Lapsed Catholics Explain Why They Leave the Church

  • Thread starter Thread starter MarcoPolo
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Cinette said:
*Another good way to learn about the Faith is right here at CAF - participating in the various discussions.

:)*
Click to expand...
Have to be careful, though, about the near blind or blind leading the blind. The only sure guidance is from Fr. Serpa in the Ask an Apologist section. Absent a poster’s credentials or a link to a specific section of the Catechism, it could be nothing more than a poster’s opinion.
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
Have to be careful, though, about the near blind or blind leading the blind. The only sure guidance is from Fr. Serpa in the Ask an Apologist section. Absent a poster’s credentials or a link to a specific section of the Catechism, it could be nothing more than a poster’s opinion.
Click to expand...
Well, Fr. Serpa and me. 😃
 
As a life-long insurance salesman, my father is fond of saying “There’s the reasons they give for not buying, and then there are the real reasons.”. Many of the reasons lapsed Catholics give as examples according to the article, strike me as false. Too much pushing of conservative values… Too much time spent on subjects of homosexuality and birth control… They may be true in their experience, but not in my experience. They are all too never-ish from the Sunday homilies that I hear.

Then there is the comment about asking a priest a question, he responds with a rule and doesn’t take the time to sit down and discuss. An interesting thing about rules, they are not discussion points.

Here’s the problem with discussions about rules with priests. Let me give an example. We know that a validly formed marriage is indissoluble until death do you part. Per Jesus, this was true even in the Old Testament, but Moses caved and allowed it in Jewish law. How many discussions did Moses have to be persuaded to allow divorce? The upshot: Saint Joseph considered divorce as a valid moral option due to misinformation in Jewish law.

My complaint about the Church is actually opposite of those surveyed who complain about priests not taking the time to explain. Let’s say that I’m a person with little free time, or just indisposed to spending hours reading religious books (how many Catholics have fully read the Bible?), and I want to avoid all greviously sinful matters, REGARDLESS of whether I understand why. In fact, I just want to have a good comprehensive official list of official grevious sinful matters. Can anyone point me to a Vatican, USCCB, archdiocesan website that lists the mortal sins? (Note: not interested in an individual’s “this is what I gather” list).
 
GaryTaylor said:
A comment I made about completing your life as Catholic and correctly. Which I stated wasn’t easy. Rich is also correct, and it does become easier as you apply yourself. And its definately not impossible. Truth be told, I don’t believe in impossible. 😉

Its like anything in life as you actively apply the instructions you become more proficient.

Peace
Click to expand...
That’s what I thought, but I just don’t see how that can be construed as impossible.
 
It really upsets me when these people act like the Catholic Church is the only one to have experienced sex-abuse scandals and to have not handled them well!! Other churches had cover ups too and even higher abuse rates!!

And if someone else’s scandals makes you leave the Church then your relationship was with man- not God.
 
latingirl said:
It really upsets me when these people act like the Catholic Church is the only one to have experienced sex-abuse scandals and to have not handled them well!! Other churches had cover ups too and even higher abuse rates!!

And if someone else’s scandals makes you leave the Church then your relationship was with man- not God.
Click to expand...
Then there are the scandals in public schools where teachers abuse their students.
 
LegoGE1947 said:
Then there are the scandals in public schools where teachers abuse their students.
Click to expand...
That’s what I mean, the scandals are just used as an excuse in my opinion. I do understand however if you actually were the person abused or friends or family of the abused.
 
latingirl said:
That’s what I mean, the scandals are just used as an excuse in my opinion. I do understand however if you actually were the person abused or friends or family of the abused.
Click to expand...
I’ve also heard people say that as children going to Catholic schools, the nuns and priests who taught them acted like “drill sergeants.” Also the old saw about “Why do we have to confess our sins to a priest when we can go straight to God?” Or I can worship God out in the woods or by a stream while fishing or on the golf course. Or my dad’s favorite. “Church is just a place where people go to show off their nice clothes or new cars, etc.”
 
wynnejj said:
As a life-long insurance salesman, my father is fond of saying “There’s the reasons they give for not buying, and then there are the real reasons.”. Many of the reasons lapsed Catholics give as examples according to the article, strike me as false. Too much pushing of conservative values… Too much time spent on subjects of homosexuality and birth control… They may be true in their experience, but not in my experience. They are all too never-ish from the Sunday homilies that I hear.

Then there is the comment about asking a priest a question, he responds with a rule and doesn’t take the time to sit down and discuss. An interesting thing about rules, they are not discussion points.

