Thinking of becoming Catholic but conflicted

[JasmineTea]

I don’t know if you’ll be back to this thread but I am going to leave you with this to think about:

"At the church where I am pastor, someone sent an email asking to be removed from the church membership. The stated reason for leaving read as follows:

 "I don't like Kyle's sermons.

That’s all it said…When he answered I simply said, ‘…I understand you’re leaving the church because you don’t like my sermons.’…Somewhere in the middle of his lengthy explanation he said something…I pulled over to the side of the road, grabbed a pen, and wrote down what he said:

Well…whenever I listen to one of the messages I feel like you are trying to interfere with my life.

Yeah, umm, that’s kind of my job description. But do you here what he was saying–I believe in Jesus, I’m a big fan, but don’t ask me to follow. I don’t mind coming to church on the weekends. I’ll pray before meals. I’ll even slap a Jesus fish on my bumper. But I don’t want Jesus to interfere with my life. when Jesus defines the relationship he wants with us he makes it clear that being a fan who believes with making a real commitment to follow isn’t an option."

When I read your objections regarding various Catholic teachings – I can’t help but feel that this is what you are saying–“I feel like you’re attempting to interfere with my life”–you don’t think that is what Christ came to do–to show you how we are supposed to live?

I truly hope you study and seek the truth.

The peace of Christ,
Mark

I am fine with making changes to the way I behave in order to closer meet Jesus’ wish for our relationship. I am fine with making sacrifices and digging deep to challenge my will vs. God’s will.

But I am just not convinced that the subset of things that The Church says are important to do are truly important to Jesus. That is why they are so hard to follow. It’s not like Jesus explicitly states in the Bible “Thou shalt never use any form of contraception for any reason whatsoever.”

Why do you think it’s pretty easy for most of us not to walk around murdering each other? Because that is EXPLICITLY OUTLINED in the Bible as a huge “NO.” We can’t argue. No one is taking some quotes that can sorta kinda be interpreted one way and using them as justification that we shouldn’t murder. It is made very, very clear by Jesus. Even people who do choose to murder know it’s a bad thing.

Things like the eucharist, confession, contraception, etc. are not specifically outlined, but are rules The Church has made up. Now, you and people like you might be fine adjusting the trajectories of your lives based on rules The Church has invented. It’s not that easy for me.

 

[chero23]

These are some problems I see with the catholic church:

• Supports liberal causes
• Not friendly at mass, so nobody knows one another
• Members are ignorant of the church doctrines but afraid of leaving or criticizing
• Clergy is most important (father, mother…) and parishioners are the flock, sheep etc…
  So good luck but I left and thought about returning, but won’t be.

I don’t think the Church so much accepts liberal causes, we don’t accept homosexuality or abortion or divorce. That would be considered liberal. Now with economic status, the Church is suppose to help the poor b/c Jesus said help those in need, you can not say the Church has liberal stance b/c of it.

People can say hi after Church, and slowly make a bond, it takes time, it might be bc Church is a place of worship and silence, not a place to gossip.

On the part that people are ignorant, protestants are also ignorant especially when you get profound in your arguments. I think in a way you can not say, well my neighbor is Catholic, but he never goes to Church, he’s always getting drunk and sleeping with all these women, now I’m going to change churches. You don’t change bc of somebody and some people do that.

 

[chero23]

I am fine with making changes to the way I behave in order to closer meet Jesus’ wish for our relationship. I am fine with making sacrifices and digging deep to challenge my will vs. God’s will.

But I am just not convinced that the subset of things that The Church says are important to do are truly important to Jesus. That is why they are so hard to follow. It’s not like Jesus explicitly states in the Bible “Thou shalt never use any form of contraception for any reason whatsoever.”

Why do you think it’s pretty easy for most of us not to walk around murdering each other? Because that is EXPLICITLY OUTLINED in the Bible as a huge “NO.” We can’t argue. No one is taking some quotes that can sorta kinda be interpreted one way and using them as justification that we shouldn’t murder. It is made very, very clear by Jesus. Even people who do choose to murder know it’s a bad thing.

Things like the eucharist, confession, contraception, etc. are not specifically outlined, but are rules The Church has made up. Now, you and people like you might be fine adjusting the trajectories of your lives based on rules The Church has invented. It’s not that easy for me.

