Thinking of becoming Catholic but conflicted

[rjg99a]

Oh, and I’m also from a family of 6 kids. Growing up and in my early days of marriage, I always thought that, while I loved growing up in a large family, that I’d never want to be the mother of a lot of kids! However, now as I’ve gotten older and have 2 kids, I admit that part of me hopes I’ll be be able to have 4+ eventually. Even though raising kids is exhausting, I personally think that it’s such a blessing to have been from a large family and I love the closeness my siblings and I have as adults. I’d love to be able to give that experience to my own children.

And seriously, kids are amazing. They bring a whole new meaning to life. I never thought I’d love babies, but ahh, they somehow make the universe come into balance - I have a 2.5 mo old right now The creation of new life is truly a wonderful thing. (I never fully understood and appreciated the miracle of life this until I had my first child. ) So, the whole no birth control thing of the Catholic church does not bother me. Plus, I’m already very educated about my cycles and have been practicing NFP on my own for several years. Oh, and I will say that learning to track your own cycles and to really understand your own body is actually rather empowering as a female. It almost feels “feminist” to have all knowledge about how my reproductive system works and it kind of makes me proud to be a woman.

 

[Richard_White]

Reading the above post, I realized something. You started this whole thread a couple of days ago with all these misconceptions about the Catholic Church and with the idea in my mind that you wanted answers. But really, all you wanted to do was tell us your problems to simply “stir the pot” so to speak. You were not open to our answers, and even when we gave you sound Catholic doctrine with firm foundations in both Sacred Scripture and Tradition, you just flat-out ignored everything we said and kept saying “I’m just being honest…”

I mean, I think that is the biggest problem with the protestants and their heresies…even when proven wrong, they still disagree just for the sake of disagreeing due to a deep-seated hatred for what they think Catholicism is, a hatred that has been passed down throughout the centuries since the time of one of the worst heretics of all, Martin Luther.

That is why we can’t get through to these people online. I would have to say to you OP that you should pray about it and maybe find a Catholic Bible study or some type of Catechism class so that you can learn more about the Truths of the Catholic faith before you dicard something you just flat-out don’t understand.

May God bless you and lead you to the Truth of His Catholic Church!

I’m done with this thread now.

 

[JasmineTea]

Reading the above post, I realized something. You started this whole thread a couple of days ago with all these misconceptions about the Catholic Church and with the idea in my mind that you wanted answers. But really, all you wanted to do was tell us your problems to simply “stir the pot” so to speak. You were not open to our answers, and even when we gave you sound Catholic doctrine with firm foundations in both Sacred Scripture and Tradition, you just flat-out ignored everything we said and kept saying “I’m just being honest…”

I mean, I think that is the biggest problem with the protestants and their heresies…even when proven wrong, they still disagree just for the sake of disagreeing due to a deep-seated hatred for what they think Catholicism is, a hatred that has been passed down throughout the centuries since the time of one of the worst heretics of all, Martin Luther.

That is why we can’t get through to these people online. I would have to say to you OP that you should pray about it and maybe find a Catholic Bible study or some type of Catechism class so that you can learn more about the Truths of the Catholic faith before you dicard something you just flat-out don’t understand.

May God bless you and lead you to the Truth of His Catholic Church!

I’m done with this thread now.

It’s not that. I’m really not trying to cause trouble. But every time I say, “This seems like an unnecessary burden placed on people or rings false to my mind” someone responds with

-The Catholic Church is old/has been doing things this way for a long time so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church is the church Jesus founded so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church speaks for God so it must be true.
-We have to accept that the Catholic Church knows all, and we can’t possibly understand it, so we might as well obey.
-The Catholic Church can only do the right thing because it is led by the Holy Spirit (I mean… Really? Does anyone really believe that?)

None of these get to the root of my issue which is: Does the Catholic Church truly have God’s blessing to rule my life? If something seems wrong/unhealthy/bad do I have to obey it anyway because “The Church Says So?” What all the arguments seem to amount to is: “The Church is right because the Church is always right.” I’m not sure I can buy into that.

The argument is just circular.

Church says something that pings my inner sense of “wrong” or “false” ----> Well, if you don’t agree with the Church, then that’s just because you can’t possibly understand it so you should obey anyway.

