If you are a Christian, what is the real reason for you not being a Catholic? - 2

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jimmy_B
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
mikew262 said:
Its all important. However, if you leave out the fellowship part, you are missing part of the picture that Jesus drew for us. Getting along with our fellow man (and woman) is one of his greatest lessons and by living that you are indirectly showing love for God.

I can’t disagree with your point that worshiping the Lord is the most important, but if one doesn’t have the other parts like fellowship, then the picture is incomplete.
Click to expand...
Who in the world can ever prove that the Catholic Church is unfriendly. Who says we don’t have “the other parts like fellowship.” Our “fellowship” goes much deeper than kisses and hugs. And if you count how many times we pray for others during the Mass, and prayer is the greatest form of love, especially the prayer of the Mass, how can you say we are not friendly.
Superficial love is not what we need. I still say that anyone who leaves the Catholic Faith simply because they think we are unfriendly, they are using that as an excuse. So many that I have talked to left the Church because they were living a lifestyle that is not compatible with the Catholic Faith, but used other things as an excuse for doing so. The “picture is incomplete” in the life of someone that doesn’t know or love their Catholic Faith as they should. That is the tragedy.
 
awantz said:
There are underlying reasons why I am not Catholic, but the main reason is, I don’t sense the presence of God/ Holy Spirit in the Catholic church like I do at my church.
Click to expand...
AW, I think you are here for a reason. I see you posting in several threads. I am not going to tell you that you are wrong for not becoming Catholic, that your disagreements with the Church are wrong, that your experiences with RCIA and priests are not valid. Every one of us is a sinner. That’s why we need Jesus.

I will only ask you to open your heart to the many blessings showered on us by the Holy Spirit, then step back and let him work in you.

God bless you.
 
Memaw said:
Maybe your shutting HIM out because you’ve made up your mind you can’t “feel” Him there. I would suggest you go to a Catholic Church and just set there in the quiet of the Presence of Our Lord in the Tabernacle. Spend at least 15 minutes as often as you can and see what happens. But you need to relax and speak to Our Lord as though you are standing, (or setting) before HIM, And you ARE.
Click to expand...
I haven’t shut anyone out and I am keeping my options open. I felt God their once, but I feel Him at my church almost every time I’m there. I go to a Catholic church and take part in everything, except communion. I am.
 
qui_est_ce said:
AW, I think you are here for a reason. I see you posting in several threads. I am not going to tell you that you are wrong for not becoming Catholic, that your disagreements with the Church are wrong, that your experiences with RCIA and priests are not valid. Every one of us is a sinner. That’s why we need Jesus.

I will only ask you to open your heart to the many blessings showered on us by the Holy Spirit, then step back and let him work in you.

God bless you.
Click to expand...
I have and I am.
 
Memaw said:
What I can’t seem to figure out is WHY some of you think the Catholic Church is soooooo unfriendly. That is an old protestant accusation, just like worshiping statues, not believing in the Bible, worshiping a wafer, etc,etc,etc and etc, False, false, false. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will always be held in the greatest sacredness as well it should be, there is no disrespect or irreverence in Church, (or should be none). There is plenty of time and opportunity to socialize before and after Mass. The difference between us and the protestant denominations is we have the Sacred Mass, a time for total worship of God. If you come to Mass to visit, fellowship, with others, then you are there for the wrong reason. The Catholic Church DOES have plenty of fellowship, just not in the Church where Jesus, (in the tabernacle), is present always.
Click to expand...
BTW, I’m a cradle Church going Catholic, so I don’t speak from ignorance. I’m not saying the Catholic Church as a whole is unfriendly. I’m sure there are some Churches that do a very good job at fellowship, but I also think many do not. I’ve been to Protestant services in the past and both during the service and after, the friendliness and fellowship I saw and experienced was so much more than I’ve seen at a lot of the parishes I’ve been associated with in the past.

