Leaving the Catholic Church and Family Reaction

[Sherlock]

Been there, done that, and for precisely the same reasons (at the time).

Took me quite a few years, but I eventually discovered that relativism was inherent in Protestantism, and relativism and truth are not compatible. The happy emotional services were great at first, but frankly, after a while, I got tired of being whupped up and simply wanted truth. The brain is there for a reason.

Best wishes on your search.

 

[montanaman]

Glad to hear you’re in touch with your feelings!

The one good thing about Protestantism is that when you get bored with your current church, you can always shop around until you find another one that gives you the same fix.

Remember to keep smiling! (Otherwise people will doubt your salvation, and that’s just akward.)

 

[Tigerhawk]

Austin83:

Well I must say this has been a great conversation but I’m going to have to go for now at least. I must say it is good to see that some people out there are passionate about the Catholic faith, keep doing what you’re doing. You all are the people who need to re-energize the Catholic faith and get it back to the level it was. I still stand by my firmness though, I won’t be one of those to re-energize it. God has spoken to me in a very personal way and I truly believe God wants me in the Evangelical church, and I will be where God wants me to be. I feel closer to God than I ever have, and it is an exciting feel, I feel I can communicate with him and truly do his will and show my passion for him. The Evangel church saved me and I am forever grateful for that, for giving me a relationship with God again. But like I said, it’s great to see Catholics who are actually passionate and care about their faith, Catholicism needs you right now. I’ll be around hopefully, I hope you all have a great day, and Praise God!

Maybe you will come back and check on your thread.

I was away from the church for many years. I have found that you get out of it what you put into it. It is very understandable that if going to Mass was a chore that you left feeling empty. I leave every Mass now feeling transformed. What God has done for me through the Mass I can’t describe.

Don’t think God is done with you just yet and you don’t have further to go on your journey. Keep praying that God gives you the grace to know where he wants you and the strength to follow him no matter where that may be and no matter what your new friends or your family think of it.

I would suggest spending some time with him face to face in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[NonDenom]

Don’t cop out like that… the fact is that you do not really know that what Evangel is teaching is really in line with the truths taught by the apostles to the early church, and if you don’t take the time to check that out then you will regret that for all eternity, because even if you make it to heaven, you will know that you did not obey Christ and remain in His church. (Just because they tell you they are a New Testament church doesn’t make it so…)

You say you’re not an expert…no kidding? I’m not either, but I knew that I had to be 100% sure of what was true, and it was my digging into that that led me home to the Catholic Church. What does the Word of God say? 2nd Timothy 2:
“15 Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Hey CM
Why do you keep being so hateful? All anybody has to do is read your post’s to realize you need some lessons in loving your brother. You say that you are no expert, but yet claim to know what is absolute truth. The only thing that you have to go by is what other men have told you or what you have read, and you claim that to be all truth but we are all wrong. I feel sorry for your attitude.
In Him and Only Him.

 

[Mom_of_5]

I shall pray for you.

Love and peace,

Mom of 5

 

[montanaman]

NonDenom:

Hey CM
Why do you keep being so hateful? All anybody has to do is read your post’s to realize you need some lessons in loving your brother. You say that you are no expert, but yet claim to know what is absolute truth. The only thing that you have to go by is what other men have told you or what you have read, and you claim that to be all truth but we are all wrong. I feel sorry for your attitude.
In Him and Only Him.

That was hardly hateful. It was simply true.

 

[Sherlock]

NonDenom:

Hey CM
Why do you keep being so hateful? All anybody has to do is read your post’s to realize you need some lessons in loving your brother. You say that you are no expert, but yet claim to know what is absolute truth. The only thing that you have to go by is what other men have told you or what you have read, and you claim that to be all truth but we are all wrong. I feel sorry for your attitude.
In Him and Only Him.

“Hateful”? Why do you keep being so uncharitable? I didn’t think what CM wrote was hateful…

 

[edward_george]

  	 				I feel this Evangel non-denominational Christian church that I now attend are the beliefs** I truly want in my religion**.

Okay. That’s fine. You worship God in your way, and I in His.

