I would like to know your "Spiritual background"

[tundramom]

I would like to better know the people who come to these forums…

I enjoy this thread! Thanks for posting it.

What religion were you raised in?

Mormonism

Are you now Catholic?

Praise God, I am!!!

Why or why not?

I came to a belief in Jesus as God in a born again experience and went to an Assembly of God for awhile and attended Mass with my devout Catholic husband at the same time. Finally embracing the Real Presence and couldn’t turn away.

Did you ever go away from Jesus… (in other words, were you ever a “goat”)?

Because I didn’t believe He was God for so many years as a Mormon, I didn’t know Him until 1999.

What do you think about the Catholics’ belief of the Real Presence?

I believe it absolutely without a doubt.

in Christ
Steph

 

[cheese_sdc]

I believe that if you had ever spent much time with Jesus at the Blessed Sacrament, you would not have left the Church.

You know, I’m getting tired of the arrogance of some people here. You, as well as one or two others here, seem to assume that, because I’m now no longer Catholic, that something was wrong with my previous practice of Catholicism.

Lemme tell you something - I spent 4 years in the seminary. During those 4 years, I went to Mass every day. I prayed the rosary every day for two years. I prayed in community one hour a day, and I spent probably 4-5 hours a week praying in a Eucharistic chapel. When available (i.e. during summers at my home parish), I would go to Eucharistic Adoration two - three times a week.

Even after leaving the seminary, I taught CCD, taught in a Catholic School. I attended diocesian approved continuing education seminars and courses. I played guitar and sang in the parish choir and I helped with RCIA. My wife and I used NFP, and even though we had fertility issues, did not use artificial methods of getting pregnant, instead using the resources of the Pope Paul VI institute. We made a novena of nine 1st Friday Masses in order to get pregnant, and have a beautiful two year old daughter.

I was a member of the National Associate of Pastoral Musicians.

So, do I have enough Catholic Cred for you? (Edited)

 

[thirdn6]

You know, I’m getting tired of the arrogance of some people here. You, as well as one or two others here, seem to assume that, because I’m now no longer Catholic, that something was wrong with my previous practice of Catholicism.

Lemme tell you something - I spent 4 years in the seminary. During those 4 years, I went to Mass every day. I prayed the rosary every day for two years. I prayed in community one hour a day, and I spent probably 4-5 hours a week praying in a Eucharistic chapel. When available (i.e. during summers at my home parish), I would go to Eucharistic Adoration two - three times a week.

Even after leaving the seminary, I taught CCD, taught in a Catholic School. I attended diocesian approved continuing education seminars and courses. I played guitar and sang in the parish choir and I helped with RCIA. My wife and I used NFP, and even though we had fertility issues, did not use artificial methods of getting pregnant, instead using the resources of the Pope Paul VI institute. We made a novena of nine 1st Friday Masses in order to get pregnant, and have a beautiful two year old daughter.

I was a member of the National Associate of Pastoral Musicians.

So, do I have enough Catholic Cred for you? Finished judging me?

How 'bout you pray a novena to Our Lady of Mind Your Own Damn Business? Or Our Lady of How Not To Be a Judgmental ***?

Peek down there…

my signature.

 

[cheese_sdc]

Peek down there…

my signature.

 

[guanophore]

I would like to better know the people who come to these forums…

What religion were you raised in?

I was baptized Roman Catholic

Are you now Catholic?

After a long and complex Protestant sojourn

Why or why not?

It was my study of the early church fathers that made me realize that the Catholics had it right.

Did you ever go away from Jesus… (in other words, were you ever a “goat”)?

I don’t think this is a right question. Goats never knew Jesus. I was, however, a lost sheep.

What do you think about the Catholics’ belief of the Real Presence?

Frankly, I try not to think much about it, because it hurts my brain. I accept it as a Divine Mystery.

 

[distracted]

I would like to better know the people who come to these forums…

I enjoy this thread! Thanks for posting it.

What religion were you raised in?

Mormonism

Are you now Catholic?

Praise God, I am!!!

Why or why not?

I came to a belief in Jesus as God in a born again experience and went to an Assembly of God for awhile and attended Mass with my devout Catholic husband at the same time. Finally embracing the Real Presence and couldn’t turn away.

Did you ever go away from Jesus… (in other words, were you ever a “goat”)?

Because I didn’t believe He was God for so many years as a Mormon, I didn’t know Him until 1999.

What do you think about the Catholics’ belief of the Real Presence?

