Is it easier to be Protestant or Catholic?

[Roy5]

Just a thought.

In reading postings by Catholics they seem to see Protestantism as that style of Christianity in its evangelical form. The mainline denominations do not fit that pattern. The Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Lutherans (most), Congregationalists, Disciples etc are usually moderate, open-minded, ecumenical and cooperative groups (and this includes many Baptists, too, certainly here in the northeast). They are not anti; they don’t fret about Catholicism. They work together on the national level through the National Council of Churches and belong to the World Council of Churches. They had local Councils of Churches and clergy associations long before Vatican II permitted priests to join such organizations. I recall when even entering a Protestant church was seen as a serious sin.

It's true that the most aggressive Protestants in America today, and likely the fastest growing, are the evangelicals - though I would question that word, as all Christians, in a sense, are evangelical (or should be). The largest Lutheran body is even known as the ELCA - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. One reason likely is that evangelicals are most urgent in their mission work. They're inclined toward the belief that the 'unsaved' are destined to hell, so their goal is to save those souls from everlasting punishment. Mainline Protestants would be much less likely to believe this. In fact, millions of them would respect non-Christian faiths, such as Judaism, Islam (in its authentic form, not the Muslim crazies), Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. We have a Sikh community in this area - wonderful people generally.

 As for easier??? Those who live their religion seriously are challenged, but I'm not sure the word easier is relevant. There is a certain joy and freedom in being committed to Christ and the work of his Kingdom, whether we are Catholic or Protestant. When I was a child, I usually viewed my Protestant relatives as stricter than my Catholic ones. The Protestants didn't drink, smoke or cuss. The Catholics did all three. On the other hand, the Catholics didn't eat meat on Friday and were more observant of certain church festivals, generally ignored by Protestants.

 But God loves us all equally. So why all the silly nitpicking? I'll happily let the Lord do the judging at the proper time and place. I suspect heaven will be full of people of every religion, to the shock of those who thought the 'heathen' wouldn't be there.

 

[Bibliomomiac]

Having been a protestant, evangelical, nondenominational, fundamentalist) (once saved, always saved) - in many ways the protestant would seem easier. But always having to prove all things is trying, the lack of consistency between denominations and the lack of consistent focus. Yes there were wonderful praise sessions, but seldom was there communion (Eucharist)

Being a catholic is easier. Yes, it is more time consuming. But then a daily spiritual walk with God should take some time. Benefits are consistent doctrines. worldview, and processes. Plus the entire mass is a celebration of worship for our God!

 

[mpartyka]

For the Catholic, once you recognize the biblical foundation of Apostolic Authority and succession and the equally biblical concept of the authoritative Church, the rest is a breeze. I may not completely understand all the teachings, but I can have confidence that they are correct. This means I can get on with the business of living the Christian life.

I don’t currently belong to any denomination these days, and it’s questionable whether I have a right to call myself a Christian at all anymore, but I wanted to speak to this point because, well, it speaks to me.

I think one of the main benefits of religious belief, or belief in some sort of religious authority, whether that authority is vested in a book, in a church, in a pope, or wherever, is precisely that once you have an authority figure ready at hand, you don’t have to wonder what is right or wrong. You have someone whom you can ask what is right and wrong, and be confident that he will give you the correct answer. As children, this authority figure is our parents, and then, as we realize that our parents aren’t perfect, we look for and perhaps find a new authority figure – maybe a mentor, maybe a priest, maybe a text, maybe a church, maybe a deity. And the comfort of being able to trust in this authority figure – to be able to set aside having to figure things out for oneself and “get on with the business of living” – is enormously gratifying.

But what happens when you feel you no longer can trust that authority figure…not because they have personally led you astray, but because you know that the more fundamental platforms of authority upon which your authority figure itself is relying are not so sound? If you fear that your authority figure’s source of authority is unsound, how can your faith in the authority figure itself, and its judgments, remain sound?