-ACEGC

 

[mastda]

Reading Austins post brings back memories. I recall meeting some on fire evangelical protestants in my 20’s. I went to a few services and I was hooked on Jesus. I thought to myself, wow a place where I can be excited about God and at the same time I could make all these wonderful friends. So I left the Catholic Church for a 12 years and my love for Scripture and truth led me back to the Catholic Church a couple of years ago. If you read Austins posts, he does not dislike the Catholic Church, he is attracted to the vibrancy of the Baptist church and the fellowship with other christians. As peaceful and glad as I am being to be back, I hate to admit that the Catholic Church can be a lonely, very lonely place.

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

mastda:

I hate to admit that the Catholic Church can be a lonely, very lonely place.

Well, so can any other place. The Catholic Church has various places where you can go to “fellowship”. We have the Knights of Columbus, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, etc. I might even go so far as to say is that if all you do is go to Mass and then leave right away, you probably won’t meet anyone. Mass is a sober moment. It is the representation of Calvary, we are literally joining Christ in worshipping Him the way He told us to.

 

[mastda]

Semper Fi:

Well, so can any other place. The Catholic Church has various places where you can go to “fellowship”. We have the Knights of Columbus, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, etc. I might even go so far as to say is that if all you do is go to Mass and then leave right away, you probably won’t meet anyone. Mass is a sober moment. It is the representation of Calvary, we are literally joining Christ in worshipping Him the way He told us to.

Dont misunderstand what I meant, I was in no way implying you have socials during Mass. I give my time to RCIA and attend some KOFC meetings, I am a very outgoing person and I have no problem making new friends.However, if one wants to participate in meaninful fellowship with other Catholics it will take time and it will be very lonely for a while.

 

[ironmonk]

Austin83:

I have gotten older I have noticed many of the inaccuracies between what the scripture teaches us and what the Catholic church teaches us. .

Austin

Dear Austin,

Sorry for posting in so late (sorry if this was already posted)…

There are not any inaccuracies between what the Church teaches and what is in Scripture.

The Catholic Church was first. It is the only Church that was around in 33 AD. The Catholic Church gave us the Scriptures. The New Testament was not considered Scripture until 400 AD. Read the Early Church Fathers, they will help you. Use the library here on www.Catholic.com

Also, check out ScriptureCatholic.com

I totally agree with you that God must come first. That is why I am Catholic and I stay in God’s Church.

All who leave the first Church are wrong in doing so…

**Acts 20:****29 **
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. 30 And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them.

2 Peter 3:16 - As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.

It has been the Church that has been teaching us Scripture for 2000 years, they know it best.

2 Peter 1:20 - Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation.

Acts 8:30-35 - And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest? 31Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32And the place of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, so openeth he not his mouth. 33In humility his judgment was taken away. His generation who shall declare, for his life shall be taken from the earth? 34And the eunuch answering Philip, said: I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? of himself, or of some other man? 35Then Philip, opening his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.

 

[CollegeKid]

Austin83:

My pastor sermon’s mean so much to my heart and the mass in general just touches me so much now.