I believe it absolutely without a doubt.

in Christ
Steph

thank you so much for this uplifting post…

It is always SO wonderful to find someone who appreciates Christ’s Presence in the Church… i pray you tell others… even a lot of Catholics don’t seem to know and/or appreciate the RP.

 

[distracted]

You know, I’m getting tired of the arrogance of some people here. You, as well as one or two others here, seem to assume that, because I’m now no longer Catholic, that something was wrong with my previous practice of Catholicism.

You do the same thing you accuse “us” of doing… you assume… A person makes a comment on these forums and you don’t know where that person is coming from just by one or two statements… or even a two-page or a 100-pg post…

I didn’t assume you weren’t taught well… it was just one of the possibilities that crossed my mind… I am like everyone else here, just trying to understand things…

.

So, do I have enough Catholic Cred for you? (Edited)

(Edited)

 

[distracted]

Frankly, I try not to think much about it, because it hurts my brain. I accept it as a Divine Mystery.

can’t help but think that you must not spend much time There??

(but not trying to ASSUME anything… was accused of that in #42 )… :whacky:

 

[thirdn6]

He settled down…
(I’m assuming) you’re ok.

 

[Dunmoose]

I would like to better know the people who come to these forums…

What religion were you raised in?

Baptised catholic but not really raised as much of anything.

Are you now Catholic?

yes

Why or why not?

because through study I became convinced that the Catholic Church really was what it said it was. The rest was ereasy after that.

Did you ever go away from Jesus… (in other words, were you ever a “goat”)?

No, but I have been fundamentalist. I have great respect for fundamentalism for several reasons.

What do you think about the Catholics’ belief of the Real Presence?

I accept it

 

[Metamorphoo]

What religion were you raised in?

Are you now Catholic?

Why or why not?

Did you ever go away from Jesus… (in other words, were you ever a “goat”)?

What do you think about the Catholics’ belief of the Real Presence?

I was brought up in the Catholic Church and attended Catholic schools through high school. Halfway through college, however, I was drawn to a small, non-denominational charismatic church. The people were very much committed to Christ, and their faith in Him really appealed to me. It wasn’t really a doctrinal thing for me; I just liked the authenticity that I saw in their walk with Jesus, and I wanted to be a part of that. Although I knew some individual Catholic Christians, I wouldn’t say that the parishes I grew up in were spiritually vibrant. That was truly the main reason I left. I know this was probably too much a generalization, but I thought all Catholic parishes were like the ones I had been a part of.

About 20 years ago, I went through a very painful breakup with a man I had been engaged to. Unfortunately, I allowed the hurt/anger to poison my relationship with the Lord. A number of years later, God drew me back to Himself.

As for the Real Presence …
Unlike many evangelicals, I do believe that Christ is present in the Eucharist–although this has been something I have come to believe in just the past few years. I’m not sure I would embrace Transubstantiation. I am probably closer to the Eastern Orthodox perspective: it is a mystery that defies human understanding.

 

[cheese_sdc]

You do the same thing you accuse “us” of doing… you assume… A person makes a comment on these forums and you don’t know where that person is coming from just by one or two statements… or even a two-page or a 100-pg post.

No. You said:

I believe that if you had ever spent much time with Jesus at the Blessed Sacrament, you would not have left the Church.

That is an assumption that I didn’t fully practice the Catholic faith (i.e. partake of Eucharistic Adoration), and that if I had, I would not have left.

You must have missed by original posting of

I struggled with Catholicism for years after I left the seminary. Seminary was really an eye opening experience - I saw that priests really only cared about power (see this post for more information). Finally I could not muster the faith to say the creed and communion was like eating ashes.

I mean, what do you people think that people do in the seminary? Dance and play guitar all the time? We attend Mass every day. Pray in community twice a day. We have our own personal prayer time. And because, you know, it’s a seminary, the Eucharist is available 24/7, reserved in the tabernacle. I rarely was alone in the chapel, most of the other guys made visits too.

The one thing that kept me in the Church for years was communion, and the other sacraments. However, when that faded, there was no reason for me to stay.

 

[thirdn6]

The one thing that kept me in the Church for years was communion, and the other sacraments. However, when that faded, there was no reason for me to stay.

Did you, somehow, forgot that you are a temple of the living God? And that the Holy Spirit dwells in you? And that you need nourishment from Jesus in the holy Eucharist ( As often as one eats the flesh and blood…)? And that you can only receive Him in His Catholic Church and nowhere else?

We shouldn’t be distracted at all by people’s attitudes and characters knowing we all need frequent reforms and conversions, should we?

