Having serious doubts!

[nkbeth]

Ahhhhh!!!
I figured out what was wrong with my view point!!!

I bet you cradle catholics are like
what’s this guys problem LOL.

Some churches have prosperity teaching. For example tithing is heavily taught in some churches, and by giving to God you are suppose to get a blessing.

Well Jehovah’s witness don’t tith.
But they HEAVILY teach that you will be blessed if you put forth a lot of effort in serving God.

If you came to them because you lost your job and couldn’t pay your
bills, they would think you were not doing enuff to serve God.

So basicly knowone told me that the teaching was not Catholic until
TODAY. Imagine getting out of a cult and into the church…that takes so much work, and the thought that God DEFINITELY was
going to bless me was a huge motiation.

So when nothing happened, I was disappointed because of all that work and sacrifice.

After reading most of the earlier posts in the thread I was so happy to read this one.

God has blessed you by making you a Catholic (it is His gift as well as our efforts to become and remain Catholic). He also blessed you now by showing you that serving Him is not meant to be some kind of guarantee of “prosperity” on earth.

Even as a cradle Catholic I’ve sometimes (or even often) had problems with this, thinking "well I’ve trusted Him to provide my earthly needs, to help me get a job, etc, and He has not given me just what I’ve asked for - why, why must I continue to be patient, why hasn’t He answered my prayers? But I am thinking of Him as if He were a human father spoiling His children, not as what He is, my Heavenly Father who knows what will truly satisfy the desires of my heart.

Pray to always trust Him however down you feel about your life. He loves you even in your imperfections and possible failure in being a “super Catholic” (whatever that is). Pray to know His will for you, and the tremendous help you can get in the Catholic Church.

I’ll pray for you. (Pray for me too)

 

[PJM]

=excaliber;5256041]I have searched and tried to serve God for as long as I can remember I served in the religion of my parents, Jehovah’s witness. And my own personal search lead me to the Catholic church under the bishop of rome. I have been baptised Catholic for 2 months and something is wrong!

Dear friend,

Know that you ARE home, in the only Church founded by Jesus Chrsit Himself, and the only place to receive validly the Seven sacraments, most especially Jesus Himself, not a sign or symbol, but actually Jesus.

Here is what I recommend that you do ASAP. Set up a meeting with you’re parsih Director of religious education, and share the entire story with him/her. Ask for more help.

Don’t stop there meet with you’re priest and see if he can give you 30 minutes a week in private instruction?

First of all I was in a terrible situation with the Jehovah’s witness’s, it was obviously not Lead by God because they couldn’t even get there own theology correct. It left me in bad shape financialy-emotionaly-spiritualy.

You have nothing spiritually in common with JW. As you said they ARE cult, and do not even believe in God. Having you’re fami;y against you is difficult but NOT more than you and Jesus can handle, if you will allow Him to assist you?

I went through rcia, alone mostly.my sponsor came mabey 2 times
in the whole year. I needed more help then anyone there, because everyone had someone sitting with them and helping them learn.

As an RCIA instructor myself for three years and ten additional years of sharing the faith, this really saddens me. But trust in God, and He will NOT abandon you! Do what i suggested above.

The two most awesome things about God is the “God is all and only everything good-Perfectly.” And our God is a very, very personal God.

[QIOTE] I got baptised started going to mass daily and just trying my hardest to figure out how to do rosary’s and what days were holy days etc…

Continue to go to daily Mass, and learn to pray the rosary. God answers all prayers that ar “for His greater glory and our GREATER GOOD.” Ayways and everytime, BUT, BUT, in His own way, and in His timeframe. Always end EVERY prayer, "Lord, NOT My will, buy your Will be done!

But nothing has changed, I am in just as bad shape as I was with Jehovah’s witness. That’s impossible! I actualy have prayed to the Holy Trinity, took communion, said rosary’s. SOMETHING should be better then when I was in a cult. I wake up woundering how Im getting through the day spiritualy, the second I wake up I feel just as disappointed and tierd spiritualy as I was when I went to sleep.

There are several reasons possible for this.