Obviously this is not merely a Catholic or a Protestant problem but one common to both. A Protestant will look to the Bible as the ultimate source of authority, and will find a church or pastor that he/she considers trustworthy to reveal biblical truth to him/her. A Catholic, on the other hand, will look to the Church as the ultimate source of authority, but the Catholic knows that the teaching of the Church is informed by the Bible just as the teaching of the Church regulates the proper interpretation of the Bible – it is a symbiotic relationship between a changing institution (the Church, in that clergy die and are replaced by new clergy) and an unchanging object (the Bible), so in a sense the Bible regulates the Church just as much as the Church regulates the interpretation of the Bible, and therein lies the problem. What happens in the Bible is wrong about something so fundamental that it becomes impossible to maintain one’s faith in the judgment of the Church, seeing how the judgment of the Church is necessarily regulated by and can by no means be considered independent of or separated from the teaching of the Bible? I mean, one can say, “What if all the paper and computers in the world were destroyed in an instant so that no one possessed a Bible? There would still be a Church!” but what is there which would verifiably constrain that Church to teach the truth in the Bible’s absence, especially when the Church itself refers back to the Bible time and again to justify and support its judgments?

It is much like the case of a district attorney who has worked many cases with a particular police officer. The district attorney closes many cases and puts many people in jail on the testimony of this police officer, and all seems well. But then it is revealed that the police officer gave false testimony in a particular case, resulting in the attorney’s securing a wrongful conviction. Now all that attorney’s cases which depended upon that officer’s testimony have lost their security, and many prisoners must be released because they might have been wrongfully convicted.

Ultimately, of course, the Church confesses that the ground of all truth is God Himself, yet at the same time the Church, who receives its authority from God, confesses the Bible to be the Word of God and a testimony of the fullest truth. If the Bible is not a testimony of the fullest truth, while the Church says it is, then who can trust the Church’s judgments anymore, though it made all its judgments in good faith based upon the testimony it had received?

The above question, of course, presumes that the Bible is in error about something, which is a separate matter for debate, but what I wanted to bring forward was the notion that Church authority is no substitute for biblical authority but is rather welded together with biblical authority (and the authority of Tradition, so now we have all three legs of the stool accounted for) when it comes to laying down one’s burdens and accepting the judgments of another in place of your own. There’s really no difference at all. And if one inseparable source of authority is shaken, the whole house of cards upon which it is built still comes crashing right down, whether that house is small (in the case of those who depend on the Bible alone) or large (in the case of those who depend on the Church). As much more secure as one might feel standing on a stool rather than maintaining a precarious balance on one of its detached legs, kicking out that leg in either case will result in a mighty fall.

 

[rinnie]

If someone believes that the Church cannot fail, they should relax and not worry about ‘heretics’ and others of us out here who may have become uncomfortable with a religion that demands conformity. Am I too influenced by democracy, that notion that freedom is to be treasured and exercised? Yes, even when it comes to matters of faith?

The scriptures have been interpreted in many different ways, of course. I don’t pretend to understand everything by a long shot, but I’ve come to the point where I’m not ready to let any church or any preacher or any book (even the Bible) do my thinking for me. To begin with, the same scriptures produce, for example, devoted Quakers and Mennonites who refuse to kill (Ten Commandments?), so they won’t join the military? And it seems that Jesus may have supported their position. Didn’t he say something about turning the other cheek and even loving our enemies? I even recall that he said something about those who take up the sword will perish by the sword??? Quite in contrast to Joshua whom God told to slaughter everyone in Jericho. Or, that King Saul whom God ordered to kill every last Amalekite? I guess I can’t understand how that fits in with pro-life on the abortion issue and the Sermon on the Mount.

Enough ranting. My point is that some people salute when a church or a preacher says salute. I don't. I reserve the right to use common sense, as when St. Paul writes Timothy that women should keep silence in the church and 'not to teach, not to usurp authority over a man..."  When I read such passages I think of Mother Angelica and remember all the women who have read lessons at mass!

 Being stuck in the ancient past, quoting superstitious Church Fathers as serious authorities for our time, taking the Bible literally throughout, revering the Pope with such adulation - these practices and others trouble me, whether by Catholics or Protestants. I try to be a faithful follower of my Lord, Jesus, but so much else that we insist upon is fluff. I've learned over the years that this universe is so mammoth and magnificent and mysterious and miraculous that stories and theories based on a three-tier 'heaven up above and a hell down below' are primitive. Jesus sitting on the right hand of God the Father? Really? And how are left-handed people supposed to respond to that bit of a put-down?

