My ongoing faith struggle

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Credendum

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In my life, I have met more Christlike nonbelievers who had incredible respect for me and my faith. When I was in church, the members despised me BECAUSE I wanted to study scripture. When we went to church conferences, I was the odd one out because I did not want to dance to worldly sexually suggestive music. That totally threw me off and made me wonder why nonbelievers could be more kind and be even more Christlike than people at church. So I started exploring nonbelief. It’s hard for me to say that nonbelievers are wrong, given how much more respect they have had for me and my faith than the church members did.

I appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut.
 
I don’t recognize your experience as any I have known amongst Catholics.
In parishes I’ve been in, study of scripture is celebrated and Christian behavior welcomed. I’m sad for your experience.
In the end, you answer to God, not to those around you, so therefore why not apply yourself to the Lord and Catholic faith and truth with real dedication, dear soul. Why respond to what you see as the worst, why not seek the best. In every audience, sing to the King, the Lord!

I hope you do come to meet those who wish to encourage you to the Lord.
But regardless of any other person, it is God who calls you to grow in Him and in faith, and in knowledge of the truth, and in holiness.
May God surround and fill you with His light and love
 
Credendum said:
In my life, I have met more Christlike nonbelievers who had incredible respect for me and my faith. When I was in church, the members despised me BECAUSE I wanted to study scripture. When we went to church conferences, I was the odd one out because I did not want to dance to worldly sexually suggestive music. That totally threw me off and made me wonder why nonbelievers could be more kind and be even more Christlike than people at church. So I started exploring nonbelief. It’s hard for me to say that nonbelievers are wrong, given how much more respect they have had for me and my faith than the church members did.

I appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut.
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It sounds like you really do have a sincere impression of what it means to be “Christlike”, and you may be a little frustrated because others do not share your views. You are finding a more accepting and forgiving attitude among “nonbelievers”.

I think I know what you are talking about.

My motto, in terms of my involvement in the Church, has been “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem”. Can you forgive those who despised you or ridiculed you? I know it is hard, but that forgiveness is a witness, it is spreading the gospel in a big way. It is very easy to meet non-acceptance with more non-acceptance, much more difficult to meet it with forgiveness.

In addition, it probably would be helpful to find a group that supports your values, and even shares them. Maybe the group that couldn’t accept your differences could become such a group. It’s hard to say. It is very important to be around people who accept us, and if that is your request, try it out on those who don’t walk with Christ the same way you do. “Can you accept that I look on this music and scripture this way?” Maybe, with some prayer, they will comply.

And hey, if hanging out with non-believers is better, well, Jesus did too… but that can present its difficulties, we do want to be “part of the crowd”, so there is no easy answer.
 
Inside the church and outside the church, there are people who are kind and generous and others who can be miserable. Many people have been both at different times in their life.

God sent His only Son to die in our place, that we might be sons and daughters of His. Is there anything more exciting than that, to have God as our father? Can we comprehend such a mystery? Such an incredible grace?

Don’t be like Peter, who stepped out of the boat, and seeing the wind and the waves, began to doubt, and began to sink!

Look upon God and His love, His mercy, and fall in love with Him. At the end of your life, whether it’s sooner or later, may He say to you, Good and faithful servant! Come and enter into the joy prepared for you from the beginning of the world! You won’t be sorry in this life for such a choice, nor in the next. God bless and strengthen your faith as you look upon Him.
 
I don’t think you’re having a faith struggle. I think the struggle you’re having is with the disconnect between what the (Catholic) church is teaching and the lack of christian behavior that is being exhibited by your fellow Catholics. Now, while this may not be typical of every Catholic person’s experience, it is pervasive enough to be a problem.

The Catholic church, like any “organized religion”, is bound by laws and traditions which, unfortunately, seem to take precedence over ministering to the faithful and to the lost sheep. In plain terms, it appears that your church is following the letter, not the spirit of the law.

The Pharisees and Saducees during Jesus time were good examples of this. This religious group fulfilled all the rigorous requirements of the law, yet their hearts were far from God. This disconnect was prevalent during Jesus’ time and still is today.

As far as being looked down upon for wanting to read the bible, it’s understandable considering that most Catholics don’t read the bible. Although they get scripture from the Sunday Mass readings, it is not enough bible reading to get the word of God into their hearts.