First you likely do not yet have a deep understanding of the Catholic Faith. fear not, time and practive resove this issue. Second, you may have unrealistic expetiations. God always answers prayers but conditionally to what I have shared above. Know that yiu are not in this fight alone. Satan is on one side, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are on the other.

Only when it is NOT going easy, can we know its going pretty close to the paln Jesus has for us.

I am just so tierd, I am Catholic but dependent on Jehovah’s witness’s…what sence dose that make? None.

Nope Actually despair and pride are the key tools of Satan who is madder than … because you left the cult and found Chrisr!

Something is wrong, and I am tierd of spending my whole life trying to figure out why my search for God seems to be destroying my current life.

Began reading the Catholic Bible New testament 10 to 15 minutes each day. Began each period with this prayer; “Come Holy Spirit and help me.” and end every secession with “Thank you jesus I love you!” DO IT!

Friend if you’re faith is no greater than this, the problem is you are not allowing, trusting God enough to make a difference in you’re life.

Heb. 12: 4 "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons?-- “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Friend, I commit to you my time talent experince and energy. I can teach you what you’re missing and don’t know. aew you willing to learn?

Love and prayer’s
Pat
Just thought I would post what’s going on, it couldn’t hurt.

 

[Rolltide]

I have learned what I needed to know. There is no prosperity teacching, do you understand the magnitude of this change!

Jw teach that the world and everything in it is evil, prosperity
comes from serving God, not pursuits in the world. This was false.

This is indeed tremendously important and a gigantic revelation. Perhaps a thread on how to live life as a Catholic where the prosperity gospel never comes into play would be a good thread topic.

This is huge for me, and explains 99.9 percent of my problems. I wounder what other teachings I built my life around that are false?

Well, that is indeed one of the roles of Mystagogia… to continue to discover new revelations of the faith (as opposed to just sitting back and thinking you’ve learned everything now that you’re done with RCIA). We could certainly try to help see if there are any other major points that you’ve missed or misunderstood.

What is the purpose in speaking to
other Catholics? They generaly are
not worth the effort, they are eather liberal and will mislead you…don’t know anything…etc…etc…

this is pointless.

Well no, it’s not. First of all, you’re talking to LOTS of Catholics on here and getting some really great advice! You know, we DO count, even though we’re online and not physically at your parish! lol Second, you are correct in that there are many “cultural Catholics” or those that don’t take the faith seriously, but this number is hardly 99.9%. Every parish will have a core of really solid Catholic families, and it’s those people that you should try to get to know. And if it seems like there aren’t any of those families at your church, it could just be your particular parish. There are loads of others remember. Third, you have to realize that not every Catholic is at the same place in their faith journey. Some are just returning to the faith. Some don’t take it seriously. Some didn’t take it seriously, but are just beginning to now. Others are faithful Catholics. Some have a simple faith, and are beginning to explore it in more depth. Some never do anything but faithfully go to mass every Sunday and holy day, and others volunteer in many different positions. There are many different types of Catholics, and the church has room for all of them. Humans are not perfect; we are all sinners, and the church is like a hospital for sinners. Some will recover, and others won’t, but it’s better to let them in the door, work on them, and give them a fighting chance than to write them off.

However people that share a similar interest, do become good friends. Like you and me both like history, and chinees food

ahh crispy chicken in garlic sauce!!

Yum… chicken…

 

[excaliber]

This is indeed tremendously important and a gigantic revelation. Perhaps a thread on how to live life as a Catholic where the prosperity gospel never comes into play would be a good thread topic.

Well, that is indeed one of the roles of Mystagogia… to continue to discover new revelations of the faith (as opposed to just sitting back and thinking you’ve learned everything now that you’re done with RCIA). We could certainly try to help see if there are any other major points that you’ve missed or misunderstood.