 God bless us all. And tolerate us all in our tribal arrogance, too.

Don’t worry Roy we are relaxed and never worry about the Holy Spirit leading the Church astray. Believe me, That is what makes me Catholic. Knowing that the Holy Spirit is alive and well in the Church.

ANd while we do not agree with your tribal arrogance we still love ya.

 

[BriaMarie]

As a convert, I would say it’s impossible to tell. I grew up in a denomination with a thousand rules and restrictions on everything I did, from what I wore to what I did on the weekends. But in order to convert into that religion, you just show up, pray and then get baptized their way. RCIA was a long process, but I feel that the Church is much less demanding of the minutiae.

Some denominations require a statement of faith and then you’re home free, forever. Others have a process quite like Catholicism, with similar paths after conversion. It depends.

 

[Cat]

IMO, I see Protestants as people who don’t seek out the truth that Jesus has revealed in the one true Catholic Church, declare their own thoughts and actions away from what Christ intended, and twist the Bible to their own beliefs and not Christ’s. They may be good but are astray from admitting that the Catholic Church as the one true faith because it is VERY difficult to follow in Christs steps here on earth as a catholic or the way God intended . The lazy way is to declare that you are “born again” and therefore do what you want and desire here on earth and not what Christ taught and asks us to do. I see their faith as shallow and baseless. Living a Catholic life as a true Christian is different than declaring yourself a Christian. You may talk the talk but can you walk the walk?

I would be careful with this viewpoint.

Have you ever read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill?

I would recommend that you read this book. You will read about “good” Protestants. Corrie and her family worked in the Dutch underground to rescue Jews from the Nazis. Inevitably they were caught and many members of her family were imprisoned in the camps. Corrie’s 80-year-old father died in jail ten days after his arrest. Her brother and her sister also died in the camps.

There are many other Protestants who love Jesus and His people. I work with a group of Lutherans in our city–these people are so decent and kind and loving. They volunteer in many ways to help others less fortunate than them, and no one ever hears about it. They don’t win awards. They’re just good.

I hope you can meet some of those people. There are lots of them.

 

[asd72]

I do feel thankful there is teaching I can trust in the Catholic Church. I did kind of feel like it was impossible to know which teaching was correct before.

I was not really involved in a Protestant Church, I had only been to one service at a Baptist Church after reading the bible and books about Christianity over the past year. Then reflecting on Jesus prayer in John 17 set me on to the path towards the Catholic Church.

I do feel the Catholic faith feels more coherent and in that way it seems easier to me, but it is a battle for all of us “to strive to make his whole life conform to that of Christ” as Thomas Kempis says.

 

[lareinatortura]

I presume from reading your post that the post itself is essentially the opinion that you did not want to give right away. .Honestly, I feel sad for you because you do not seem to be enjoying the wonderful and beautiful Catholic faith. Instead, there seems to be more preoccupation than rejoicing going on–a preoccupation about whether or not your faith is convenient for you, or maybe even entertaining enough for you. (Examples: You had mentioned that you wonder if Protestantism is “easier” to practice than Catholicism; and, you have also mentioned that you feel Catholic music “is often bearable, but seldom great.”) It is very sad to see this–when a Christian gets caught up in conventions, and is not enjoying his/her faith as a result. I am not saying that is exactly what you’re thinking. What I am saying is that my understanding of what you have said is essentially:

-Protestantism seems a little “easier” because they believe in “once saved, always saved,” they generally do not practice confession and usually do not concern themselves with “mortal” and “venial” sins and restitution (I think “restitution” is the right word for this context. . Isn’t it? ) when dealing with sin, etc.

-Catholicism appears more complicated and “outdated” in comparison to its Protestant counterpart because its culture is different, perhaps not as “contemporary,” as it is much older than the “Protestant faiths.”

Is this basically what you are saying?

