Some personal struggles

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gnuke

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I was born and raised Catholic, went to Catholic school growing up, and grew up in a city that was majority Catholic. It’s great being surrounded by many people of the same background while growing up, but one of the negatives that I realized was that many of the Catholics I grew up with were Catholics because it was convenient. They were born Catholic, all their friends were Catholic, and they went to church as a social get together moreso than to participate in mass. Sadly, many of these loose behaviors had worn off on me by the time I left for college. After leaving for college I realized that Catholics outside of my home town were, as a whole, more strict in their beliefs. I was able to reform myself and retrain many of my bad habits that I had developed in my home town, yet there is still one characteristic that I cannot overcome. It was common practice amongst the majority of Catholics I came into contact with growing up to not always agree with the Pope. This definitely rubbed off on me to the extent that I find myself disagreeing with the Vatican’s decision on some current events (e.g. Harry Potter). The only other issue that I find myself overcoming is the RCC’s decision in the 12th century to forbid priests to marry. I know it doesn’t really affect me because I am not planning on becoming a priest (I’m married), but just learning that marriage wasn’t always forbidden kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I have read the Bible numerous times and there are arguments for and against marriage of a priest.

Those are my two main struggles:
  1. Always agreeing with and living by what the Vatican says
  2. Agreeing 100% that the decision in the 12th century to not allow priests to be married any more was a good decision.
Are these major problems that make me a “bad” Catholic? I’m trying my best to reason through these things, so can anyone give me so insight if you have had the same struggles?
 
Some Catholic priests ARE married. Many priests in the Eastern tradition, as well as the newly ordained priests that were former Anglican ministers are two quick examples.

You are free to disagree with Church discipline (such as celibate priesthood) but not Church dogma (such as the Immaculate Conception).

Also keep this in mind, many good saints struggled with Church teaching. You don’t have to understand everything, just adopt a good spirit of humility about it. Think of St. Peter when Jesus said they would have to eat His flesh and blood. Peter admitted that he didn’t even remotely understand how that was possible, but he stuck with Jesus anyway. (John 6)

That’s the attitude we should have. “You know, I really don’t get the Church’s teaching on contraception, but I know that the Catholic Church is the one true church and that Jesus ensured us that the gates of Hell wouldn’t prevail against it. So even though I don’t understand it, I’ll still follow it and I’m going to do some research to try and better understand it.”

Hopefully that helps!
 
smichhertz said:
You are free to disagree with Church discipline (such as celibate priesthood) but not Church dogma (such as the Immaculate Conception).
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That is the part you must focus on. Anything the Magisterium teaches or presents as dogma of the Catholic church is what you must agree with. Anything else (such as the Vatican’s opinion on Harry Potter) you do not have to agree with/abide by. So feel free to disagree with the Vatican, as long as it’s not dogma. It doesn’t make you a bad Catholic, and it helps refute the argument that all Catholics just blindly agree with the Pope.
 
k8e308 said:
That is the part you must focus on. Anything the Magisterium teaches or presents as dogma of the Catholic church is what you must agree with. Anything else (such as the Vatican’s opinion on Harry Potter) you do not have to agree with/abide by. So feel free to disagree with the Vatican, as long as it’s not dogma. It doesn’t make you a bad Catholic, and it helps refute the argument that all Catholics just blindly agree with the Pope.
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“Agree with” dogma is sometimes difficult due to poor catechesis, or simply finding it difficult to understand.

But we are to accept the dogma in all humility, and hope that with time we come to a fuller understanding of it. There’s a difference between saying “it is wrong” and saying “it is a difficult concept for me to grasp”.
 
I think you should challenge yourself to read some of church documents that are posted at www.ewtn.com in the document library.

Go ahead, do a search on “harry potter” and see if you can find a document that you are referring to. If it’s there, read it over and see what part of it bothers you.

I only dimly recall hearing something about Harry Potter, from the Vatican. Maybe it had to do with the use of sorcery (and the belief in sorcery) that the books promote. That could lead some kids astray for a number of reasons, to believe in such dark powers.

That sounds like a sin against the first commandment, to only worship the LORD and to not have any other gods.

I can’t find the verse in the gospels easily tonight-- too tired. But, I thought Jesus said we had to be willing to give up all we have, to be His disciple.He said the greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. As much as possible we need to detach ourselves from anything that does not develop our spirituality – our relationship with God. I don’t see how Harry Potter fits in with that goal of developing our relationship with God.
 
Thank you, everyone, for your insight into my questions. I definitely have more to learn about Catholicism. It was humbling to discover how little I knew about my own faith after I left my bubble, interacting with other Catholics. Now my intellectual curiosity has been sparked, and I want to learn more about my own faith. My wife will be beginning RCIA next year, so I will see if I can sit in on some of her classes to learn much of what I have never been taught or have forgotten.

