I'm Leaving Catholicism & CAF

[Niblo]

Only Satan would call someone to leave the Ark of Salvation, since “extra ecclesiam nulla salus,” as was affirmed at the Fourth Lateran Council.

This is what I wrote. The important part is emphasised for your benefit:

Remember the story of the father who had asked the disciples to cast an evil spirit out of his son, but they could not. Yeshua (ʿalayhi as-salām) reminded him that all things are possible to one who has faith. The father replied ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ (Mark 9:24).

I left the Church because – over the space of about nine years – I came to disbelieve several key doctrines. It would seem that you are not yet at this stage. Perhaps you should give yourself more time.

There is no reason why you should not continue to attend Mass – to share in its spirituality and prayers. If you doubt the Real Presence, then hold yourself back from receiving the Host. There is no harm in that. Receive Yeshua in your heart instead; saying: ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ And find yourself a good and trusted spiritual advisor (I would recommend a Trappist, they are great for this sort of thing. A letter to any US Abbey should do the trick. You can communicate with an Adviser by mail - I know of no Abbey close you. Failing this, try the Carmelites!). And don’t leave the Forum!

In what way is this a call to leave the Church?

 

[Ryan1]

Courageous decision. Ultimately a man must follow his conscience, even when it takes him in a direction that seems to go against Church teaching. Pope John Paul 2 was quite clear on this. So if a man’s consience tells him he must leave the Church, either temporarily or permanently, he must do so. It would be a mistake to stay while one knows in one’s heart one is called to leave.

This is what I was responding to. Perhaps we were miscommunicating.

 

[Vico]

Niblo:

Courageous decision. Ultimately a man must follow his conscience, even when it takes him in a direction that seems to go against Church teaching. Pope John Paul 2 was quite clear on this. So if a man’s consience tells him he must leave the Church, either temporarily or permanently, he must do so. It would be a mistake to stay while one knows in one’s heart one is called to leave.

This is what I was responding to. Perhaps we were miscommunicating.

Catechism

1790 A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself. Yet it can happen that moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous judgments about acts to be performed or already committed.

1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin."59 In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

1792 Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one’s passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church’s authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.

 

[Niblo]

This is what I was responding to. Perhaps we were miscommunicating.

Yes. But you were right to express your concern. No harm done, and thank you.

God bless you.

 

[Ryan1]

Is this a response to something? I see a quote but no commentary.

 

[Vico]

Is this a response to something? I see a quote but no commentary.

Yes, it is the Church teaching on certain judgement of conscience vs erroneous judgment of conscience.

It seems that Roguish trashed the post.

 

[stpiosson]

Jesus is truly present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist. Have you been to Eucharistic Adoration? Before you

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Your prayer is precious, especially since it is so difficult for you.

This.

It’s easy to pray when your all full of warmth and kumbaya feelings.
But I know for myself, when everything in my life has gone sideways, and I don’t feel so good, and I don’t like my own reflection in the mirror anymore, what I want to do (and admittedly have done) is to curl into a ball and just try to shut everything else out.
God sees how it is for you when you don’t “feel it”, but put in the effort anyway. It’s called love in action and it pleases the Lord.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

God Bless you in your sincere pursuit of truth.

If anyone ever gets fed up with CAF, I hope they can see threads like this, the sincerity, the encouragement, the honesty, the empathy, the willingness to walk with people where they are at. Threads like this are CAF at it’s best, sombre as the subject may be.

 

[goout]

“Leaving CAF” is like saying I no longer subscribe to a book club or something like that. Nothing sacred about it. Nice place to learn and talk though.

It says something, that you put “leaving Catholicism and CAF” together like that. This is one tiny corner of the world.
Catholicism is a relationship with a person, not a blog, and not merely the set of doctrines you are struggling with.

Catholicism is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. There are many suggestions here. Mine would be to get on your knees and sincerely ask Christ to reveal himself to you. Christ will do that. May not be on your timetable or in the way you would like. Sometimes he reveals himself with a flash of brilliant understanding of doctrines, sometimes with an auto accident or an arrest.

But “Jesus Son of God have mercy on me” is a prayer that is always answered.

 

[OneSheep]

Good morning Marie, I hope you don’t mind my questions about your comments.

I’m still highly doubtful and I’m still struggling. Since then I’ve tried to make a habit of going to mass several times a week even when I feel discouraged. It’s helping but it’s been a slow process. I think I’m trying my best and I just have to hope that’s enough for God.

You’re struggling with the prayers, but going to mass more often is helping. What has that “help” looked like?

honestly I’d been hurt by people within the church many times and that made things worse for me.

To me, this is a very significant part of your statement. Has it been difficult to forgive?

Are your struggles drawing you more to self-reflective prayer, a maturing faith in which you are discovering who God is in your life?

 

[steve-b]

Thank you all for your responses. Just to be clear it wasn’t a new convert high or a puppy love phase. I simply began to question things and my beliefs began to unravel. I’ve read John 6. I’ve researched the Eucharist miracles.

Someone said it’s a heart decision and I don’t disagree.

AND

it’s perseverance in obedience to the faith given once for all.

 

[JoeFreedom]

When we try to run the mysteries of God through our limited and finite human knowledge and intellect we will fail in understanding everytime and then as we find we cannot understand logically our hearts sink. Thus faith can rescue us where logic fails.

 

[LaetenturCaeli12]

Good on you and congratulations on your courage.

May you find a spiritual path that is sincerely tailored to your needs and your stage of development at this point in time.

 

[CaptainPrudeman]

Leaving God’s Church isn’t courageous.

 

[CaptainPrudeman]

The Catholic Church is the only way to receive salvation. Some people may be invisibly linked to it by grace, but only the Church has the plan of salvation. It isn’t childish, it’s the truth.

 

[Cruciferi]

Exactly. Also Some of the responses here are quite disturbing. There’s nothing more to say.

 

[lagerald24]

It’s so simple. Christ established ONE Church. Why wouldn’t a person want to be a part of it?

 

[HopkinsReb]

Begs the question. I think any Christian would agree with that premise, but plenty would claim that that church is not the Catholic Church in its current form and that, as Christians, they are part of the Church founded by Christ because that Church is just a spiritual bond between all believers.

You’ll get much more mileage out of trying to prove that 1) the Church founded by Christ still exists as an institution, not just as a spiritual bond, and that 2) the Catholic Church is that Church.

 

[lagerald24]

I see, thanks!