If not, please let me know. But, I’m sorry that you feel confused about this. It seems to me that you may feel a little overwhelmed, or maybe even a little unfulfilled, and you cannot yet fully enjoy your faith. If this is how you feel, I really hope that this confusion can be resolved so that you are able to feel better soon. You’re very blessed to be Catholic!

I’m not a Catholic, but I would like to be. When I first realized that I wanted to become Catholic, I was overwhelmed because I was suddenly introduced to all of these new ideas that was I never exposed to before: confession, the concepts of “venial” and “mortal” sin, the liturgical seasons and the customs they coincide with, bowing, genuflection, Natural Family Planning, etc. I come from a family of passive Southern Baptist Christians, who believe that “once saved, always saved,” “a man cannot forgive you for you sins,” and that it “is a woman’s right to choose,” to say the least. Also, I did not practice Christianity actively when I was young, and I did not even profess to be a Christian (or anything else, for that matter) in my first few years of college. To put it simply, I was highly uneducated about the Christian faith, I had rejected it, and then had started believing secular bull spit, so I really didn’t know anything about anything. Since I became a non-denominational Christian in 2009, I soon realized I had a lot to learn! Another thing that I also realized is that there are “different strokes for different folks,” as the saying goes, and that Catholicism is not for every Christian. In my mind, it boils down to this: Christians are Christians first, and they should not forget about Christ. He is first and foremost. Having established that, some people are drawn to Protestantism, whereas others are drawn toward Catholicism. The important thing is figuring out where God wants you to be. At least, that’s just what I think.

In 2009, I finally understood what other people were talking about when they said they were “born again.” That’s how I felt. And when I had to take a few religion classes at my university–my new school is Catholic, thank God!–I was introduced to Catholicism and it was sort of like, “:idea: Hmm. I want to know more about this. This seems like it may be for me.” As I became more interested, I thought, “Okay, this isn’t just mere interest, or a phase. I really think I want to do this. I should pray about this and ask God where He wants me to be.” I humbly asked God to lead me “home to Rome,” if that was His wish, or to lead me away, if *that *was His wish. I plan to go through RCIA next year, and I am so excited. Was it an easy decision? -No. As I confided to you before, I was overwhelmed by many things, and I even felt really strange and scared the first time I attended Mass. I felt so “funny” that I questioned if Catholicism was really right for me. It didn’t help that I initially thought Mass was “not fulfilling” in comparison to Protestant worship services. Regardless of how I felt, I just kept going to Mass, reading my Catechism, and listening to people’s discussions. “He’ll help me find my way where I need to be,” I just thought. ~And what I realized was that fulfillment was not an issue–it was entertainment. For me, it was that Mass was more serious and did not quite catch my interest in the way that Protestant services did. After I realized this and was able to really enjoy the homilies, things changed. Now I feel fulfilled in Mass, and while I do still enjoy Protestant services, they do not resonate with me in the way the Mass does. My Protestant family members don’t understand this. . they think, “How can someone enjoy something so formulaic and ritualistic. . ?” Well, I don’t know. . I guess the point is not how “up-to-date” everything is, or how “cool” the music is. .

I’m sorry, dear. I’m rambling, and I will stop here. My point is that viewing one’s faith in terms of convenience and “difficulty” may not be the best thing to do. Secondly, your Christian journey is about what God wants for you, and your attitude toward that. And if you feel that something is not the best fit for you, talk to God about it. While He does not expect for you to consult Him on every little detail in life, He certainly does not mind. He loves you. And I know that you love Him.

That’s what matters.

 

[Cat]

I presume from reading your post that the post itself is essentially the opinion that you did not want to give right away. .Honestly, I feel sad for you because you do not seem to be enjoying the wonderful and beautiful Catholic faith. Instead, there seems to be more preoccupation than rejoicing going on–a preoccupation about whether or not your faith is convenient for you, or maybe even entertaining enough for you. (Examples: You had mentioned that you wonder if Protestantism is “easier” to practice than Catholicism; and, you have also mentioned that you feel Catholic music “is often bearable, but seldom great.”) It is very sad to see this–when a Christian gets caught up in conventions, and is not enjoying his/her faith as a result. I am not saying that is exactly what you’re thinking. What I am saying is that my understanding of what you have said is essentially:

(Post above shortened)

Who are you talking to in this post? Thank you for clarifying.