Well no, it’s not. First of all, you’re talking to LOTS of Catholics on here and getting some really great advice! You know, we DO count, even though we’re online and not physically at your parish! lol Second, you are correct in that there are many “cultural Catholics” or those that don’t take the faith seriously, but this number is hardly 99.9%. Every parish will have a core of really solid Catholic families, and it’s those people that you should try to get to know. And if it seems like there aren’t any of those families at your church, it could just be your particular parish. There are loads of others remember. Third, you have to realize that not every Catholic is at the same place in their faith journey. Some are just returning to the faith. Some don’t take it seriously. Some didn’t take it seriously, but are just beginning to now. Others are faithful Catholics. Some have a simple faith, and are beginning to explore it in more depth. Some never do anything but faithfully go to mass every Sunday and holy day, and others volunteer in many different positions. There are many different types of Catholics, and the church has room for all of them. Humans are not perfect; we are all sinners, and the church is like a hospital for sinners. Some will recover, and others won’t, but it’s better to let them in the door, work on them, and give them a fighting chance than to write them off.

Yum… chicken…

Yea and brown rice, not steamed rice.

Yea I forgot about the internet, I still got that Jw thinking, because
we were not encouraged to gather
online.

Man what a revelation!
This is going to take a while to absorb. Mabey it was wise for God
to let me in the church…THEN let
me find out about that LOL.

OH MY GOODNESS! Ok how about
this one! As a Jw I always learned
to try to find out what other people
want to hear, and how they expect
you to act…then conform to that.

Ofcourse for a Jw not to conform, can mean total isolation.

I see some Catholics, behaving how they want. Regardless of others around them. What truly is the wise course of action?

Can I realy go out and say what I want and wear what I want, regardless of what others think?

This would be almost impossible,
I have never been myself…never.

I have never said what I wanted, or how I feel. Its hard to do even
on computer.

We would go door to door preaching. And your job was to find out what the person needed and become all things to all people. But all the time!
Never a time to stop.

what do you think about this?

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

You want specifics?
well PM me and I will tell you some.

They are big problems, but not what you think. Trust me your situation is much different then mine.

How do you know what anyone thinks?

People here have been trying to offer you solutions and you turn each one down. Maybe you need to ask yourself what it is you’re really seeking.

And maybe you need to realize you are stronger than you claim.

 

[uselessbeggar]

Dear friend in Christ,
Living our wonderful faith is a daily challenge for everyone. You have your own special challenges but you are facing them and seeking help. This is the way to go.

In my humble opinion what you need is a true Catholic friend who is in love with Christ who will walk with you and pray for you and share the faith with you. Hard to find such a one when you are newly baptized.

You might try seeking someone who is willing to be such a friend, albiet long distance, on this forum - just as a beginning and TRUST in God to do the rest.

I believe that DESIRE is what Christ asks of us - a sincere desire to be with Him and He with you all the days of your life. He has a great desire for you - and has shone it by giving you the gift of faith.

As someone suggested, send a personal message to those who offer such a friendship and give it a try, trust in God all the while.

Feel free to contact me.

uselessbeggar

 

[Jim_Kite]

I have searched and tried to serve
God for as long as I can remember
I served in the religion of my parents, Jehovah’s witness.
And my own personal search lead me to the Catholic church under
the bishop of rome. I have been baptised Catholic for 2 months and something is wrong!

First of all I was in a terrible situation with the Jehovah’s witness’s, it was obviously not Lead by God because they couldn’t
even get there own theology correct. It left me in bad shape financialy-emotionaly-spiritualy.

I went through rcia, alone mostly.
my sponsor came mabey 2 times
in the whole year. And my sponsor
didn’t even know I was in rcia till
the last minuet. Keep in mind that
I needed more help then anyone there, because everyone had someone sitting with them and helping them learn. And my sponsor didn’t even know I was there.

But I didn’t care because I knew God would take care of me, I thought mabey God had a reason
for me being there alone.

I got baptised started going to mass daily and just trying my hardest to figure out how to do
rosary’s and what days were holy
days etc…

But nothing has changed, I am in just as bad shape as I was with Jehovah’s witness. That’s impossible! I actualy have prayed
to the Holy Trinity, took communion, said rosary’s. SOMETHING should be better then
when I was in a cult. I wake up woundering how Im getting through the day spiritualy, the second I wake up I feel just as disappointed and tierd spiritualy as
I was when I went to sleep.

