I can no longer in good conscience identify as Catholic. It's been fun

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glencor63 said:
There are millions of non-Catholic Christians that have strong Christian faith. The Reverend Billy Graham is a perfect example.
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It is unfortunate that you choose only-the-Bible Billy Graham over so many Catholic thinkers. I’d pick an Early Church Father any day.
 
I would like to invite you to know the Church before leaving it:
 
I would think people more educated then I and you ,such as the Pope; Cardinals and Bishops could direct you . These are not only holy but much more educated.

You always and forever welcome back to the One True Church . Jesus is here and present in the Holy Eucharist.

Good luck on your journey.
 
glencor63 said:
Sacraments don’t save, nor faith alone. We’re saved by Grace. You can’t earn salvation by works.
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The Catholic Church does NOT teach this. It seems you are turning away without even knowing what the Church actually teaches and does not teach.
 
glencor63 said:
Calm down! I know the Church doesn’t teach salvation by works. Whew! I mentioned that sacraments don’t save you, only Grace because too many Catholics view their faith as a series of things to do like receive sacraments, pray the rosary, visit Holy doors, etc., instead of as an encounter with God and opportunity to meet him.

I believe in the core teachings of Catholicism, but I don’t like Catholic culture. The culture of authoritarianism, autocracy, and anti-Liberalism. It’s very binary. I want my right to hear a teaching and reject that teaching to be respected. The Church is not my savioravior! Jesus is my Savior!

I want the freedom to question and dissent restored to me. I don’t want the Church to be my mother or guardian. I am not a child! I want an adult relationship with Jesus that is personal and hard fought. I don’t want to be told how to vote or what to think about every little thing. I believe that the Holy Spirit speaks to all of us and that Jesus is still God.

I want a Church that respects my free will and independence. Don’t threaten me with Hellfires and damnation, if I don’t vote the way you instruct. I am fully aware of how you feel and why. I want the freedom to make a different choice respected! When a priest tells me that I’m going to Hell for not voting for Donald Trump, it feels like abuse! It doesn’t feel like love. Likewise, telling me I can’t leave the Church without endangering my soul and that I’m forever bound to you sounds suspiciously like a cult. I’m sure the Catholic Church doesn’t want to be viewed as a cult, so give people freedom to leave you in peace. That’s what I want. Peace. I haven’t found it in Catholicism. God bless!
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I will pray for you because you are making the biggest mistake in your life and it is clearly because you really do not understand the only Church established by Christ.
 
I understand Catholicism as a culture too well, which is why I am leaving the Church. I wish I had truly comprehended what it meant to be Catholic from a cultural standpoint before I was Confirmed. I would never have become Catholic and would be in a better space in every way in my life.

*I edited my answer. You might want to repost.
 
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glencor63 said:
I understand Catholicism as a culture too well, which is why I am leaving the Church. I wish I had truly comprehended what it meant to be Catholic from a cultural standpoint before I was Confirmed. I would never have become Catholic and would be in a better space in every way in my life.
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You won’t find a better place than in the Church established by Christ. A Catholic who rejects the Catholic Church and its teachings is rejecting God.
You would be saying Christ deceived us by establishing the Church and lied about entrusting it with the Deposit of Faith and giving it authority to teach in matters of faith and morals.
 
If I may offer my opinion, it sounds to me like you might want to consider leaving CAF and other conservative media outlets, instead of leaving the Catholic Church. Your post resonated with me, and I can assure you, there are many more Catholics like us. We might not have the loudest voices, but we’re here, from the person in the pew to the magisterium. I see Pope Francis as a clear example of this, the tension between what the Church teaches and how we are allowed to interpret and put those teachings into practice. We Catholics actually have much more latitude than some would lead us to believe. God bless you as you discern the difficult questions, and I wish you peace.
 
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I don’t believe I’m rejecting God by rejecting the Catholic Church. God is found wherever two or more are gathered in faith. Many people aren’t Catholic and know God very well.
 
glencor63 said:
I don’t believe I’m rejecting God by rejecting the Catholic Church. God is found wherever two or more are gathered in faith. Many people aren’t Catholic and know God very well.
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God established only one Church and that is the Catholic Church, A baptised Catholic who walks away from God’s Church is saying God got it wrong.
There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. I assume you know the wider explanation as to what that means.
 
I agree. This site is full of what I don’t want in my relationship with God. Thank you ❤️!
 
