Lack of faith is growing

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Unless you’re Persian I don’t think you can truly understand how the families can be.

Bokbok
 
I understand your dilemma. I don’t find a sense of community in the Catholic Church. Mainly, my problem is a total lack of social skills and have a difficult time fitting in anywhere.

From my little exposure to Orthodox Christianity it seem to be high culturally bound like the Greek and Russian Churches.

So, you live in East Germany. I asked since I know in Los Angeles there is a large Persian population and thought you may live there.
 
My family is really my smallest problem - they are open minded educated people, my father attended a zoroastrian school before the islamic revolution and the rest is simply moderate muslim to agnostic. They want me to be happy, nothing more.
On my german family side, I have very few people, most with health issues and bad connection to me. I care for my mother, but there´s nothing like a “network”.
The vast majority of my persian family actually lives in Iran, and while I maybe could travel with a low risk at the moment (my priest kept my baptism certificate on paper only to prevent danger for me), I´ll face issues with my children when they are openly christian, as open as little ones tend to be naturally, this is a real issue.
It´s not that persians here kick you out when you aren´t muslim. Many immigrated persians here left Iran in opposition to the Islamic republic of Iran, and are stronger atheists than anything else. But culture is important, like festivals and family traditions. The majority of those traditions is clearly islamic or zoroastrian.
From the christian side, I already chosed an orthodox parish (beside some theological opinions that are not important here) because they “collect” more nationalities than the roman catholic or protestant parishes, as there are also people from georgia and bulgaria for example attending. But everytime I get close with them, anyone tells me how horrible persia must be and homilies often adress the dangers of islam and the cultural invasion from the middle east. No matter what I personally think about this (I think this is really another discussion and doesn´t matter for my feelings), I feel like a piece of me is called to leave the room, I feel like a stranger.
 
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we cant force ourselves to believe. And faith isn’t “given” except by God. Many, many people who are raised Christian fall away easily as they age, especially nowadays. And faith which is held solely of cultural and family tradition us worthless anyway.

Regardless of your background, we should get serious about faith; testing and challenging it to find if its real and worth our time. Pray: ask, seek, knock. Study: Read the bible and catechism and books by apologists and theologians. Etc, etc
 
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It sounds like you feel at least to a small degree estranged from all people. Not being able to connect leaves one with an aching problem of loneliness. However, you are making attempts to connect and that shows that you are expending efforts to better your situation. Dr. Abraham Low in his book "Mental Health Through will Training’ said what counts in life are the efforts we make not the results. I make efforts too with minimum results but still want tot stay in the game although it can be discouraging at times.
 
Honestly, I don´t think it is a general problem. But I´ll still think of what you noticed, sometimes we are blind to our own issues. I do have friends and tend to make new friends relatively easy, but my friends are extremely far away (husband and me moved 7 hours away last year and need to move again now) and my friends are not religious at all.
 
I like to read and some of what we talk about here was addressed by Algerian/French author Albert Camus. This sense of being alone and having to traverse the vagaries of life on our own. The philosophy he is attached to is existentialism.

The moving around reminds me of kids who while growing up with a parent in the military had a difficult time due to never settling down anywhere san constantly changing schools. As an adult it has to be challenging, too.
 
My own immediate family is atheist so it’s hard to talk to them about spiritual matters.

Also in the church I am in, I am the stranger and the people there have known each other their entire life.
 
The part of mass I dread the most is the giving each other the sign of peace.

A lot of people in my church are in family groups and they tend to focus on their own families and ignore the rest. I am alone so sometimes I am treated with suspicion.
 
I am in the same situation you are with family being atheist and not knowing anyone in the church.
 
