Should I remain Catholic if I reject Catholic dogma?

[jaf46]

It may be time for me to leave the Church. After many years of study, some Catholic dogma seems very shaky at best. For example, there doesn’t appear to be any documented support for the recent belief in the bodily assumption of Mary, the story of Noah is very flawed, and even the historical evidence of Jewish captivity in Egypt seems doubtful. I could list many more examples but I think I have expressed the general level of my doubt.

I would like to continue the pattern of avoidance I have practiced for so many years. It works exceedingly well for so many Catholics but I am afraid that I can no longer participate in that type of self-deception. God, if he does exist in the context of Christian belief, knows my mind better than I. I have prayed about this for years but I am left without direction. My formal indoctrination into the faith began at the age of five. A combination of guilt, fear, and perhaps a bit of early programming keep me from walking away completely.

With this said, can I continue to consider myself a Catholic? I don’t know where I am going from here but I am on my way. As time permits, your thoughts and observations would be appreciated.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

First and foremost, my observation is that you are treating the Catholic Church like a system to be picked apart instead of as a witness to a Person to be embraced and loved. If you care at all about the faith in which you were raised, and a few of your comments indicate to me that you do, then focus your attention on Jesus Christ and seek to know and love him more deeply by encountering him in the Mass and the sacraments. I also very much recommend the two-book series titled Jesus of Nazareth, written by Pope Benedict XVI.