I am just so tierd, I am Catholic but dependent on Jehovah’s witness’s…what sence dose that
make? None.
Something is wrong, and I am tierd of spending my whole life trying to figure out why my search
for God seems to be destroying my
current life.

acording to the bible this is impossible. You canot seek first the kingdom and have nothing.
What I see in my life goes against
every scripture that assured me
that God would see me through.

So then what am I to think?
Keep on suffering? Use what little
spiritual energy I have left to look
into the Orthodox or Judaism or islam? Im realy tierd of this.
Just thought I would post what’s going on, it couldn’t hurt.

 

[Jim_Kite]

Jim_Kite:
HI, I am a convert to catholicism and was alone during my instrucition sessions. My parents weren’t involved & I did this right after high school. I did as you pretty much and at times wondered about the TRUTH and was I right. there are many challenges to be a convert and I have had some tough experiences in my sojourn in the church. It took me a number of years to realize and accept, beyond a doubt that I made the correct decision.
you said that you say the rosary, I will give you some clues to “praying” the rosary, to make it a more effective prayer. As you recite the prayers, visualize the presence of Jesus, God the Father, the Holy Spiriit, Mary and others if you wish. put yourself in the scene indicated by the mystery that you are on. See the persons present, be close to them, talk directly to them and not just speak to the air. Hold the babe Christ in your arms for example, hold the battered Christ in your arms & as you do see our Blessed Mother there watching you, look up to heaven as you hold Christ in your arms and say the our Father and thank our Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus for their sacrifice and offer this up for your intentions. Hold Jesus in your arms in the Garden and substitute yourself in the scene where the angel comes to give him spiritual food–Hold Jesus in your arms at this time and show Him your Rosary as that spiritual food. Remember God&Jesus know the past- present and future, so at that time as you put yourself there now, they know of it then…Open the bible and follow along visually and put yourself in the scenes as you pray.
ALWAYS ASK FOR A TEACHING When you go to mass and when you say the Rosary.
Be sure to learn the Divine Mercy prayers and what they mean.
I had many questions and challenges and the belief in the Sacraments have kept me in the Church. Remember Jesus and our Blessed Mother will never fail you. I have concluded that this interim life here is a constant challenge and God tests those to develope Spritual strength through spiritual exercises.
can contact me at: kite5verizon.net
God Bless !

 

[philhofs]

I have searched and tried to serve
God for as long as I can remember
I served in the religion of my parents, Jehovah’s witness.
And my own personal search lead me to the Catholic church under
the bishop of rome. I have been baptised Catholic for 2 months and something is wrong!

First of all I was in a terrible situation with the Jehovah’s witness’s, it was obviously not Lead by God because they couldn’t
even get there own theology correct. It left me in bad shape financialy-emotionaly-spiritualy.

I went through rcia, alone mostly.
my sponsor came mabey 2 times
in the whole year. And my sponsor
didn’t even know I was in rcia till
the last minuet. Keep in mind that
I needed more help then anyone there, because everyone had someone sitting with them and helping them learn. And my sponsor didn’t even know I was there.

But I didn’t care because I knew God would take care of me, I thought mabey God had a reason
for me being there alone.

I got baptised started going to mass daily and just trying my hardest to figure out how to do
rosary’s and what days were holy
days etc…

But nothing has changed, I am in just as bad shape as I was with Jehovah’s witness. That’s impossible! I actualy have prayed
to the Holy Trinity, took communion, said rosary’s. SOMETHING should be better then
when I was in a cult. I wake up woundering how Im getting through the day spiritualy, the second I wake up I feel just as disappointed and tierd spiritualy as
I was when I went to sleep.

I am just so tierd, I am Catholic but dependent on Jehovah’s witness’s…what sence dose that
make? None.
Something is wrong, and I am tierd of spending my whole life trying to figure out why my search
for God seems to be destroying my
current life.

acording to the bible this is impossible. You canot seek first the kingdom and have nothing.
What I see in my life goes against
every scripture that assured me
that God would see me through.