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Did it ever occur to you that God expanded his Church because he likes diversity? I find that each branch has a uniqueness that adds beauty to Christianity, but then I didn’t grow up with idea that only Catholics have the truth. I’ll end it there because this will become a long, drawn out discussion. I’m ready to move forward and I trust God will lead me. Peace to you!
 
glencor63 said:
Did it ever occur to you that God expanded his Church because he likes diversity? I find that each branch has a uniqueness that adds beauty to Christianity, but then I didn’t grow up with idea that only Catholics have the truth. I’ll end it there because this will become a long, drawn out discussion. I’m ready to move forward and I trust God will lead me. Peace to you!
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It is definitely not God leading you away from his Church.
 
glencor63 said:
Did it ever occur to you that God expanded his Church because he likes diversity? I find that each branch has a uniqueness that adds beauty to Christianity
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I used to think that when I was Protestant. But God is Truth. Saying Jesus isn’t God and Jesus is God isn’t diversity, it’s contradictory. And I cannot believe God, who is truth, likes that. Both of those statements cannot be right. One must be.

Your problem seems to be with other Catholics more than the Church. If you don’t like the Catholics on this site, then leave the site for the sake of your faith, but it is not worth leaving the one true Church over other people.
 
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Glencor, you are as wrong as wrong can be. I’m sure I won’t convince you, but just for starters:
glencor63 said:
God is found wherever two or more are gathered in faith.
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–No. What if they’re satanists?

I’m not joking. You’re reducing religion to just “whatever people feel” or even “whatever people think they feel.” You think God is there anytime someone looks for Him. Not necessarily, and sometimes not at all: If you’re right, druids prancing around naked in the moonlight have no more or less proximity to God than does the priest as he consecrates a host (maybe more, if there’s 100 druids and just one priest).
glencor63 said:
Did it ever occur to you that God expanded his Church because he likes diversity?
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–Did it ever occur to you that the devil caused things like the reformation or the rise of Islam, because the devil loves confusion and Christians backbiting each other? Martin Luther certainly behaved in a most un-Christian way at many junctures in his life.
glencor63 said:
I believe in the core teachings of Catholicism, but I don’t like Catholic culture.
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–This is, with due respect, both intellectually dishonest and intellectually lazy. If you believe in the core teachings of Catholicism, don’t walk away. And “catholic culture?” That’s meaningless. What exactly do you mean? To me, “Catholic Culture” could be as simple as “we all go to a diner after Mass on Sunday.” “Authoritarianism?” “Autocracy?” No, what you appear to want is a feel-good, “we’ll-never-say-you’re-wrong, let’s-just-all-get-along” unicorn/friend, i.e., the Anglicans, and their church is dying if you look at statistics.

–You want your “independence” respected? Fine. But no one has the right to demand no consequences of being wrong, and that’s what you seem to want.

BIG PICTURE: Being Catholic has certain consequences. Look, you admit you accept the core teachings of Catholicism - but want to study Lutheranism; Anglicanism, etc. What that says to me is not that you reject Catholicism; it’s that you accept it in your heart but don’t like the consequences of it being correct, so you’ll look around for an “easier” church that still has some religious truth (just not all of it) but won’t ask of you what Catholicism asks of all of us.
 
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I explained what I meant. Go back and read the post again. At no time, did I say I wanted a feel good, easier, church without rules.
 
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Sure you didn’t say it: Not verbatim. But your posts absolutely scream it, when you demand “no authoritarism!” “I don’t want a parent!” etc. I hate to break it to you: The church loses lots of members because those members petulantly don’t want there to be any consequences to their decisionmaking, as a parent imposes on children.

As an aside, I am unimpressed when someone says “go back and reread X…”, since what it really means is, “I have no refutation to what you said.”
 
I’m leaving the Catholic Church because I don’t need other people blocking my way to God with arbitrary rules and additions to the faith that feel like burdens. I want my dignity as an individual with free will to be respected. I want the Gospel and no additions or subtractions that reduce my faith to a checklist.
 
You’ve already said you accept the core of Catholicism. Now you’re just looking for some cover.

The church blocks no ones path to God. To the contrary the church offers us a roadmap to Him: Jesus created that church. The road may be bumpy and many fear the bumps - but just as it’s “arbitrary” that the roadway’s speed limit is 55 (56? 60? Unlimited), So too do some not want to told those rules apply to them when in fact those rules exist for our own protection.

Now you just want the Gospels? Ok, you won’t find that in Lutheranism or Anglicanism. If all you want are the gospels, join a “Bible Church.”…

…but wait! That bible church better have studied the gospels in their original languages (they weren’t written in English!). The church has! In fact the church has produced the greatest minds in human history (Aquinas; Augustine; Albert the great, etc.).

I say this in great charity: you don’t reject Catholicism so much as you fear or shun the consequences of it being correct. I’m sorry I can’t help you further.
 
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