Leaving Catholicism

[BoomerangToo]

People who say there’s no salvation outside the Catholic Church don’t know their bible very well. They know that cat., and let the clergy interpret the bible for them. Put your faith in Jesus, which I believe it is, and believe in God’s Word and NOT in any ONE church. Leave the doctrines of men behind and work out your own salvation. You’re doing the right thing. God bless you in your quest for truth.

You can’t possibly be Catholic.

 

[BoomerangToo]

In my opinion, you are probably going to Hell if you continue down this path.

You may be correct, although I would change “probably” to “possibly”. But, yes, people need to be warned about the consequences of leaving Holy Mother Church. I myself, formally left the Catholic Church in 2004 (because of the abuse scandals) and re-converted back to the CC in 2010.

The night I returned to the Church, that very night, no exaggeration here- I suffered a horrible demonic attack in the middle of the night. Apparently, my return to the Church really, really angered someone/something. Leaving the Church does have consequences. Yes, indeed. People need to know. Lets not bury our heads in the sand.

 

[FrancisPio]

I think the issue here is that the nearest thing to his geographical location is a protestant church. Anyone have any ideas to help him in that respect? He is going to a nondenominal college.

Can you let us know.

1. Are there any nearby Catholic church near you?
2. Is your family Catholic? Do you have anyone to guide you in your faith?

 

[mkoopman]

Thank you for reminding me of this consequence which I conveniently forgot about my own return to the fullness of faith. No surer way to understand how vehemently the enemy hates us and what is meant by principalities and powers. A discovery that I strongly discourage and reverting even to “innocent” gaming with tarot cards. The enemy builds his grasp on us in deception that only formation of right conscience can defeat. It is an ongoing process.

 

[Cjbhoward]

I wanted to ask you guys what implies to leave the Catholic church I’m terms of salvation?

I don’t believe in Sola Scriptura, but in this case it plainly states,

53
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

Pretty straight forward to me.

 

[Cjbhoward]

People who say there’s no salvation outside the Catholic Church don’t know their bible very well. They know that cat., and let the clergy interpret the bible for them. Put your faith in Jesus,

Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31
He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.

Jesus put His faith in man… specifically His church, more specifically Cephas. God didn’t spend over 4000 years to write a book. He didn’t give His beloved Son to inspire a book. As revered & sacred as the Bible is, His Saints are even more so.

So if you truly wish to put your faith in Jesus, you’re better off looking at & interpreting the lives of His Saints to better understand the sacred texts.

 

[NiceIsAsNiceDoes]

Jim, I want to tell you how much I appreciate your response to the OP. It was kind and loving (and truthful, I believe).

 

[chieft]

Founds some spectacular reason to stay Catholic on this thread. Hope you have time to listen to this. It starts off a little parochial, but WELL worth giving a listen. In fact, I can’t recommend it enough. Best 15 min or so you will invest all day. What is Sanctifying Grace ?

 

[chieft]

Spectacular. Amen. Amen.

 

[chieft]

Keep in mind, the bible, the inspired inerrant word of God, appeared Centuries after the formation of the Catholic Church. Penned to paper by the Catholic faithful.

 

[ChunkMonk]

Odd how a mention of Hell as a possibility for sin is suddenly seen as unmerciful, when our Lord and all His prophets, and all His apostles, and all of His Church have said that Hell is a possibility for sin.

Clearly the Church of Nice to which you belong, where the greatest sin on Earth is talking about Hell, is the real way to win hearts and minds. That’s why atheism is the fastest growing ‘religion’.

Do you really want me to provide quotes that say Hell is the probable end of unrepentant sinners? Here, I’ll save us both some time: the whole Bible.

 

[guanophore]

I never said Catholics aren’t Christians, I don’t know why y all thought I meant that. I go to a non denominational church, but the friends that I have in the Catholic church told me I was considered “Christian/protestant” so I thought y all were going to understand that as what my “tittle” is.

Yes, we get that a lot. Many modern day Protestants don’t like to identify themselves with the Protestant theology they embrace and say, quite sincerely, “I am not protesting anything”, so they just call themselves Christian. This term is used to distinguish themselves from Catholics, who some believe are not Christian.

I just want to understand more about the church that I grew up in since I wasn’t properly taught I guess.

You sure came to the right place for that! Lots of Catholic Answers here. I guess the title of the thread throws the reader off, since it seems to announce you are “leaving Catholicism” rather than trying to understand it better.

 

[guanophore]

As a Catholic, we are not to celebrate mass at other “Churches.” It is a rule we abide by as you have clearly demonstrated the reason we do not… because of the “allure.”

Allure, true.

And it behooves us not to refer to such gatherings as “mass”. They usually refer to themselves as “service”. There is really very little comparison. Most protestant ecclesial communities have taken out the altar all together, because the gathering is not about any sacrifice.

Anyone who leaves the Catholic Faith is not doing him or herself any favours.

I agree, but when I left, I was not leaving the Catholic faith. I was leaving my distorted perceptios of what it was, and the hypocrisy I saw in the lives of those who claimed to espouse it. I came to understand that my reasons were not valid.

The majority of Catholic theologians throughout history would say he is almost certainly comitting mortal sin, and doing so by specifically rejecting the Sacrament that wipes away mortal sin.

