Going to hell for leaving the Catholic church

[eucharisteo]

*I enjoyed reading your post eucharisteo - it was sincere and rings true. You will be blessed for taking a stand on your Faith - the last beatitude comes to mind.

I understand how people envy converts because they want that experience. I often feel that way when I read of Jewish converts. However conversion is ongoing - we constantly experience conversion as we grow in our Faith. I am a revert after 27 years and I love my Catholic Faith - it has such beauty - there is beauty in truth. My husband converted from atheism - it took a long time but now when I see him going to Holy Communion every day my heart glows and swells. His faith is beautiful to behold.

On the other hand only one of my four children is Christian and this hurts. I can see that only the Holy Spirit can help and yet when I remember how cynical my husband used to be I know that anything is possible. All I can do is pray. My children are so influenced by the secular society. Like St Monica I must persevere.

Cinette*

My, That is inspiring about your husband. Yet to endure your children’s lack of faith in God must be heartbreaking. I’ll pray you you and them.

 

[Cinette]

My, That is inspiring about your husband. Yet to endure your children’s lack of faith in God must be heartbreaking. I’ll pray you you and them.

*Thank you so very much eucharisteo.

Blessings
Cinette*

 

[heavens_manna]

Hi! I converted to Catholicism seven years ago and I just wanted to let you know that without my protestant background, I would not have loved the Catholic faith as I do today.

As I learned, Hell is an existence separated from God. You are converting to another Christian faith continuing your relationship with God.

I wish you luck in your new journey!!

 

[PJM]

=distracted;6661706]i dont see how anyone can ascertain exactly waht reasons any given person has for leaving the Chrch… People say they are leaving cuz they dont believe… maybe its true of some but others just say that cuz it sounds better than “i dont want to believe cuz i want to be able to marry this person… and can’t in the Church” … or “i wnat to use birth control”… or whatever…

Does not matter as far as the results! It’s abandoment of God!

**Mt. 16: 15 ** He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I [singular] tell you, you are Peter, [singular] and on this rock [singular] I will build my [singular] church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. [singular] 19 I God singular] will give you singular] **the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you ** [singular] bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

**Eph. 2:19 **So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, SINGULAR] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; SINGULAR] in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

**Heb.6 Verses 4 to 10:"**For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, chosen by God for His CC] who have tasted the heavenly gift, [Eucharist] and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, [Confirmed in the Catholic Faith] and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, [By those empowered by God to understand and share His Word; His CC] ***if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned. ***

**Eph. 4: 4 **“There is one body [One Church] and one Spirit, One set of beliefs] just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, 5 one Lord, [One Triune God] one faith, One set of doctrine and dogma and Tradition] one baptism, By water in the Trinity] 6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

Not my words, BUT GOD’s WORDS. Amen!

 

[distracted]

Hi! I converted to Catholicism seven years ago and I just wanted to let you know that without my protestant background, I would not have loved the Catholic faith as I do today.

As I learned, Hell is an existence separated from God. You are converting to another Christian faith continuing your relationship with God.

I wish you luck in your new journey!!

for a long time i have had this thought:

that Protestants make the best Catholics

but reverts make great Catholics too…

those who have made a mess of their lives… and then come to realize… waht the Church (being catechized fully) could have saved them from… :banghead::hypno:uch::crying:

 

[distracted]

Does not matter as far as the results! It’s abandoment of God!

**Mt. 16: 15 ** He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I [singular] tell you, you are Peter, [singular] and on this rock [singular] I will build my [singular] church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. [singular] 19 I God singular] will give you singular] **the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you ** [singular] bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

**Eph. 2:19 **So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, SINGULAR] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; SINGULAR] in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

**Heb.6 Verses 4 to 10:"**For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, chosen by God for His CC] who have tasted the heavenly gift, [Eucharist] and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, [Confirmed in the Catholic Faith] and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, [By those empowered by God to understand and share His Word; His CC] ***if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned. ***

**Eph. 4: 4 **“There is one body [One Church] and one Spirit, One set of beliefs] just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, 5 one Lord, [One Triune God] one faith, One set of doctrine and dogma and Tradition] one baptism, By water in the Trinity] 6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

Not my words, BUT GOD’s WORDS. Amen!