BTW, pls don’t insinuate that Protestants don’t take the worship of God seriously at their services, because they do.
 
awantz said:
I haven’t shut anyone out and I am keeping my options open. I felt God their once, but I feel Him at my church almost every time I’m there. I go to a Catholic church and take part in everything, except communion. I am.
Click to expand...
I suspect you feel God at your church because he is there. Don’t let some of my fellow Catholics make you feel guilty just because you are not Catholic. You are a Christian and IMO, thats the big hurdle. I’m Catholic because thats how I was raised, and how I feel comfortable relating to and worshiping God. I would encourage you to give the Catholic Church a serious look, but if it’s not happening for you and your relationship with God is stronger at your current church, then so be it. IMO, they’ll be plenty of non-Catholics in Heaven once everything is said and done.
 
mikew262 said:
I suspect you feel God at your church because he is there. Don’t let some of my fellow Catholics make you feel guilty just because you are not Catholic. You are a Christian and IMO, thats the big hurdle. I’m Catholic because thats how I was raised, and how I feel comfortable relating to and worshiping God. I would encourage you to give the Catholic Church a serious look, but if it’s not happening for you and your relationship with God is stronger at your current church, then so be it. IMO, they’ll be plenty of non-Catholics in Heaven once everything is said and done.
Click to expand...
Thank You
I’ve given the Catholic church a serious look and right now it is not for me. Later, maybe things will change, but not right now. One reason I am on here is to learn more.
 
awantz said:
I could’ve told you that.
Click to expand...
But I said it first!:grouphug:

For all that has been said, you are looking at the Catholic Church because your husband is Catholic. You have been open. You can’t make the leap. Is it possible for you to attend mass with your husband, and he attend Anglican services with you? At least on occasion.

I hope (and from your posts, I gather) you are not letting your faith differences destroy your marriage.

I was married to a “Catholic” who totally did not live his faith.

Your willingness to be open to the Holy Spirit says much about your love for the Lord and respect for DH’s faith.

God bless you for your openess to his Grace. It’s more than many would do.
 
I admit my reasons are personal and not philosophical. I’m concerned that my marriage to a man who is a pagan presents too great an obstacle for conversion. I’m not willing to ruin my marriage by insisting he has no say in how the children are raised. I’m an Anglican for now.
 
Why do folks feel the need to deny others the right to have their own experiences and feelings???

I am so glad that many folks on this site have always had wonderful experiences in the Catholic Church. If I have not always had your wonderful experiences why do you want to point your finger at me? It MUST be MY fault. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. But denying my experience, my feeling, is not going to bring me, or anyone else back into the Church.

When I have been writing I have been referencing the needs of others. Remember the story about the Good Shepherd who goes out searching for his lost sheep. Do you think that shepherd wandered the streets of town or did he climb the hills looking for that lamb? Did he scream out “get over here right now, you lazy lost lamb, or I am going to leave you out in the cold!”, or did he call out in a loving, gentle voice, a voice which made that lost lamb WANT to come to him?

Most of us here are already in the Church. I would think that we would want to reach out to those who may be lost.
 
qui_est_ce said:
But I said it first!:grouphug:

For all that has been said, you are looking at the Catholic Church because your husband is Catholic. You have been open. You can’t make the leap. Is it possible for you to attend mass with your husband, and he attend Anglican services with you? At least on occasion.

I hope (and from your posts, I gather) you are not letting your faith differences destroy your marriage.

I was married to a “Catholic” who totally did not live his faith.

Your willingness to be open to the Holy Spirit says much about your love for the Lord and respect for DH’s faith.

God bless you for your openess to his Grace. It’s more than many would do.
Click to expand...
I attend mass with my husband and he attends with me every week. Actually, I personal beliefs are so similar that it doesn’t affect our marriage at all. Thank You!
 
Memaw said:
Seems to me that your more interested in yourself, what makes you feel good, than you are at worshiping God in the Truth…
Click to expand...
No, it really has nothing to do with what makes me feel good. I’ve been to plenty of painful Lutheran worship services. Rather, it has to do with many years of study, prayer and discernment about where God is calling me to be. I’m in love with Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, Nicholas of Lyra, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Karl Rahner. These are the theologians and authors I read “for fun.” And in many ways, my understanding of theology is closer to that of the magisterium than probably 3/4 of American Roman Catholics. I don’t take this question lightly. And yet, for now, there are still a few theological and practical issues which don’t make me inclined to convert. If I have erred in my understanding, I can do no more than to cling to the mercy of God.
 
mikew262 said:
BTW, I’m a cradle Church going Catholic, so I don’t speak from ignorance. I’m not saying the Catholic Church as a whole is unfriendly. I’m sure there are some Churches that do a very good job at fellowship, but I also think many do not. I’ve been to Protestant services in the past and both during the service and after, the friendliness and fellowship I saw and experienced was so much more than I’ve seen at a lot of the parishes I’ve been associated with in the past.