Yes, but that assumes that the so called Cathoilc actually understands and accepts these things. Many of these unchatechized persons who leave have no clue - and never expereienced Christ in the Sacraments. I know, I used to be one! He was present there for me, but I was not present to Him.

for those who have accepted the faith under the guidance of the Church can never have any just cause for changing this faith or for calling it into question

This is a very important distinction. Our pews are full of baptized, unevangelized, uncatechized Catholics who have never actuallly accepted (or even understood) their faith under the guidance of the Church. I am not minimizing the importance of each persons’ obligation to do this, just pointing out that it does not happen as often as it should.

 

[Mr_Freeze]

This is the most loving response to the original questions.

 

[pianistclare]

OP, disregard the people who think that love can be beaten into a person.
Christ did not act like this. He went out of his way to minister to people.
Attending to the difficult cases is real mercy.
Think of Sant Theresa of Calcutta. She didn’t give up on anybody, and neither does God.

DOn’t leave the faith, you won’t find anything “better” or more fulfilling.
Christ is present in the Eucharist. Go to Adoration, and look right at Him listen.
You won’t hear a physical voice, but please God, you will feel loved.
Many are praying for you.

 

[steve-b]

I was born to faithful Catholic parents and raise in the Catholic church. When I was 19 I decided to leave and become a Christian/protestant. Most of my family are still Catholics and we have been discussing different topics on which we have different views.

I wanted to ask you guys what implies to leave the Catholic church I’m terms of salvation?

People have said to me to keep in mind I’m leaving the sacraments and because of that I can’t be saved, but I haven’t found any biblical evidence for that. **

Here is a post I gave awhile back (open this link) Why is Protestantism wrong? - #53 by steve-b (post #48 ) please open all internal links
dgamboaus518:

I believe in Christ as my saviour and I have confessed that as the bible says we have to.**
Thank you in advance for your answers.

One could also ask

How can one say that, and leave the only Church Jesus established and expects perfect unity to remain in it and to receive the sacraments He instituted for our salvation? Especially given division (see links provided above) is not only condemned activity, but also are those who do it and remain so till death

 

[RedFan]

My Bible has an OT (every part of it written centuries BEFORE the formation of the Catholic Church) and a NT (every part of it penned in the first century C.E.) – so we must have different tomes on our shelves.

 

[steve-b]

My Bible has an OT (every part of it written centuries BEFORE the formation of the Catholic Church) and a NT (every part of it penned in the first century C.E.) – so we must have different tomes on our shelves.

Ever read the Transfiguration account? Do you notice who is present?

1. God the Father
2. Jesus
3. Moses & Elijah (IOW, the law and the prophets are represented in these two)
4. Peter, James, John

The OT figures learned who they were pointing to in their writings. meaning they then know of the Cathollc Church

 

[mkoopman]

Rather than to litter the forum with a poor exegesis on The Prodigal Son, I believe you need to hear from the Teaching Authority and not from me. My focus would be an inappropriate response to your alarmist approach which I see as steeped in materialism and an act of depravity associated with Machiavellian philosophical bent.

From Humani Generis para. 32, 33, Please consider the excerpt. Based on this from the deposit of faith your position on coercion by fear is a dark place to avoid. Para 33 is trimmed for posting limits, emphasis mine.

*In fact, it has always taught that the lack of these dispositions of good will can be the reason why the intellect, influenced by the passions and evil inclinations, can be so obscured that it cannot see clearly.

32… this philosophy, received and honored by the Church, is scorned by some, who shamelessly call it outmoded in form and rationalistic,… upholds the erroneous notion that there can be a metaphysic that is absolutely true; … , useful as a preparation for scholastic theology, … this philosophy hardly offers a method of philosophizing suited to the needs of our modern culture … our perennial philosophy is only a philosophy of immutable essences, … While scorning our philosophy … No Catholic can doubt how false this is, especially where there is question of those fictitious theories they call immanentism, or idealism or materialism, whether historic or dialectic, or even existentialism, whether atheistic or simply the type that denies the validity of the reason in the field of metaphysics.

1. Finally, they reproach this philosophy taught in our schools for regarding only the intellect in the process of cognition, while neglecting the function of the will and the emotions. This is simply not true. Never has Christian philosophy denied the usefulness and efficacy of good dispositions of soul for perceiving and embracing moral and religious truths. In fact, it has always taught that the lack of these dispositions of good will can be the reason why the intellect, influenced by the passions and evil inclinations, can be so obscured that it cannot see clearly. Indeed St. Thomas holds that the intellect can in some way perceive higher goods of the moral order, whether natural or supernatural, inasmuch as it experiences a certain “connaturality” with these goods, whether this “connaturality” be purely natural, or the result of grace;[10] and it is clear how much even this somewhat obscure perception can help the reason in its investigations. However it is one thing to admit the power of the dispositions of the will in helping reason to gain a more certain and firm knowledge of moral truths; it is quite another thing to say, as these innovators do, indiscriminately mingling cognition and act of will, that the appetitive and affective faculties have a certain power of understanding, and that man, since he cannot by using his reason decide with certainty what is true and is to be accepted, turns to his will, by which he freely chooses among opposite opinions.

 

[mkoopman]

Your inclination is to deny Jesus as the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law? Just because He said this does not make it true? Peter by the acts of Jesus Christ is the first Pope and the Apostles were given The Holy Spirit at Pentecost as Jesus had said would be done. The church founded by Jesus is the continuity of salvation history.
How do you see it otherwise? You mean eighteen hundred years later The Holy Spirit finally got it right? I beg to differ with this as naïve and baseless.