Hello, need advice

[crono_vivi]

Hi, I’m 16, and was recently confirmed in April. I have been thinking about leaving the Catholic faith, and this site has really appealed to me. What do you guys think of it?

eliyah.com

Just read through it, I want to know what the Catholic viewpoint on this is.

 

[mercygate]

Question: Confirmed in April; thinking of leaving in June? You’re 16 – old enough to understand what you were doing. Did people pressure you to accept Confirmation?

 

[Tom]

crono_vivi:

Hi, I’m 16, and was recently confirmed in April. I have been thinking about leaving the Catholic faith, and this site has really appealed to me. What do you guys think of it?

eliyah.com

Just read through it, I want to know what the Catholic viewpoint on this is.

Sorry, I’m a little confused. You’re 16 and you’re looking for a religion that “appealed to me”? Serious reflection over the past 54 years of my life, has led and kept me with the Catholic Church. I looked briefly over the web site, seems like the same old ideas rehashed a thousand times, all have been well debated defeated, and explained. I didn’t see anything new or appealing. If you are serious about finding the truth, please research the Catholic Church and its’ teachings.

 

[MonicaC]

This is a place for those who are serious about worshiping our Father in Spirit and Truth. These studies were not written to condemn anyone. Nor have they been written to promote myself or some denomination.

A friend of mine who had left the Church for about ten years came back because she said that althought the protestant churchs really get into studying the bible which she thought was great, but she said she could do bible study at her time, she was really looking for worship, and only the Catholic Church could give her this.

I later learned that there are others like me who decided to forget about all the denominations, traditions, doctrines, etc. and just study what the scriptures say and walk in it.

The scripture was first interpertated by traditions. We need to remember that the bible was written two hundred years after Christ died. So the faith was passed down by tradtions. And just for a side note on this the Catholic Church is the only one that still follows these traditions.

So let’s take our eyes off the denominations and let’s look to Yahweh* to find the truth of salvation!

Lets not forget that Jesus did say now go out and build my Church! Not Now go out and build a thousand different churchs and let everyone else figure out which one is right.

I hope you take some time to really appericate the gifts you have been given here at the Catholic church. I will only ask that you will go before the blessed sacrement and just liston to what our Lord is telling you.

I will pray for you,
Monica

 

[AquinasXVI]

crono:

Please ennumerate your reasons for leaving the chuch? Your reasons are very important and need to be totally understood by you prior to leaving.

Of course you have free will and can leave if that’s your desire…but if you should go–at least have ALL of the information of what you are leaving.

We here can and would do what we can for you to explain why the church is the way it is. You’re still young and give the benefit of the doubt that there may be pieces missing in your understanding that is compelling you to go.

your bro. in XT.
A.

 

[YinYangMom]

Ya know, the thing that gets me about all the people who complain about Catholic traditions not being ‘scriptual’ is that Scripture itself is a Catholic Tradition.

Catholicism did not sprout from Scripture.
But Catholicism discerned what Scripture would contain.

If what you are seeking ‘more’ from your ‘faith’ then you have a multitude of options available through your Catholicism…go talk to your priest to see what’s available in your parish and diocese:

Usually you will find:

Youth Groups for teens
Bible Study
Cursillos
Martha & Mary Society
Rosary Prayer groups
Divine Mercy groups
Pro-life groups
Catholic Daughters
Charismatic groups
and more…

If your more comfortable with the internet - then there is of course Catholic.com
Vatican.va
PureLoveClub.com
and a multitude of other links you can reach from those, as well as from here.

Oh, and look into Jeff Cavin’s Great Bible Adventure series - it will SOOOO open your eyes to why the Catholic Church is the place to be - by reading the Bible, if more scripture is what you desire.

Why are you thinking of leaving the Church?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
If so, why would you want to walk away from THE Church HE began and continues today?
It’s a direct link to knowing Him on a PERSONAL level.
Do you not want to know Him personally???

 

[urquhart]

Hello crono_vivi, and welcome to the forums!. I took a look at eliyah.com This sect appears to have been founded by someone with a background in Seventh-Day Adventism and/or Judaism. The webmaster appears to be a sincere student of the Bible, but he has definitely interpreted scriptures in a way that puts him way out in left field somewhere!

If you hang out at this site, I advise you not to give out personal information, or visit their worship sites in person, as there is a chance they may be trying to recruit impressionable young people for activities you wouldn’t want to be involved in.

Don’t be too quick to abandon the Catholic faith. It has been around for 2000 years, but this denomination has existed for what - six weeks?

 

[crono_vivi]

Basically, it’s always bothered me how the Roman Catholic church (name removed by moderator)uts its own rules. I always wondered how they can make some of their rules when there is nothing in the Bible to back them up. And what about the claims of Paganism?

Also, if some of the things on that site are refuted, could you show me where? Not that I don’t believe you; just I’d like to read it.

 

[mercygate]

crono_vivi:

Basically, it’s always bothered me how the Roman Catholic church (name removed by moderator)uts its own rules. I always wondered how they can make some of their rules when there is nothing in the Bible to back them up. And what about the claims of Paganism?

Also, if some of the things on that site are refuted, could you show me where? Not that I don’t believe you; just I’d like to read it.

crono – didn’t any of this come up in your confirmation preparation? The Catholic Church does not “(name removed by moderator)ut its own rules” – the “rules” are always a response to helping people live their lives more according to the Gospel.

Did your Confirmation preparation use any textbooks? What were they?

 

[YinYangMom]

crono_vivi:

Basically, it’s always bothered me how the Roman Catholic church (name removed by moderator)uts its own rules. I always wondered how they can make some of their rules when there is nothing in the Bible to back them up. And what about the claims of Paganism?