Imagine saying the same thing about the American Government! Trust that the government is always right. Well-educated men and women run it. Lots of scholars have studied it, and they know more than I do. I couldn’t possibly understand everything so I should just trust. I will be happier if I just give up thinking and go with whatever the government says to do. Look, the government has been around for a long time, so it must be right! It can’t make mistakes or do anything for surreptitious reasons because it is old, run by chosen people, and obviously it is the only government with the full Truth!

 

[MaryT777]

It’s not that. I’m really not trying to cause trouble. But every time I say, “This seems like an unnecessary burden placed on people or rings false to my mind” someone responds with

-The Catholic Church is old/has been doing things this way for a long time so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church is the church Jesus founded so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church speaks for God so it must be true.
-We have to accept that the Catholic Church knows all, and we can’t possibly understand it, so we might as well obey.
-The Catholic Church can only do the right thing because it is led by the Holy Spirit (I mean… Really? Does anyone really believe that?)

None of these get to the root of my issue which is: Does the Catholic Church truly have God’s blessing to rule my life? If something seems wrong/unhealthy/bad do I have to obey it anyway because “The Church Says So?” What all the arguments seem to amount to is: “The Church is right because the Church is always right.” I’m not sure I can buy into that.

The argument is just circular.

Church says something that pings my inner sense of “wrong” or “false” ----> Well, if you don’t agree with the Church, then that’s just because you can’t possibly understand it so you should obey anyway.

Imagine saying the same thing about the American Government! Trust that the government is always right. Well-educated men and women run it. Lots of scholars have studied it, and they know more than I do. I couldn’t possibly understand everything so I should just trust. I will be happier if I just give up thinking and go with whatever the government says to do. Look, the government has been around for a long time, so it must be right! It can’t make mistakes or do anything for surreptitious reasons because it is old, run by chosen people, and obviously it is the only government with the full Truth!

You are not causing any trouble at all. I’ve seen many posts such as yours and we do the best we can to answer your questions to the best of our ability, let you know RCIA is available as well, and pray for you.

There are an abundant number of books that you can read as well to further your knowledge about the Catholic Faith. A message board only goes so far to some extent before a thread gets redundant.

The seeds are planted and the rest is in your hands as to where you will profess your faith for God will not force his will upon you.

Many blessings to you and God bless you during your discernment process.
You’re not the first to doubt and you won’t be the last.
Mary.

 

[Richard_White]

I know I said I was done with this thread, but since you’re here I want to say:

Everything the Catholic Church teaches is based on the Sacred Scriptures in the Bible (God’s very Word) and Sacred Tradition passed on from Jesus and the Apostles. So, that is why is makes no sense for you to deny it.

Let’s take your unfortunate liking of contraception. Answer me honestly: do you think that you have the authority to tell God when you should or should not have a baby. It is all up to Him. And when you don’t want any moe kids, why not just use NFP. You say it doesn’t work, that makes one. So many women right here on this forum attest to the usefulness and accuracy of the NFP method. Why do you think God made the female body to work that way: to allow for fertile/infertile times to either better allow or make it less likely that you will become pregnant.

And, do you support morning after pill stuff? I mean, that stuff is even more evil than regular contraception- it causes a micro-abortion.

Just ponder what I’m saying. Do you really think that deliberately preventing any possibility of new life is okay in God’s eyes. I don’t. We Catholics don’t.

What about you?

 

[johnnyc176]

It’s not that. I’m really not trying to cause trouble. But every time I say, “This seems like an unnecessary burden placed on people or rings false to my mind” someone responds with

-The Catholic Church is old/has been doing things this way for a long time so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church is the church Jesus founded so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church speaks for God so it must be true.
-We have to accept that the Catholic Church knows all, and we can’t possibly understand it, so we might as well obey.
-The Catholic Church can only do the right thing because it is led by the Holy Spirit (I mean… Really? Does anyone really believe that?)

None of these get to the root of my issue which is: Does the Catholic Church truly have God’s blessing to rule my life? If something seems wrong/unhealthy/bad do I have to obey it anyway because “The Church Says So?” What all the arguments seem to amount to is: “The Church is right because the Church is always right.” I’m not sure I can buy into that.

The argument is just circular.

Church says something that pings my inner sense of “wrong” or “false” ----> Well, if you don’t agree with the Church, then that’s just because you can’t possibly understand it so you should obey anyway.

Imagine saying the same thing about the American Government! Trust that the government is always right. Well-educated men and women run it. Lots of scholars have studied it, and they know more than I do. I couldn’t possibly understand everything so I should just trust. I will be happier if I just give up thinking and go with whatever the government says to do. Look, the government has been around for a long time, so it must be right! It can’t make mistakes or do anything for surreptitious reasons because it is old, run by chosen people, and obviously it is the only government with the full Truth!

