How come so many Catholics don't follow Church Teachings?

[peter26]

Probably a lot of Catholics who don’t follow Church teaching also are not really practising Catholics. I have noticed myself a definite negative correlation between frequency of going to Mass and confession and instances of sinful behaviour. If someone calls themselves Catholic but actually only shows up as Christmas and Easter (if that), they will probably not pay a lot of regard to what they supposedly believe.

 

[Ammi]

blackforest:

Those who struggle with fundamental teachings face an uphill battle, internal wrestling, and even the occasional dark night of the soul. I speak from experience here. They deserve prayer and compassion, not the acrimonious and cynical tone that I’m picking up from this discussion

I agree with you. I sometimes wonder if people who take that approach have never sinned or known struggle or crushing remorse before the foot of the Cross.

Struggling with Teachings is different than rejecting and contradicting them, while going to receive Eucharist.

 

[peter26]

Indeed. There is a huge difference between having doubts or stuggling about specific points, and outright rejecting important moral teachings.

 

[Soubirous1]

you can back LGBTQ if you like. i choose not to because they promote active homosexuality, as in active couples adopting children. i have no beef with people struggling against homosexuality because we all have our cross to carry. in that story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the male citizens refused the daughters and desired sex with the male angels.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

How come there are so many Catholics who seem to judge other Catholics for the way they conduct their lives?
Rather than judging others, we should be praying for them, right?
We all are sinners and we should be concerned first with getting our own house in order. God bless you and all of my CAF brothers and sisters!

 

[peter26]

Probably because we don’t all want to be tarred by the same brush as those who are promoting wicked things.

 

[Sprits]

Perhaps they see something in the organization that Catholics could benefit from. If they live under an umbrella of only Catholic approved information, that is a very narrow view of the world, and should be opened up.

 

[annad347]

I agree with you. I sometimes wonder if people who take that approach have never sinned or known struggle or crushing remorse before the foot of the Cross.

Exactly…

Sometimes I wonder how many people would have had the audacity to cast the first stone when Jesus said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

 

[Ammi]

How come there are so many Catholics who seem to judge other Catholics for the way they conduct their lives.
Rather than judging others, we should be praying for them, right?
We all are sinner and we should be concerned first with getting our own house in order. God bless you and all of my CAF brothers and sisters!

Can you define judging others? What does it mean to judge others?

 

[Ammi]

Emeraldlady:

I agree with you. I sometimes wonder if people who take that approach have never sinned or known struggle or crushing remorse before the foot of the Cross.

Exactly…

Sometimes I wonder how many people would have had the audacity to cast the first stone when Jesus said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

So recognizing that many Catholics reject Church Teachings while receiving Eucharist, is throwing stoning them?

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

I know of so many famous Catholics who support sinful things that go against Church teachings. Why do they do that? The CCC teaches that those things are wrong. But, I know of many Catholics who support abortion, the LGBTQ community, birth control, etc… Many Catholic colleges and Schools have pro-abortion and pro-LGBTQ events/speakers. I just don’t understand why, since those things blatantly contradict Church teachings. We must pray for those confused Catholics!!! Any thoughts on this? Thank You!!!

This sounds like someone who is judging others.
Leave judgement to God Almighty!
Let us pray for each other.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

Yes, it is. God does not need your help. What God needs is your prayers for others, including the Church as awhole.

 

[Ammi]

No, it’s not.

I think many Catholics portray admonishment as judging, when it’s actually a spiritual work of mercy.

The Church needs fraternal correction desperately. Dont think that we need to be perfect to warn one another out of love and respect.

 

[Ammi]

Scripture instructs admonishment. God Himself instructs us to tell a brother he is sinning, if we see it. If he refuses to stop, we take him before others in the Church. That’s the Word of the Lord.

 

[Peebo]

We are called to correct our brothers or sisters if we see them sinning…that is not judging them…there are many verses in scripture that admonish us to do exactly that…are we not all “our brothers keeper”…we have a responsibility to show them the error of their way…and that could also apply to each one of us as well for we are all sinners…the Parable of the Lost Sheep is a good example of our responsibility…

 

[Ammi]

Yes, the irony is that those saying that we shouldnt reprove our brothers and sister of evident sin, are actually perpetuating error because of shame, and shaming those who do.

 

[blackforest]

I don’t think it’s our task as laypeople to police who’s going up to receive Eucharist.

Can you define judging others? What does it mean to judge others?

I would say that it means to condemn a person rather than the person’s actions. People in this thread seem to be confusing the two.

The discussion is taking the turn that I feared: “Why do people sin differently than I do?”

 

[Maximian]

The Church needs fraternal correction desperately.

Yes indeed.

The fact that we should not judge a person does not me we cannot judge that person’s actions. We cannot say Hitler was a bad man but we can, indeed must, say what he did was bad.

 

[Ammi]

I don’t think it’s our task as laypeople to police who’s going up to receive Eucharist.

Never said such an implication. Rather, if we see someone who is sinning, we have instruction from God to admonish the sin. When they refuse admonishment, we are to bring it to the Church, who is to cast them out.

I would say that it means to condemn a person rather than the person’s actions. People in this thread seem to be confusing the two.

Admonishment is not judging, but showing mercy to one another. Jesus and St. Paul instruct us to cast out a brother who refuses to turn from a sin.

The discussion is taking the turn that I feared: “Why do people sin differently than I do?”

Not at all. Sinning is not the issue, but openly rejecting Teaching and admonishment. Receiving Eucharist while rejecting Teaching and sinning is harmful to the body. So to criticize those who admonish is acting demonic.

 

[Maximian]

I see it as a God-given right to have an abortion and use birth-control .

Then you are in opposition to the Church.