I would like for you to click on the bottom of my post. I have posted online different Catholic teachings. I went through different Catholic websites, books, and apologetic videos that I built this book. Check on there and there you will see Bible verses, not just 1 or 2, but in some cases up to 20 of them and verses that when you read them and add them together your going to say, ah now I see why confessing our sins to a priest is important, now I see why the Eucharist is important, now I see why contraception is wrong… Check it out. God Bless

 

[sw85]

Hi everyone,

I am a 26-year-old who was raised nominally Catholic. I did make my sacraments but it was pretty half-hearted and my parents rarely took me to church. They don’t go at all anymore.

In college I looked into various religions and sects of Christianity. I attended a nondenominational church for a couple of years, and there I really grew in my relationship with Christ. I found really outstanding fellowship, passionate worship and that was a really healthy, positive time in my life.

Since college I moved away and lost that group of fellow worshipers and have been thinking, now that I am engaged to another “raised a little bit Catholic nothing” that maybe we need to evaluate where we stand on religion and how we want to raise our family. We have very similar values and goals and both agree that Christianity is what we want to follow - it’s just about finding a church.

Both of us are very skeptical about the Catholic church. I do not want to offend people so if you will be offended by my feelings about the Church then stop reading! Okay if you are still with me here are my concerns…
-I don’t agree that you HAVE to confess to a priest. That seems silly and why would God, who is the be all end all, make it that way? I know there are some loose references in the Bible that support the Catholic concept of confession, but I am not convinced that it is mandatory. I think there is value in confessing a sin to another person for means of accountability, but I don’t think confessing to a priest is the only way God can forgive. Seems ridiculous.

-I don’t agree that missing church services is a sin. I think it’s a good idea to be part of a faith community and to participate, but I don’t think that deciding to spend a day hiking in awe of God’s creation is going to send you to Hell. I am turned off by the Catholic church’s insistence that you don’t have a choice over whether or not you attend Mass on a given Sunday. I think that “obligation” should not be part of our relationship with God. That’s not how loved ones treat each other.

• I don’t agree that contraception is wrong. Sorry, I just don’t. I’ve read humane vitae and “The good news about sex and marriage” and it really rings false to me. Very straw-graspy and smells STRONGLY of an “agenda.” I think if a married couple decides that two kids is good for them, then so be it. I agree that abortions are always wrong, but I don’t see how contraception between mature spouses is anything but a tool.

-I don’t believe in indulgences. I mean, come on. Getting to Heaven is not a game of Monopoly where you can earn “get out of jail free” cards. I am not sure there is any strong biblical proof that God grants “indulgences” anyway. They seem VERY superstitious and very much beneath what God is.

-I don’t think there is any proof that the host is changed to the actual body of Christ. I’m not saying I am totally against the idea, I’m just not sure that is for real. Seems very magical and superstitious to me. I am not sure how a grown adult is able to convince him or herself that this is a real thing.

-I am not sure one religion is the only one that is “true” and that everyone else is “wrong.”

Anyway, that’s what I am considering at this point and since my parents are not active I don’t really have anyone else to help me think this through. I want to do the right thing but a lot rings false to me and I really liked how in the nondenominational church it was JUST about getting closer to Christ and having a relationship with Him with all the other baloney stripped away. But, if someone can point out some other ideas I would thoughtfully consider them.

Thank you

Your defensive tone here suggests you aren’t open to argument, so I won’t attempt to make any. Let me rather simply submit that you should give this much more study, prayer, and contemplation before deciding anything definitively. It doesn’t sound like you are open to what Catholicism actually entails – and it does entail things – so I’m not sure that (re)joining the Church right now would be of substantial benefit to you. Maybe in a few years.

 

[MarkInOregon]

I am fine with making changes to the way I behave in order to closer meet Jesus’ wish for our relationship. I am fine with making sacrifices and digging deep to challenge my will vs. God’s will.

But I am just not convinced that the subset of things that The Church says are important to do are truly important to Jesus. That is why they are so hard to follow. It’s not like Jesus explicitly states in the Bible “Thou shalt never use any form of contraception for any reason whatsoever.”

Why do you think it’s pretty easy for most of us not to walk around murdering each other? Because that is EXPLICITLY OUTLINED in the Bible as a huge “NO.” We can’t argue. No one is taking some quotes that can sorta kinda be interpreted one way and using them as justification that we shouldn’t murder. It is made very, very clear by Jesus. Even people who do choose to murder know it’s a bad thing.