yes but some really leave the Church out of ignorance… I know cuz i was one… I didn’t have freaking clue about what i was doing… just stopped going to Mass… never officially left the Church… funny thing is, though… as far as i w ent from the Church… i never, ever, even considered that there was any Church better… so i always wonder about people who leave for ANY reason…

i mean, if an uncatechized, clue-less sinner like me could have positive feelings toward the Church… and never formally leave… not even think of such a thing… just kinda makes me wonder about other “Catholics”…

but only God knows the heart…

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Now that part…finally you’re makin’ sense to me

yes but some really leave the Church out of ignorance… I know cuz i was one… I didn’t have freaking clue about what i was doing… just stopped going to Mass… never officially left the Church… funny thing is, though… as far as i w ent from the Church… i never, ever, even considered that there was any Church better… so i always wonder about people who leave for ANY reason…

i mean, if an uncatechized, clue-less sinner like me could have positive feelings toward the Church… and never formally leave… not even think of such a thing… just kinda makes me wonder about other “Catholics”…

**but only God knows the heart…/**QUOTE]

 

[eucharisteo]

yes but some really leave the Church out of ignorance… I know cuz i was one… I didn’t have freaking clue about what i was doing… just stopped going to Mass… never officially left the Church… funny thing is, though… as far as i w ent from the Church… i never, ever, even considered that there was any Church better… so i always wonder about people who leave for ANY reason…

i mean, if an uncatechized, clue-less sinner like me could have positive feelings toward the Church… and never formally leave… not even think of such a thing… just kinda makes me wonder about other “Catholics”…

but only God knows the heart…

That is the part that none of us are qualified to answer and why we should be charitable towards Catholics that leave the faith. We do not know what force or event in their lives caused them to stumble or the turn of events that caused them to lose faith in the organization called the Catholic Church. They may end up believing that another organization is the real Church that Christ founded or that the Catholic leaders are lying, evident by all the deception going on behind the scenes caused by scandal and the fact that the bishops or the priests have stood up publicly to speak out against those that are guilty of hurting, at least not until it it decades too late.

Give em a break, I’ve been there. It took time to heal and to recognize truth once you realize that truth is greatly lacking in so many other faiths. We do have the basics in common, but the rest is just a vast ocean of stripped down Catholic rejection.

 

[Dum_Spiro_Spero]

Just because you doubt or don’t believe it, doesn’t invalidate what you have said…yes, those who turn their back on The Church, turn their backs on Christ and The Holy Spirit…I hope you change your mind

I was raised Catholic, am now in my early 20’s, and have recently made the decision to leave the Catholic church. I was curious about what the Catholic church itself would say about me leaving, and according to the Catechism, someone who has full knowledge of the church’s mission, beliefs etc, and then leaves the Catholic church, will not achieve salvation. It sounds like I’m going to hell.

This seems kind of weird. I suppose I can understand how the Catholic church got so big if it has a “you go to hell if you leave” clause in the Catechism.

Thoughts?

 

[eucharisteo]

Just because you doubt or don’t believe it, doesn’t invalidate what you have said…yes, those who turn their back on The Church, turn their backs on Christ and The Holy Spirit…I hope you change your mind

I believe that this young man is likely to return. His reasoning for leaving is obviously poor catechizes. We should just pray for the guy now. I believe he’s been inactive for a while. He probably wants to discern what he believes, whether misguided or not. Having fell into the same trap 21 years ago in my 20’s thinking I was catechized well too, my heart goes out to those like this. I pray continually for them and do acts of penance for my sin as well as those who fall prey to these deceptions. There are many reasons people fall into them. We have to trust that God will lead them back home and not be the impediment preventing them from returning. Charity, forgiveness and teaching.

 

[PJM]

=distracted;6684869]yes but some really leave the Church out of ignorance… I know cuz i was one… I didn’t have freaking clue about what i was doing… just stopped going to Mass… never officially left the Church… funny thing is, though… as far as i w ent from the Church… i never, ever, even considered that there was any Church better… so i always wonder about people who leave for ANY reason…

i mean, if an uncatechized, clue-less sinner like me could have positive feelings toward the Church… and never formally leave… not even think of such a thing… just kinda makes me wonder about other “Catholics”…

but only God knows the heart…

GOOD POINT:thumbsup:

Faith, whitch requires Wisdom and Understanding; like GRACE itself, are allocated by God as He sees fit to do. But we can pray for these gifts.

 

[distracted]

That is the part that none of us are qualified to answer and why we should be charitable towards Catholics that leave the faith. We do not know what force or event in their lives caused them to stumble or the turn of events that caused them to lose faith in the organization called the Catholic Church. They may end up believing that another organization is the real Church that Christ founded or that the Catholic leaders are lying, evident by all the deception going on behind the scenes caused by scandal and the fact that the bishops or the priests have stood up publicly to speak out against those that are guilty of hurting, at least not until it it decades too late.

