I'm doing some research on Catholicism

[rachelfern]

I’m not a Catholic, but I have decided to do a project on Catholicism. An online reference and interview would be helpful, so if you want to answer these questions, please help me out! If not, thanks anyway.

Were you raised in this type of religion?
If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
What do you want other to know most about your religion?
What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?
How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
Have you ever questioned your faith?
Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?
What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?
What are some of your biggest religious values?
What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?

 

[smad0142]

Were you raised in this type of religion?
Yes
If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
No
What do you want other to know most about your religion?
Everything
What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?
The fact that I know I am entering into a deeper and deeper relationship with God.
How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
My life has become centered around living a good Catholic life, and I try and bring that to those around me.
Have you ever questioned your faith?
No. I have always believed everything the Church has taught, even if I don’t understand it.
Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
Question to obtain a deeper understanding, but not doubt.
What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?
None
What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
Love of God and neighbor.
What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?
Typical Catholic devotions. The Rosary, Scapular, Divine Mercy Chaplet, etc. etc. I love the Scapular because of its wonderful promises and how it shows the Blessed Mother’s and Christ’s love and concern for anyone’s salvation no matter the cost.
What are some of your biggest religious values?
Just living a good Catholic life as taught by the Church.
What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?
Anything that is immoral as taught by the Chuch I think is immoral. So using your examples I think they are both immoral.

Hope this helps!!

 

[smad0142]

BTW

I am an 18 year old male, Caucasian, Midwest, University Student

 

[rachelfern]

Yes, it did. Thank you! Mind if i get your name, as well? (Only first name will be okay)

 

[smad0142]

Sean

 

[ConstantineTG]

Were you raised in this type of religion?
Yes

If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
No, although the strong influence of Chinese in the Philippines means we have a lot of cultural practices that are born out of the ancient Chinese religion/pagan belief

What do you want other to know most about your religion?
That we carry the truth and that the solution to the problems of the world is to follow Christ

What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?
Helping others and knowing that God takes care of you

How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
Many ways. It has made me a better person. It has helped me become more level headed. Because I trust God more, I tend to be less emotional, hot headed, and paranoid. I was all those in the past. But less of it when I grew my faith.

Have you ever questioned your faith?
Yes

Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
Not anymore. But in relation to the previous question, I once doubted if God really was involved in my life other than creating me. I discovered for a fact that He does, every minute, every second.

What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?
Other people who contradict it. Everyone thinks that the faith is old fashioned or bigoted. That is not true. It is timely and just.

What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
Love God above all, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. To love your neighbors is to love God, and to love God is to love your neighbors.

What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?
The holidays and feasts, biggest of course is Christmas, Lent and Easter.

What are some of your biggest religious values?
Trusting God in all, leaving it all to His will. To follow all commandments, be honest and be good and fair to everyone.

What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?
Both a no-no. Both abuse sex for what it is intended for.

 

[Catherine_Grant]

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Catherine Grant
Eastern Catholicism Moderator

 

[iwillendure]

Were you raised in this type of religion? not really
If not, which religion did you convert from and why? a lack of religion
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions? NO
What do you want other to know most about your religion? Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.
What is the most rewarding thing about your faith? The love and mercy that God shows us
How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you? It is my everything
Have you ever questioned your faith? absolutly
Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt? nothing in perticuliar but doubts do arise but just as they arive they leave
What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any? everday is an obstacle fighting sin is not easy
What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches? I guess i am obliged to answer to Love God
What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why? The tradational mass there is nothing like it.
What are some of your biggest religious values? Humility and Love
What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?
sinful and morally wrong

 

[ESMDHokie77]

Might I suggest using a survey website.

yes​

practicing “fulfilled judaism”
It’s the only one that’s right
It’s the only one that has ALL the Truth
may have to forfeit love with another who doesn’t share my faith
yes
no, not now, and no more.
sinful pleasure
“Listen to Him”
Eucharist, He’s delicious.
Chastity, confession, Eucharist, Rosary.
Whatever the CC teaches, that’s what I believe.

 

[svid2]

I’m not a Catholic, but I have decided to do a project on Catholicism. An online reference and interview would be helpful, so if you want to answer these questions, please help me out! If not, thanks anyway.

Were you raised in this type of religion?
If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
What do you want other to know most about your religion?
What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?
How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
Have you ever questioned your faith?
Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?
What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?
What are some of your biggest religious values?
What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?

Can’t answer now - on break at work - later!

 

[JRKH]

I’m not a Catholic, but I have decided to do a project on Catholicism. An online reference and interview would be helpful, so if you want to answer these questions, please help me out! If not, thanks anyway.