So then what am I to think?
Keep on suffering? Use what little
spiritual energy I have left to look
into the Orthodox or Judaism or islam? Im realy tierd of this.
Just thought I would post what’s going on, it couldn’t hurt.

 

[philhofs]

There is a major gift that you as a Catholic possess that no other religion has and that is the Eucharist. Pour your questions and doubts at His feet and be patient. God will answer you and draw you closer. My faith in the Eucharist has sustained me for years. Every time I wandered it was this great Gift that drew me back. I found an awesome sight that reiterates and explains the faith so that you may understand it.catholictelevision.org/index.php?nav=03&content=03 You can listen to an explanation of your faith so you may understand and defend it.

 

[Rolltide]

Yea and brown rice, not steamed rice.

Ah ha… see, it’s fried rice for me!

Yea I forgot about the internet, I still got that Jw thinking, because
we were not encouraged to gather
online.

Man what a revelation!
This is going to take a while to absorb. Mabey it was wise for God
to let me in the church…THEN let
me find out about that LOL.

There is no doubt that it will take time for a transformation in the way you live and think about your life.

OH MY GOODNESS! Ok how about
this one! As a Jw I always learned
to try to find out what other people
want to hear, and how they expect
you to act…then conform to that.

Ofcourse for a Jw not to conform, can mean total isolation.

I see some Catholics, behaving how they want. Regardless of others around them. What truly is the wise course of action?

Well, you’re certainly free to act however you want, regardless of others, within the confines of Catholic morality, of course. But yes, Catholicism likes individuals, and has always had numerous unique personalities that have put their stamp on the church.

Can I realy go out and say what I want and wear what I want, regardless of what others think?

Yep. Just don’t show up to Mass in a swimsuit or something! lol But you are free to participate as much or as little as you like at your parish, and your private life is yours to do with whatever you please.

This would be almost impossible,
I have never been myself…never.

I have never said what I wanted, or how I feel. Its hard to do even
on computer.

We would go door to door preaching. And your job was to find out what the person needed and become all things to all people. But all the time!
Never a time to stop.

what do you think about this?

I think it’s an important revelation, and one that’s going to take time to get used to. You’ve just spent an enormous amount of time rediscovering your faith. Now maybe it’s time to spend a little effort rediscovering yourself; who you are, what you like and dislike, and what you believe, apart from your faith.

 

[Provigil]

I have searched and tried to serve
God for as long as I can remember
I served in the religion of my parents, Jehovah’s witness.
And my own personal search lead me to the Catholic church under
the bishop of rome. I have been baptised Catholic for 2 months and something is wrong!

First of all I was in a terrible situation with the Jehovah’s witness’s, it was obviously not Lead by God because they couldn’t
even get there own theology correct. It left me in bad shape financialy-emotionaly-spiritualy.

I went through rcia, alone mostly.
my sponsor came mabey 2 times
in the whole year. And my sponsor
didn’t even know I was in rcia till
the last minuet. Keep in mind that
I needed more help then anyone there, because everyone had someone sitting with them and helping them learn. And my sponsor didn’t even know I was there.

But I didn’t care because I knew God would take care of me, I thought mabey God had a reason
for me being there alone.

I got baptised started going to mass daily and just trying my hardest to figure out how to do
rosary’s and what days were holy
days etc…

But nothing has changed, I am in just as bad shape as I was with Jehovah’s witness. That’s impossible! I actualy have prayed
to the Holy Trinity, took communion, said rosary’s. SOMETHING should be better then
when I was in a cult. I wake up woundering how Im getting through the day spiritualy, the second I wake up I feel just as disappointed and tierd spiritualy as
I was when I went to sleep.

I am just so tierd, I am Catholic but dependent on Jehovah’s witness’s…what sence dose that
make? None.
Something is wrong, and I am tierd of spending my whole life trying to figure out why my search
for God seems to be destroying my
current life.

acording to the bible this is impossible. You canot seek first the kingdom and have nothing.
What I see in my life goes against
every scripture that assured me
that God would see me through.

So then what am I to think?
Keep on suffering? Use what little
spiritual energy I have left to look
into the Orthodox or Judaism or islam? Im realy tierd of this.
Just thought I would post what’s going on, it couldn’t hurt.