I don’t mean to upset you. I’m just wondering…

 

[Frost]

I would like to better know the people who come to these forums…

What religion were you raised in?

Are you now Catholic?

Why or why not?

Did you ever go away from Jesus… (in other words, were you ever a “goat”)?

What do you think about the Catholics’ belief of the Real Presence?

And anything else you would like to add… Thanks…

I’m Lutheran and was raised in a family belonging to the Lutheran church, although my parents never talked much about religion, and never went to church.

So when I was old enough I became an Atheist and left the church. But I soon realized that the world hardly could be as “spritually empty” as Atheists claim, and so I began searching in different religions… Jehovah’s witnesses, New Age, Buddhism …

I finally became a Christian through reading the Bible, and I went to the Catholic church becaused it seemed exotic and not as charismatic and “crazy” as some other denominations. I liked the Catholic church very much, but things like the Pope, devotion to Mary and the saints was a bit too much for me. So I ended up where I started out: In the Lutheran church.

I have no problem with the teaching of the Real Presence, since it is a part of the Lutheran faith as well (although we have some different explanations on how it works).

 

[cheese_sdc]

Did you, somehow, forgot that you are a temple of the living God? And that the Holy Spirit dwells in you? And that you need nourishment from Jesus in the holy Eucharist ( As often as one eats the flesh and blood…)? And that you can only receive Him in His Catholic Church and nowhere else?

I wouldn’t mind communion so much. It’s just it comes with a side order of Papal Infallibility, reactionary bishops and laity, substitutionary atonement, oppression of gays, and arguments from authority. It comes with a buffet of theological gymnastics to explain things that are unexplainable (Trinity? Confirmation? Why priest can’t marry after ordination? Why women can’t be priests?)

So thanks, but no thanks.

 

[wanner47]

What religion were you raised in?

I was baptized in the Lutheran church (ELCA) and raised in that church as well. My family was pretty good about fairly regular church attendance. I was confirmed in the Lutheran church when I was 15 or so, and married in it when I was 20.

Are you now Catholic?

Yes, my husband and I were confirmed into Catholicism on May 28, 2003.
**
Why or why not?**

My husband started investigating Catholicism because of his best friend (a devout Catholic) with whom he would have long theological discussions. When he made the decision to convert, I reluctantly attended RCIA with him. My eyes were opened to the shaky house of cards doctrine that was sola scriptura, and from then on I found myself growing ever closer to Rome. The Easter Vigil service just blew me away and made me see just how incredible the Mass really was (I’d been kind of lukewarm on it up to that point).

Did you ever go away from Jesus… (in other words, were you ever a “goat”)?

No.

What do you think about the Catholics’ belief of the Real Presence?

I believe in it wholeheartedly!

 

[Sepharad]

I wouldn’t mind communion so much. It’s just it comes with a side order of Papal Infallibility, reactionary bishops and laity, substitutionary atonement, oppression of gays, and arguments from authority. It comes with a buffet of theological gymnastics to explain things that are unexplainable (Trinity? Confirmation? Why priest can’t marry after ordination? Why women can’t be priests?)

So thanks, but no thanks.

I can’t help you with info re: most of your complaints, but I think I can with this one: dignityusa.org

From what I understand, the CC does not say a Catholic cannot BE homosexual. They say that someone of a homosexual orientation cannot have sexual relationships.

And while that might be seen by homosexual people as discriminatory (since heterosexual Catholics can always marry to have sex, while homosexual Catholics cannot), remember that in the Latin Rite, heterosexual priests also must take a vow of celibacy.

 

[wanner47]

I can’t help you with info re: most of your complaints, but I think I can with this one: dignityusa.org

Please note that Dignity is an organization that does NOT accurately represent what Catholicism teaches about homosexuality. In fact, Dignity denies Church teaching on this matter.

I recommend going here instead:

couragerc.net/

 

[Sepharad]

Please note that Dignity is an organization that does NOT accurately represent what Catholicism teaches about homosexuality. In fact, Dignity denies Church teaching on this matter.

I recommend going here instead:

couragerc.net/

Hm, I didn’t know that. So you mean that Dignity is to the CC what groups like “Jews for Jesus” and “messianic Jews” are to Judaism?

 

[wanner47]

Hm, I didn’t know that. So you mean that Dignity is to the CC what groups like “Jews for Jesus” and “messianic Jews” are to Judaism?

I’m not familiar with those groups, so I couldn’t really say. But I do know that “Dignity” encourages Catholics with SSA to act on their attractions whereas Courage does not (it encourages those with SSA to be celibate, as the Church teaches).