Things like the eucharist, confession, contraception, etc. are not specifically outlined, but are rules The Church has made up. Now, you and people like you might be fine adjusting the trajectories of your lives based on rules The Church has invented. It’s not that easy for me.

We have not altered our lives on what we see as a bunch of made up rules but as what we have come to understand as Gods revealed truth. It is a journey that has required and continues to require much prayer and study and it is not always easy.

The Eucharist is not some “rule” the Church made up. It seems pretty clear from the Bible and the early non canonical writings that the Eucharist is not simply a piece of bread but that something happens to it. Justin Martyr tells how the Eucharist from the Mass was preserved and taken to those Christians who could not attend the gathering. There were special vessels used to reserve the Eucharist and take it to those not in attendance. To me this is evidence from the very earliest days of the Church that something happens to the bread–that it is somehow changed. It seems a stretch to claim the Church invented this.

I found history and the reasoning behinds the Churches teaching to be more sound than the objections I had when I actually took the time to dig deeply into the issues. That doesn’t make it easy. In the early days of our marriage we used contraception–didn’t really think about it. But as we studied our faith and learned more – we came to believe the Church teaching was correct and so we started to attempt to live that teaching. It wasn’t easy to change, but we now have three additional children that we wouldn’t have had and whom I couldn’t imagine life without.

I think it is easy for most of us to walk around not murdering people because we deep down know it is wrong but we have also grown up in a society that says it is wrong, There is also a weakness and a fear factor for most of us. I don’t think it’s the explicit prohibition in the Bible that makes it easy not to murder–after all the Bible clearly has a prohibition against stealing but it seems that doesn’t stop a good number of people–and lets not forget adultery.

Look I’m not here to convince you of anything–that is not in my power–I think in each of my posts I’ve urged you to continue to study on the issues and to pray (if I left that out I apologize)–I still continue to study today. You say you are willing to dig deep–but I don’t know if I am seeing evidence of that. Your position seems to be Jesus didn’t say it explicitly–case closed. That to my way of thinking is not being open to Gods will and maybe that’s not what you are saying–but I’m not seeing an openness to continued study asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom. Perhaps that study would confirm what you currently believe but perhaps you would come to a new understanding or insight.

I hope you are open to continual study and prayer and now I will exit the conversation as there is nothing else I can add. I wish you and your fiance well.

The peace of Christ,
Mark

 

[AggieCatholic86]

Things like the eucharist, confession, contraception, etc. are not specifically outlined, but are rules The Church has made up. Now, you and people like you might be fine adjusting the trajectories of your lives based on rules The Church has invented

1. Either the Catholic Church is the church founded by Jesus or it’s not. If the answer is yes, and he sent the Holy Spirit to guide us and he’ll be with us until the end of the age and you believe that, then you either believe that he’s also liar and stupid or the Holy Spirit failed and we are now all apostates. Then you also have to determine when the Holy Spirit failed, in which century.
2. You’re not the end all be all of authority on the Bible and Christianity, you probably don’t read Greek or Latin or speak Aramaic, becoming Catholic you have to take some things on faith. I took it on faith that the speed of light was 3x10^8 m/s and we’re actually just discovering that it’s slower than that, either way I wouldn’t know for sure because I’m not smart or knowledgeable enough to calculate how to get the real answer, so I just take it on faith that the guys who did calculate it are correct. You either want to get to the Truth of Christ or you don’t, first you have to decrease so that he may increase, namely try to kill your pride.
3. You want the truth and history of Christianity, look at the early Church fathers writings, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Ignatius of Antioch.
4. Jesus didn’t write anything down, except on sand, and he never said anything about a book. Why don’t you look up the history of the Bible. It wasn’t put together until 300 years until AFTER Christ died. So obviously the early Christians didn’t know what they were doing for 300 years. You ever hear of the Gospel of Peter, or Thomas, or Judas? Why weren’t those included in the Bible? Who decided those were forgeries? The Trinity? Where in the whole Bible does it say that God is three persons? Guess that was made up too.

God be with you.

One question, you seem to reject dang near everything about Catholicism, why exactly are you trying to “revert?”

