think that converts have a very different perspective than those who were raised Catholic. RCIA classes set you up with others also converting, with a sponsor, a support group, but if you’ve been going to Sunday school all your life, once you “graduate” you are deemed fully catechized and sent on your merry way. Again, I don’t think this “abandonment” is intentional, and perhaps not all young people experience this, but it was my experience and, generally, that of my other Catholic school friends.

“Abandonment” is an appropriate because that’s EXACTLY what it feels like: if you’re not married with kids by 30 (I’m mid-30’s), there’s something wrong with you and, if you actually take your faith seriously and go to church – the singles there stick out like a sore thumb – we might as well start wearing a new scarlet letter for the benefit of everyone who’s always staring. And, yes, they are staring – when you turn around to look at someone, and they turn to head to change their focus of vision, that’s evidence of staring.

There’s a serious double standard in the Church as to who gets “better” catechesis and attention. (I routinely hear people Fr. Corapi talk about “bad catechesis.”) When you’re talking about kids or teens, well, that’s ok. But, if you’re talking about 20’s/30’s+ adults, then it magically turns into wanting to be “entertained.” Does anybody accuse kids and teens of wanting to be “entertained”? No. Of course not. But the ridiculous canard of “wants to be entertained” gets tossed around nonchalantly when talking about single adults. It’s a double standard.

I really don’t think that many Catholics really do care about the “fallen away” singles. The “fallen away” families and kids? Yes. But, nobody ever calls SINGLES to “come home to Rome.” Nobody ever includes SINGLES in discussion of “fallen away Catholics.” We always have to raise our voices to be heard.

 

[anon5216]

There are also those of us who simply never personally experienced the spiritual substance of Catholicism - and did experience spiritual substance elsewhere.
That’s not to say I don’t think there is any substance there (Padre Pio definitely experienced the spiritual substance of Catholicism)

• just that I personally never experienced it.

We are not nourished by belief and ritual alone, nor are we satisfied with the purely social aspects of religion.
(This applies to entirely non-Christian religions as well).

That’s not to say rituals, socializing and beliefs don’t have value at their own level - they just don’t fulfill the need for direct experience of spiritual substance.

 

[fhansen]

I wanted to get everyone’s opinion on why most adult Catholics fall away from the Church. Do you think it poor Catholic education and they do not really know what the Church believes? Could it be that they have an issue with certain moral issues such as abortion? I appreciate evryones opinion.

God Bless,

For myself, even tho I was taught about God, I didn’t yet know I needed Him, let alone that this strange story of Jesus and His death and resurrection was true. Faith is not really found until its sought. And its not generally sought until one finds the need.