Were you raised in this type of religion?
Not sure how specific you are being…Do you mean Christianity? Catholicism in general or specifically an Eastern Rite Church?
If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
I was raised a Latin Rite Catholic (commonly refered to as Roman Catholic)
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
No - But I do believe that any faith that is founded on the two great commandments needs to be respected.
What do you want other to know most about your religion?
Christ founded it. It contains the fullness of faith and the greatest Gift of God to man - namely the Eucharist.
What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?

1. Salvation, 2) The Eucharist
   How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
   This would take a long time to answer. Overall it has given me a peace that nothing else ever has.
   Have you ever questioned your faith?
   Yes
   Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
   In my weaker moments yes…Serious doubts…No
   What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any? Only that it is the hardest “easy” faith to follow. I am my own worst obstacle…
   What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
   Mt 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, " YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
   **What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?**Mass as often as possible. The rosary. The way of the cross. Mass is my favorite because it is the source and summit of our faith. The liturgy in which we partake of God himself in the Eucharist.
   What are some of your biggest religious values?
   Love, Patience, Forebearance, Humility, Moderation,
   What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?
   Sexuality is designed by God for procreation - homosexuality is a disordered condition not approved by God.
   Likewise, sex is an act that reaches its fulfillment between a committed man and woman. Sex outside marriage is to be avoided.

Peace
James

 

[DianaCC]

Were you raised in this type of religion?
**Yes

** If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
**I was Evangelical for two years in college, atheist for two days, agnostic for two weeks.

** Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
**No. Maybe a little Judaism.

**What do you want other to know most about your religion?
**How complete a response it is to what people want and need in their spiritual lives.

** What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?
**The peace of mind that comes from the Sacrament of Confession. It really is the final word on things you feel guilty about.
**
How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
Short answer, it has kept me out of a lot of trouble. There are some things I avoided doing even though I really wanted to do them, for no other reason than just because my religion prohibited it.

Have you ever questioned your faith?
**Daily. One of the nice things about being Catholic is that the Church has already done much of the groundwork for all kinds of important issues so all I need to do is study what the Church has already said and I can save myself months of dead ends. Does this mean I am unable to think for myself? LOL I’ve seen people wallow for lifetimes in uncertainty and confusion over the simplest things because they’re hung up on a tiny side issue. If thinking for yourself is so great, then why are most people so bad at it?

** Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
**Everything. That’s how I come to understand it better and eventually see just how true it all really is.

** What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?
**There’s a fine line between obstacles and guardrails. I really appreciate the guardrails. I don’t think of them as inconveniences.

** What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
**Sometimes patiently tolerating a problem over a half-dozen decades is the best way to let it burn itself out.

** What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?
**Rosary, scapular, Latin mass, devotion to the souls in Purgatory. Rosary and mass are extremely rich; I discover something new almost every time.

** What are some of your biggest religious values?
**Being Catholic means being part of something bigger than yourself. I’m tired of creative do-it-yourself religion that ultimately turns into self-centeredness and reinventing the wheel.

** What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?
Both are wrong and invariably lead to unhappiness. I saw this in peoples lives long before I ever took the Church’s teaching on them seriously. Same goes for contraception.

 

[Trevor_Stamm]

Were you raised in this type of religion? No
If not, which religion did you convert from and why? Eastern practices turned agnostic. The “why” is loaded and would fill a book, to summarize: truth found me.
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions? No.
What do you want other to know most about your religion? That it’s uncontestable. It based on truth, reason, and love. It is the only way to Jesus.
What is the most rewarding thing about your faith? Given mercy to goto the Father in heaven when I pass from this life. And how much undisputable truths we hold.
How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you? It has filled my life to point of replacing my old life. Others around me are converting too, so it’s a healthy atmosphere.
Have you ever questioned your faith? Of course. Nice thing about Catholicism, there isn’t one question unanswered or one question that hasn’t been asked. It’s been around for two thousand years, it has that advantage
Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt? Never.
What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any? Besides being critized by the ignorant masses as “a follower of a heretical church” or “believer in fairy tales”? Myself, human nature that is.
What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches? Humility.
What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why? Everything I’m suppose to. Including the Rosary everyday, praying with my patron saint Jude to God for those who are desperate and are almost without hope, defending the faith, reading Scared Scripture, I consider reading writings of saints (inculding Early Chrch Fathers) a tradition which I do most of the time
What are some of your biggest religious values? Faith, love, charity, hope, humility, education, reason, justice, law, and complete adoration to God Almighty.
What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex? I assent my will to the Church, read what it says about those issues and will you will know fully what my views are.

