Where do I fit in?

[Batt1eRatt1e]

Hello all! I’ve been trying to see where I fit into religion. My wife is Catholic, been Catholic her whole life and went to Catholic school. My two young sons have been baptized Catholic. We don’t go to mass that much though. I was baptized Catholic when I was a baby but never did anything beyond that with the Catholic religion. I went to Baptist church on and off when I was a teenager. I’m also a Chaplain Assistant in the Army.

Some things I’m having trouble with are that I don’t understand the Catholic faith. I don’t agree with purgatory and I’m not too sure about the Pope and that whole chain of command they’ve got going on. I also don’t agree with the Priest being single. I don’t agree with RCIA and having to go through all this stuff just to be a part of the church. So I’m having some issues seeing where I fit. What are some close alternatives to the Catholic religion? I’ve researched online about comparisons, so far I like what I’ve read about the Methodist church. Maybe some personal experiences too that you users have had. Can anyone help me understand where I fit?

 

[Gods_willbedone]

You fit in as a child of God and as such he will have a plan for you.
regarding priests being single why do you disagree?

 

[lax16]

Hello all! I’ve been trying to see where I fit into religion. My wife is Catholic, been Catholic her whole life and went to Catholic school. My two young sons have been baptized Catholic. We don’t go to mass that much though. I was baptized Catholic when I was a baby but never did anything beyond that with the Catholic religion. I went to Baptist church on and off when I was a teenager. I’m also a Chaplain Assistant in the Army.

Some things I’m having trouble with are that I don’t understand the Catholic faith. I don’t agree with purgatory and I’m not too sure about the Pope and that whole chain of command they’ve got going on. I also don’t agree with the Priest being single. I don’t agree with RCIA and having to go through all this stuff just to be a part of the church. So I’m having some issues seeing where I fit. What are some close alternatives to the Catholic religion? I’ve researched online about comparisons, so far I like what I’ve read about the Methodist church. Maybe some personal experiences too that you users have had. Can anyone help me understand where I fit?

Hello and Welcome to CAF!

I am glad you’re here asking questions about the Catholic Church.

I hope you will see that you fit in the Church started by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.

 

[Batt1eRatt1e]

You fit in as a child of God and as such he will have a plan for you.
regarding priests being single why do you disagree?

It’s the only religion I know of that does that. I don’t see where the bible says “Whoever is out there preaching my word in an official capacity must be single”. I don’t see why they can’t be married with kids and do their job at the same time. Just a belief I have.

 

[Batt1eRatt1e]

Hello and Welcome to CAF!

I am glad you’re here asking questions about the Catholic Church.

I hope you will see that you fit in the Church started by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.

This is one thing I do like about the Catholic faith, it’s history.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

Hello all! I’ve been trying to see where I fit into religion. My wife is Catholic, been Catholic her whole life and went to Catholic school. My two young sons have been baptized Catholic. We don’t go to mass that much though. I was baptized Catholic when I was a baby but never did anything beyond that with the Catholic religion. I went to Baptist church on and off when I was a teenager. I’m also a Chaplain Assistant in the Army.

Some things I’m having trouble with are that I don’t understand the Catholic faith. I don’t agree with purgatory and I’m not too sure about the Pope and that whole chain of command they’ve got going on. I also don’t agree with the Priest being single. I don’t agree with RCIA and having to go through all this stuff just to be a part of the church. So I’m having some issues seeing where I fit. What are some close alternatives to the Catholic religion? I’ve researched online about comparisons, so far I like what I’ve read about the Methodist church. Maybe some personal experiences too that you users have had. Can anyone help me understand where I fit?

Well friend, you should look for a Church because it contains the truth, not because it is a good “fit” or “close enough.”