If you read my posts, you will see that I believe that being Catholic is easier than being Protestant. I’ve posted several times after my OP, and that’s my general conclusion.

 

[Cat]

This shows a lack of knowledge about Protestantism.

First, not all Protestant churches teach “once saved always saved.”

Second, those who DO teach this have to somehow find a way to deal with “carnal” Christians, those who struggle with sin, especially addictive sins. In the evangelical church that I grew up in, the teaching was that if someone continued to habitually sin, that they weren’t really Christians.

Now that’s a HARD teaching! It’s especially tough for teenagers, who often struggle with sins involving sexual thoughts and masturbation. (Among most evangelical Protestants, masturbation is not considered sinful).

What this teaching means is that we constantly doubt our salvation. While our church teaches “assurance of eternal life”, it also teaches that we are not Christians if we continue to sin.

Also, we doubt whether we’ve really, REALLY been forgiven. Protestants agonize over whether they’ve been “repentant” enough over their sins, because even when they ask Jesus for forgiveness, they go right back out and commit the sin again, often within minutes of asking forgiveness!

So what you see in Protestant churches is people over and over again going forward at the altar call, seeking “assurance of salvation” and sometimes to “re-ask Jesus to come into our heart and be our Savior.”

Altar calls can be very tough for Protestant Christians who struggle with addictive sins and the guilt. So many evangelicals are free of addictions–honestly! I know many evangelicals who do not drink, smoke, overeat, watch television, gamble, use caffeine in any form, and do not struggle with inappropriate sexual thoughts. (They could be lying, but I believe their testimony because I know them well.) I personally believe that their abstemious ways have more to do with their ethnicity and family upbringing than with their Christianity, but that’s JMO. The fact is, there are a lot of abstemious evangelicals, and this makes it hard for people like me who struggle with besetting addictions (for me, it’s overeating and caffeine use–back when I was Protestant, I went forward at the altar call regularly to seek prayer and healing from these addictions.)

Back when I was working with teenagars, one girl told me that she had asked Jesus into her heart 17 times!

And then there’s the public aspect of “going forward” during an altar call. EVERYONE in the church sees you trotting forward AGAIN, and EVERYONE knows that you are probably seeking prayer for your “sin problem.”

Do you see what I’m saying here? It’s HARD to be a Protestant and reconcile these teachings about sin and freedom from sin!

There are a LOT of Protestants who eventually give up and quit going to church because they just can’t stop sinning. (smoking, drinking, overeating, etc.) They can’t continue living hypocritically and being addicted to a sin while so many others in their church live addiction-free. So they quit.

I am not exaggerating, lareinatortura. This is honestly the way evangelical Protestants live. No wonder there has been such a relaxation of standards in evangelical churches in the last few decades. It’s HARD to live this way! I struggled and so did many of my friends in the church.

Confession is actually much easier than going through all this! You just go in, confess your sins, Jesus forgives you, gives you a penance, and you’re liberated! It’s awesome. Very easy, compared to agonizing in the pew about whether you should “go forward” during an altar call!

And the idea of mortal and venial sins is so liberating! It’s wonderful to discover that God doesn’t considering drinking Coke a Cola as serious as raping a child. I’m serious–I was taught that there is NO DIFFERENCE in God’s eyes between rape and stealing a pencil from a workplace! That is NOT an easy teaching to live with, because then even the little sins that a child commits become deadly serious!

And even if the teaching is once saved always saved, a Protestant will wonder, “Am I really saved? After all, I’m continuing to sin–maybe I need to pray the Sinner’s Prayer again–maybe it didn’t “take” the first time (or the second, third, seventeenth, etc.time).”

 

[lareinatortura]

Hi Cat,

Thank you for the clarification and for enriching the discussion. Please know that I was not attacking you. I realize that the first part of my post sounded a little aggressive, and I am so sorry for that! (I’m still trying to learn to write indirectly and with a “you-attitude!” ).