I believe you are on a journey and are really sincere about wanting to find God through the Catholic faith. I hope that you find it, but you may have to search awhile to find the right church to fit your needs. As much as you may consider yourself a Catholic, you honestly sound like a Christian to me. You will find that the Christian churches are not as bound by tradition and doctrine as the Catholic church is and that they are very pro active in reading and obeying the bible as the official word of God.

My hope is that you find the church where you can truly worship God and where you can truly feel you belong.

God Rocks
 
Cryptic1 said:
I don’t think you’re having a faith struggle. I think the struggle you’re having is with the disconnect between what the (Catholic) church is teaching and the lack of christian behavior that is being exhibited by your fellow Catholics. Now, while this may not be typical of every Catholic person’s experience, it is pervasive enough to be a problem.

The Catholic church, like any “organized religion”, is bound by laws and traditions which, unfortunately, seem to take precedence over ministering to the faithful and to the lost sheep. In plain terms, it appears that your church is following the letter, not the spirit of the law.

The Pharisees and Saducees during Jesus time were good examples of this. This religious group fulfilled all the rigorous requirements of the law, yet their hearts were far from God. This disconnect was prevalent during Jesus’ time and still is today.

As far as being looked down upon for wanting to read the bible, it’s understandable considering that most Catholics don’t read the bible. Although they get scripture from the Sunday Mass readings, it is not enough bible reading to get the word of God into their hearts.

I believe you are on a journey and are really sincere about wanting to find God through the Catholic faith. I hope that you find it, but you may have to search awhile to find the right church to fit your needs. As much as you may consider yourself a Catholic, you honestly sound like a Christian to me. You will find that the Christian churches are not as bound by tradition and doctrine as the Catholic church is and that they are very pro active in reading and obeying the bible as the official word of God.

My hope is that you find the church where you can truly worship God and where you can truly feel you belong.

God Rocks
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I need to clarify some things. The church in which I was despised for wanting to study scripture was not a Catholic church; it was in fact a protestant church. That happened when I was protestant. In the Catholic church where I have been going to Mass, I find that I am excluded because I don’t appear to be wealthy or sophisticated enough.
 
Credendum said:
In the Catholic church where I have been going to Mass, I find that I am excluded because I don’t appear to be wealthy or sophisticated enough.
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Well such was a problem already in one community (Corenth) in the first Century. Paul took some of the Christians he wrote to to task for such. But I would give them the benefit of the doubt here …for really those who are not “wealthy” have been at the heart of the Church.

The Church embraces all…wealthy…extremely poor… cultured…tribesmen with little education…scientists…musicians…middle class…talented…untalented…etc etc.

Let us all follow Christ with joy and love one another.
 
In my life I have known agnostics or atheists who have kind etc. I have known of others who are very aggressive and attacking. I have known Christians who have not lived as Christians all the time (me for one) and I have known those who have been filled with the love of Christ in their actions and way of life.

Let us all in “good will” seek to live well with one another. And let all Christians live more and more as such 🙂

In Christ is true life …and thus in his Church. Let us seek to know and live such always!
 
“It’s hard for me to say that nonbelievers are wrong, given how much more respect they have had for me and my faith than the church members did.”

Judge/determine the validity of an argument based on the merits of the argument, not on how it was presented to you.
 
Credendum said:
In the Catholic church where I have been going to Mass, I find that I am excluded because I don’t appear to be wealthy or sophisticated enough.
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To be honest, I haven’t felt excluded in any of the Catholic parishes I’ve been part of, and I don’t consider myself wealthy or sophisticated. Was there something specific that happened that made you feel this way?
 
Credendum said:
In my life, I have met more Christlike nonbelievers who had incredible respect for me and my faith. When I was in church, the members despised me BECAUSE I wanted to study scripture. When we went to church conferences, I was the odd one out because I did not want to dance to worldly sexually suggestive music. That totally threw me off and made me wonder why nonbelievers could be more kind and be even more Christlike than people at church. So I started exploring nonbelief. It’s hard for me to say that nonbelievers are wrong, given how much more respect they have had for me and my faith than the church members did.

I appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut.
Click to expand...
Well, there’s nothing really to explore in nonbelief. If you believe now, you’ll simply have to stop believing, which would seem pretty near impossible to do, I would think,
 
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