Give em a break, I’ve been there. It took time to heal and to recognize truth once you realize that truth is greatly lacking in so many other faiths. We do have the basics in common, but the rest is just a vast ocean of stripped down Catholic rejection.

yes, sometimes posters here can act like there is absolutely NO excuse for leaving the Church… To me, there kind of is NOT an excuse if the person is catechized… so THAT i can u/stand… but yrs ago i was NOT catechized by a long shot, even though cradle Catholic…

i can’t u/stand priests leaving… like Martin Luther… who knew the Real Presence (Or did he?)

A. Greely… dont know much about him… but i dont know cuz i dont want to know… about such people… To me, they have lost their credibility and i have no real interest in reading their books, which are probably full of heresy…

If people knew what I myself know… they would never dream of leaving the Catholic Church… and if thye had been through what i have been through… before and after “leaving”… altho like i said, i never really, officially left… Even when un-catechized, i knew the Catholic Church was a very good thing… and i think (know) that i realized, even in my great ignorance… that She was THE Church… although this thought was somehow lost in the murky depths of my gray matter… for many yrs… until i came back to Jesus, then to the Church…and began to become catechized… and began to ***spend a lot of time at the Blessed Sacrament… ***

 

[eucharisteo]

Time before the Blessed Sacrament seems to be the common thread of bringing people closer to Christ.

 

[CMatt25]

We’ve had mixed responses but here’s another quote which appears to say the Catholic Church ignores Christ’s warnings not to judge and instead pronounces judgement to hell.

“Whoever wishes to be saved, needs above all to hold the Catholic faith; unless each one preserves this whole and inviolate, **he will without a doubt perish **in eternity.” (SOURCE: Denzinger’s Enchiridion Symbolorum; The Sources of Catholic Dogma; 30th edition, # 39)

 

[distracted]

Does not matter as far as the results! It’s abandoment of God!

**Mt. 16: 15 ** He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I [singular] tell you, you are Peter, [singular] and on this rock [singular] I will build my [singular] church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. [singular] 19 I God singular] will give you singular] **the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you ** [singular] bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

**Eph. 2:19 **So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, SINGULAR] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; SINGULAR] in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

**Heb.6 Verses 4 to 10:"**For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, chosen by God for His CC] who have tasted the heavenly gift, [Eucharist] and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, [Confirmed in the Catholic Faith] and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, [By those empowered by God to understand and share His Word; His CC] ***if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned. ***

**Eph. 4: 4 **“There is one body [One Church] and one Spirit, One set of beliefs] just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, 5 one Lord, [One Triune God] one faith, One set of doctrine and dogma and Tradition] one baptism, By water in the Trinity] 6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

Not my words, BUT GOD’s WORDS. Amen!

for future reference… and to save you time… i have read the entire Bible… am now reading parts of it over again… I’ve read the Catechism and a lot of Church history … and the saints…

i have to say i understand probably… uh 85-90% of it but that one about being restored to repentance… i think there are many interpretations of that one… not sure if the Church takes an absolute stand on the correct interpretation of that one? My own take on it is that it is speaking only of those who KNOW that the Catholic Church is true… that Jesus is real and etc… and yet they reject the contraints the Church puts them or wahtever… and so go away from it… Even so… i dont think it means they will (all) go straight to Hell when they die… If a person leaves the Church and yet keeps the law that s/he has learned there… and tries to follow Jesus… there could be hope for that person… unless the person officialy rejects the Churc and does so until death… that’s a different story… but in any case… I know what i need to know… and i dont see how anyone can leave the Church if s/he knows (has experienced) what i know (have experienced)…

 

[distracted]

Hi! I converted to Catholicism seven years ago and I just wanted to let you know that without my protestant background, I would not have loved the Catholic faith as I do today.

As I learned, Hell is an existence separated from God. You are converting to another Christian faith continuing your relationship with God.

!!

i have never been (officially) protestant, never rejected the Catholic Church… (cradle Catholic…) but in ignorance i fell away from it… went “my own way” which is really the devil’s way… cuz i was… ignorant… not catechized!!

i know what you are saying… i appreciate the Catholic faith so much more because of what i have been through… You never know what you have until its gone…

i think that’s why there are more liberal priests than there are (so it seems) liberal laity… The laity - generally speaking - know the evil that’s out there in the world… a lot of priests live in a Catholic world all their lives… Catholic parents, Catholic teachers, etc… They don’t know what its like to be the victim of unChristian people to any extent terrible… I do… I know exactly waht the Church could have saved me from… if only i had known what i know now…

 

[distracted]

Time before the Blessed Sacrament seems to be the common thread of bringing people closer to Christ.