In any case, I am so glad you have come to a conclusion, and that you feel better. Aside from your own personal reasons for writing the post, I think it was great that you posted a thread on this topic. It’s a topic that certainly does come up, and I think that many converts may feel this way sometimes. I felt this way at first, but then I realized that I shouldn’t be worried about if my faith is convenient enough for me or not!

You bring up some good points about some Evangelical Protestants. I had not considered these in my previous post. I agree with you that some are extremely hard, and that the philosophies some teach can be difficult to reconcile! I know! :-\ I can tell you one thing that drew me to Catholicism: The Church is very clear–at least to me–where it stands on an issue. The Church is very clear–again, at least to me–about what its people believe. I would say that Catholicism is generally very consistent in its morality, and I love how most everything is laid right there in front of me when I read my Catechism. It helps me read my Bible better, honestly. When I am curious about something, or I have question about something, I can look it up in the Catechism, and then look up passages in the Bible that deal with that very subject. It’s awesome! Why don’t Protestants do that? (Well, okay. . Maybe there are some that do, but all the Protestants I know in my life don’t do that. Maybe the Mormons are kind of on the same track?? I don’t know! /

Again, thank you for starting this thread, Cat. It’s super interesting and enriching.

 

[MrsWendyW]

but I guess I’ve concluded that God is merciful and certainly doesn’t condemn anybody who seeks to live a good life but can’t subscribe to all the rubrics laid down by the CC, or by any church.

But they ultimately came from God. These aren’t things that the CC just made up for the fun of it.

I recently had a daughter leave the church. She spent most of her life away at school because she is blind. Because of this, she was influenced more by the houseparents that cared for in the evening & her non-Catholic friends. This caused her to question her faith & she ended up moving out. When she lived here we required her to attend mass every weekend. Not an option in our house.
Anyway, she has chosen a church that is more “fun” as she put it. She no longer believes in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. She doesn not believe in infant baptism & even got baptized again in this church. Along with many other things. About the only thing that we both agree on is Jesus died for us.
She has chosen the easy way. She wanted a church that didn’t have such strict rules because it’s too hard to follow them.
We continue to pray for her return. Yes, the CC is strict, but when it comes to your soul you can’t be too strict or too careful of what you do. Doing what’s right is usually not easy.

 

[hizstory]

I’ve been both. For the first 47 years of my life, I was an active and faithful member of various evangelical Protestant churches. In 2004, my husband and I converted to Catholicism, and we’ve been active and faithful Catholics.

So which is easier?

I don’t want to post my opinion yet (mainly because I have to go to work now!). Also, I am interested in reading what others have to say.

On the surface, it seems that Protestantism is the “easier” path. No obligations, no sacraments. For many Protestants, no fear of ever losing heaven. Great music, friendly people, lots of activities for children and teenagers. Lots of activities for all ages, actually.

Catholics have obligations, including the Sunday Mass obligation. Catholics have sacraments. Catholics must avoid “mortal sin” or they will not go to heaven. Catholic music is often bearable, but seldom great. Many Catholic parishes are hard to make friends in. Often there are very limited activities for Catholics–maybe a Bible study, and maybe not. Probably not a weekly kids’ club–instead, the kids get “religious education”–no campfires or craft projects or sing-alongs in CCD! And youth groups–often they are pretty small, because all the Catholic teens are over at the Assemblies of God weekly youth meeting along with hundreds of other teens! Or the Catholic teens have stopped attending Church entirely, to the dismay of their parents.

But is Protestantism really easier? Hmmm…

I encourage anyone to think about and answer this question. Obviously converts to Catholicism have personal experience with both forms of Christianity, but I know a lot of Catholics who have knowledge of Protestant life and practices, too.

Having been both, for me Protestantism was easier.

 

[veilofveronica]

I think, and I mean this with all due respect, that it’s harder to be a Catholic.

