I've officially left the Church

[onetimeposter]

You too onetimeposter I will pray for you whether you want me to or not! Your rejection of my prayer will not influence me at all.

Peace be with you onetime.

Thanks.

 

[BayernAnhaenger]

True…so youd think they would be more explicit in terms of Peter’s papal authority…funny that they are not. God’s will…didnt Jesus put that as to believe in Him? I dont see mention of following Rome.

Funny how you don’t know of these things called sentences and punctuation. I digress…

Hrm, I dunno, you are rock, and upon this Rock I will build my Church? Sounds pretty straightforward.

All of Christianity submitted to Rome/Peter/Peter’s See for the first thousand years? Undisputed agreement from early Church Fathers that Peter held a place of primacy?

Gosh, sounds pretty much like people knew what was going on back then.

And, yeah, we don’t follow ROME. We follow the Pope, Apostolic Successor to Peter, the first Pope, the rock upon which Christ built His Church. Peter went to Rome, and thus his See was there.

I’ll pray for you, that your eyes may be opened.

 

[Truthstalker]

So, I just, in great detail, explained to my wife why I no longer consider myself a RC and why I have left the Church. She totally understood and supports my decision.

I feel great, like the chains of bondage have been removed. The RCC is a fine institution and if some people can find God within that particular Church, then it is a very good thing.

The Church was holding me back, for years, this is an exciting time. I no longer have the distraction of the all the Catholic requirements that are necessary for any hope of my salvation. Those distractions also prevented me from forming any relationship with God.

When someone asks, ’ are you a Catholic’, I will respond, nope I am a Christian!

As someone pointed out, you have’t left the church officially. You have merely left it. Aside from that, I am not sure what you want people to debate on this thread. Are you looking for correction from Catholics (seemingly not) or praise from Protestants?

I think you left the Church inwardly long before you stopped going to Mass. That may be the real tragedy here, and that is the inability of the Church to keep or teach its members. So much lousy shepherding from those who claim to be the only true shepherds…But there are many lousy shepherds in the Protestant communities, and lousy teaching, too. Here and there, though, there are excellent pastors and priests. May you find one.

I am not sure, however, if you like the idea of no rules for the sake of no rules (antinomialism) or that you have more effective disciplines for your spiritual growth now than you had as a Catholic. Apparently you found those empty and meaningless. What, I wonder, are you doing instead that is drawing you to God - and really drawing you to God, not just making you feel closer to God. Not that that is any of my business, but you seemed to be opening yourself up to this, on a topic that is sure to rile Catholics.

What requirements are you talking about, anyway? You no longer have to be baptized? Confess sins? Be faithful to your wife? Take the Eucharist once a year? Go to church every Sunday and on special occaisions? Fast twice a year?

 

[SwizzleStick]

onetimeposter, my brother in Christ, I ask that you continue to seek the fullness of Truth and that you find what you seek. I pray that you are able to discern God’s will for you and then do God’s will. I ask this in His name. Amen.

 

[prettyflower]

A couple of Sundays ago we read the Gospel about the seed that fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it. (Matthew 13:7). In this same gospel Jesus himself explaines that:

“The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit” (Matthew 13:22)

I think you felt “choked” with regulations that you don’t fully understand because when you do, they are no longer a burden but part of a community plan in which everybody does his/her part towards a single goal.

I’ll pray that you, and everybody in your situation, can “outgrow the thorns and come back”. Then, as in the story of the “Prodigal Son” we all, earth and heaven, will rejoice.

 

[kalt]

Everything…seriously, all of the requirements were impediments to my relationship with Christ.

The entire concept of the RCC position surrounding sins…did nothing but fill me with anxiety, fear and complete failure at never being able to meet the institutional requirements necessary for my hope of salvation.

Christ died on the cross as one final sacrifice…it is done.

Which “requirements” did you have trouble with?

I agree that Christ’s sacrifice is perfect. We just have to say “yes” and persevere to the end.

 

[onetimeposter]

Why do you feel so guilty? Have you committed any mortal sin? Feeling guilty makes us aware that there is good and there is evil, moral and immoral, truths and untruths where we should respond properly to increase our faiths and build our behaviors by avoiding bad temptations.