 

[Provigil]

I apologize for your treating in such a matter.
Usually the RCIA are excellent sources in knowing your faith.

Half the time, pastor’s do not know what is going on so just ignore that.

You are being LUKEWARM. You want to be Catholic, but are urning toward the Jehova Witnes for directions which is wrong–you either want to be Catholic or not.

If you have questions, go to the pastor. Try to get ivnolved in whatever a member of the church you belong to.

You went through the process of the RCIA so forgot about your former religion and rely on the Catholics.

May the blessings of God bless you during your time of testing.
PROVIGIL

 

[Rolltide]

You are being LUKEWARM. You want to be Catholic, but are urning toward the Jehova Witnes for directions which is wrong–you either want to be Catholic or not.

You went through the process of the RCIA so forgot about your former religion and rely on the Catholics.

I’ve known Excaliber for almost two years now. I was one of those who helped lead Excaliber to the Catholic Church, so there’s some things you should know about his situation. First, he definitely wants to be Catholic. The problem is that literally everyone in his family and everyone that he knows as a friend is a JW. The JW’s practice what’s known as “disfellowship”, which is the same as shunning. If he is not careful to hide his faith from his relatives, he will be cut off from them almost completely and forever. If he even had a Catholic friend that was known to them, he could be in trouble. Excaliber actually worked in the main headquarters of the JW’s in Brooklyn, where he was given a place to live, until he experienced racism and was thrown out after cutbacks with no warning and no way to survive. JW’s believe the world will end in their lifetime, so he has no job skills, no training, and it’s difficult for him to get back on his feet. So, without the support of his family right now, he’s got some real problems. This might help you understand some of the dilemma he faces everyday as he tries to straddle the line between staying in touch with his family and practicing his new faith.

 

[Provigil]

ROLLTIDE:

He’ll have to make up his mind–do I love my parents more than the Catholic Church?

If his parents’ cut him off, they are truly not understanding people. When a person reaches an age of reason, he is old enough to know what is right and wrong.

You proclamated he has no skills. There are a lot of agencies that will teach him skills and even for free.

But if he worried more about his family and relatives, than in essence, he is not sure about the Catholic Church.

There are always friends he can stay with if he is seriously that POTENT in wanting to be a Catholic. Why not stay with you. It perceives that you are good friends with him.

I know becoming a Catholic and having to live with JW cannot and will not be an easy asset for him.

If you are such good friends with him, can’t you suggest some ideas?

Thank you and may ALmighty God help and intercede for you and one day become a Catholic.

In His Divine Mercy,
PROVIGIL

 

[cdanison]

Excaliber,
I am so sorry that you have had no one to help you along the way in becoming Catholic. You certainly should have had a caring sponsor to help you on your faith journey in RCIA. Did you speak to your RCIA leaders about it? But all is not lost. You are attending Mass, and are receiving the Eucharist. Learning everything about the Mass takes time. There are some prayers that I still have not memorized and I was a convert from 2004. I use the Missal for the Creed because I cannot memorize it. I get confused every time I try to say it without the Missal. The Holy Days of Obligation should be stated in your church bulletin. Our Priest also makes an announcement. You are not going to get it all perfect for a while. Give yourself time. Don’t try to mix the two religions. God loves you and He is a very patient God. You need patience with yourself. Be calm and do your best. You will get things together soon. You cannot expect to be the perfect Catholic in two months. It takes some of us years.

God Bless, and I will be praying for you.

 

[excaliber]

ROLLTIDE:

He’ll have to make up his mind–do I love my parents more than the Catholic Church?

If his parents’ cut him off, they are truly not understanding people. When a person reaches an age of reason, he is old enough to know what is right and wrong.

You proclamated he has no skills. There are a lot of agencies that will teach him skills and even for free.

But if he worried more about his family and relatives, than in essence, he is not sure about the Catholic Church.

There are always friends he can stay with if he is seriously that POTENT in wanting to be a Catholic. Why not stay with you. It perceives that you are good friends with him.