@alice24
alice24 said:
I was baptizes as adult not long ago, after a rather short time of living christian (the prep year, almost). I grew up in a mixed ethnic and religious household where not much pressure laid upon me regarding my spiritual way, sometimes I regret this, sometimes I´m thankful for this.
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But God has chosen you right before the foundations of the world ,it is he who decides which place and family you are to be born, and with all the circumstances you have go Psalm 40:7 I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.Psalm 139:16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. do not regret it ,its the plan of God (Jer 29:11).thank God for it, whenever you feel proud or face sinful situations, only then remember the past. in the light that in spite of all these situations God showed you so much mercy and love by this we positively we can humble ourselves and grow in Faith Hope and Charity. Isaiah 43:18 Do not remember the former things,or consider the things of old.19 I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.I, 25 I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,and I will not remember your sins.
alice24 said:
I discovered various religions over the last years, finally studying some semesters theology (christian and islamic) beside my main study, checking out pagan and rather philosophic concepts meanwhile.
I didn´t settled in any tradition for long, but eventually got close with the christian faith in a phase of my life where I searched stability and practice very much. The sacraments kept me patient and gave me some hold in difficulties.
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Its a grievous sin to look for other religion in-spite of you being a Christian, Please do confess them immediately if you haven’t,repent and come back to the sacraments

Isaiah 43:10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,and my servant whom I have chosen,so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.Psalm 44:20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,or spread out our hands to a strange god,21 would not God discover this?For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Jeremiah 13: 17 But if you will not listen,my(Jesus) soul will weep in secret for your pride;my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
 
Francis said:
Its a grievous sin to look for other religion in-spite of you being a Christian, Please do confess them immediately if you haven’t,repent and come back to the sacraments
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Thank you very much for the verses you reminded me of - I´ll read more psalms in the next time, many of them deal with loneliness or trust in God.
The point above I cited from your post on the other hand is hard to understand for me - I am not “away” from the sacraments, I didn´t converted to another religion. I can hardly confess a feel I have.
 
@alice24

sorry i thought you where seeking or going to other religious place of worship,.Don’t worry Jesus will take care of you and your family, for the sake of the name of Jesus your are suffering and sacrificing Jesus will reward you according, Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold,and will inherit eternal life Matthew 16:25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

1 Peter 4: 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory,[[e]which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?”19 Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for good[[a]for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Remember your not alone, we all are going through similar situations in life, their are so many saints who left their own country and their own family, language and culture and lived among strangers and made them family of God ,we are all called to be saints keep growing in faith in the love of God, will fill your empty heart with his grace God Bless
 
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I get that. Because, there are certain sins I struggled with. One in particular because of the semi-pagan culture I was raised in (NOT by my parents, though I wish my mother was more strict with me). But do you know what? I like having my Christian faith, because it holds me to a higher standard. We all struggle with sin and what not, and that’s part of life. One of my closest friends is a Muslim, and I told him flat out I want him to convert to Christianity, but, it’s easier to do through religious discussion than it is through pushing it in his face. Don’t base religious decision on emotions. It is true, that I became Catholic for a woman, she left the Church and became very hostile toward it. I stayed, and have grown to love her (The Church) with all her faults (me being one of them). Think about it, pray through it, read. My conversion to Christianity was every bit as much emotional as it was intellectual. I’ve been a rather prolific reader my whole life. Does that mean I can explain every doctrine to you? No. Does that mean I have all the answers to help you? No. But I can give you advice that helped me. And most importantly, I can pray for you.
 
Francis said:
Its a grievous sin to look for other religion in-spite of you being a Christian, Please do confess them immediately if you haven’t,repent and come back to the sacraments
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Why is it a grievous sin?I thought it was only a sin if someone truly believed in the first place that catholic Christianity was the truth and then looked for another religion because it “was an easier way” and suited their self seeking desires better.
I can’t imagine it would be a sin for people who aren’t 100 % sure of what they believe to then search/study/look at different religions because that then would be a form of control and a religious belief based on control is not beneficial.
God has given us our minds in the first place to use.
 
Deciding to be open isn’t the same as “faith is a decision.”

One can be open and still struggle with doubt. If St. Mother Teresa and St. Thomas both had this problem, and they were both great saints, then anyone can have it. Wanting to believe often isn’t believing.
 
That’s what I do.

However there are times when there’s none except me. It’s very awkward and it’s these times that really remind me how alone I am.
 
I’m alone in a different way. Everybody died and left me here.
I try to think about the aloneness of Jesus and remember that he and Mary and Joseph and the saints are always with me. 24/7.
 
You’re stronger than I am.

My loved ones are still here, they’re at the opposite end of the country but they’re alive.

Even if they’re with me, I’d still be alone at church. My family members are atheists
 
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