1. We have stricter obligations, and one thing that stands out in my mind is marriage. My fiance and I were, for example, told that we should wait an additional length of time to get married (we wanted to marry in eight months, the priest suggested tacking on another six.) and we have to go through a lot of preparation to show that we are worthy of the Sacrament. Several of my Protestant friends basically showed up at the church, said they wanted to get married, took some classes, and that was that. We’ve had several people ask…why wait? Go to another church! I’ve had to explain that it doesn’t work like that with Catholics, and we do agree with Father’s reasoning.
2. Social teachings. We are called to be Pro-Life to a large extent: to not use contraception. Many other denominations may say they’re Pro-Life, but they do so with the exclusion of using artificial birth control. That’s left up to the couple.
3. Sacraments and the Mass. We view Mass as an obligation, not just something we should do. We also have the Sacrament of Penance which we must attend to when in serious sin. We also believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus, not just a memorial, which is not always the easiest belief.

The general Catholic worldview and adherence is more difficult, but I think we reap great spiritual rewards as a benefit.

God Bless.

 

[lareinatortura]

But they ultimately came from God. These aren’t things that the CC just made up for the fun of it.

I recently had a daughter leave the church. She spent most of her life away at school because she is blind. Because of this, she was influenced more by the houseparents that cared for in the evening & her non-Catholic friends. This caused her to question her faith & she ended up moving out. When she lived here we required her to attend mass every weekend. Not an option in our house.
Anyway, she has chosen a church that is more “fun” as she put it. She no longer believes in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. She doesn not believe in infant baptism & even got baptized again in this church. Along with many other things. About the only thing that we both agree on is Jesus died for us.
She has chosen the easy way. She wanted a church that didn’t have such strict rules because it’s too hard to follow them.
We continue to pray for her return. Yes, the CC is strict, but when it comes to your soul you can’t be too strict or too careful of what you do.** Doing what’s right is usually not easy.**

Mrs. Wendy,

I love your post. Thank you for sharing. I agree with you, and the very last line of your post actually set off a “:idea:” for me.

Your post reminds me of the two paths–one narrow and difficult to follow, the other broad and easy to follow.

 

[lareinatortura]

I think, and I mean this with all due respect, that it’s harder to be a Catholic.

1. We have stricter obligations, and one thing that stands out in my mind is marriage. My fiance and I were, for example, told that we should wait an additional length of time to get married (we wanted to marry in eight months, the priest suggested tacking on another six.) and we have to go through a lot of preparation to show that we are worthy of the Sacrament. Several of my Protestant friends basically showed up at the church, said they wanted to get married, took some classes, and that was that. We’ve had several people ask…why wait? Go to another church! I’ve had to explain that it doesn’t work like that with Catholics, and we do agree with Father’s reasoning.
2. Social teachings. We are called to be Pro-Life to a large extent: to not use contraception. Many other denominations may say they’re Pro-Life, but they do so with the exclusion of using artificial birth control. That’s left up to the couple.
3. Sacraments and the Mass. We view Mass as an obligation, not just something we should do. We also have the Sacrament of Penance which we must attend to when in serious sin. We also believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus, not just a memorial, which is not always the easiest belief.

The general Catholic worldview and adherence is more difficult, but I think we reap great spiritual rewards as a benefit.

God Bless.

Veilofveronica,

Thank you for posting this. You have confirmed the suspicions I’ve had all along. .

The general Catholic worldview and adherence is more difficult, but I think we reap great spiritual rewards as a benefit.

Even though this is something I have known deep inside for a long time, I was still very nice to hear it from someone else. It would have been even better to hear this years ago; ah, well. “Better late than never,” as the cliche goes. .

 

[stormy99]

Something tells me your view might be a little different if you were a Chinese or an Iraqi Catholic.

**I’ve been both a Protestant and am now Catholic. That said, I was a good Protestant when I was young, not good at all as a young adult. I’m a much better Catholic.

As far as requirements,it’s easier to be Protestant…think that freezing cold Sunday that you don’t want to go anywhere…well it’s not a mortal sin if you’re Protestant to stay home. It is for that reason if you are Catholic.

I believe that the Roman Catholic Church gives more opportunity to participate in the services…mass. That makes it easier to be Catholic.

If you have any really liberal tendencies it’s harder to be Catholic and live within the beliefs of the Church.