 

[johnnyc176]

And this, I believe, is a major stumbling block for non-believers who are considering Catholicism. You can only respond to the difficult questions with “Catholic” answers, which are often unsatisfying and may even seem silly to the currently non-believing inquirer. For example, it the first post of this thread, the OP said:

I don’t think there is any proof that the host is changed to the actual body of Christ. I’m not saying I am totally against the idea, I’m just not sure that is for real. Seems very magical and superstitious to me. I am not sure how a grown adult is able to convince him or herself that this is a real thing.

The Church knows that it is true because Jesus said it is true. So the Real Presence really comes down to… Jesus said it so we believe it.

 

[Richard_White]

Things like the eucharist…are not specifically outlined, but are rules The Church has made up. .

How dare you say something like this when Jesus Himself specifically says, “For My flesh is true food and My Blood is true drink” and “Take and eat; this IS My Body…Take and drink, this IS My Blood.”

No one can deny this Truth. Saint Paul then refers to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist again in one of his letters. It was such a fundamental Truth that in the Nicene Creed, they didn’t even include it, because everyone accepted it and NO ONE disputed it then. It was not until the heresies of the Protestants that false doubts unfortunately began to surface.

I hope and pray that you find God’s Truth in the Catholic Church as soon as possible.

 

[JasmineTea]

How dare you say something like this when Jesus Himself specifically says, “For My flesh is true food and My Blood is true drink” and “Take and eat; this IS My Body…Take and drink, this IS My Blood.”

No one can deny this Truth. Saint Paul then refers to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist again in one of his letters. It was such a fundamental Truth that in the Nicene Creed, they didn’t even include it, because everyone accepted it and NO ONE disputed it then. It was not until the heresies of the Protestants that false doubts unfortunately began to surface.

I hope and pray that you find God’s Truth in the Catholic Church as soon as possible.

Most Christians deny this “truth” - even well-educated, well-read ones. Catholics always seem to forget that there are some really brilliant, amazingly-educated passionate Christians out there who don’t just disagree for disagreement’s sake.

I’m not saying all this to be rebellious or rude. I’m literally just sharing what’s going on in my head. If I can’t be honest about where I’m coming from, I don’t know how I can work this through.

 

[MarkInOregon]

Most Christians deny this “truth” - even well-educated, well-read ones. Catholics always seem to forget that there are some really brilliant, amazingly-educated passionate Christians out there who don’t just disagree for disagreement’s sake.

I’m not saying all this to be rebellious or rude. I’m literally just sharing what’s going on in my head. If I can’t be honest about where I’m coming from, I don’t know how I can work this through.

How do you define most Christians? There are 1.2 billion Catholics and 225-300 million Eastern Orthodox – those churches hold to the doctrine. There are 85 million Anglican–some of whom hold to the doctrine. Of the 800 million Protestants–some of them hold to various forms of the doctrine. It is not an uneducated minority of Christians that hold to this belief. A majority of Christians based on numbers by denomination–hold this truth. When you ask individual Christians about this–the answer you get will often depend on how you phrase the question–but as a matter of doctrine it is the clear teaching of the majority.

The peace of Christ,
Mark

 

[John_Matrix]

1. Either the Catholic Church is the church founded by Jesus or it’s not. If the answer is yes, and he sent the Holy Spirit to guide us and he’ll be with us until the end of the age and you believe that, then you either believe that he’s also liar and stupid or the Holy Spirit failed and we are now all apostates. Then you also have to determine when the Holy Spirit failed, in which century.
2. You’re not the end all be all of authority on the Bible and Christianity, you probably don’t read Greek or Latin or speak Aramaic, becoming Catholic you have to take some things on faith. I took it on faith that the speed of light was 3x10^8 m/s and we’re actually just discovering that it’s slower than that, either way I wouldn’t know for sure because I’m not smart or knowledgeable enough to calculate how to get the real answer, so I just take it on faith that the guys who did calculate it are correct. You either want to get to the Truth of Christ or you don’t, first you have to decrease so that he may increase, namely try to kill your pride.
3. You want the truth and history of Christianity, look at the early Church fathers writings, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Ignatius of Antioch.
4. Jesus didn’t write anything down, except on sand, and he never said anything about a book. Why don’t you look up the history of the Bible. It wasn’t put together until 300 years until AFTER Christ died. So obviously the early Christians didn’t know what they were doing for 300 years. You ever hear of the Gospel of Peter, or Thomas, or Judas? Why weren’t those included in the Bible? Who decided those were forgeries? The Trinity? Where in the whole Bible does it say that God is three persons? Guess that was made up too.

