Is it easier to be a Catholic?

[water]

This question is asked based on a thread in which a user thought it was easier to be a Catholic.

I was wondering what you all think of this and why you think it this way.

Personally, I think it is not an easy to take and have heard those who have gone astray saying that “Catholic has so many rules and other things”.

Thanks!

 

[paulCT]

I don’t think being Catholic is any easier (or more difficult) than being Protestant, Jewish, Muslim or any other religion.

Each religion has it’s own set of guidelines that believers are required to observe. People may find parts of these guidelines difficult to follow. In terms of observing my faith, I don’t find it difficult at all.

Muslims pray 5 times per day. I respect that they do that in observance of their religious beliefs.

I think it much hardier to be a Muslim in America, followed by being Jewish. I think people of these religions face a discrimination that most of us couldn’t comprehend.

 

[water]

I don’t think being Catholic is any easier (or more difficult) than being Protestant, Jewish, Muslim or any other religion.

Each religion has it’s own set of guidelines that believers are required to observe. People may find parts of these guidelines difficult to follow. In terms of observing my faith, I don’t find it difficult at all.

Muslims pray 5 times per day. I respect that they do that in observance of their religious beliefs.

I think it much hardier to be a Muslim in America, followed by being Jewish. I think people of these religions face a discrimination that most of us couldn’t comprehend.

Very good and I am agreed with you. Not every religion is easy, however, it is a lot easier if you love and follow the teaching of your belief.

By the way, I had a typo on the post - somehow I skipped words.

 

[Marilena]

This question is asked based on a thread in which a user thought it was easier to be a Catholic.

I was wondering what you all think of this and why you think it this way.

Personally, I think it is not an easy to take and have heard those who have gone astray saying that “Catholic has so many rules and other things”.

Thanks!

for me, the answer to that would be yes, it is easier for me to be Catholic then it was for me to ever be a jw. rules? i think the society has more rules than our faith does.

take a life saving blood transfusion, and your damned for all eternity, wiped out, annhilated.

smoke a cigarrette, automatically disfellowshipped and shunned if your not stopping right away and not repentive.

associate with anyone outside the belief and your disfellowshipped and shunned.

read anti jw mateiral and your branded and apostate and you are cut off from those you love.

disagree with the societies rule on independent thinking, and your an opposer, and a potential apostate.

apostates will never live in the “new system of things” they wil not go to heaven, they will be permanently anhilated by God.

umm let’s see, there is more, if you don’t clock up the hours in the field service, your a lukewarm jw and they wont associate with you.

they will however, check up on you daily, they will keep you in line, they will threaten you with eternal damnation if you disagree or read anything that opposes the society, they will keep track of your associations, your family, and you name it.

so yes, it is easier to be a Catholic by far! we don’t have a governing body that tells us we cannot have independent thinking, we do not have a governing body that threatens us with eternal damnation if we smoke a cigarette, or hang out with opposers, we do not have a society that orders us to not take a life saving blood transfusion. we have the truth, and that is all i care about! so yes, it is easier for me to be a Catholic and be in the truth, then be led astray by a pack of wolves in sheeps clothing. <------ ( the governing body )

 

[Marsha_Adams]

Easier how?

In terms of “what do we believe?” It is much easier to be Catholic. Through the teaching authority of the Church we know what is true. 26,000 Protestant Sects with more springing up everyday all use the same Bible texts to teach widely differing dogmas.

In terms of “how am I saved”, the Once Saved Always Saved bunch is probably easier. All you have to do is believe in Jesus as your personal savior and then do anything you want.
Of course the question will probably arise as to whether you believe hard enough.

 

[carol_marie]

I think it was easier to be an Evangelical because I didn’t have to go to church if I didn’t feel like it. (like when the temp is 9 below zero - or whenever I wanted to do something fun on the weekend instead) Also, no rules during lent - I had NO IDEA how difficult it would be to stick to my commitment!

And the #1 reason I think it was easeir to be an Evangelical: Artificial birth control is OK.

 

[FightingFat]

To be honest, “easier” or “harder” doesn’t come into it for me. Right is what matters.

 

[BlestOne]

I think it was easier to be an Evangelical because I didn’t have to go to church if I didn’t feel like it. (like when the temp is 9 below zero - or whenever I wanted to do something fun on the weekend instead) Also, no rules during lent - I had NO IDEA how difficult it would be to stick to my commitment!

And the #1 reason I think it was easeir to be an Evangelical: Artificial birth control is OK.

Carol Marie… I hear ya!!! It is colder than snail snot!

Seriously… ummm I think Catholic would be much harder than some of the more liberal Protestant sects (notice I didn’t say all) for much the same reasons Carol Marie gave… less rules,
like keeping holy the sabbath,
like birth control,
like abortion,
like pre & extramarital sex,
like no confession/reconcilliation,
like OSAS… I can’t lose my assured salvation no matter what I do…

 

[Mannyfit75]

Carol Marie… I hear ya!!! It is colder than snail snot!

Seriously… ummm I think Catholic would be much harder than some of the more liberal Protestant sects (notice I didn’t say all) for much the same reasons Carol Marie gave… less rules,
like keeping holy the sabbath,
like birth control,
like abortion,
like pre & extramarital sex,
like no confession/reconcilliation,
like OSAS… I can’t lose my assured salvation no matter what I do…

It’s not easy being Catholic. You are still tempted by the devil to commit sin and we continue to fight against his temptations. We have to be prayful to God so that we may have the strength to overcome them.