For me it’s easier to be Catholic because I feel closer to my Lord in the Catholic Church…I look forward to going to Mass…I enjoy the readings and homilies I hear…I didn’t care one bit for “hell and brimstone sermons”…

stormy**

 

[lareinatortura]

**If you have any really liberal tendencies it’s harder to be Catholic and live within the beliefs of the Church.

stormy**

Hi Stormy,

Great insight. I have to say. . I agree with this statement because of the personal experiences I have had. . I am not going to lie to you–my views on some social and political issues are considered more “liberal;” as a result, I do have difficulty seeing eye-to-eye with the Church on certain issues. Does that make the Church wrong, in my eyes? No, it doesn’t; in fact, I have realized that my views are more than likely askew, and it’s probably because I am not as familiar with and versed in the Word of God as I should be, as I want to be. My thinking is: If I learn *why * the Church believes what it does, then I will understand why certain things are right and wrong, and will more than likely be convinced. I don’t think I would be convinced because I am merely “a follower,” as some would say, but because I realize that the guidance of the Church is well-grounded.

I did not go into detail about the particular issues I dispute mentally because I do not want to cause a firestorm of a debate, you know? These things are not issues that I would prefer to bring up with people in a public forum, even though I am dying for answers. Dying for truth. I plan to talk to my Priest about these issues.

Thank you for your awesome insight!

 

[newconvert56]

I’ll tell you one thing and please forgive me if someone has already made this point, but it sure is a lot easier to JOIN a Protestant Church than the Catholic Church. Ok let’s see, months of RCIA classes, all the Rites of Initiation, all the outside reading I’ve done, going to Confession for the first time, going to Mass without being able to receive the Eucharist yet, and thinking, thinking, thinking about the RCC’s theology and position on issues and coming to truly believe them, and of course a lot of prayer. But you know what, it has all been a such a joy, so as I said before, easier is just not what matters to me at this time in my life. As I get closer to the Easter Vigil and being able to receive Communion for the first time, I can say with all my heart and soul that I love my Catholic faith.

 

[Roy5]

Complicated

There's no easy answer to this question.

I recall, as a child, having Catholic and Protestant relatives. The Catholics seem to live a freer life. They drank, smoked, swore a lot, went to Sunday movies and ball games, etc. The Protestants did not drink or smoke, abstained totally from swearing, and never attended movies or Sunday sporting events. On the other hand, while they regularly attended church, missing it was not seen as a sin. Their church often served as the center of their social life. 

Which was easier?

In more recent years I have observed different Catholics and Protestants. Catholics in this area are usually quite lax in their faith, attend mass sometimes, rarely if ever go to confession. Judging from the size of their families (and according to polls) they practice artificial birth control. They are largely cafeteria Catholics, cultural Catholics, who view themselves as Catholics but don't take their faith all that seriously.

Many Protestants I know - unlike when I was a child - are very liberal in their views, certainly when it comes to theology, and often on such matters as gay rights. Many doubt the basic dogmas of Christianity, take pride in their freedom of conscience, amicably debate theological issues, and are quite humble when it comes to 'knowing the truth'. They are not at all anti-Catholic in the traditional sense, but they feel no affinity to any form of Christianity that insists that there is only 'one way'. They are quite respectful of other faiths, such as Buddhism and even Hinduism. The old 'blue law' mentality of earlier generations is gone, though they usually live very moral lives, with interest in social justice, racial equality, etc. There are fundamentalist Protestants in the area, of course, but I guess I don't travel in their circles.  

 Different strokes for different folks. I've developed an attitude over the years that if the 'religious shoe fits' wear it - as long as it preaches the Golden Rule. None of us knows all that much when it comes to ultimate truth, which is a recognition of the divine  mystery that characterizes God as well as God's creation. So, we're left to walk by faith and not by sight, and that's fine with me. And if others walk a somewhat different path and are Catholics or Protestants or Jews or Muslims (of the moderate kind) - fine. God bless them. I'll look for them in that world beyond, though I don't have any real insight into that world, either. I don't mind being surprised. Meanwhile, I don't spend a lot of time fretting about my salvation. My trust is in God - no church, no book, no creed - just our merciful, loving, forgiving God. Most people I know courageously face and live through enough tragedy and disappointment in this life to merit a resting place in the life to come.