I know becoming a Catholic and having to live with JW cannot and will not be an easy asset for him.

If you are such good friends with him, can’t you suggest some ideas?

Thank you and may ALmighty God help and intercede for you and one day become a Catholic.

In His Divine Mercy,
PROVIGIL

Hello PROVIGIL

I hope you don’t take offense to
this, but I had to use your post because its the perfect example
of why my problem is sooo complicated.

Catholics for the most part do not
UNDERSTAND cults. If I were to
completely leave the JW, I would
then be completely reliant on people that don’t understand me…OR how to help someone who was in a cult.

I would be in a very BAD situation!

I have a few friends that know of my situation, a few that were in the same cult. THEY ALL have kids
and family, not one actualy has the
TIME to give me ALL the support
I need NOW…let alone if I am cut
of from all my family.

AH yes I remember the good old days when I was just like provigil.
You were eather hot or cold…in or
out. You eather love God or you don’t. Ahh those were the good old days, now I know that things are not that easy. The straight and
narrow road is not so straight.
If it was straight I would never have been a Jehovah’s witness, I would have known it was false.

I may have been damaged in ways
I don’t even know yet. Im in my financial situation at one of the worst times in my lifetime.
Who is giving this free training you
speak of? If there were I would have taken that rout, but its not that easy. I don’t know of anyone ofering free training, and the training that you pay for dosent even asure you a job in this economy.

What about depression? I just realized that I have almost ruined
my life, Im stuck with Catholics that can’t understand Jw’s and Jw’s that think Catholics are complete pagans…no middle ground. Jw children are raised without birthdays without participation in school sports or parties, you basicly go threw a morning period for your childhood.

Oh did I mention I don’t have a family myself. Now that’s no big deal to most people, because they
don’t understand me as a person,
they assume I am like them.

But mabey 3 or 4 years ago I decided to have a family, because
I simply was not happy alone.
Then I found out about the Catholic church.

I didn’t think it was a big deal
until I found out HOW DIFFERENT Catholic women are compared to
JW women. Trust me I have spoken to Catholic women, most of which don’t even care about making friends with people in there faith.
I could marry a JW but when she
finds out about the catholic church
it will be world war 3 over the children. So I end up screwd if I get married because I can’t technicaly marry in the faith, and I am screwd if I don’t get married
because it is completely opposed to my whole personality, it would be stupid for me to even try to be
celibate.

I could go on and on about problems I don’t even know how to BEGIN to find the answer to, let
alone it be so simple as to be hot or cold. So sure I will be hot…as soon as I figure out how.

 

[Rolltide]

ROLLTIDE:

He’ll have to make up his mind–do I love my parents more than the Catholic Church?

Oh, if it were just that simple. Even though Excaliber has responded well, let me make a few more points.

If his parents’ cut him off, they are truly not understanding people. When a person reaches an age of reason, he is old enough to know what is right and wrong.

What you fail to understand about the Jehovah’s Witnesses is that they are virtually a cult. His parents are essentially brainwashed into believing JW theology. It’s not a matter of whether they are understanding… they may have actually lost that ability from the detrimental effects of JW culture.

You proclamated he has no skills. There are a lot of agencies that will teach him skills and even for free.

This is true. I am assisting him as best I can at finding such resources.

But if he worried more about his family and relatives, than in essence, he is not sure about the Catholic Church.

How so? Many early Christians, and plenty today in places like the Middle East and China, have to hide their faith. Why do his parents need to know about his Catholicism? After debating this for some time, Excaliber and I concluded that the best course of action would be to keep his faith hidden for the time being. In this way, he might be able to subtly suggest problems with JW theology to his family, so as they might also have a way out. JW’s are not encouraged to read ANY type of outside literature or to question the faith. If he can plant just enough seeds of doubt in their mind, he might have a reasonable chance at helping them see the light too. This seems more reasonable than destroying all hope of contact and a relationship with them.

There are always friends he can stay with if he is seriously that POTENT in wanting to be a Catholic. Why not stay with you. It perceives that you are good friends with him.