God be with you.

One question, you seem to reject dang near everything about Catholicism, why exactly are you trying to “revert?”

I am amazed at how most things in life we accept we dont fully grasp, but when it comes to our religion, we need some sort of proof that we can comprehend. Faith and trust in Jesus, who we can literally trace our very roots too, even for Bible only believers, is never enough for some reason. Why everything but religion gets a pass is odd and sad.

I suspect it is because the speed of light rarely impacts our lives. Many accept it because they couldn’t care less. But to accept certain things on faith that involves religious beliefs and practicies means we have to adjust our lives accordingly, which many are unwilling to do.

In the end, the Church has taught the same essential truths for 2000 years. She has not waivered. The only thing that has changed over time is society. The Church is no more invasive on teachings of sexuality than it was 1800 years ago. However, society has altered their views and made the church’s teachings seem distinct.

I can’t understand anyone who pursues the truth looking anywhere but the Catholic church. If a person seeks the truth (which most who seek religion do), why would you look in places where that truth changes over time? That makes no sense. There is only one place that truth is consistent for all times.

Much of this comes down to feelings. If the Church doesn’t make me “feel” a certain way, we leave. We hear of the need for greater fellowship and evangelization, which is all well and good, but even with our best efforts, feelings will always come and go. To allow these feelings to constantly dictate our actions is madness, at least to me.

If I treated my spouse, coworkers, and family members a certain way based on what i was feeling, I’d be divorced, unemployed, and probably not in anyone’s will. Yet, when it comes to Christ, too often we base our actions on what we feel in the moment. That is one of the greatest failings on non-Catholic churches. The search for truth is secondary to whether or not I like Pastor’s jim’s sermons, and if I don’t, I’ll find another religion that makes me feel good. At least until that feelings ebbs… That is no way to pursue the Truth of Christ.

 

[BettyBoop416]

Can you answer this in a reasonable way that does not begin with the assumption that it’s true simply because the Church teaches that it’s true?

The Church knows that it is true because Jesus said it is true. So the Real Presence really comes down to… Jesus said it so we believe it.

So then, I guess the answer is no.

 

[BettyBoop416]

The Church knows that it is true because Jesus said it is true. So the Real Presence really comes down to… Jesus said it so we believe it.

OK, so that might be good enough for you. And that’s fine. But for someone who is inquiring into Catholicism, who is looking for good reasons to come into the Church, an argument based upon an appeal to authority might not be persuasive.

 

[MarkInOregon]

Things like the eucharist, confession, contraception, etc. are not specifically outlined, but are rules The Church has made up. Now, you and people like you might be fine adjusting the trajectories of your lives based on rules The Church has invented. It’s not that easy for me.

I would suggest that the Eucharist is a teaching and not a rule–I think there is a difference. Just when do you think the Church “made up” the Eucharist? Are you familiar with Justin Martyr? Here is a quote from his First Apology written around 150-156 AD:

"And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew Language to genoito [so be it]. And when the president has given thanks, and all the people expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.

Chapter LXVI – Of Eucharist

And this food is called among us Eukaristia, of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are call Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them;…" Bolding mine.

This is a teaching that goes back to the apostles–you can’t just dismiss it by calling it a made up rule of the Church–you need to offer proof for that assertion as your assertion seems to contradict the evidence that exists. You are free to say you don’t believe it for reasons xyz, but I don’t think “made up rule of the Church” can be one of those reasons–unless you can offer proof that this is not the teaching Christ gave to the apostles. Is this teaching hard to wrap your head around–sure but so are lots of things.

The peace of Christ,
Mark

 

[Fitzy1]

Hi everyone,

I am a 26-year-old who was raised nominally Catholic. I did make my sacraments but it was pretty half-hearted and my parents rarely took me to church. They don’t go at all anymore.

In college I looked into various religions and sects of Christianity. I attended a nondenominational church for a couple of years, and there I really grew in my relationship with Christ. I found really outstanding fellowship, passionate worship and that was a really healthy, positive time in my life.

Since college I moved away and lost that group of fellow worshipers and have been thinking, now that I am engaged to another “raised a little bit Catholic nothing” that maybe we need to evaluate where we stand on religion and how we want to raise our family. We have very similar values and goals and both agree that Christianity is what we want to follow - it’s just about finding a church.

