Stay Catholic or change religions?

[CARV]

The rich young man didn’t agre with what Jesus taught either…just sayin’

You are not Jesus and the OP is not the rich young man.

Needless to say that the OP disagrees with many of Rome’s assertions. She didn’t seem to come here to be convinced of Rome’s positions. She asked if she she go back to the Catholic Church even though she disagreed with Rome, namely about confession. Her options are to be a cafeteria catholic, the road most traveled by catholics, or find another church. IMO, the latter is a better option.

 

[Lapey]

You are not Jesus and the OP is not the rich young man.

Needless to say that the OP disagrees with many of Rome’s assertions. She didn’t seem to come here to be convinced of Rome’s positions. She asked if she she go back to the Catholic Church even though she disagreed with Rome, namely about confession. Her options are to be a cafeteria catholic, the road most traveled by catholics, or find another church. IMO, the latter is a better option.

I am not Jesus, we can agree. It was an analogy, I guess your position would naturally have hidden that. I mean no disrespect only discussing a topic. Or is it only your opinion that matters.

My only point is to learn the faith before leaving it, but you have corrected my error.

I am done, goodnight and God bless.

 

[CMatt25]

Ok, would I be wrong to say that the Catholic faith is flowing from Christ? Would I be wrong to say that the First Baptist faith, or Methodist, or Lutheran, etc., also flows from christ? If you say yes then how can this be if Jesus established one church?

I believe what scriptue teaches, Jesus established the Church and His saving Grace flows through it. I believe I meet Him regularly when I recieve the acrements. Each time I recieve the Eucharist, or Reconciliation I come face to face with Christ, His Grace flows in these sacrements, His salvation flows in these sacrements.

It can be because The Church is His whole body of believers in their entirety. It is He Whom is far greater than any differences. Christ breaks down walls. Don’t sweat the smaller stuff. He is present everywhere. We are united in Him.

That’s good, Lapey, by all means believe as you want. God bless you on your faith journey with Him and peace.

 

[Lapey]

It can be because The Church is His whole body of believers in their entirety. That’s good, Lapey, by all means believe as you want. God bless you on your faith journey with Him and peace.

Good night and God bless CMatt.

 

[CMatt25]

Good night and God bless CMatt.

Good night Lapey and God bless you too! Peace.

 

[CMatt25]

I have never seen or heard a Priest tell someone they could not recieve when they came up and presented their self to recieve.

Perhaps not but I’d venture to say you’ve heard them say beforehand who was allowed to come forth. If I have I’d be surprised if you haven’t.

 

[CMatt25]

Be careful not to fall into that trap of, “oh thats good enough.” Because the road to heaven is narrow and the gate is small. Few take the narrow path!

Don’t forget a camel can pass thru an eye of a needle easier than the rich can get to heaven. So no rich are getting to heaven I suppose if we’re taking everything literally. And the world and the human race was created in 6, 24 hr days with the evening and morning being a day. And women should keep quiet in churches.

 

[CMatt25]

Lack of catechesis, thats what the deal is with that.

For a Catholic of the Latin Rite, mortal sins are forgiven in the sacremental confession only, sorry.

Lacking something is always the comeback with many CAF Catholics when someone doesn’t agree.

I give God a great more credit than that. I have faith He can forgive without having to do it with a priest. Christ taught forgiveness anyways so the priest shouldn’t be retaining anything in the first place.

 

[CMatt25]

Almost every Christian denomination disagrees with you.

I agree with Lutheranteach: research those denominations near you, attend a few services, meet some members, not just the ‘greeters’, and ask questions. Then decide.

And I disagree with the poster who alleged that most people don’t understand the denominations they leave. They usually understand them only too well.

 

[CMatt25]

You are not Jesus and the OP is not the rich young man.

 

[SnakeMauler]

One of the major things I don’t agree with is confession. I don’t understand why I have to confess my sins through a Priest? Why can’t I just ask God for forgivness myself through prayer? I had to do confession several times growing up and all it made me feel was uncomfortable.
Plus there are things I’ve heard that because I chose not to get married in the Catholic Church, that my marriage would not be recognized. Is that true?
Also…can my children still be baptized at ages 6 and 1?

Confession is a thing that’s actually in the bible. None Catholics make it out to be a big deal… mostly because they seem to think that putting yourself in a difficult position in which you admit your sins and weaknesses is awkward. But actually it feels great. I mean the idea of sitting to God and praying for forgiveness is kind of dumb unless its a venial sin or whatever. And anyone can get baptized at any time. I was baptized in like 3rd Grade.

 

[CMatt25]

Confession is a thing that’s actually in the bible… the idea of sitting to God and praying for forgiveness is kind of dumb unless its a venial sin or whatever.

