Untruthful Catholics

[rinnie]

I talk to my priest when I can, but he is SO busy. He is the only priest in our parish, and it’s crazy all the things he has to juggle around.

I have a spiritual director who is a deacon though. I talk to him a lot.

Give Father your phone number and tell him you know how busy he is, and if you could help him out doing ANYTHING you would love to help.

But trust me, I KNOW, he will keep you busy But its a good busy.

 

[SteveVH]

Yea, thank you. I’m not giving up, trust me. I don’t really know if I totally appreciate all the prayers that have been said for me, meaning I don’t feel thankful enough for them, although I should be. Is there a way to be more thankful for prayers that people say for you? I’m having trouble with knowing what prayers do. I just kind of pray when I feel desparate and when I want to just say something. I don’t feel like I am in a conversation with God. Honestly, I think it would freak me out if He said something to me.

Have you ever heard of Lectio Divina? God does speak to us, primarily through Sacred Scripture. Pick a scripture reading, I would recommend either the Psalms or one of the Gospels, to begin with. Read a paragraph. Meditate on the meaning of that paragraph. Allow it to move you spiritually. Then pray to God based upon what you received from that reading. This is how we have a conversation. Let God speak first, consider his words, and then respond to him. I guaranty you this will enliven your prayer life. Do this on a daily basis and you will form a relationship.

God bless.

 

[joshrp]

Have you ever heard of Lectio Divina? God does speak to us, primarily through Sacred Scripture. Pick a scripture reading, I would recommend either the Psalms or one of the Gospels, to begin with. Read a paragraph. Meditate on the meaning of that paragraph. Allow it to move you spiritually. Then pray to God based upon what you received from that reading. This is how we have a conversation. Let God speak first, consider his words, and then respond to him. I guaranty you this will enliven your prayer life. Do this on a daily basis and you will form a relationship.

God bless.

I kind of have a lot of Scripture memorized, and I just think about things in the Bible. Sometimes sitting in front of a book can distract from God. If at all possible, it is better to just remember what He says.

 

[freethinker83]

I agree with you, and I’m obviously not a Catholic.

A good friend of mine is a Catholic and attends church regularly. He and his wife lived together before marriage. They also had to take an NFP class even though they had no intention of following it (and they don’t). He also doesn’t believe in the real presence, is pro-life, and supports gay marriage. In addition to this he doesn’t believe Mary was a virgin or that Jesus rose from the grave.

I ask him all the time why he still considers himself a Catholic despite all of this. He tells me he doesn’t have to agree with these things to be a Catholic.

 

[simple_soul]

**I want to go to Church because that is where God lives. **Most other places don’t want Him around them.

I also had about 35 books by the Pope, and have read them all. I donated all my Catholic theology books to a Catholic Center at the local State College.

Then just put your faith in that knowledge and cling to it…let it be the faith that moves the mountains of reasons that keep you from Him and just go… I know it is hard and frustrating but try to focus on Him and not the mountains…remember what He said, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains”…but you have to have faith in Him and He will help you move those mountains but He will only move them in as much as your faith wants them to be moved…I will keep you in my prayers

 

[SteveVH]

I kind of have a lot of Scripture memorized, and I just think about things in the Bible. Sometimes sitting in front of a book can distract from God. If at all possible, it is better to just remember what He says.

Then good luck, joshrp, hope you get things worked out.

 

[asd72]

Hi,

I honestly think I dislike untruthful Catholics than I do people of other religions. I don’t have a problem with people who aren’t Catholics and don’t believe in the Church’s teachings. I have the most problem with people who call themselves Catholic and don’t believe in the Church’s teachings.

Joshua

I think it is a matter of trust that the church really is the pillar of truth. I know I get doubts sometimes in some areas, and I usually do further study/ investigation and my doubts subside, but while reasoning helps, there is a certain underlying trust that you have to have.

I think when you lose that trust that the church is under protection by Christ from error in faith and morals, it can lead to either liberalism or things like sedevacantism. Either way they have elevated there own judgement above the church.

 

[SteveVH]

I agree with you, and I’m obviously not a Catholic.

A good friend of mine is a Catholic and attends church regularly. He and his wife lived together before marriage. They also had to take an NFP class even though they had no intention of following it (and they don’t). He also doesn’t believe in the real presence, is pro-life, and supports gay marriage. In addition to this he doesn’t believe Mary was a virgin or that Jesus rose from the grave.

I ask him all the time why he still considers himself a Catholic despite all of this. He tells me he doesn’t have to agree with these things to be a Catholic.

Your friend is simply :hypno: That’s like saying I believe in an eternal being who created all things from nothing, but I’m an atheist.

 

[freethinker83]

Your friend is simply :hypno: That’s like saying I believe in an eternal being who created all things from nothing, but I’m an atheist.

I think the biggest reason he participates is because it is tradition.

When I got married I considered going to my grandmother’s church where my parents, sister, and uncles all got married. It is a neat building and has sentimental value because all of my relatives have been married there. My now wife and I considered going through the motions of a few services, confirming our “belief” in god, and using the church.

We later decided against it because we wanted to be true to ourselves and didn’t want to begin our marriage by lying about our beliefs. I try to get my friend to be true to himself, because right now he is essentially lying to himself and the church.

 

[joshrp]

I think it is a matter of trust that the church really is the pillar of truth. I know I get doubts sometimes in some areas, and I usually do further study/ investigation and my doubts subside, but while reasoning helps, there is a certain underlying trust that you have to have.

I think when you lose that trust that the church is under protection by Christ from error in faith and morals, it can lead to either liberalism or things like sedevacantism. Either way they have elevated there own judgement above the church.

The whole reason that I believe that the Catholic Church is the church of Christ, is that if I believe that Christ is God, then I think He is powerful enough to make an institution that will listen to Him. Whether the people He chooses as His representatives are perfect or not, they are His choices. Unless someone don’t think God knows how to run a Church, then I don’t know why anyone would think the Catholic Church would be wrong.

That’s of course if that person believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Bible speaks the truth. If they don’t believe that, then I guess it’s a different matter.

 

[asd72]

I think the biggest reason he participates is because it is tradition.

When I got married I considered going to my grandmother’s church where my parents, sister, and uncles all got married. It is a neat building and has sentimental value because all of my relatives have been married there. My now wife and I considered going through the motions of a few services, confirming our “belief” in god, and using the church.

We later decided against it because we wanted to be true to ourselves and didn’t want to begin our marriage by lying about our beliefs. I try to get my friend to be true to himself, because right now he is essentially lying to himself and the church.

I respect you for that freethinker. I was the same way as an agnostic, it seems sort of hypocritical getting married in a church if you don’t belief in God. (not that I don’t hope for you to come to faith eventually!)

 

[joshrp]

I respect you for that freethinker. I was the same way as an agnostic, it seems sort of hypocritical getting married in a church if you don’t belief in God. (not that I don’t hope for you to come to faith eventually!)

Yea, I have a close relative whose girlfriend wants them to marry in the Church, and I’m wondering why? They cohabitate, which is a mortal sin, and they don’t even go to Mass. Someone told them that if that is what they want to do they should get confirmed, and he said he’s not interested. I honestly don’t think he wants to get married in the church. He has no problem with Catholics, because he is one of my closest friends, but he’s not so stupid to think there is any point to getting married in a Church you don’t even go to. I respect him for that. I’m not sure what his girlfriend is thinking.