New Catholic - Cafeteria Catholics?

[CatsAndDogs]

1ke - I actually found some of your statements dismissive of the intent of my post. In particular, I said that after talking with my husband, I realized that I may never agree with some of the Church’s teachings, in part because I have come to this as an adult raised in another faith. It is harder to change things that I have known to be true for nearly 40 years than if you are told that they are true from day 1. I fail to see how that is insulting to anyone.

I’m not insulted, at any rate.

You are allowed to not understand WHY a dogma (doctrine) of the Church is correct, but you are not allowed to not agree with any dogma of the Church being correct.

To “not agree” with Church dogma is to ACT on that disagreement. If you don’t ACT on your “disagreement”, your “disagreement” is not disagreement, but rather lack of understanding.

When you were accepted being Catholic (Confirmation after RCIA?) you agreed to always agree that the Church was correct in the area of faith and morals.

It’s perfectly understandable that 40 years of habitually believing a falsehood to be true, because you accepted the authority of those without the authority to tell you whether it was true or not, would be hard to instantly dismiss. But IF you are a Catholic, then you are NOW given the authoritative truths which must be believed, and any old “habits” must be shed.

Your task, then, is to find out from the Church WHY the Church believes those truths which you don’t understand are truths, are truths.

I chose the Church not because my husband is Catholic and my children are Catholic. I chose the Church because as I learned about it (in an effort to teach my children about their Church and faith), I realized that this is where I wanted to be, that this is what God wanted for me. I found myself closer to God when I was in Mass in a way that was entirely different for me.

I think that this struggle will never go away from me. I think that I will always feel in some areas that the Church is not correct. I know that may seem like sacrilege to some but I think God wants us to question and struggle, for in struggling and questioning it is that we learn and understand and obey.

You may feel that you don’t understand why some truths are truths, but not understanding why they are truths don’t make those actual truths incorrect.

If you persist in thinking that an actual truth is untrue, then eventually you will act on your mistaken belief, and sin in the process, and most likely do it habitually without real contrition and true repentance (because you won’t think you’ve done wrong!), and you cannot be forgiven of that which you are not repentant of, and that is the very description of mortal sin, by which means one chooses hell over God.

It’s fine to question and struggle, but you QUESTION yourself as to why you refuse to believe that which MUST be believed (the Church), and not question the Church,…

…and you STRUGGLE with how to fit what you must believe into what you correctly believe from the Church, and not struggle with the Church.

Obey first and always. Question until your questions are answered with reasonings or firm mystery. Struggle until humility is found.

 

[nobeerinheaven]

So, people are robots…we can`t follow our conscience? I think you can disagree with the Church and be a good Catholic.

You are playing with fire here, and particularly so since you know that if you dissent from the Church, you are automatically excommunicated. Please do not believe yourself capable of getting to heaven on your own, without the assistance of the Church in her sacraments and all her teaching. Such an assumption will likely lead you to hell.

 

[reen12]

quote: nobeerinheaven

You are playing with fire here, and particularly so since you know that if you dissent from the Church, you are automatically excommunicated. Please do not believe yourself capable of getting to heaven on your own, without the assistance of the Church in her sacraments and all her teaching. Such an assumption will likely lead you to hell.

God saves as He wills, and how He wills. :coffeeread:
Which is a great mercy. He even saves through the RCC,
thanks be to Him.

reen12