Yeah it’s in the Bible available in several ways including confessing to one another and confessing direct. Here’s one.

Matt 6:6 But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.

7And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard.

8Be not you therefore like to them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask him.

9Thus therefore shall you pray:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive our trespasses

That’s dumb??

 

[guanophore]

Hello…this is my first time posting something on this forum so hopefully I’m at the right place.

You are definitely in the right place.

Welcome to CAF.

I’m actually looking for some guidance on what path to take as far as religions.

You owe it to yourself to find out what the church teaches on these matters, and why. If you choose to abandon your birthright, at least do so in an informed manner.

Once I left for college, I haven’t been to Church since. I’m now going to be 29 years old and I’ve wanted to return to Church for a few years now but I really don’t know if being Catholic is right for me.

This is a very common experience for a lot of us. Even if you had “been to Church since”, that would still not be sufficient to make a decision. It is necessary to research your areas of conflict.

I feel like I need to go back to the Catholic Church because that is where my family is at, but there are just a lot of things with the Catholic church that I don't agree with.

Right now, all you can say is that you don’t agree with what little you were taught as a child. You have not really approached your faith since you became an adult. Your faith must mature with you. You cannot be satisfied with a childhood faith.

Can I still go back to being Catholic without all the bells and whistles that go along with it

No.

or should I choose another Religion?

No (naturally, I am biased on these points)

I thought of trying either an Episcopal or Luthern church because I think they might be the closest to being Catholic but without all these rules.

If you don’t want to live by the rules that God has established for His creatures, why pursue any religion at all? Religion is guidance to follow the way of our Creator. If you don’t want to follow, what need is there of any guidance?

I had my first child out of wedlock, never got married in the Catholic church and I feel like I won’t be accepted back because I broke the rules.

All of us have “broken the rules” at one time or another. All have sinned and fallen short. God is always ready and willing to receive us into His fellowship. However, this would require that you confess your sins, and repent of them.

 Neither one of my 2 kids were baptized and I still want them to be baptized but I need to find my way back to the Church.

This are great goals!

Does anyone have any words of wisdom or maybe let me know what direction I should take as far as staying with the Catholic Church or finding a different religion? This has been bugging me for a long time and now it’s time for me to step up and start going to church again.
Thanks for listening.

It sounds like you are the one who is “listening”. It seems that God has been trying to draw you back to Himself for “a long time” and you are finally doing something about it!

May I suggest that you read Holy Scripture? Maybe start with the Gospel of John? Pray and ask God for direction. I will pray for you too.

 

[guanophore]

One of the major things I don’t agree with is confession. I don’t understand why I have to confess my sins through a Priest? Why can’t I just ask God for forgivness myself through prayer? I had to do confession several times growing up and all it made me feel was uncomfortable.

I would caution you against deciding you “dont’ agree with” things you have not studied and explored. Basing an eternal decision on a childhood experience is insufficient.

Of course confession can be very uncomfortable. But, have you ever imagined standing before Jesus, looking Him in the eye, and telling Him all your sins? The priest is there in the person of Christ. It is good practice.

Confession is the manner in which Jesus gives us the assurance of His forgiveness for our sins, and to heal us of the damage caused by them. It is a means by which we receive his grace. Why would you NOT want to receive His grace.

Of course you can, and should ask God for forgiveness yourself through prayer. You will have confirmation of this forgiveness in the sacrament, and you will be reconciled to the Church as well as to God.

Plus there are things I’ve heard that because I chose not to get married in the Catholic Church, that my marriage would not be recognized. Is that true?

This could be true. You will need to talk to the priest about how to correct this. The Church considers marriage a sacrament, another means through which we receive God’s grace.

Also…can my children still be baptized at ages 6 and 1?

It is unlikely that you can have your children baptized until you return to good standing yourself. Like others on this thread, I highly encourage you to get them baptized. In the course of achieving this goal, you should look up online some guides for making a good confession (there are a lot of them just google), make an appointment with your parish priest, tell him you have been away from the Church for a long time, and ask for help to make a good confession. You can also talk about having your marriage blessed, and make preparation for baptizing the kids. You will need a Godparent - someone who is also in good standing.

These are steps all of us had to go thru after we lapsed in our faith. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon. It may feel uncomfortable, but you will feel a lot more uncomfortable (eternally) if you don’t get it done!

 

[guanophore]

Thank you for all the imput on Confession…that definately puts my views in a different perspective. Do all religions practice confession? Those who don’t, they obviouly go to Church, believe in God, and whatnot…so does that mean they are ALL going to purgatory just because they didn’t confess their sins to a Priest/Pastor/etc.? It just doesn’t make sense.

People are judged in the light of what they know. Catholics are judged with greater strictness because we have access to the fullness of the faith, which is not found among our separated brethren. All other denominations are defined by which parts of the Apostolic faith they reject.