Well for one, I live more than 1000 miles away from him. He also has absolutely no friends or family of any type in my part of the country.

I know becoming a Catholic and having to live with JW cannot and will not be an easy asset for him.

If you are such good friends with him, can’t you suggest some ideas?

I have suggested ideas and continue to do so. Some have helped! You can’t undo so much damage in a day.

Thank you and may ALmighty God help and intercede for you and one day become a Catholic.

Excaliber was blessed to enter the Catholic Church this past Easter Vigil!

 

[excaliber]

Oh, if it were just that simple. Even though Excaliber has responded well, let me make a few more points.

What you fail to understand about the Jehovah’s Witnesses is that they are virtually a cult. His parents are essentially brainwashed into believing JW theology. It’s not a matter of whether they are understanding… they may have actually lost that ability from the detrimental effects of JW culture.

This is true. I am assisting him as best I can at finding such resources.

How so? Many early Christians, and plenty today in places like the Middle East and China, have to hide their faith. Why do his parents need to know about his Catholicism? After debating this for some time, Excaliber and I concluded that the best course of action would be to keep his faith hidden for the time being. In this way, he might be able to subtly suggest problems with JW theology to his family, so as they might also have a way out. JW’s are not encouraged to read ANY type of outside literature or to question the faith. If he can plant just enough seeds of doubt in their mind, he might have a reasonable chance at helping them see the light too. This seems more reasonable than destroying all hope of contact and a relationship with them.

Well for one, I live more than 1000 miles away from him. He also has absolutely no friends or family of any type in my part of the country.

I have suggested ideas and continue to do so. Some have helped! You can’t undo so much damage in a day.

Excaliber was blessed to enter the Catholic Church this past Easter Vigil!

Your correct, I can’t tell my family.
There is no possible way for them
to understand.And most Catholics
can’t understand that they won’t think, they will simply react the way they are trained to react.

Rolltide has been a huge help.
but has a family and a career, he simply can’t be expected to be a cult therapist also LOL.

Sometimes there is simply no solution. Look at our war in the middle east, we are simply in a bad situation with no way out.
Some say just pull out of the war, but we can’t. And we can’t just bomb them because of innocent
people.Just a bad situation that we
have to just do what we can to get
through.

Well individuals can be in the same situation. No real solution,just a bad situation that you have to find a way to just “get through”.

I don’t believe there is a solution to my situation. But I believe there
must be a way to just GET THROUGH it.

 

[Rolltide]

Your correct, I can’t tell my family.
There is no possible way for them
to understand.And most Catholics
can’t understand that they won’t think, they will simply react the way they are trained to react.

Rolltide has been a huge help.
but has a family and a career, he simply can’t be expected to be a cult therapist also LOL.

Sometimes there is simply no solution. Look at our war in the middle east, we are simply in a bad situation with no way out.
Some say just pull out of the war, but we can’t. And we can’t just bomb them because of innocent
people.Just a bad situation that we
have to just do what we can to get
through.

Well individuals can be in the same situation. No real solution,just a bad situation that you have to find a way to just “get through”.

I don’t believe there is a solution to my situation. But I believe there
must be a way to just GET THROUGH it.

Well here I have to disagree with you just a little bit Excaliber. Certainly there are situations that simply must be endured, but I do believe that in your case, you will eventually find a way out. That said, it won’t happen overnight. Even in my own career, in which I admittedly enjoy the best of circumstances, it has taken me years to get to the point at which I’m at today, which is financially stable with a decent job and a family. What you simply need to do is work one piece of the puzzle at a time. If you keep chipping away at it, you WILL make progress. You’ve converted to Catholicism already, so you’re spiritual future is on track now. But… that took almost two years. To get to a good place financially, it may take longer than that. You’ll have to hunt for a better job, maybe receive some education, or save up for education. The economy may have to improve. As far as a family goes, it took me forever to find the right girl to marry! In the end, I never DID find a good Catholic girl… I ended up converting one, and THEN marrying her! LOL Now, she’s as up on the faith as I am. So… just be patient. It WILL take some time. The important thing is to keep working at it piece by piece so that you keep making progress.