I doubted my faith in Jesus a while back-what sin is this? or is it one?

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MaeganFlinchum1

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I had serious doubts in my faith in Jesus. Big time doubts. Like whether He was the Messiah or not. I think i even rejected Him for a while. Being serious here. Now im not baptized yet, but im truly afraid. I asked God to forgive me (im not Catholic yet so no confession) and repented. But today i read on the sin of apostatsy and it said it was a “total rejection of the Christian faith” so now im worried…i know this sounds scrupulous… but i just want to check. Thank you.
 
One now …“believes” and “repents” and is then “Baptized”

And all sin – is washed away…

One will be a* New Creation*!
 
It’s not a sin to doubt. We all have them.
If you like to read, try Mother Teresa’s biography “Come Be My Light”.
 
Maegan, do NOT be afraid and do NOT worry. First, apostasy is more about renouncing your faith and is the rejection of Christ by a Christian. Second, you are currently in RCIA and moving toward full initiation into the Church in a few months, right? You are embracing Christianity, the Church and Jesus though this action. Let me pass along a small piece of advice from the priest who baptized me, “Don’t worry about your past mistakes. Those sins will be washed away when you are baptized.”

Now, if you decide to reject the Christian faith later (after you are baptized, etc.), then it would be a problem…
 
And PS I would think it may technically be the case that apostasy – would occur in the case of one who is baptized…similar to heresy. But of course one can still “sin” via such (not judging your particular case – some doubts are “involuntary” etc…)

In any case all sin one “repent, believe the Gospel, be baptized” – all sin – is forgiven…and all punishment" …

CCC

“By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.”
 
clem456 said:
It’s not a sin to doubt. We all have them.
If you like to read, try Mother Teresa’s biography “Come Be My Light”.
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Actually it is.

Though there can be those which are not sins (temptations, involuntary doubts…)

or those like Bl. Mother Teresa which were severe temptations and part of the purification of some.
 
Bookcat said:
Actually it is.

Though there can be those which are not sins (temptations, involuntary doubts…)

or those like Bl. Mother Teresa which were severe temptations and part of the purification of some.
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I was not aware of this. We have imperfect understanding until united with God. How then can doubting be sinful?
 
MaeganFlinchum1 said:
I had serious doubts in my faith in Jesus. Big time doubts. Like whether He was the Messiah or not. I think i even rejected Him for a while. Being serious here. Now im not baptized yet, but im truly afraid. I asked God to forgive me (im not Catholic yet so no confession) and repented. But today i read on the sin of apostatsy and it said it was a “total rejection of the Christian faith” so now im worried…i know this sounds scrupulous… but i just want to check. Thank you.
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Relax! You didn’t die while in the state of doubt. You have even repented of it, thanks to God’s goodness.

St. Paul tells us to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12). I’m sure that involves more than a little questioning of what and why you believe. When you find the answers to your questions, your faith ends up that much stronger and you will truly always be ready to give a reason for your faith (1 Peter 3:15).

It would be a good idea to discuss this with your priest. If you’re willing to, you can even discuss it with your RCIA director (and possibly class as some of them may have similar struggles).
 
clem456 said:
I was not aware of this. We have imperfect understanding until united with God. How then can doubting be sinful?
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We have Faith.

(not being funny here…but that is the answer)

One must distinguish between that which is temptation or “difficulty in understanding” etc and that which is sin.

All sorts of thoughts or feelings or fears …all sorts of temptations can “happen” to one without the least consent…without the least sin.
 
Ok, I guess I am interpreting doubt to mean lack of understanding, or inability to grasp, which cause us to have questions…rather than willful rejection of the faith.

BTW, I believe that admitting we have doubts puts us on the path to a more mature faith. When we were taught the faith 40 years ago, doubts were not welcomed. We were kind of force fed the faith. My kids were encouraged to voice their doubts in religion class and their faith is stronger than mine was at that age. The doubts are going to be there, catechists might as well address them.
 
I was on retreat and taking a stroll with one of the Carmelite priests who was assigned as my spiritual director for the weekend. I asked him if he ever had doubts. After all, he was a member of this order for nearly 50 years!

He chuckled and assured me, “never more than 8-12 times a day, no.”
 
Catechism

157 Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but "the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives."31 "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt."32

158 “Faith seeks understanding”:33 it is intrinsic to faith that a believer desires to know better the One in whom he has put his faith, and to understand better what He has revealed; a more penetrating knowledge will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love. The grace of faith opens "the eyes of your hearts"34 to a lively understanding of the contents of Revelation: that is, of the totality of God’s plan and the mysteries of faith, of their connection with each other and with Christ, the center of the revealed mystery. "The same Holy Spirit constantly perfects faith by his gifts, so that Revelation may be more and more profoundly understood."35 In the words of St. Augustine, "I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe."36

scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s1c3a1.htm#164
 
CCC:

Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness.
 
Bookcat said:
CCC:

Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness.
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I had both of those
 
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