Since you have the fortune of being baptized Catholic, to those whom much is given, much is required. That means you have an obligation to study and learn the faith, and to obey all that has been revealed to you. We cannot judge those to whom the revelation has not come. That is up to God.

I just figured if you believe in God, live a happy life (without any major Sin), then you will go to Heaven.

This is a true statement. The problem is, how is “major sin” defined? Jesus left the Church to guide us into understanding what it is, and how to avoid it. If you reject this guidance, how can you be sure you have defined the boundaries correctly? What if you don’t? Are you willing to gamble your eternal soul, and those of your children, on your own opinion?

Some of this talk just makes me feel like you have to follow the Catholic church guidelines to get into Heaven. Well not everyone is Catholic and not everyone worships the same beliefs, but yet they are all worshiping the same God.

Jesus gave us revelation on how to get to heaven. The Catholic Church has preserved this revelation infallibly. Therefore, we can have confidence, if we receive the deposit of faith that has been given to the Church, that we are on the straight and narrow path.

So who is right in ways to go about doing things? What about those who don’t go to Church but live a happy life? Do they go to Hell because they didn’t go to Church or confession or wearn’t baptized?

Good questions, but at this point, the main person you need to attend to is yourself. Are you right in your ways of doing things (I don’t expect you to answer to me for that). What about you, if you don’t go to Church, and there are things in your life about which you feel guilty? Will your children go to hell if they are not baptized? Once you can address some of these concerns that affect you personally, then you will be in a better position to understand the state of others. The Catholic Church has teachings on all these areas. If you are ready, you can start reading the catechism.

I guess no one knows the answer to this, but these are the things I think about. That’s why I questioned whether or not about staying Catholic or changing because I feel like there are too many rules to follow and doing everything thing the Catholic way is your only ticket into Heaven.

Definitely we all want a ticket to heaven. It is not about “rules”, though, it is about a relationship with the Living God. He created us, and He knows what is best for His creatures. We have freedom, but our freedom has boundaries. Think about it. I am sure you have rules for your kiddos. If you tell them not to play or run into the street, is that “too many rules to follow”? Don’t you want what is best for them? don’t you know, better than they , what could happen to them if they run into traffic?

 

[guanophore]

Well dude, I am Roman Catholic, have been since the day I was born. Most of these rules you are stating are just established by the Catholic Church, nothing more…maybe I am a bit too liberal but, being if being Catholic was the only true religion then explain Luke 23:43. The thief being crucified was accepted into Heaven, was he Catholic? I believe not, I don’t even believe him to be baptized. Some people put more faith in their “religion” than they do Christ. My fiancee is Assembly of God and I am Catholic. We accept Christ as our savior and yes, we are getting married in a Catholic church, but I am not going to force her to become Catholic. We will get our children baptized though, if we ever have any in the future.

Welcome to CAF laneo.

Everyone who is saved is saved through Christ, whether they were saved prior to the crucifixion, during it, or after.

The Catholic Church had not yet been born when Jesus promised paradise to the thief. Yet, to the Church he has given the fullness of HImself, and has left her on earth to guide us to Himself.

For you and jlengle I recommend you enroll in RCIA in the Fall when it starts. Take your fiancee also.

 

[guanophore]

Hi jlengle,

I was in the same situation from the age of 16 to 24 (now).
I also couldn’t accept certain teachings (“rules” as you call them) of the CC. [One of them by the way also was confession to the priest. I can assure you know that God will forgive you if you have accepted Him as your Savior. Sin will be erased from you but this doesn’t mean that you can’t sin anymore. You can and you always will, but if you come to your Savior repenting, he will forgive you in His mercy because He loves you and always will because you are His child.]

Just so you know, jlengle, this is NOT a Catholic Answer. Esdra has no authority whatsoever to give you assurance of salvation or forgiveness.

I can nearly to 100% aggree to the teachings of this Baptist Church and this is great.

And please bear in mind, jlengle, that the Baptist denomination is defined by which parts of the Catholic faith they reject. it is an ecclesial community founded by men in the last few hundred years that bears very little resemblance to the Church founded by Christ 2000 years ago.

Also have a look for Christian TV. There are really good programs on there.

I strongly discourage this, unless it is EWTN. I say this because there are many false doctrines and heresies over the airwaves on Christian TV and Radio. If you are looking for the Truth, it will only add extra confusion.

If you study the teachings of Catholicism, and you decide to reject what the Apostles believed and taught, and you feel your ears itching, trust me, those programs will still be there!

Have for example a look on this website: Knowing God. You will find there a prayer that can help you.

More guidance that is not Catholic. FYI

And what’s most important listen to your heart. If you really faithfully pray to God or/and Jesus He will tell you where He wants you to have.