 

[HisLamb]

I’m not a Catholic, but I have decided to do a project on Catholicism. An online reference and interview would be helpful, so if you want to answer these questions, please help me out! If not, thanks anyway.

Were you raised in this type of religion?
No
If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
I did not have a religion before; I suppose I could have been called secular.
Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
No
What do you want other to know most about your religion?
That we are not only Christians, but the first Christians and Jesus is really present in the Eucharist.
What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?
My relationship with God

How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
I live a moral life; I try to serve God.
Have you ever questioned your faith?
Yes
Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
No
What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?
I do not feel I have obstacles because of my religion, but sometimes the lack of tolerance by other people presents obstacles.
What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
God loves us and sent his Son to save us from our sins.
What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?
I practice the reception of the sacraments. Mass is my favorite. I also practice devotional prayers and biblical study (if that can be called a tradition)
What are some of your biggest religious values?
Love God with all your heart and your neighbor, live the beatitudes
What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?
Sex is a gift of God for married people. Homosexual sex is gravely sinful; it is against the law of God and (even if you don’t believe in God) the laws of nature. Premarital sex has led to millions of murdered babies.

 

[maggie41]

Were you raised in this type of religion?
No

If not, which religion did you convert from and why?
Baptist. Truth

Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?
No

What do you want other to know most about your religion?
That all that God has given us can be understood and found within the teachings of the Church

What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?
Certainty

How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?
I have gained greater understanding of many things. One example would be the teachings of the covenant of marriage. The teachings of the Church have caused my husband and I to understand it isn’t about us, it is all about Him and this has blessed our marriage immensely!

Have you ever questioned your faith?
Not faith in God. But I have questioned certain beliefs. The Eucharist is the most beautiful truth of my faith and it is also the most difficult to accept. Acceptance of this took absolute trust in God.

Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?
See above.

What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?
None

What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?
All is for God’s glory and for our good. I love the answer the Church gives to suffering for instance. Why does God allow suffering? To bring about a greater good.

What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?
The Rosary, adoration. Adoration would be my favorite because it is time spent with Jesus in an intimate way.

What are some of your biggest religious values?
The defense of life

What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?
My views are formed by Church teaching which teaches that both of these acts are sinful acts.

In Christ’s Love,
Maggie

 

[Holly3278]

I’m not a Catholic, but I have decided to do a project on Catholicism. An online reference and interview would be helpful, so if you want to answer these questions, please help me out! If not, thanks anyway.

I’ll be happy to answer your questions!

Were you raised in this type of religion?

No, I was not raised Catholic. I was raised as an Evangelical Protestant.

If not, which religion did you convert from and why?

I converted from Evangelical Protestantism. I was raised Southern Baptist but was looking into other Protestant churches before I discovered Catholicism.

Do you believe in, or connect yourself to, any other religions?

I definitely don’t believe in any other religions and I don’t connect myself to any other religions either.

What do you want other to know most about your religion?

That it is the Church founded by Jesus Christ who is our God. He is the Son of God and He founded this Church and this Church has remained faithful to the Truth from day 1. The Catholic Church has the fullness of the Truth.

What is the most rewarding thing about your faith?

I think the most rewarding thing about my faith is being able to receive the Sacraments.

How has your religion affected your life, or the lives or the people around you?

Catholicism has affected my life in that it has made me much more aware of the true meaning of the Bible. It has also helped me to have much more hope in the future. It has made me to be at peace much more often than before because I know that I have found the true religion of God.

Have you ever questioned your faith?

Yes, from time to time I have questioned my faith. This was most common during the first few years after I converted. However, in the past couple of years, I have had only passing doubts or questions and they always seem to go away very quickly.

Is there anything in your faith that you sometimes doubt?

No. I don’t really understand whether or not animals or our pets will be with us in Heaven but this doesn’t make me doubt.

What obstacles do you find with everyday life because of your religion? Are there any?

Well, I frequently find that my best friend opposes me in my beliefs because I am so much more conservative than he. I also find that when I express my beliefs to others, I am frequently opposed.

What is the best lesson your faith practices/teaches?

To love and serve God with your whole heart, mind, and strength and to obey Him.

What are some religious traditions that your practice? What is your favorite, and why?

I love to pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I also love to go to Eucharistic Adoration.

What are some of your biggest religious values?

My biggest religious value by far is my belief in the total sanctity of human life which brings me to oppose things like: abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, assisted suicide, contraception, and gay marriage.

What are your religions views on things such as homosexuality, or premarital sex?

Catholicism teaches that homosexuality is objectively disordered but that the orientation is not sinful. However, homosexual acts are gravely sinful. As for premarital sex, it is also gravely sinful.