Here’s the problem with discussions about rules with priests. Let me give an example. We know that a validly formed marriage is indissoluble until death do you part. Per Jesus, this was true even in the Old Testament, but Moses caved and allowed it in Jewish law. How many discussions did Moses have to be persuaded to allow divorce? The upshot: Saint Joseph considered divorce as a valid moral option due to misinformation in Jewish law.

My complaint about the Church is actually opposite of those surveyed who complain about priests not taking the time to explain. Let’s say that I’m a person with little free time, or just indisposed to spending hours reading religious books (how many Catholics have fully read the Bible?), and I want to avoid all greviously sinful matters, REGARDLESS of whether I understand why. In fact, I just want to have a good comprehensive official list of official grevious sinful matters. Can anyone point me to a Vatican, USCCB, archdiocesan website that lists the mortal sins? (Note: not interested in an individual’s “this is what I gather” list).
Click to expand...
👍👍
 
wynnejj said:
As a life-long insurance salesman, my father is fond of saying “There’s the reasons they give for not buying, and then there are the real reasons.”. Many of the reasons lapsed Catholics give as examples according to the article, strike me as false. Too much pushing of conservative values… Too much time spent on subjects of homosexuality and birth control… They may be true in their experience, but not in my experience. They are all too never-ish from the Sunday homilies that I hear.

Then there is the comment about asking a priest a question, he responds with a rule and doesn’t take the time to sit down and discuss. An interesting thing about rules, they are not discussion points.

Here’s the problem with discussions about rules with priests. Let me give an example. We know that a validly formed marriage is indissoluble until death do you part. Per Jesus, this was true even in the Old Testament, but Moses caved and allowed it in Jewish law. How many discussions did Moses have to be persuaded to allow divorce? The upshot: Saint Joseph considered divorce as a valid moral option due to misinformation in Jewish law.

My complaint about the Church is actually opposite of those surveyed who complain about priests not taking the time to explain. Let’s say that I’m a person with little free time, or just indisposed to spending hours reading religious books (how many Catholics have fully read the Bible?), and I want to avoid all greviously sinful matters, REGARDLESS of whether I understand why. In fact, I just want to have a good comprehensive official list of official grevious sinful matters. Can anyone point me to a Vatican, USCCB, archdiocesan website that lists the mortal sins? (Note: not interested in an individual’s “this is what I gather” list).
Click to expand...
Good point.

Ultimately, it comes down to most of the time to “I don’t get to pick and choose according to what I believe is right, so therefore it is wrong.”

More secular humanist takeover of society, folks. And selfishness. “It’s all about me.”

Yes.

Indeed.
 
OrdinaryMelkite said:
Good point.

Ultimately, it comes down to most of the time to “I don’t get to pick and choose according to what I believe is right, so therefore it is wrong.”

More secular humanist takeover of society, folks. And selfishness. “It’s all about me.”

Yes.

Indeed.
Click to expand...
You mean it really ISN’T about me?:eek: I’m shocked!:ouch::doh2:
 
LegoGE1947 said:
I’ve also heard people say that as children going to Catholic schools, the nuns and priests who taught them acted like “drill sergeants.” Also the old saw about “Why do we have to confess our sins to a priest when we can go straight to God?” Or I can worship God out in the woods or by a stream while fishing or on the golf course. Or my dad’s favorite. “Church is just a place where people go to show off their nice clothes or new cars, etc.”
Click to expand...
That’s true definitely, however you will find people like that in every church.
 
MarcoPolo said:
*Their reasons ranged from the personal (“the pastor who crowned himself king and looks down on all”) to the political (“eliminate the extreme conservative haranguing”) to the doctrinal (“don’t spend so much time on issues like homosexuality and birth control”).

In addition, they said, they didn’t like the church’s handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal and were upset that divorced and remarried Catholics are unwelcome at Mass.

…

The respondents also called for better homilies, better music and more accountability of the church staff.*
Story at USA Today
Click to expand...
Wow…the article should have been titled, “Catholics who Look for Excuses to Leave the Church.”
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
Have to be careful, though, about the near blind or blind leading the blind. The only sure guidance is from Fr. Serpa in the Ask an Apologist section. Absent a poster’s credentials or a link to a specific section of the Catechism, it could be nothing more than a poster’s opinion.
Click to expand...
*Naturally one must be selective and discerning and check things out but I have learned a lot from other posters and I have also argued and locked horns with others. Still, it is a great experience.

:)*
 
Nec5 said:
Better music… hahaha. I’d bet real money that their taste in music is terrible (i.e. Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Brittany Spears, etc.).

Really. If you go to a church, any church, primarily for the music, you need a lobotomy.
Click to expand...
My four year old comes to Mass (as opposed to the nursery with the cool toys) for the music, or as she calls it, “lets go sit and sing”.

Don’t knock it, music is important to some people.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top