Were you so afraid to even to go to confession? This first step to seek reconciliation has proven to be tough! But is also proven that it’s not really tough.

I used to suffer terribly from scruples and made much use of confession.

Now, you separated yourself from the body of Christ- the Church. What do you have left? Bible and heresies, no doubt.
**
God and the freedom to pursue a relationship with God in a place of worship where I am not faced with constant distraction of always failing to meet the impose requirements of the institution.**

You may read your bible cover to cover, even memorize it, what does it profit you? Sin will soon let you forget whatever you have learned- trust me! I’ve read books and bibles, too. It’s too easy. In the end I preferred the valid Eucharist.
**
I don’t believe in the real presence. To remain a Catholic, or call myself a Catholic and attend at Easter and Christmas…would be hypocritical, unfair to me and unfair to the RCC.**

 

[thecoach]

Funny how you don’t know of these things called sentences and punctuation. I digress…

Hrm, I dunno, you are rock, and upon this Rock I will build my Church? Sounds pretty straightforward.

All of Christianity submitted to Rome/Peter/Peter’s See for the first thousand years? Undisputed agreement from early Church Fathers that Peter held a place of primacy?

Gosh, sounds pretty much like people knew what was going on back then.

And, yeah, we don’t follow ROME. We follow the Pope, Apostolic Successor to Peter, the first Pope, the rock upon which Christ built His Church. Peter went to Rome, and thus his See was there.

I’ll pray for you, that your eyes may be opened.

Mine are open wide…pray for yourself.

 

[thecoach]

Which “requirements” did you have trouble with?

I agree that Christ’s sacrifice is perfect. We just have to say “yes” and persevere to the end.

Yes. Christ’s sacrifice IS perfect…therefore there is no need for its re-enactment.

 

[thecoach]

A couple of Sundays ago we read the Gospel about the seed that fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it. (Matthew 13:7). In this same gospel Jesus himself explaines that:

“The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit” (Matthew 13:22)

I think you felt “choked” with regulations that you don’t fully understand because when you do, they are no longer a burden but part of a community plan in which everybody does his/her part towards a single goal.

I’ll pray that you, and everybody in your situation, can “outgrow the thorns and come back”. Then, as in the story of the “Prodigal Son” we all, earth and heaven, will rejoice.

I dare say that by leaving he HAD returned home…to God! I rejoice for him.

 

[BayernAnhaenger]

Mine are open wide…pray for yourself.

…

There has been no rebuke from you. No contradiction of that which I have stated.

Please do so, if you are correct.

Truth is truth.

Let us see you respond to what I have put forth.

Of course, you can always dodge this, avoid the facts, and continue living in your ignorant ways.

 

[KephasAugustine]

Yes. I find nothing funny about the matter. Love God, love your neighbour. Easy to say, hard to carry out…as is evidenced around here.

Jesus said more than that. It’s summed up nicely in those two commandments, but there are stipulations.

What is “love?”
Who is “my neighbor?”
Once I know the answer to those, how do I show that “love” to my “neighbor?”

And the Church has more than sufficient answers. If a person rejects the Church’s answers because that person doesn’t like said answers, that is the person’s affair. Still, no one can say the Church is tyrannical just they don’t like the “rules.”

In addition, I’d like to point out that harsh words and admonition is not the same as not loving someone…my parents yelled at me, but does that mean they stopped loving me? I have been corrected by teachers, parents, and older friends who all loved me enough to call me out on my mistakes, embarrass me, and humiliate me so that I could better myself in the future.

God bless your search for Truth.

 

[KingAlfred]

So, I just, in great detail, explained to my wife why I no longer consider myself a RC and why I have left the Church. She totally understood and supports my decision.

I feel great, like the chains of bondage have been removed. The RCC is a fine institution and if some people can find God within that particular Church, then it is a very good thing.

The Church was holding me back, for years, this is an exciting time. I no longer have the distraction of the all the Catholic requirements that are necessary for any hope of my salvation. Those distractions also prevented me from forming any relationship with God.