BTW, pls don’t insinuate that Protestants don’t take the worship of God seriously at their services, because they do.
Click to expand...
I was at a Baptist service once and they were very friendly until I wouldn’t stand up and come forward for their alter call and then they thought I wasn’t saved. I didn’t even know what they were talking about. It was very uncomfortable. I never went back, thank God!!! That was when I was young and influenced by my cousin.
 
mikew262 said:
BTW, I’m a cradle Church going Catholic, so I don’t speak from ignorance. I’m not saying the Catholic Church as a whole is unfriendly. I’m sure there are some Churches that do a very good job at fellowship, but I also think many do not. I’ve been to Protestant services in the past and both during the service and after, the friendliness and fellowship I saw and experienced was so much more than I’ve seen at a lot of the parishes I’ve been associated with in the past.

BTW, pls don’t insinuate that Protestants don’t take the worship of God seriously at their services, because they do.
Click to expand...
Please don’t say I am insinuating anything, if I want to say something, I will say it but don’t put words in my mouth. I never said they don’t take their services seriously, all I said was they don’t have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the TRUE presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. All they do have is a sermon and fellowship. There is a Big difference. The Mass is sacred and not a time for “fellowship”
 
Memaw said:
I never said they don’t take their services seriously, all I said was they don’t have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the TRUE presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. All they do have is a sermon and fellowship. There is a Big difference. The Mass is sacred and not a time for “fellowship”
Click to expand...
Many non-Roman Catholics, including Anglicans, Lutherans, various other denominations do not view their own worship as simply “a sermon and fellowship.” In fact, I don’t believe that fellowship has anything to do with worship, though I do believe that the Eucharistic meal is at the center of the life of the community which is the Body of Christ. Just as you believe that Jesus is TRULY present in the Mass, I believe that he is TRULY present in the Eucharistic meal celebrated by Anglican priests and Lutheran Pastors (and I have no problem with the language of sacrifice). I believe that worship is sacred, and in practice, I show due reverence for the holy mysteries. You may disagree, and we can argue from now 'till kingdom come about priestly orders and the apostolic succession (which I’d prefer not to do), but there are millions of people in the world who believe that they have touched, tasted, experienced, seen, and received the body and blood.
 
alliez said:
Many non-Roman Catholics, including Anglicans, Lutherans, various other denominations do not view their own worship as simply “a sermon and fellowship.” In fact, I don’t believe that fellowship has anything to do with worship, though I do believe that the Eucharistic meal is at the center of the life of the community which is the Body of Christ. Just as you believe that Jesus is TRULY present in the Mass, I believe that he is TRULY present in the Eucharistic meal celebrated by Anglican priests and Lutheran Pastors (and I have no problem with the language of sacrifice). I believe that worship is sacred, and in practice, I show due reverence for the holy mysteries. You may disagree, and we can argue from now 'till kingdom come about priestly orders and the apostolic succession (which I’d prefer not to do), but there are millions of people in the world who believe that they have touched, tasted, experienced, seen, and received the body and blood.
Click to expand...
Either there is a valid Consecration or their isn’t, can’t have it both ways. The people do NOT make the Consecration, Only a validly ordained Priest can. One that does have Apostolic Succession whether you like it or not. The truth is the truth even if NO ONE believes it.
 
alliez said:
Many non-Roman Catholics, including Anglicans, Lutherans, various other denominations do not view their own worship as simply “a sermon and fellowship.” In fact, I don’t believe that fellowship has anything to do with worship, though I do believe that the Eucharistic meal is at the center of the life of the community which is the Body of Christ. Just as you believe that Jesus is TRULY present in the Mass, I believe that he is TRULY present in the Eucharistic meal celebrated by Anglican priests and Lutheran Pastors (and I have no problem with the language of sacrifice). I believe that worship is sacred, and in practice, I show due reverence for the holy mysteries. You may disagree, and we can argue from now 'till kingdom come about priestly orders and the apostolic succession (which I’d prefer not to do), but there are millions of people in the world who believe that they have touched, tasted, experienced, seen, and received the body and blood.
Click to expand...
AMEN
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top