Ugh! Baptist fundamentalism trying to work into my Catholicism

[katpants]

It’s been about a year come March I’m interested in Catholicism (doing it more now) and it’s been like 5 years since I’ve left fundamentalism. I don’t know is it that I did it younger (started when I was 20 and grew up fundamentalist lite) or what, but I feel that my brain is seeking for the same stuff in Catholicism.

Modest dress, skirts only, headcoverings…? Why in the sam hill my brain is wanting these things I don’t know. I do pretty much do modest dress and skirts only since I can’t wear pants with my medical condition so that’s not anything religious really.

Anyone who converted at a latter age, did you have trouble just swinging everything over into Catholicism?

Thanks!

kat

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

Modest dress, skirts only, headcoverings…? Why in the sam hill my brain is wanting these things I don’t know. I do pretty much do modest dress and skirts only since I can’t wear pants with my medical condition so that’s not anything religious really.

Modest dress, great. There are several disadvantages to wearing something provocative to Mass; it could get you negative responses from the pastor or others.

But head coverings? And skirts only beyond your own situation but “because it’s right?”

Sounds to me you’re fascinated by, or feel a need to conform to, various stereotypes you’ve come to associate with “being Catholic.” Or maybe even “being some high protein version” of Catholic?

Or you’ve been hanging around some Catholics who don’t dress like they do around my parish.

MS

 

[pianistclare]

Being Catholic has little to do with what you wear; you know this right?
If you lived in India and wore a sari…would that mean you were not Catholic?

Modestly applies to all nations.

What makes you Catholic is what you believe. Believe that your exterior matters little in relation to your salvation. Beautify your soul…now THERE’S something to put your effort into. If you’re looking for something to make you “feel” more Catholic…go to Adoration, daily Mass, join a continuing ed class, at the parish, feed the homeless.
Plenty to do around God’s house.
Peace.

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

Actually what makes you Catholic, according to Catholic teachings, is that you are validly baptized into the Church. Or if you have been validly baptized into another faith using a Trinitarian baptism (name of Father Son and Holy Spirit) and involving water or whatever it is, then you have to be accepted into the Church, usually through RCIA.

So if you are an adult I think you do have to claim to be in alignment with Catholic teachings. I did not have to make that claim because I was less than a month old when I was baptized, so “godparents” spoke on my behalf. In other words, I am Catholic through no action or will of my own.

So even if I never went to Church or said anything about it, technically I’m still “Catholic.”

That said, I choose to remain “active Catholic” and go well beyond the required “precepts,” because there is a lot of cool stuff and I like it. And I believe most of what the Church teaches; I’m still working on a few things but I talk to my pastor at least weekly so there is hope.

 

[katpants]

Modest dress, great. There are several disadvantages to wearing something provocative to Mass; it could get you negative responses from the pastor or others.

But head coverings? And skirts only beyond your own situation but “because it’s right?”

Sounds to me you’re fascinated by, or feel a need to conform to, various stereotypes you’ve come to associate with “being Catholic.” Or maybe even “being some high protein version” of Catholic?

Or you’ve been hanging around some Catholics who don’t dress like they do around my parish.

MS

I feel very liberated in my pursuit of Catholicism, I just feel like the “you must be headcovered/etc to get saved” from fundamentalist baptism is trying to work into my Catholic beliefs. I drank the Koolaid so long it’s been hard to separate that.

I used to headcover but gave that up 8 years ago. It’s just weird how the mind is like YOU SHOULD but I know it’s not me. It’d be great with me doing that cursing like a sailor lol.

Kat

 

[katpants]

Being Catholic has little to do with what you wear; you know this right?
If you lived in India and wore a sari…would that mean you were not Catholic?

Modestly applies to all nations.

What makes you Catholic is what you believe. Believe that your exterior matters little in relation to your salvation. Beautify your soul…now THERE’S something to put your effort into. If you’re looking for something to make you “feel” more Catholic…go to Adoration, daily Mass, join a continuing ed class, at the parish, feed the homeless.
Plenty to do around God’s house.
Peace.

Yep!

True! Thanks!

Kat

 

[katpants]

Actually what makes you Catholic, according to Catholic teachings, is that you are validly baptized into the Church. Or if you have been validly baptized into another faith using a Trinitarian baptism (name of Father Son and Holy Spirit) and involving water or whatever it is, then you have to be accepted into the Church, usually through RCIA.

So if you are an adult I think you do have to claim to be in alignment with Catholic teachings. I did not have to make that claim because I was less than a month old when I was baptized, so “godparents” spoke on my behalf. In other words, I am Catholic through no action or will of my own.

So even if I never went to Church or said anything about it, technically I’m still “Catholic.”

That said, I choose to remain “active Catholic” and go well beyond the required “precepts,” because there is a lot of cool stuff and I like it. And I believe most of what the Church teaches; I’m still working on a few things but I talk to my pastor at least weekly so there is hope.

I’ll do RCIA when I feel it’s right. I’m taking my time learning and enjoying the “newness of my faith”. Plus I’m overseas and don’t speak Finnish and they’ll not do it in English lol! I feel I really need to get lots of learning under my belt.

Thanks!

Kat

 

[DarkLight]

Take your time, God is patient. Many people who do not have the fundamentalist background find it difficult to understand. You’re used to a God who expects you to follow a long list of rules and is just waiting to come down on you for the slightest slip.

Try to learn teachings from the bottom up, focusing on the positive rather than the negative (there is always a positive). Read things that teach sexuality in a positive manner, that see it as the good and holy and beautiful thing it is. Fundamentalists are afraid of it and they react by trying to hide it away.

Pray often, but allow it to be as your heart wishes, rather than making yourself do this or that. At this point do not lay on yourself to commit to doing anything beyond what the Church commands for all the faithful. Seek more as your heart desires, but if you wish to say a decade of the rosary one night, do not guilt yourself for not doing the same the next!

It is very hard, I think, especially for those of us from a fundamentalist background. So much of what we learned was warped and twisted, it very often seems to me that learning to be Catholic…it is as though you met people who used English words, and yet the language they spoke was not English. Grace, love, peace, these things are so different from what I learned, it is often easier to try to pretend I had never heard of Christianity before.

 

[katpants]

Take your time, God is patient. Many people who do not have the fundamentalist background find it difficult to understand. You’re used to a God who expects you to follow a long list of rules and is just waiting to come down on you for the slightest slip.

Try to learn teachings from the bottom up, focusing on the positive rather than the negative (there is always a positive). Read things that teach sexuality in a positive manner, that see it as the good and holy and beautiful thing it is. Fundamentalists are afraid of it and they react by trying to hide it away.

Pray often, but allow it to be as your heart wishes, rather than making yourself do this or that. At this point do not lay on yourself to commit to doing anything beyond what the Church commands for all the faithful. Seek more as your heart desires, but if you wish to say a decade of the rosary one night, do not guilt yourself for not doing the same the next!

It is very hard, I think, especially for those of us from a fundamentalist background. So much of what we learned was warped and twisted, it very often seems to me that learning to be Catholic…it is as though you met people who used English words, and yet the language they spoke was not English. Grace, love, peace, these things are so different from what I learned, it is often easier to try to pretend I had never heard of Christianity before.

This helped a bunch! Thanks very much!

Kat