Struggling with Faith Need Ideas to Get Me on the Right Path Again

[DonnaNoble]

I’ve been struggling with my faith in the past few months and could use some advise on how to get it back.

This mainly started with a combination of the scandals in the Church and me taking up an interest in Church history. I won’t get into too many details but basically I started reading the bible and books about the history of Christianity (especially the early Church). What I learned reading both put me into a tail spin of wondering what was true and what wasn’t. I started doing more digging and this lead me to some atheist documentaries which did even more damage and added more questions to my faith.

I head an interesting quote (from a science fiction show of all things), “When you study evil, it studies you back.” So I stopped with the atheist documentaries (even if I want to watch more) and I stopped reading everything and stopped digging for more information. I would like to use Lent as a way to restore my faith. But I don’t know what to do.

I still go to Mass every Sunday, still pray, I am observing Lent. But in a lot of ways I feel like I am just going though the motions so to speak.

Any suggestions? I thought about prayer, but I am not sure what prayers would be best. I would need something I could pray and reflect on I think (something like the Rosary which repeats is almost auto-pilot for me, my mind wanders).

 

[giddyromilly]

As someone coming into Catholicism from a 6 year drought of agnosticism, I completely understand your plight. Atheists, by definition, are unkind to religion. It’s important to take them with that grain of salt when listening to them. When speaking with someone you know hates your spouse, would you take their criticisms as a matter of course? Or would you see their complaints for what they were - a biased account of someone they were determined to misunderstand and misrepresent?

As for the scandals and the early church, it helps me to consider that God has worked through imperfect people before. Consider the disciple Paul and St Augustine, both known for their sins and transgressions before being transformed by God’s grace.

I come from Mormonism, where infallibility of the bishops and so on had to be accepted as a matter of course, and if they weren’t then God would not have called them. It was harrowing to me when a bishop mistreated me, especially knowing that according to the LDS God had called him and would not permit a bishop to hurt me. It felt as if God wanted me to be hurt. It’s comforting to me to know that that’s not taught in Catholicism, especially when reading about the Borgias and other corrupt popes and the current sexual abuse horrors.

Don’t turn away from learning more about Catholicism out of fear of what you’ll find. Research it and its’ background to your heart’s content. Anything worth loving can stand the scrutiny.

 

[TTLE127]

Don’t let Satan allow people who have made poor decisions stray you from the truth, @DonnaNoble.

 

[Blueskies]

As someone who’s been there, keep going through the motions. It’s OK to be in a spirit of desolation; it’s part of a faith life. Maybe tell God how you feel and what you’re struggling with. Speak to your priest or a spiritual advisor, especially about the information you’ve read that disturbs you. Seek one out if you don’t have someone in the faith you can trust. But keep going, is my advice. The grace of the sacraments will help you and strengthen you no matter what. In times of crisis, you need more grace, more strength, more help than in ‘normal’ times. Have hope and be gentle with yourself. My prayer in times like you’re experiencing is simple: “Help, O Lord, my unbelief.”