If being is easy, then there would be no need for Confession.

 

[Della]

When people say the Church has too many rules what they really mean is they don’t like one or more of the Church’s rules they don’t want to keep. So, in that way, it is harder to be a Catholic because the Church actually expects people to do what they promise to do. Not that it expects everyone to do so perfectly or never to fail. That’s why the sacrament of penance and reconciliation was given to the Church by Christ himself.

Jesus founded his Church to help us become conformed to his image–to become “little christs.” It is up to us to decide if we are going to do that or not.

About missing Mass, sometimes we can’t help but miss Mass due to weather conditions or health or work obligations. God and his Church know this very well. There is no culpability if such things keep us home, just so long as we aren’t making it a convenient excuse to do other things we want to do more.

 

[water]

To be honest, “easier” or “harder” doesn’t come into it for me. Right is what matters.

That is very true.

 

[Church_Militant]

To be honest, “easier” or “harder” doesn’t come into it for me. Right

is what matters.

:thumbsup:This was my own thinking as well, though in fact I do call n-C religions “Christianity Lite”. Not because my own faith is harder, but because Biblically I think the other guys have oversimplified what the Word of God really teaches.

Perhaps my answer should be that Christianity is not as simple as many n-Cs preach it.

 

[noma]

This question is asked based on a thread in which a user thought it was easier to be a Catholic.

I was wondering what you all think of this and why you think it this way.

Personally, I think it is not an easy to take and have heard those who have gone astray saying that “Catholic has so many rules and other things”.

Thanks!

Being non-Catholic, I would assert that Catholicism is harder than most other religions, simply because it departs from the Truth.

As it departs from the Truth, it makes achieving goodness (the application of Truth to our lives) that much more difficult. It is like trying to climb to the top of a house without a sufficient ladder.

 

[Della]

Being non-Catholic, I would assert that Catholicism is harder than most other religions, simply because it departs from the Truth.

As it departs from the Truth, it makes achieving goodness (the application of Truth to our lives) that much more difficult. It is like trying to climb to the top of a house without a sufficient ladder.

That’s your view as an outsider, I can assure you that for those who are in it and practicing their faith this is not at all the case. Not only does the Catholic faith not depart from the truth, it makes truth visible, and it makes becoming truly holy possible for anyone who cares to do so.

 

[Hesychios]

To be honest, “easier” or “harder” doesn’t come into it for me. Right is what matters.

I agree, no matter how difficult it is Truth that matters.

That said and back to the OP, I think being a Roman Catholic is a cakewalk. Even considering everything expected of a Roman Catholic (and every sacrifice and discipline) in these days the life is easy. It’s a pleasure cruise.

I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be able to meet or exceed the demands made on a Roman Catholic.

Michael

 

[rwoehmke]

less rules,
like keeping holy the sabbath,
like birth control,
like abortion,
like pre & extramarital sex,
like no confession/reconcilliation,
like OSAS… I can’t lose my assured salvation no matter what I do…

I am not quoting to dispute this list, but to use it to answer the question. Half or more of these things have some root in the natural law and/or are obligations imposed on all who believe and follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which would include all Christians, Jews, or Islamists and for that matter any human being who did not believe. Not believing does not let one off the hook of obligation, but may release one from guilt or culpability. As Catholics we are blest because our Church makes it possible for us to know what is right behavior and gives us, through grace, the help to follow through. Being obligated is not always a bad thing as it helps one determine to follow right behavior. We would be better Catholics if we all followed the three pillars of Islam which are to pray, to fast, and to give alms. If you want “rules” try the Sharia…

 

[noma]

That’s your view as an outsider, I can assure you that for those who are in it and practicing their faith this is not at all the case. Not only does the Catholic faith not depart from the truth, it makes truth visible, and it makes becoming truly holy possible for anyone who cares to do so.

Mine is a view of an outsider who used to be very much a part of the Roman Catholic Church (a convert). And I do admit that my perceptions of the Roman Church, and of its errors, will be different than some, but I don’t think my perceptions are uncommonly so.

 

[paulCT]

The hardest part of being Catholic is coming from an Irish family, and being married to an Italian.

 

[Contarini]

This question is asked based on a thread in which a user thought it was easier to be a Catholic.

I was wondering what you all think of this and why you think it this way.

Personally, I think it is not an easy to take and have heard those who have gone astray saying that “Catholic has so many rules and other things”.

Thanks!

Easy in what respect? Easy for whom? Easy compared to whom?

I don’t think the comparison is meaningful or significant. (This is not a criticism of you but of whatever Protestant made this argument, or conceivably whatever Catholic the Protestant was responding to, since I have no idea how this silly comparison got started.)

Christianity in any form worth practicing is “hard” in the sense that it demands everything of us, and “easy” in the sense that it plunges us into joyful despair and spits us out onto the firm ground of God’s unfailing mercy.

Edwin

 

[Della]

Mine is a view of an outsider who used to be very much a part of the Roman Catholic Church (a convert). And I do admit that my perceptions of the Roman Church, and of its errors, will be different than some, but I don’t think my perceptions are uncommonly so.

Whatever errors you think it has, and I have to utterly disagree with you there as a convert from Protestantism whose experience of it was deep and wide, the truth is it’s not hard to be a Catholic for those who desire to follow Christ by taking his yoke upon them.

From what I’ve seen the hard part for Catholics who find it hard is being counter-cultural. It requires forming one’s conscience to that of Christ, instead of to that of one’s society. I do not speak for you, of course, nor am I saying that I am describing you and your situation.