When someone asks, ’ are you a Catholic’, I will respond, nope I am a Christian!

Are you ready for those wild, screaming, three- or four-hour-long Fundie services? Those look nerve-racking on TV, to the max. I wouldn’t survive a month in such a setting on Sundays. Also, be aware of Fundie ministers who might try to replace the legalisms of Catholicism, which you didin’t like, with just as many and equally intense legalisms of the Bible. Good luck.

 

[Truthstalker]

Yes. Christ’s sacrifice IS perfect…therefore there is no need for its re-enactment.

It’s not a re-enactment but a re-presentation. I’ve studied enough Catholicism to know that. Christ is not crucified again (once was all) but Catholics are brought back, as it were, to Calvary, to the one sacrifice, now eternal, now complete, and obtain its fruits by being there.

Anyway that’s my understanding of their theology.

 

[thecoach]

…

There has been no rebuke from you. No contradiction of that which I have stated.

Please do so, if you are correct.

Truth is truth.

Let us see you respond to what I have put forth.

Of course, you can always dodge this, avoid the facts, and continue living in your ignorant ways.

Scripture contradicts what you have stated…if you wont listen to it, why would you listen to me? Take out your Bible and actually read it…pray over it…then maybe you may wake up.

 

[Truthstalker]

Are you ready for those wild, screaming, three- or four-hour-long Fundie services? Those look nerve-racking on TV, to the max. I wouldn’t survive a month in such a setting on Sundays. Also, be aware of Fundie ministers who might try to replace the legalisms of Catholicism, which you didin’t like, with just as many and equally intense legalisms of the Bible. Good luck.

How insulting.

 

[kalt]

I thought the non-Catholic forum was for just this very thing. If personal announcements aren’t appropriate, perhaps it should be a forum rule or perhaps people shouldn’t read my posts.

Judging by the angry jeering mob, ( not everyone) I take it that it is a massive insult to leave the one true Church and some people feel personally slighted.

I haven’t “jeered” your posts or your professed decision, but I have to say that your OP comes across as a plea for attention or else is a post designed to elicit specific reactions.

There’s no way that you didn’t expect negative reactions from the more vocal and bossy Catholics (they like to tell everyone what religion they should be), and “atta boys” from some of the anti-Catholic loud-mouths on the board.

The rest of us are happy to not care if you are Catholic, never were Catholic, or are a recent defector.

For me, the question of why people come to or leave the Church is interesting enough to post a question or two.

The rest of the stuff on this thread is just junk that we have to weed through.

If your OP was an honest “coming out”, why are you bothering to respond to the nasty responses?

You made your decision. What do you care who agrees with it?

 

[BayernAnhaenger]

Scripture contradicts what you have stated…if you wont listen to it, why would you listen to me? Take out your Bible and actually read it…pray over it…then maybe you may wake up.

What is it that I have stated that Scripture contradicts? Do tell me. I am listening with open ears, and an open mind.

It’s pretty clear what Christ says, so, maybe you can enlighten me.

 

[panoikei]

How? By responding to your attacks on me?

This is my point. This is a great example of why we [CATHOLICS] should be very careful. I’ve reported you as a proselytizing preacher that left the Cahtolic Church. You have only one reason for being here. This is a typicaly Protestant method of detracting from what’s really taking place. I know. I used the same tactics too. It doesn’t work on some of us.

 

[onetimeposter]

hi onetimeposter;

I read through this thread quickly…would you mind sharing what you mean by ‘distractions?’ You comment on that in a few posts within the thread, but I’m not sure what you mean? If you don’t mind, it would be helpful for me to understand your meaning here. Thanks.

Very brief summary…

The type of worship within the RCC, the beliefs, the theology of requirement based salvation, the special powers that only ordained clergy retain, the magesterium, Mary, the Saints, indulgences, repetitive prayers, the monarchical theistic view of God, all sorts of Catholic miracles, relics, the over done tradition, the Latin Mass, rules for everything imaginable ( everyone will focus in on this one ) , the Vatican, infallibility in faith and morals, and the belief that the promises of Christ can only be achieved through the institution of the RCC.