Is it easier to be a Catholic?

[noma]

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.

I agree, you do not speak for me. But you do speak for (more appropriately in accordance with) the majority of practical Roman Catholics.

However, I have never met a Roman Catholic that agrees with the Roman Catholic Church 100%, with what they know of the Roman Church. They always hold that contraception is right under certain circumstances, or that the Papal Infallibility claim is wrong, or a torrent of other things.

I would say that being a bad Roman Catholic is easy. Anything more was too hard for me, and must be so rare that I don’t think I’ve ever met one. Now, there is difficulty as a part of perfection to Christ. And then there is difficulty because of enforced belief-errors in the community that is assisting you (and that you are assisting) to reach Christ. I discern that Roman Catholicism falls in the latter category.

 

[Randy_Carson]

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!

Obedience and submission is harder than being your own “pope” - especially in the bedroom.

Having to reinvent doctrine and figure out the Bible for yourself is harder than having the sure teaching of the Church.

So, there are pros and cons to each.

 

[water]

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

It all started from the question “Call no man father” - somehow the user ended up saying which one was easier; therefore, I took it as a new thread.

 

[Mannyfit75]

However, I have never met a Roman Catholic that agrees with the Roman Catholic Church 100%, with what they know of the Roman Church. They always hold that contraception is right under certain circumstances, or that the Papal Infallibility claim is wrong, or a torrent of other things.

You meet one. Me. I agree with it 100%

 

[carol_marie]

You meet one. Me. I agree with it 100%

I also agree 100% - as do most of my friends.

I mentioned the birth control issue - I think it is difficult to follow - but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. As many posters here have said, truth is truth - even if it’s hard.

 

[Lukelion]

In some ways, Catholicism is easier. I get the feeling a lot of non-Catholics keep reinventing the wheel. When I want to pray for some specific area in my life, I can find beautiful prayers from the saints stated so much more eloquently than I could ever dream of! Church rituals are familiar and comforting.

 

[Church_Militant]

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

 

[Church_Militant]

I also agree 100% - as do most of my friends.

Count me in!

 

[water]

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

I have no idea what you meant. something about culture?

 

[pumpkinbeast]

I find it much easier to be Catholic, with all the guidelines laid out. Once you have them straight, and you follow them to the best of your ability, you will be much freer from the chains of sin, you will be able to act confidently in what some would call difficult moral situations, you have the sacraments to use for spiritual strength, the Mass is the same no matter where you go (albiet in a different language sometimes), you have lots of prayers to use, no matter what your situation, a huge array of religious orders that you might be called to… I could go on. The only difficulty comes from other people who try to make it difficult. Being Catholic isn’t difficult in itself, I think. It’s kind of funny, actually, when you think about it: A Catholic might be pestered by others for being Catholic, but they can find solace in the Church… the very thing that might cause others to give them grief can comfort them.

 

[YADA]

Noma, you self identify as a “confused Christian” and yet ‘you’ can pronounce Catholism hard becasue it deviates from the “Truth”???

You are in deed confused…

Th poster who posited that being a *Catholic *was easier based that upon the following:

Catholics did not know scripture nor read scripture daily; but only knew memorized prayers.

This is not true, I’ll wager that the average catholic reads scripture as often as the average non catholic christan. Both have the truly zealous and the truly lazy. And many of those ‘memorized’ prayers recited by catholics are highly scriptural.

Catholics can get absolution by going to their priest when they sin and once dead are prayed out of purgatory [he said if you believe in that].

Catholics can only receive absolution if they are repentent and seek God’s mercy. They cannot enter the confessional and obtain easy absolution…they cannot fool Jesus. If they are not repentant, they receive no absolution and every catholic knows this. It is not easy to go to reconcilliation but we do receive a Grace that our seperated brethren do not. We can also repent directly to Jesus. And as for being 'prayed out of purgatory, well we are already saved, it is a period of cleansing and I’ll take all the prayers I can, in this life, in purgatory and in heaven.