Are you referring to the service at your new church as “mass”? I hate to seem like I’m quibbling over fine points, but I think this needs to be made clear: The service at your new church is just that, a service. It is not a Mass. A Mass is what happens at a Catholic Church, when the bread and wine turn into the very body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ during Holy Communion. Austin, whether or not this breaks your parents’ hearts, reading your post breaks my heart. Just a bit of info-I’m 21, I grew up Lutheran and I joined the Catholic Church last Easter. You’re turning away from the Truth, although perhaps you don’t realize it. Please, if you haven’t already, talk to a priest and ask for an explanation of the Church teachings you see as unscriptural. Heck, talk to us about what Church teachings you see as unscriptural. I realize you feel better about your new church, but what makes us feel better isn’t always what we need. Above all, we need to know the truth, or at least know what we believe to be the truth and why we believe that. Some last things to think about: given that you believe in Evangelical Christianity, have you considered the widespread differences of belief within Evangelicalism, or within all of Protestantism for that matter? Or that Evangelicalism is really nothing more than an 18TH CENTURY AMERICAN protestant movement, almost 2000 years removed from the age of the Apostles? And what makes evangelicalism more right than other types of protestantism? There are so many different beliefs in the system you’re embracing, and while you or others may not think the differences matter that much, or that they’re secondary, they matter to God. There is absolute truth, and God wants us to know what that is; to use a cliche phrase He is not the author of confusion. You stated that you believe in the evangelical position that God speaks to us through the Bible. Well, there are plenty of mainline protestant and evangelical churches out there that adhere to this, and they believe vastly different things about so-called secondary matters but also extremely important ones-like whether or not we are born again in baptism. Remember what Christ said: unless a man be born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:5). If Lutherans and Episcopalians are right that Christ was referring to water baptism (as Catholics believe), then your evangelical friends are turning their back on an all-important truth. I’m assuming your new church holds that being born again happens when you “recieve Jesus into your heart” as an adult. Remember, ultimately all your pastor has is his interpretations of the Bible vs. theirs, and vice-versa. Who’s to say who’s right?

 

[JDeL]

Mastda and Austin,

Jesus is present in every tabernacle at every Catholic Church, the world over, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

We are never ever alone in church and that is the number 1 reason never to leave. Jesus’ true presence is waiting there for us.

We do not need to go to the social hall or gymnasium to have our emotional needs met. Everything we need is right there in the tabernacle.

Austin, as I pray for my brother, who has followed a similar path, I pray for you. May you return to Jesus’ true presence.

JD

 

[CollegeKid]

Also Austin, I know I mentioned I grew up Lutheran. Lutherans also have a liturgical style of worship similar to the Catholic Mass. It is structured and it is solemn, and there is a lot of repetition of memorized prayers. They also believe in the Real Presence of Christ during Communion, though in a slightly different way. I know that sometimes that type of worship can seem hollow and you wonder whether the people around you really want to be there. There may be some who are just there out of habit, but I think many have the same strong devotion to Jesus that your evangelical friends do, but they choose to express it in a more solemn and reserved manner because that’s what they’re used to. It doesn’t mean they’re less faithful. Many are quite pious. For what its worth I’m speaking to you as someone who spent over a year going to an evanglical church each Sunday during the first year and second years of college. I’ll be the first to admit that one of the first thoughts that races across your mind upon ecountering this type of worship is “Wow, these people really passionately love Jesus, they’re not afraid to show it in an upbeat way, and what they’re teaching is the truth.” The last part of what I just said is the only part that isn’t true- they’re not teaching the truth. They can’t even come to an agreement on what the truth is, except for their certain core beliefs. The fact that they deny Jesus Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, and the fact that that’s what you’re leaving behind, is the worst part.

 

[dragonfly]

Austin83:

Okay I just joined this forum and first I’ll introduce myself a little bit. I’m Austin, 22 years old, and I was baptized as a baby in the Catholic Church. My whole family is Catholic, I went to Catholic grade and high school, was raised to be a good Catholic guy. However I have never really felt at home in the Catholic faith, and as I have gotten older I have noticed many of the inaccuracies between what the scripture teaches us and what the Catholic church teaches us. I stopped attending mass regularly when I was about 20 years old because it felt more like a chore and a requirement than something I wanted to do. The Catholic faith to me felt so hollow and empty, I didn’t feel I had a connection with God at all. I would leave every mass empty, I just didn’t get anything out of it, it was just saying some prayers from memory every Sunday. About 6 months ago I started looking at other religions and asking friends about their religions. Finally, I went to a non-denominational Christian church. I knew the minute the pastor started talking that I had found God and had been born again. I was energized with the surmon and left knowing I had truly experienced God’s presense and his love, and it was an incredible experience. I had a very personal experience with the pastor who helped me communicate with God to release me of my sins, it was the most powerful moment of my life, and I truly felt that I had been saved.

I have been back several times since then and it just keeps getting better. I now plan on joining and becoming and attending weekly. Unlike the Catholic mass, I not only do not consider it a chore to attend mass, but I want to attend it. There is no doubt that I have found my church and the people I want to share my faith with.