Thanks again, and peace be with all of you.
 
gnuke said:
I I find myself disagreeing with the Vatican’s decision on some current events (e.g. Harry Potter). The only other issue that I find myself overcoming is the RCC’s decision in the 12th century to forbid priests to marry. I ?
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no 1, the vatican has issued no official pronouncement for or against Harry Potter
and no 2 celibacy has been advocated as early as the writings of St Paul and was not imposed only in the 12th century

before rebelling wholesale against the teaching authority of the Church and her doctrine I suggest you find out what those doctrines really are, and remedy the deficiencies in your Catholic education. you have come to the right place to get those answers, so welcome to the forums

joining your wife in the RCIA class is one of the best things you can do for yourself, to support her, and for your marriage.
 
gnuke said:
I was born and raised Catholic, went to Catholic school growing up, and grew up in a city that was majority Catholic. It’s great being surrounded by many people of the same background while growing up, but one of the negatives that I realized was that many of the Catholics I grew up with were Catholics because it was convenient. They were born Catholic, all their friends were Catholic, and they went to church as a social get together moreso than to participate in mass. Sadly, many of these loose behaviors had worn off on me by the time I left for college. After leaving for college I realized that Catholics outside of my home town were, as a whole, more strict in their beliefs. I was able to reform myself and retrain many of my bad habits that I had developed in my home town, yet there is still one characteristic that I cannot overcome. It was common practice amongst the majority of Catholics I came into contact with growing up to not always agree with the Pope. This definitely rubbed off on me to the extent that I find myself disagreeing with the Vatican’s decision on some current events (e.g. Harry Potter). The only other issue that I find myself overcoming is the RCC’s decision in the 12th century to forbid priests to marry. I know it doesn’t really affect me because I am not planning on becoming a priest (I’m married), but just learning that marriage wasn’t always forbidden kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I have read the Bible numerous times and there are arguments for and against marriage of a priest.

Those are my two main struggles:
  1. Always agreeing with and living by what the Vatican says
  2. Agreeing 100% that the decision in the 12th century to not allow priests to be married any more was a good decision.
Are these major problems that make me a “bad” Catholic? I’m trying my best to reason through these things, so can anyone give me so insight if you have had the same struggles?
Click to expand...
Define a little more about living with what the Vatican says. Do you disagree with any dogma???
 
melchesidechpio said:
Define a little more about living with what the Vatican says. Do you disagree with any dogma???
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From what I understand, no, I do not disagree with any dogma. As the poster before you said, I am a bit deficient in my Catholic education. Frequenting these forums and going to my wife’s RCIA classes is how I’ll begin to learn more about my religion.
 
gnuke said:
I was born and raised Catholic, went to Catholic school growing up, and grew up in a city that was majority Catholic. It’s great being surrounded by many people of the same background while growing up, but one of the negatives that I realized was that many of the Catholics I grew up with were Catholics because it was convenient. They were born Catholic, all their friends were Catholic, and they went to church as a social get together moreso than to participate in mass. Sadly, many of these loose behaviors had worn off on me by the time I left for college. After leaving for college I realized that Catholics outside of my home town were, as a whole, more strict in their beliefs. I was able to reform myself and retrain many of my bad habits that I had developed in my home town, yet there is still one characteristic that I cannot overcome. It was common practice amongst the majority of Catholics I came into contact with growing up to not always agree with the Pope. This definitely rubbed off on me to the extent that I find myself disagreeing with the Vatican’s decision on some current events (e.g. Harry Potter). The only other issue that I find myself overcoming is the RCC’s decision in the 12th century to forbid priests to marry. I know it doesn’t really affect me because I am not planning on becoming a priest (I’m married), but just learning that marriage wasn’t always forbidden kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I have read the Bible numerous times and there are arguments for and against marriage of a priest.

Those are my two main struggles:
  1. Always agreeing with and living by what the Vatican says
  2. Agreeing 100% that the decision in the 12th century to not allow priests to be married any more was a good decision.
Are these major problems that make me a “bad” Catholic? I’m trying my best to reason through these things, so can anyone give me so insight if you have had the same struggles?
Click to expand...
I don’t know if this helps any; but, as I’ve come to understand it the Holy Spirit guides the Church and keeps it from teaching error. That doesn’t necessarily mean that an individual won’t do something wrong, but the teachings of the actual Church at large are protected by the Holy Spirit Himself; so, even if you don’t agree with the Pope, remember that ultimately God dirrects his every step when it comes to teaching the faith.

As for the other thing, I have wondered about that myself, since ironically the very first Pope had a wife and supposedly kids. I recently heard a theory that actually makes sense, to me at least. The Church is a living organizm, it grows and matures as time goes on; so the Church that Jesus started with His ministry has grown and matured, and what was fine in the beginning has since become inappropriate. Diapers are fine for a one year old, but for a five year old, it’s a tad inappropriate, and for a ten year old it’s ridiculous. You can’t give a child too much at once or they become overwhelmed, I figure this is the way it was/is with the church. Anyway, that’s just my thoughts on it. Hopefully something in there was helpful. If not, my appologies.
 
gnuke said:
Thank you, everyone, for your insight into my questions. I definitely have more to learn about Catholicism. It was humbling to discover how little I knew about my own faith after I left my bubble, interacting with other Catholics. Now my intellectual curiosity has been sparked, and I want to learn more about my own faith. My wife will be beginning RCIA next year, so I will see if I can sit in on some of her classes to learn much of what I have never been taught or have forgotten.

Thanks again, and peace be with all of you.
Click to expand...
Welcome to CAF
You’re on the right path.
may the Holy Spirit guide you and your wife.
jesus g
 
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