I don’t think anybody said you are causing trouble however the Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Christian Life and to come on to a Catholic forum and allude to it as magic and superstition…and in this post you seem to ridicule the belief that the Church founded by Jesus Christ is led by the Holy Spirit. I don’t know…you might want to consider wording your objections or questions better like…where do you Catholics get the Real Presence from? Something along those lines. Just a suggestion. Btw…if you are looking for a scientific answer to that your not going to get one. Jesus performed many miracles, one of which was the transformation of water into wine. Certainly He has the power to transform bread and wine into His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

 

[QuasiCatholic]

As a recent convert, I struggle with a lot of this, too.

One area where I might offer some help:

The scriptural basis the church gives for the belief in the Eucharist is Christ’s statement “This is my body” at the last supper. They say it’s literal. Protestants say it’s symbolic. No one will ever really know.

My solution? I believe that the Eucharist is Christ’s body in whatever sense Christ meant it to be. Cognitive dissonance solved.

 

[QuestLove]

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

The topic of this tread grabbed me because at one point that was me too. I did not grow up catholic but I went to Catholic high school (outside the US). I think I fell in love with the beautiful mass and worship songs. I also have extremely great admiration for all the work the Catholic church does for the poor and less fortunate,which is a challenge even in developed nations not to mention in developing countries.
The only issue I had with the catholic church is the teaching on contraception (eg. pills, condoms). So I joined a denomination of christianity that is more in line with my beliefs since I didn’t want to convert to catholicism with this obstacle and become a hypocrite. But I do donate to catholic charities such as Food for the Poor (which does very good work in the caribbean) because I am sure most of the money goes directly to the poor.

 

[QuestLove]

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.

rjg99a, I don’t know if you are still following this tread. I just wanted a clarification. Does the Catholic church really teach that Mary was a virgin her whole life? This is the first I am hearing about this. Maybe other readers could clarify this point for me as well. Thanks.

 

[Richard_White]

rjg99a, I don’t know if you are still following this tread. I just wanted a clarification. Does the Catholic church really teach that Mary was a virgin her whole life? This is the first I am hearing about this. Maybe other readers could clarify this point for me as well. Thanks.

Yes, the Catholic Church does teach that Mary was a perpetual virgin obviously before and continuously after the birth of Jesus. Yes, I know many protestants believe that since the Gospels mention the “brothers” of Christ, Mary could not have remained a virgin. But that is not true. You see, in the language of Aramaic, which was spoken by Jesus and the Jews of that time , had no word for cousin. Instead, they used the same word for “brother.” Thus, when the Evangelists wrote their Gospels in Greek, since they had no word for “cousin” to translate from, thy just used “brother” (or “sister”).

Plus, I think that simply knowing that she was the Mother of God would have brought Mary to not even want or need to have any more children, having already been chosen by God to be the Mother of His Only-Begotten Son.

 

[QuestLove]

In regard to your feelings on contraception, here is a passage from Genesis:

“Then Judah said to Onan, ‘United with your brother’s widow, in fulfillment of your duty as brother-in-law, and thud preserve your brother’s line.’ Onan, however, knew that the descendants would not be counted as his; so whenever he had relations with his brother’s widow, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring for his brother. What he did greatly offended the LORD, and the LORD took his life too” (Gn 38:8-10).

This shows the immorallity of contraception before God, especially because we, as inferior human beings, have absolutely no right to say when God should bless us with a child or not.

May God bless you and lead you into the Truth of the Catholic Church!

Is this the only scripture that the Church uses to justify its stance on contraception?

 

[QuestLove]

Yes, the Catholic Church does teach that Mary was a perpetual virgin obviously before and continuously after the birth of Jesus. Yes, I know many protestants believe that since the Gospels mention the “brothers” of Christ, Mary could not have remained a virgin. But that is not true. You see, in the language of Aramaic, which was spoken by Jesus and the Jews of that time , had no word for cousin. Instead, they used the same word for “brother.” Thus, when the Evangelists wrote their Gospels in Greek, since they had no word for “cousin” to translate from, thy just used “brother” (or “sister”).

Plus, I think that simply knowing that she was the Mother of God would have brought Mary to not even want or need to have any more children, having already been chosen by God to be the Mother of His Only-Begotten Son.