This leads though to the difficult part of the process. First of all, while my friends and most of my family will probably accept my decision, I know my mom and dad will have a very difficult time accepting my decision. I know they might even try to convince me not to do it (that’s why I’m waiting until after I have officially left) but I know what I am doing is right. I am looking for some advice from others who have left their faith for another, how did you break the news and how did you comfort them? What did you say to them? Also, I am unsure of how to officially leave the Catholic church. Do I have to write in somewhere denouncing the faith or do I have to talk with a priest? I know if I talk to a priest about it he will try to do the fear tactics that most Catholics do. Statements like “you are turning away from God’s church” and “you will live in hell for betraying God’s intention”. But back to the point, if anybody here knows the process I have to go through, I really want to start the process as soon as possible just to get the process over with and start my new life with God. I appreciate any help that anybody here can offer.

Austin

Austin, I too left an organized realigion, mormonism!! My mother my grandmother, her grandmother were all baptised in the LDS church. Much like you, I was not being fed the word of God and I was starving for it!! I then found a non-denominational church, and I knew right away!! The only thing we teach out of is the holy bible!!
It is extreamily hard to leave your church and your family. I spoke w/ my bishop and said I do not believe the prophets to be true and of God, so Goodbye. They tried to sway me and convince me. Even my own family wanted me out of the house that night if that was what I was really going to do. God already spoke to me, so this is what I told my family:
I would much rather have to answer to you for this mom and lose my family than have to answer to God for denying him and following into a cult"!! And I walked out, a few bags of cloths, my kids and I went to the sam shelter.

Here is the thing; you are taking a stand for God!! It is hard, but take it and then sit back and let him do the rest!! by the way my mother and my grandmother are now non-denominational christians. God Used me to bring them to him, and to get them saved!! Oh and in the terms of your church, you really don’t have to talk to anybody!! Just become inactive!! They will probably call you and all you have to say is I am no longer attenting there, but thank you for everything you have done for me, but it is time for me to leave, I love you, goodbye!! or at least that is how it is w/ most religions. Your parents will probably want to take to talk to someone so they can “peer” presure you. If you do decide to go into your church to part ways, before you enter, pray for the power of discernment and for God’s strength to lead you right back out the door!!

Good Luck, my prayers will be with you!!

 

[Lorrie]

There’s so many things I want to say but after reading over half the posts on this thread there’s really nothing I can add. Like someone else said, you’re young and we all have to find our own way. Just please keep in mind that the Catholic Church is Apostolic, that says more than enough.

Good luck to you, you’re definitely in my prayers.

 

[Leon_Miguel]

Austin83:

I still disagree with the notion that god speaks through the pope, which I know is a Catholic teaching.

It is also a biblical teaching

Matt 16:17 "Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father”

 

[dragonfly]

Leon Miguel:

It is also a biblical teaching

Matt 16:17 "Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father”

Wow, it seems like a lot of organized religions have their own modern day prophets!! the LDS church believs that God talks directly to and through Gordon B. Hinkley, their prophet today and he has 12 apostles. Please!!!
God also warns us in the bible to beware of false prophets, teachings and doctrines! So how do you know the pope or the Hinkley guy is from God? Simple: if he gives a prophesy and says “so sayeth the Lord” and then it does not happen, then he is False!!

 

[Balance]

Church Militant:

and if you don’t take the time to check that out then you will regret that for all eternity, because even if you make it to heaven, you will know that you did not obey Christ and remain in His church.
]

While we’re on the same wavelength Church Mil, I don’t agree with the way you’re saying this. if someone makes it to heaven, they HAVE obeyed Christ and remained in his Church. they wouldn’t get to heaven otherwise. fact is, you DON’T have to be a Catholic to get to heaven. we all know that even nonChristians will get to heaven if their heart belongs to God, if they have lived out - or attempted to live out - Christ’s command to love God and love nieghbour.
so we’re talking, really, about Austin’s earthly life, and how attempting to get to the guts of what it means to be Catholic and Christian, and so encounter Christ there as fully as he possibly can, will lead to fullness of life here and now.