Both of us are very skeptical about the Catholic church. I do not want to offend people so if you will be offended by my feelings about the Church then stop reading! Okay if you are still with me here are my concerns…
-I don’t agree that you HAVE to confess to a priest. That seems silly and why would God, who is the be all end all, make it that way? I know there are some loose references in the Bible that support the Catholic concept of confession, but I am not convinced that it is mandatory. I think there is value in confessing a sin to another person for means of accountability, but I don’t think confessing to a priest is the only way God can forgive. Seems ridiculous.

-I don’t agree that missing church services is a sin. I think it’s a good idea to be part of a faith community and to participate, but I don’t think that deciding to spend a day hiking in awe of God’s creation is going to send you to Hell. I am turned off by the Catholic church’s insistence that you don’t have a choice over whether or not you attend Mass on a given Sunday. I think that “obligation” should not be part of our relationship with God. That’s not how loved ones treat each other.

• I don’t agree that contraception is wrong. Sorry, I just don’t. I’ve read humane vitae and “The good news about sex and marriage” and it really rings false to me. Very straw-graspy and smells STRONGLY of an “agenda.” I think if a married couple decides that two kids is good for them, then so be it. I agree that abortions are always wrong, but I don’t see how contraception between mature spouses is anything but a tool.

-I don’t believe in indulgences. I mean, come on. Getting to Heaven is not a game of Monopoly where you can earn “get out of jail free” cards. I am not sure there is any strong biblical proof that God grants “indulgences” anyway. They seem VERY superstitious and very much beneath what God is. -I don’t think there is any proof that the host is changed to the actual body of Christ. I’m not saying I am totally against the idea, I’m just not sure that is for real. Seems very magical and superstitious to me. I am not sure how a grown adult is able to convince him or herself that this is a real thing.

-I am not sure one religion is the only one that is “true” and that everyone else is “wrong.”

Anyway, that’s what I am considering at this point and since my parents are not active I don’t really have anyone else to help me think this through. I want to do the right thing but a lot rings false to me and I really liked how in the nondenominational church it was JUST about getting closer to Christ and having a relationship with Him with all the other baloney stripped away. But, if someone can point out some other ideas I would thoughtfully consider them.

Thank you

Your concerns are valid, many individuals in your situation face the same problems. I believe god is calling you down another path where you will feel comfortable and not feel as if Eygypt is against you. Follow the path god has chosen for you with gladness and joy. Leave behind the shackles of oppression and take not head to that which god does not, for the lord is with you, he will lead you out of Egypt and onto the promised land.

The lord goes with you, he keeps you, he protects you and leads you gladly welcoming you with open arms unto the path he has chosen for you.

 

[blujazz25]

I will try to address some of the issues here.

1. Missing Sunday mass is a sin: think about it, you spend 6 days for yourself, your family and friends, what is 1 hour of a Sunday for God? For the Jews, the Sabbath is sacred…no unnecessary work, I have even heard of a Sabbath elevator. If you cannot make it on a Sunday, there is a Saturday vigil mass that is still considered a Sunday obligation. What me and my husband do is that if we have something going on during the weekend, we have to work our way around our obligation, there is no excuses If we go to a Saturday vigil mass, we go for dinner afterwards. If we are feeling lazy on a Saturday night, we go Sunday morning and have brunch after.
2. Confession to a priest: This sacrament is close to our heart. From what I know, not only the pries acts as alter Christus (in person of Christ) in this sacrament, the priest is also the representative of the community, the Catholic Church. St. Paul mentioned of being one body with many parts, if one part is sick…it will affect the entire body. Same thing with sin, if we do not resolve our sins with God and the community, the Body of Christ gets destroyed little by little. that is where the term excommunication comes from…as being cut off from the body of Christ (that is another topic in itself). it takes a whole amount of humility and courage to tell your priest that you screwed up and in need of absolution, but believe me, it is liberating. Just as its liberating to tell someone you have hurt so badly that you are sorry.