Also, if some of the things on that site are refuted, could you show me where? Not that I don’t believe you; just I’d like to read it.

The Church does NOT (name removed by moderator)ut its own rules.
It KEEPS the rules JESUS put into place.
Read the Bible and see for yourself that our ‘rules’ come mostly from the word of God/Jesus, then from Tradition as passed on thru the Bible in the words of the first Apostles. It’s a real eye-opener when you see God speak on those pages about the very things we are thinking about today. It’s as if He is here, talking to us now…because HE is here. Through the Eucharist He **is **alive and present before you. Why would you want to walk away from that?

Everything in the Bible backs up the Traditions of Catholicism.
There are some traditions (small t) that are not in the bible, but those are not the ‘rules’ most protestants have trouble with.

 

[crono_vivi]

mercygate:

crono – didn’t any of this come up in your confirmation preparation? The Catholic Church does not “(name removed by moderator)ut its own rules” – the “rules” are always a response to helping people live their lives more according to the Gospel.

Did your Confirmation preparation use any textbooks? What were they?

The program used to confirm us was a joke. I really learned nothing. We were taught things that we learned in 2nd Grade. Seriously.

 

[E.E.N.S]

crono_vivi:

I always wondered how they can make some of their rules when there is nothing in the Bible to back them up.

Read Matt 16:18, hopefully then you will have a better understanding, as Jesus Himself gave his authority to Peter and said “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven…”

You should seriously study the Faith that you are considering leaving…my prayers are with you.

 

[FCEGM]

Crono - I hope you will look through the articles available through Catholic Answers. I think you’ll find that they address the questions you have. You are of an age now where it is incumbent on you to take the intitiative to investigate from CATHOLIC sources what the Church teaches about herself and why. If you truly knew the teachings of the Church you would not be such an easy target for those outsiders who make accusations against the Church the Lord founded.

With my prayers,
Frances

 

[MonicaC]

crono_vivi:

Basically, it’s always bothered me how the Roman Catholic church (name removed by moderator)uts its own rules. I always wondered how they can make some of their rules when there is nothing in the Bible to back them up. And what about the claims of Paganism?

Also, if some of the things on that site are refuted, could you show me where? Not that I don’t believe you; just I’d like to read it.

you ask that you want us to site our arguements but I will ask you the same thing. You claim that the Church (name removed by moderator)uts its own rules, what rules are you talking about and can you site them? And you talk about Pagnism, now when have you seen this done?

Remember that all Christans were once catholic until about 300 years ago. Which means that everyone did what the present day Church is doing. Well all the other churchs are (name removed by moderator)uting there own rules the Catholic church is still operating in the same way it did 2000 years ago. I have been a Catholic my whole life and i have never witnessed pagnism.

 

[At_His_Feet]

Hi Crono -

Looks like a “Sacred Name” and Sabbatarian type group. There are many of these. They all begin on the premise that the Church has got it all wrong, and take it from there. I would like to encourage you to look in to the group of men known as “The Early Church Fathers” , and check out what they believed. You can start off with - what day did they come together to worship on? Did they observe the dietary, or other, precepts of the Mosaic law, as this group seems to be doing? And when you do your research, do not look at the quotes that this group provides for you - there is a chance that they’ve filtered out the things that they would rather you don’t see.

For starters, I recommend that you check out the writings of Justin Martyr - he has a description of an early Church service, along with a discussion of what day of the week they met on.
Also, check out and see if the Early Fathers used the name Yahweh in their writings, as this group is doing. If not, why not?

God bless you

 

[Lillith]

crono_vivi:

Basically, it’s always bothered me how the Roman Catholic church (name removed by moderator)uts its own rules. I always wondered how they can make some of their rules when there is nothing in the Bible to back them up. And what about the claims of Paganism?

Also, if some of the things on that site are refuted, could you show me where? Not that I don’t believe you; just I’d like to read it.

Everyone…please remember that she/he is only 16, and this is an example of how the church sometimes fails…something we can fix BTW

Crono…start off with a tradition that you have questions about, and we can explain…confession? The Eucharist? whatever! Have you voiced this to your parents? Maybe you should. I know my daughter (15) had trouble with the real presence in the eucharist…I didn’t know until questioning her, and I got material to help.

 

[crono_vivi]

"Also, check out and see if the Early Fathers used the name Yahweh in their writings, as this group is doing. If not, why not? "

Do you know this offhand?

Trust me you guys, I’d much prefer to stay with Roman Catholicism. I just need to be shown the truth.

 

[YinYangMom]

Crono,

I’m really sorry your preparation was not good.
What about your sponsor? Who brought you into the faith?
Who stood beside you? Have you discussed your concerns with him/her?

Do you go to Mass?
Do you find it boring or rejuvenating?
Do you understand what each segment of the Mass does and where the rituals/prayers came from?
It’s all in the Bible.
When you see it on the page there is peace in knowing you are in communion with the first generation Christians…it truly is as if you were at that main table with Christ when he spoke about eating This Bread and drinking This Cup…

 

[crono_vivi]

Hmm traditions I have questions about.

How about:

Worshipping Mary? Isn’t that Idolatry?

Umm, and the Pope being Infallible? Not sure if I believe that.

And confession, don’t understand why I should confess to another human being, when God should be my only Judge.

 

[Lillith]

"Also, check out and see if the Early Fathers used the name Yahweh in their writings, as this group is doing. If not, why not? "

Do you know this offhand?

Trust me you guys, I’d much prefer to stay with Roman Catholicism. I just need to be shown the truth.

Yahweh is one old testament name for G-d…this is why someone already noted that this site is either of Jewish decent, or seventh day adventist.

There are songs that still call G-d Yahweh in the Catholic tradition…but we have a new name, and that is Jesus…and he taught us to call G-d father…