But she was married to Joseph. Does this mean she did not fulfill her marriage vows with him?
So, protestants do believe in the virgin birth but just because she had sex with her husband after does not take away from her being the mother of Jesus.

 

[Joe_5859]

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.

I appreciate that you are trying to work this stuff through. Try to be patient with those of us here who tend to get defensive when we feel someone is threatening that which we hold dear. We mean well. I applaud you for still being here. That shows to me that you really are dedicated to arriving at the truth of the matter. Keep up that tenacity!

I will just say that my reasons for trusting the Church are not circular. If I believed that the Church just made stuff up and expected me to buy into it, I would have trouble doing that, too. The reason I trust the Church is because I trust Jesus.

Not every Catholic teaching is explicitly in Scripture. But that doesn’t mean the source of the teaching is not Jesus. The Gospel of John states that the world could not contain all the books if everything Jesus said and taught were written down. In the earliest days of the Church, there was no New Testament. Things were communicated person-to-person for years before things were written down. And even after things were written down, it was centuries before the final determination was made as to which written works were part of Scripture and which ones were not.

I trust that Jesus is God and came to earth to suffer and die for me to be redeemed. And I trust Him when he says things like “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church”. It would seem most peculiar to me if Jesus came to earth with so important of a mission (our salvation!) but then just kind of said “Well, I’ll have some of my disciples jot down a few notes over the next few decades and then everyone can just read that and figure it out on their own.” What about the majority of the human population over the centuries that have been illiterate? Are they just out of luck? Only those who can read and who have access to historical criticism can enter the Kingdom of God? That’s a little too elitist for my taste.

To me, the great beauty of our faith is both its supreme simplicity and its profound depth. The core of the Gospel message is very simple: God created us and has a plan for us; sin damages that plan; so God sent Jesus to suffer, die, rise, and ascend in order that we may be saved; this requires a response from us and we join ourselves to the Body of Christ, the Church, to tap into this saving plan. That is our Catholic faith in a nutshell.

And yet, there is great depth. I have been reading and studying the faith for the past 16 years (earning a degree somewhere along the way). Not to mention the 12 years of Catholic schooling before that (where I was at least mildly paying attention most of the time, even if the lessons didn’t sink in ). And I have just barely scratched the surface.

Keep on searching for answers. Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance as you search. That is key.

 

[rjg99a]

The only issue I had with the catholic church is the teaching on contraception (eg. pills, condoms).

It’s interesting how we’re all so different.

It seems like the contraception teaching is hard for many to accept, but for me, it was the thing that started my interest in the Catholic church in the first place. I’m a previous egg donor, who then went through some infertility/subfertility of my own before having my own child and needless to say, I’ve become incredibly knowledgeable about how our bodies work in regards to reproduction. And if there’s one thing I’ve become convinced of, it’s that life is a miraculous thing, and even though we think we have control over it, we don’t. Life often finds a way where it’s meant to find a way. I’ve known far too many women who conceived when they were trying not to, and those who’ve wanted to conceive and couldn’t. Often times, conceiving is a **** shoot and the result is ultimately out of our hands (even in cases with IVF/ART - pregnancy is never guaranteed). The more I’ve gone through this all of this, the more I’m convinced that it’s better and more satisfying to be open to new life and to put your family size in God’s hands.

I also think that being open to the creation of life makes sex so much meaningful, deeper, and beautiful. It’s not just a pleasurable experience with your spouse, but it’s also a potentially miraculous act that could lead to new life. I never really appreciated how completely amazing and beautiful new life was until I had my own child - but creating a life? It transcends your previous meaning to your own life. It’s powerful.

So…I guess I’m just saying that it’s interesting that we all have different teachings of the Catholic church that we find to be difficult to comprehend. But personally, I really like the Church’s teaching on contraception. But maybe I’m just weird.

and on a shallower note, sex without condoms is just waaay better, and the hormones in birth control pills have the ability to mess up your body, so even aside from the Church’s teaching, I’m not really a fan of birth control anyways.

 

[MarkInOregon]

It’s not that. I’m really not trying to cause trouble. But every time I say, “This seems like an unnecessary burden placed on people or rings false to my mind” someone responds with

-The Catholic Church is old/has been doing things this way for a long time so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church is the church Jesus founded so it must be true.
-The Catholic Church speaks for God so it must be true.
-We have to accept that the Catholic Church knows all, and we can’t possibly understand it, so we might as well obey.
-The Catholic Church can only do the right thing because it is led by the Holy Spirit (I mean… Really? Does anyone really believe that?)