3.The real presence in the Eucharist: I do not know how far you have gone in reading or in catechism, but during consecration the bread and wine becomes the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ…the term is called transubstantiation. The accidents (bread and wine) remain the same in form and taste, but its very essence and substance changes. This is the great mystery of our faith. Man cannot know everything, we are sentient beings and God has always wanted to make Himself known to His people, what better way than to offer Himself up for us as our spiritual food.
I have had doubts too about this before, but after seeing how taking daily communion changes you…there is no doubt that it is true. Have sometime to read into Eucharistic miracles as well as the Saints who has had miracles happen because of this.

One that comes to my mind is St. Clare of Assisi…when she was already a little older, I think it was the Muslims who were about to attack the town where her monastery stands. In her courage, she took the monstrance (the vessel used for Eucharistic adoration) and processed around her monastery…the Muslims fled in fear.

Books of the Church fathers especially St. Thomas Aquinas can shed some light on the teachings on a more logical side.

If you still have doubts and strongly disagree about the Church’s teachings, then sorry to say its your choice. The churches teachings have and will stay the same, our faith demands discipline and trust. Like what the other member said, being Catholic is not for wussies.

 

[Richard_White]

Most Christians deny this “truth” - even well-educated, well-read ones. Catholics always seem to forget that there are some really brilliant, amazingly-educated passionate Christians out there who don’t just disagree for disagreement’s sake.

I’m not saying all this to be rebellious or rude. I’m literally just sharing what’s going on in my head. If I can’t be honest about where I’m coming from, I don’t know how I can work this through.

First of all, it is VERY interesting that you just decided to ignore my clear-cut biblical references to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Secondly, I don’t even understand what the heck you’re saying. As MarkInOregon said above, most Christians ARE Catholics, so I don’t what you’re talking about there. After that, your sentence literally doesn’t even make sense.

And I know that you’re just being honest, and I’m not trying tl sound overly angry

 

[Richard_White]

Sorry, my tablet acted up and I couldn’t continue in the above post. What I was trying tk say was I’m not trying to sound overly angry or anything, but when you spoke such disrespect about Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I got very upset.

Please keep looking into the Holy Catholic faith and come into it soon!

 

[johnnyc176]

OK, so that might be good enough for you. And that’s fine. But for someone who is inquiring into Catholicism, who is looking for good reasons to come into the Church, an argument based upon an appeal to authority might not be persuasive.

Wouldn’t a good reason to come into Catholicism be that it is the Church founded by Jesus Christ? Authority is where it all starts and sooner or later that is the issue that is going to have to be addressed. Those Christians who do not believe in the Real Presence say Jesus meant it symbolically. So who is their authority? How did they come to that conclusion? By themselves or were they taught that by others? (I’m not asking…just giving example of why the question of authority is so important.

 

[rjg99a]

OP, I only read the first 2 1/2 pages before responding. I don’t even know if you’re still following this thread, but I hope so.

I am not Catholic. Not yet at least, but I’m being drawn there and going through a lot of questioning and studying about the Church right now.

I was raised Protestant, but left the faith in my early 20s (I’m in my early 30s now). Back then, I’d never, ever, ever think that I’d ever consider Catholicism. But I guess it wasn’t my time then. It is now, and why I’m on this path now.

I think questioning religion is good. Questioning is actually what’s led me to Catholicism rather that back to any of the many Protestant denominations of my youth. I like that Catholicism has answers, that they have a religious authority to decide things, and that it’s not just left up to the individual to decide for themselves what they believe. But this is based off my dissatisfaction with my religious upbringing. It sounds like you don’t have this same background, so you don’t quite see the beauty in the Church’s doctrines.

I still don’t believe everything that the Church teaches though. I have a hard time believing that the Eucharist is the physical presence of Jesus. I have a hard time believing the Mary was truly a virgin her whole life. It seems like an unnecessary belief to me and I don’t fully understand why the Church has to teach it. I also don’t like the idea of having to confess our sins to a priest instead of God directly, or having to attend Mass weekly (that’s really difficult for me). BUT the big difference between you and me is that I’m OPEN to learning about Catholic teachings on these things. I want to understand how people can believe these things. I’m genuinely curious and I’ve found that the more and more I question (and am open to finding answers), the more that all these beliefs are starting to make sense, and I’m understanding the logical explanations behind them.

I wish you and your fiance the best of luck on your spiritual/religious journey and I hope that you find a place where you can belong. I would just encourage you to keep questioning, but to question with an open mind, honestly seeking to understand Catholic beliefs rather than just searching for reasons to refute them.