If you are to consider Catholicism, you must realize that Catholics believe that the Church contains the fullness of Christian truth. The Orthodox (both Eastern and Oriental) make the same claim. I think this is important to think about. Because if what either of these Churches express is true, then you are getting an incomplete version of Christianity. If for example, you find that Catholicism is true, you shouldn’t shy away because you have difficulty with priestly celibacy. Alternatively, if in your research you find that Methodism is entirely true, then you should go after that.

But you should do it because you think it is correct, and not because it is a “close second” to something. Therefore, I think you shouldn’t ask, “what’s a denomination that doesn’t have priestly celibacy,” but, “is priestly celibacy a Christian truth?” or not.

 

[tabycat]

It’s the only religion I know of that does that. I don’t see where the bible says “Whoever is out there preaching my word in an official capacity must be single”. I don’t see why they can’t be married with kids and do their job at the same time. Just a belief I have.

Jesus was single, as was Paul. There is some thougt that John was unmarried. The EO, like the Catholic Church, will ordine married men, but, once ordined they must stay unmarried.

 

[Nita]

It’s the only religion I know of that does that. I don’t see where the bible says “Whoever is out there preaching my word in an official capacity must be single”. I don’t see why they can’t be married with kids and do their job at the same time. Just a belief I have.

The Bible doesn’t say a man must be single in order to be a priest, and neither does the Catholic Church. There are several rites in the Catholic Church (under the Pope); some of the Eastern rites allow married clergy. In the Latin Rite (the largest of the rites) the regulations call for celibacy. But even in the Latin rite, exceptions are sometimes made for non-Catholic clergy who are married and then convert to the Catholic Church. A regulation is not the same as a doctrine; regulations can change, doctrines cannot.

There are a couple of Scripture passages that do show the call to celibacy being a higher calling.

Matthew 19:10-12 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”

1 Cor 7:32-33 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife,

 

[Razanir]

It’s the only religion I know of that does that. I don’t see where the bible says “Whoever is out there preaching my word in an official capacity must be single”. I don’t see why they can’t be married with kids and do their job at the same time. Just a belief I have.

One explanation I’ve heard it that it lets them devote more time to loving God and that they’re effectively married to the Church

 

[Phil_Marinus]

Well the Catholic church and the Bible have there share of contradictions …
and there are things that we as humble souls … may understand or may not understand…
when I’m confronted by things I do not agree with or understand I think of a passage in the Bible…
Mark 10;15
Truly I tell you,Anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it…

And even this can be misinterpreted … but my own interpretation of this is… accept the teachings as a small child, because a small child can have trouble understanding why things are so.

 

[devoutchristian]

Well the Catholic church and the Bible have there share of contradictions …
and there are things that we as humble souls … may understand or may not understand…
when I’m confronted by things I do not agree with or understand I think of a passage in the Bible…
Mark 10;15
Truly I tell you,Anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it…

And even this can be misinterpreted … but my own interpretation of this is… accept the teachings as a small child, because a small child can have trouble understanding why things are so.

This is wrong. Truth does not contradict itself.

 

[Quaesitor]

Well, I’m only going to comment on the RCIA topic the OP raised. I have to say, at first I thought RCIA seemed like a long time and it did seem unreasonable. But now that it is over I think it’s the best thing for joining the church. I was born and raised Mormon. One of the worst things I think they do is baptize people after only a few meetings with their missionaries. I see a lot of people who join the Mormons but then fall away because they didn’t know about all the little things. But here in the Catholic church they make sure you have a pretty solid foundation before taking that big step. And now I’ll make a comment on my trip through RCIA. I started going to RCIA December of the 2011-12 session. In late January, even though I was on track for getting baptized on Easter 2012, I came down with Salmonella that took the doctors almost a month to diagnose because of a heart problem. Since I had missed another month, and because I figured I missed three months at the beginning I decided to drop out and come back for the 2012-13 session and now I’m baptized. But it was all worth it. I’m so glad I dropped out because there was so much I missed and even though I read the material it didn’t sink in that well while trying to catch up during that first attempt.