None of these get to the root of my issue which is: Does the Catholic Church truly have God’s blessing to rule my life? If something seems wrong/unhealthy/bad do I have to obey it anyway because “The Church Says So?” What all the arguments seem to amount to is: “The Church is right because the Church is always right.” I’m not sure I can buy into that.

The argument is just circular.

Church says something that pings my inner sense of “wrong” or “false” ----> Well, if you don’t agree with the Church, then that’s just because you can’t possibly understand it so you should obey anyway.

I

You’ve been given many answers that don’t reduce to “because the Church said so”. You’ve been advised multiple times that there are threads on your various concerns that you could go to in order to gain a more full understanding of why the Church teaches what it does. I’ve encouraged you many times to pray and study and have pointed out you have misconceptions regarding just what particular Church teachings actually say and mean. Yet you continually come back saying the Church just made up x, y and z–without any support for these supposed fabrications. I cited some very early proof that the Church has always believed the bread and wine change and requested that if you believe it was just made up to show us when the Church did so. You claim to be open to study but exhibit no evidence of that openness–never once have you come back and said “Oh I will look into that” or “I will consider that.” It’s always-- that just “rings false to my mind”. From reading your post above I don’t think you understand, among other things what it means for the Church to be guided by the Holy Spirit–so once again I advise prayer and study. If you are going to reject something please know what it is you are actually rejecting. I’d hate for you to reject something you don’t truly understand.

You claim our argument is “the Church is right because the Church is always right” and I don’t think that is the argument anyone has really made. We could make the claim that your objection boils down to “that just feels wrong to me”–which really isn’t an argument.

The peace of Christ,
Mark

 

[Richard_White]

But she was married to Joseph. Does this mean she did not fulfill her marriage vows with him?
So, protestants do believe in the virgin birth but just because she had sex with her husband after does not take away from her being the mother of Jesus.

Please read this: www.catholic.com/tracts/mary-ever-virgin

It will explain everything to you better than I can write here.

In regard to contraception, I’m sure that there are more biblical passages that the Church uses to refute its use; however, I just recently found that one and wanted to share it.

 

[WilT]

First of all you consider yourself ‘nothing’ on your religious affiliation so I have a tendency to believe that either you truly aren’t interested in the Catholic Church and you mean to spread doubt and confusion (as the devil does so readily), or you really have a massive amounts of true doubt and are truly confused.
First of all, you must have to Trust in God, in His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Triune God. You must also believe that Jesus instructed Peter to carry on with caring for the Catholic Church He established. If you don’t then stay as ‘nothing’ for you may cause more damage to others. You are conflicted because you are (with due respect) arrogant and prideful and such a person will find our Faith impossible to live by. Only, when you begin to rid yourself of this corruption of heart that you stand a good chance to honestly Love God and His Church and bring into the world a loving, Christ centered family.
.
God can turn mush into gold. good luck.

 

[BettyBoop416]

First of all you consider yourself ‘nothing’ on your religious affiliation so I have a tendency to believe that either you truly aren’t interested in the Catholic Church and you mean to spread doubt and confusion (as the devil does so readily), or you really have a massive amounts of true doubt and are truly confused.
First of all, you must have to Trust in God, in His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Triune God. You must also believe that Jesus instructed Peter to carry on with caring for the Catholic Church He established. If you don’t then stay as ‘nothing’ for you may cause more damage to others. You are conflicted because you are (with due respect) arrogant and prideful and such a person will find our Faith impossible to live by. Only, when you begin to rid yourself of this corruption of heart that you stand a good chance to honestly Love God and His Church and bring into the world a loving, Christ centered family.
.
God can turn mush into gold. good luck.

Let me get this straight…

Because the OP happens to have doubts about the religion you embrace, she:

1. “means to spread doubt and confusion” (just like the devil)
2. must be “truly confused”
3. is “arrogant and prideful”
4. is “corrupt of heart”

Geez. What a glowing example of Catholicism you are.

 

[WilT]

Betty Boop, I don’t see a religious affiliation on you.

 

[QuestLove]

Please read this: www.catholic.com/tracts/mary-ever-virgin

It will explain everything to you better than I can write here.

In regard to contraception, I’m sure that there are more biblical passages that the Church uses to refute its use; however, I just recently found that one and wanted to share it.

Thanks for the link and the explanation. I know there were several differences between Catholicism and Protestantism but I was unaware of this.