Struggling with Eastern religions

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I am still unclear, do you have a link to what you mean or can you explain it better.

Catholics are ok to believe in the apparitions of Mary at Fatima and Lourdes, amongst others.
 
In the end… Catholicism is Rich in metaphors and symbols and myths and archetypes… but Hinduism and Buddhism make more sense to me and are more logical and more reasonable…and Occam’s razor… Christianity falls short…but I still feel a connection to Jesus through Divine Mercy and adoration and to Mary through the rosary…but Jesus is just a Guru…a teacher… that’s it…
 
Susansdec said:
but Jesus is just a Guru…a teacher… that’s it…
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Jesus is God. You are Catholic, and on a Catholic Forum in a Catholic section.

Here is an idea, pray to Mary to become closer to her Son and gifted the gift of faith.

Do you know the definition of Occams razor?
 
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Yes, so why do you believe buddhism or hinduism is simpler then Christianity.

It doesn’t sound very simple to me, to undergo at least 6 years of buddhism training to reach nirvana.
Likewise it is not simple to be martyred because you have faith in Jesus as God. WE have so many martyrs in the Catholic Church from the year dot.

I would also advise to stop listening to or reading controversial sites like those you have mentioned in regard to Fatima. Jump on the official sites.
 
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Also some well known Catholic authors like Fr. Richard Rohr are universalists…so it’s all so very confusing…
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Michael16 said:
We can see in everyday life that the objective world of flesh and matter is real. With the Buddhists, and if I wasn’t Catholic, I’d probably be Buddhist; I always ask: If there’s No Self; then what’s reincarnating life after life? They have no satisfactory answer to that question.
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I’d probably be Buddhist too, but with the deeply spiritual practices found within Catholicism (like the ones I specifically mentioned above) and the very robust metaphysical, explanatory value of Thomism, I imagine that I’ll never feel a need to leave the church for anything else. I think you made the point earlier where you asked (basically) what goods do any other religions have that Catholicism doesn’t also have? That’s how I see it too. Whatever truth, goodness and beauty are found elsewhere are also contained within Catholicism, and much more besides. However, that could possibly just be my prejudicial self speaking, and I need to be sensitive to that. Although I’ve studied the major religions (just like I’ve studied philosophical systems that rival Thomism), still, can I truthfully assert that I’m an expert on, say, Islam or Buddhism? No, not an expert. But I don’t feel threatened by my lack of expertise. Surely, God loves all of humanity such that he wouldn’t make the path back to him so immeasurably difficult as to force us to become experts in all religions before we can find the “right” one and thereby attain salvation.

But I interpret the Buddhist concept of “no self” in two ways. First, it’s a spiritual move, assisting us in getting out of our own ways and helping us to let go of ego—which is a proper insight and quite compatible with the Christian impulse of dying to oneself. The second significance I see is basically the Thomistic insight that there subsists within created being a fundamental contingency, which entails that all created being is, moment to moment, caused to exist by Necessary Being. As in, although existence is proper to God, it is not proper to anything else. All the beings within the universe only are (exist) by what might be called an “improper share” in the divine existence. This is basically Thomistic metaphysics, and I think it’s quite correct and is a way of seeing something insightful and true in a conception of No Self.

Still and all, many Catholics that I deeply admire from the 20th century felt a deep connection with Eastern spirituality and were completely unthreatened and unafraid of it. I think that’s the proper attitude. Find whatever truth, goodness and beauty in the world that you can, then assimilate it into your own (Catholic) worldview and spirituality.
Michael16 said:
I need Heart in my spirituality. Once I discovered the contemplative Catholic spiritualities like the Ignatian
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Yes, Ignatian spirituality is great. The constant refrain of asking “Where is God in this?” is a fantastically, deeply spiritual move that undoubtedly pays many dividends to its practitioners. We are fortunate indeed to be part of a religion with many deep, spiritual paths within it (and robust intellectualism to boot!) :v:t3:
 
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Remember that I am a convert to Catholicism and I’ve had a lot of anti-catholic programming/brainwashing since I was young…not to mention exampes of “bad Catholics” that I have met and heard about over the years… but I do like G K. Chesterton though and even C.S. Lewis. But Freemasonry is really strong here where I live…East county area of San Diego…
 
Maybe I’m deeply jaded…but I came from a very dysfunctional family background…
 
You hang in there Susan! I too am a convert, and it hasn’t been easy. I have zero Catholic family, none whatsoever. When I decided to enter the church several years ago, at the time I had hoped to convince maybe parents or siblings to follow me in, and they didn’t. Didn’t really even consider it seriously. Some friends have become Catholic, and thankfully my two deepest friends in the whole world became Catholic around the time that I did, but it’s hard without that familial support! I know this first hand.

Oh, and east county SD? Cool! If you can believe it, from 2007-2011, I lived in Alpine, Boulevard and Mira Mesa. Love SD…except the housing prices! If I had had any family out there, I would have tried to stay. But all my family is here in the South.

And glad to hear about Chesterton and Lewis, they are fantastic! I read Orthodoxy for the first time a couple of years ago and was blown away—so clever and full of wisdom! I could almost mark up every page of that book. What a treasure it is to the church.
 
Susansdec said:
Remember that I am a convert to Catholicism and I’ve had a lot of anti-catholic programming/brainwashing since I was young…not to mention exampes of “bad Catholics” that I have met and heard about over the years… but I do like G K. Chesterton though and even C.S. Lewis. But Freemasonry is really strong here where I live…East county area of San Diego…
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Why did you convert, what led you to conversion to catholicism and why are you allowing all the negatives like anti catholic or divisive catholic web sites, what you term ‘bad Catholics’ all influence you.

You still have not answered why buddhism or hinduism is simpler then catholicism.
Susansdec said:
Maybe I’m deeply jaded…but I came from a very dysfunctional family background…
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So have many saints. And Martyrs. And normal everyday practicing Catholics.

To be Catholic is to be branded a cult, crazy, brainwashed, and every falsehood and calumny that non Catholics who have an agenda, can think of.

We don’t have many friends, and are a minority, the anti establishment who rebels against the secular world.
 
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I heard a voice in my heart that told me to go to the Catholic Church…but now that voice is leading me to Hinduism and Buddhism…
 
Yes… except marriage…I’ve never been married at all…I’m in my early 40s…
 
Yes…but there is some magical power behind it…maybe Luciferian…I’m not sure…
 
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