I think this is one of the foundation stones of the division that exists in Christendom today. Instead of listening to those Jesus placed in authority, each one goes his own way, and follows what he thinks is best for himself.

So I would also advise you to have a look into the Methodist Church (they are also “more Catholic”).
PNCC (Polish National Church - they are a “heresy” in the eyes of the RCC!), or (depending where you live) the Old Catholic Church/Utrecht (They are also a “heresy”) or the Anglican Church. - They are all “more Catholic”.

Esdra, has it occurred to you that this person came to Catholic Answers so she could find Catholic answers?

It seems to me awfully cheeky of you to come to a Catholic site, and attempt to lead sincere persons away from the Catholic Church like this.

But don’t exclude Baptists, Anabaptists, Mennonites and Pentecostals (be aware of the “oneness pentecostals” - they are similar to JW! And of “Pentecostals”/Charismatic Movementes with the prosperity gospel - I nearly came into such a “sect”!

It is regrettable that you have had to pass so close to the flames, and I am relieved that you are now here at CAF so that you, too, can get some catholic answers. However, you need to realize that it is against the forum rules to try to draw people in the direction you are doing. CAF is not provided for you as a venue to lure the inquiring persons further away from the Truth.

Do like I did, besides studying the Holy Bible, having a look at the websites of the various Churches. They all write what they believe in and then you can judge for yourself.

This is also a good illustration of why there are so many divisions in Christendom. When each man rejects the revelation of God, and does what he thinks is right in his own eyes, unity no longer exists.

 

[mskejj]

Almost every Christian denomination disagrees with you.

Yes, but before 1930 all Christian denominations held that contraception was immoral. As society changed, so did they…but the Catholic Church held to the teaching claiming that it would lead to a culture which doesn’t respect life…example…abortion, euthanasia, sexual promiscuity…all of which has happened…and gets worse everyday.

 

[guanophore]

This is the non-Catholic thread , not the Apologetics thread , so any member of CAF can post a response to your question.

I will address this to the OP.

Any member can do this in Apologetics as well. No one is constrained here about where they can post. In fact, we welcome anti-catholic positions such as yours over in Apologetics.

Becoming an observant Catholic could seriously endanger your marriage.  You would have to stop practicing contraception, which would leave you open to unplanned pregnancies. How many children do you  *and your husband* want to have?

Wow. Do you really believe that accepting any children God sends is “endangering the marriage”? Do you really think that it is appropriate for a couple to thwart the purpose of God for the marital embrace? Do you not believe that children are the fruit of the parents
love for one another?

I must admit, I am constantly amazed at how the culture of death in which we live has warped the minds of even Christians.

The only reason to do this is if you believe that the Catholic church is the only “true religion” and you can’t be a Christian or express a belief in God with any other group.

of course one can be a Christian and express belief in God while rejecting parts of the Apostolic Teaching. If this were not true, there would be no Protestantism at all! Many well meaning and faithful Christians unwittingly reject elements of the revelation of God.

It doesn't sound to me as if you buy into any of this, mortal sin, purgatory, hell.

This is probably good, since it is not for “sale”.

Are you saying that you don’t believe there is such a thing as mortal sin?

The Catholic Church emphasizes sin a lot, defines many things as sins, therefore condemns people as sinners, and doesn’t provide much in the way of role models, if the current priest sex abuse scandal is any indication.

This is one of the most bigoted statements I have read on CAF in quite a while.

Can you show me where the Catholic Church “condemns people as sinners”? I would really like a source on this one, or is this coming from your own personal experience?

It is amazing that you would set aside millions of faithful and chaste Catholics because a few gross sinners got into the news media. It demonstrates a massive prejudice against the Catholic Church, to judge the purity of so many lives by those that departed from it.
It also sounds like you do not know any good Catholic role models, which is regrettable.

In addition, the Episcopal Church practices Reconciliation, usually in the form of a private face-to-face with a priest–there are a lot of women Episcopal priests now, which might make this easier–which ends with a formal release from sin, if this is what you want. Any church can provide this, with the face-to-face probably ending in a prayer.

Actually, this is not the case. There is no authority in these ecclesial communities to do any such thing. It is a form of godliness, without the power thereof.

I think that if you were to go back to the Catholic church, you would end up being dissatisfied, would leave it again and might feel even worse.

God forbid you should “feel worse”.

Before you decide what to do, I think that you should consider all options.

At least we agree about something!

 

[mskejj]

From what I have heard venial and mortal sins are only established in the Catholic church.

If you read 1 John 5:16-17 you will find that he distinguished between sins that are deadly and sins that are not deadly…the Catholic Church puts the name venial to the sins that are not deadly and mortal to the sins that are deadly.