The Real Presence is what makes me a believer…

i question things to death… so in the past when i would read the Bible at home… i would read something and… well, for example, the way God told his people to take others’ land from them and kill all of them, even children. I was horrified when i read that the 1st time… but i noticed that i could heaer the exact same thing read at the mass readings and i would just automatically accept it… kinda weird… but anyhow… If a person doesn’t have knoweldge of history and … etc… s/he can base belief on… understanding. I know u/stand that God sees things quite differently than we do. If the Isrealites were allowed to let the children live, the children would grow up and hate them and rebel and cause trouble in the community… and also children are usually taught their parents evil ways… I still think it sounds awful but am far more accepting of such things now that i have done some studying… and because of the Real Presence.

when i am out in the world and things go wrong… i can have moments when i lose my faith… but thinking of the Real Presence snaps me out of this doubt instantly…

i keep getting this thought that if it weren’t for the RP i would NOT be a Christian… Well, i probably would be… but definitely would NOT be a devout one…

 

[PJM]

=distracted; for future reference… and to save you time… i have read the entire Bible… am now reading parts of it over again… I’ve read the Catechism and a lot of Church history … and the saints…

i have to say i understand probably… uh 85-90% of it but that one about being restored to repentance… i think there are many interpretations of that one… not sure if the Church takes an absolute stand on the correct interpretation of that one? My own take on it is that it is speaking only of those who KNOW that the Catholic Church is true… that Jesus is real and etc… and yet they reject the contraints the Church puts them or wahtever… and so go away from it… Even so… i dont think it means they will (all) go straight to Hell when they die… If a person leaves the Church and yet keeps the law that s/he has learned there… and tries to follow Jesus… there could be hope for that person… unless the person officialy rejects the Churc and does so until death… that’s a different story… but in any case… I know what i need to know… and i dont see how anyone can leave the Church if s/he knows (has experienced) what i know (have experienced)…

***Your understanding is largely correct; however the issue of not knowing with cupability arrises.

Especially in these days of easy to get information. GOD WILL because GOD HAS too judge us on what He God gives us the opportunity to know; not simply what we know or what we choose to accept.

Anytime we are confronted with a position different from that which the CC holds to be the SINGULAR Truth; one who is concerned about there Eternal salvation ought to futher research the issue and PRAY extensively FOR WISDM AND UNDERSTANDING rather than simply suscribing to the theory that “my opinion is as vaid as theres.”***

Love and prayers,

Pat

 

[distracted]

***Your understanding is largely correct; however the issue of not knowing with cupability arrises.

Especially in these days of easy to get information. GOD WILL because GOD HAS too judge us on what He God gives us the opportunity to know; not simply what we know or what we choose to accept.

Anytime we are confronted with a position different from that which the CC holds to be the SINGULAR Truth; one who is concerned about there Eternal salvation ought to futher research the issue and PRAY extensively FOR WISDM AND UNDERSTANDING rather than simply suscribing to the theory that “my opinion is as vaid as theres.”***

Love and prayers,

Pat

yes, i just re-read the last sentence of my post and i have no idea why i didnt add… what you say… about culpability… maybe i am more hungry than i thought (low blood sugar or something)?

i think that in evanglizing, we should never assume that someone is going to make it to Heaven on the road he is currently on… That’s why i sound kinda… strong or whatever in some statments i make… i always assume that what Jesus said is true… sorry, i know that sounds odd… but what he said about not many finding the narrow rd that leads to eternal life… and i try to help them find that pathway to Heaven… If i come across as judgmental, as many posters accuse me of here… vritually ad nauseum… so be it… i care more about saving souls than i do about being called presumptious-sounding names…

 

[fecook]

Hitler, Mussolini, Ghengis Khan.
None of which the Church has declared to be “In Hell” as it was put. The Church has a system in place to affirm those in Heaven, but not hell. Why is this? We as Christians simply cannot fully understand/comprehend God’s love and his ability to forgive. We ponder it but in our carnality it is beyond us. So are you going to Hell for leaving the Church?

Don’t know. Not a definitive answer but by leaving the Church you go outside the realm of the system Christ set up so there you are. What writings can you find from Christ with regards to XYZ Church?

Shaky ground in my opinion, but that doesn’t mean condemnation.