Catholics do not have to think for themselves about scripture but just defer to the Church. While non -catholics have to study scripture learn greek etc…

**Catholics are encouraged to read and study scripture. We also have the Church to guide our studies. Not every non catholic is going to learn greek and many cathilics study hebrew and greek. So the Catholic has another source, the churcha. The non catholic has only their own ultimate authority. I can see where this leaves the non catholic in a hard place…history teaches that left to ones own authority a multitude of “truths” result, which actually leaves you with no truth…yep…we have a distinct advantage **

 

[Odell]

I always use this when the issue of catholic rules come up I just cut and paste the same thing I think it is really good In this response it was to bibleapologist. anyway anyone can use this because I think it is the best explination of catholic RULES

originally posted by bibleapologist
But it seems Catholics desire to be under the law (of which we were made free).

first of all Christ came to fullfill the law not abolish it.

Catholics desire to do what Jesus commands (IN which Jesus came to show and make it possible)

I have posted this before and I will again because I do not think you got it the first time.

In fact those so called rules are not rules at all to a well formed conscience.

[Christopher West Book Theology of the body for beginners pg 40]
“Most people look at Christian morality-especially sexual morality-as an oppressive list of rules to follow. How far this misunderstanding is from the living morality proclaimed by Christ! The Gospel dosen’t give us more rules to follow. The Gospel is meant to change our hearts so that we no longer need the rules(see cathichsm 1968) To the degree that we experince this change of heart we experience freedom from the law(Rom7;Gal 5) not freedom to break the law; freedom to fullfill it.”
"Heres an example of what freedom from the law looks like: Do you have any desire to murder your best friend? This may seem like an odd question, but it actually demonstrate the point. Assuming you do not, then you dont need that comandment. Thou shall not murder thy best friend. Because you have no desire to break it. To this extent you are free from the law. In other words, you don’t experience this law as an imposition because your heart conforms to it.

before original sin the human heart comformed to Gods. that is what Christ came back for to show us how to conform our will to his. and the Church is there to help

one last thing
When we allow Chist into our hearts we no longer need the law because we no longer desire to break them. What law do you still need? What teachings of the Church still feel like a burdan or impostion to you? Perhaps the problem isn’t the law or the Church, but with your “hardness of heart” dont throw away the law surender your disordered desires to Christ and let him transform them.

 

[noma]

You meet one. Me. I agree with it 100%

So many of you claim this on the forum. Easy to do. I do not know any who live it. And, as I do not know you, truly know you, I cannot count you among this number.

 

[noma]

Noma, you self identify as a “confused Christian” and yet ‘you’ can pronounce Catholism hard becasue it deviates from the “Truth”???

I do not know what the True Church is supposed to look like, but I know Roman Catholicism isn’t it.

 

[Church_Militant]

So many of you claim this on the forum. Easy to do. I do not know any who live it. And, as I do not know you, truly know you, I cannot count you among this number.

Hey… then you don’ t know us…

 

[I_Leatherman]

…to know you is to love you…la la laa…

…was’nt that a song.

 

[steveandersen]

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!

“so many rules”?

We do not have complex dietary, dress, or caste rules. So in some ways we are much simpler than other religions.

That being said there is nothing wrong with rules per se. Rules provide structure and guidance.

I think we have enough to explain to folks what they need to do but not so many that life is reduced to a checklist.

 

[Marsha_Adams]

However, I have never met a Roman Catholic that agrees with the Roman Catholic Church 100%, with what they know of the Roman Church. They always hold that contraception is right under certain circumstances, or that the Papal Infallibility claim is wrong, or a torrent of other things.

Well, you’ve met at least one now. Contraception is never right the Pope when speaking ex cathedra is always infallible, and if the Church teaches it I believe it. Through weakness, I may fail to live up to it, but that is my flaw, not the Church’s. Since I am probably the most liberal Catholic on this thread , I dare say that you have “met” a lot of Roman Catholics that agree with the Church 100%

Marsha

 

[BlestOne]

You meet one. Me. I agree with it 100%

You’ve met me, my hubby…and can we count minors? Anyway my 20 yo DS should qualify too… that’s 3 more…

It isn’t so hard really. It is a matter of trust in God and he makes it easy most of the time, the rest of the time… just go by his track record! God’s plans are always better than my own so doing it his way saves alot of grief.