RCIA is worth going through. Not only that but you get to know a lot of people during the process.

 

[Casey123]

Instead of debating, or proselytizing, I’ll try to answer your question.

The Episcopal Church (if you’re in the US) comes to my mind first, as it’s one I’m most familiar with. It has services similar in form and function to the Catholic mass, except there are big differences and some of those differences touch on what you’re talking about regarding clergy. Here are a handful:

• The clergy have no celibacy rule, and have husbands, wives, and partners.
• Ordains women to all orders of ministry, as priests, deacons, bishops, etc., as well as LGBT folk.
• Bishops and high ranking church members are democratically elected by the laity, instead of by appointment by an international body, such as the Vatican.
• The coffee is stronger than speed, fair warning.

The Lutheran Church (ELCA) also comes to mind, as well as the Methodist Church (UMC), but I do not know to what degree of similarity or dissimilarity to the Catholic Church you’re looking for.

There are also Catholic parishes that may be exactly what you’re looking for and may be, shall we say, more lenient on the rules? Again, without more clarification on your part, it will be a touch difficult to find you information relevant to your question.

If you’re looking to stay within the “Catholic-Similar/Catholic-Lite” spectrum of churches, I would avoid the Baptist/SBC Churches, Assemblies of God, and Pentecostal churches as this would be about as far from Catholic form and function as Earth is from Neptune. When I was travelling the country for work, I had to be more relaxed with my selection of places to worship on Sunday, because I was never in the same place for more than a few days and sometimes it was between, for example, a Baptist Church or nothing at all. I’ve been to a few of their services, and they are very unique (if you go, be prepared for much more “audience participation” than you’re used to), and everyone is very, very friendly; but then again, you’ll find that the parishioners of most any church are a friendly sort.

However, you may encounter more politically charged sermons at these churches, particularly on social issues; I’m not sure what you’re looking for in that realm, but the topics of homosexuality, abortion, the “end times”, and depending on where you go, how the president is allegedly a servant of the devil/is the Anti-Christ/is possessed by demons of darkness may all come up on Sunday morning. So, if you like to avoid stuff like that (as I do), you may want to simply let your GPS recalculate.

Hope this helped. Good luck on your continued journey with God, and I wish you happiness and health, no matter what church you end up calling home.

God’s peace

 

[Adamski]

I can say there where many things I didn’t agree with when I was away from the church. But the more research I did they all made sence.

And the biggest things I couldn’t go without was

1. the Eucharist
2. confession
3. 2000 years of smarter more experienced people than me.

A major thing was when I was in my non denominational church how things developed in a different direction just in the 7 years I was there based on one pastors opinions
I was so relieved when I realized the roman catholic church will never change its morals or theology

 

[PietroPaolo]

This is one thing I do like about the Catholic faith, it’s history.

If you like history then you ought to study the history of Christianity, especially the first centuries. You’ll want to belong to whatever Church Jesus Himself founded, whatever Church teaches the same things and worships in the same way as the first Christians did. Study the early Christians, they will lead you to the truth. Good luck, and have fun

 

[deusnobiscum]

As a convert to the Church myself I think that Purgatory and the Pope are perhaps two of the easiest objections to overcome in one’s search for truth.

Purgatory. The Church has very little official teaching on the subject. I find that people who aren’t super familiar with the topic have a lot of preconceived notions about what it is, primarily that it is a second chance, which of course it isn’t. Purgatory is simply the final purgation of the things that are imperfect in our soul. 1 Corinthians 3:13 speaks about our works being tried by fire, which correlates with quite a few other passages of Scripture that speak figuratively of us being tried by fire like various different metals in order to be purified. The Bible also teaches that there are some sins that can be forgiven after death and some that cannot. Scripture teaches, too, that all will be perfect in heaven. So what happens to a person like me, who if died today lacks a lot of perfection in my soul, but is still in the friendship of God. Upon my death I will undergo the remaining purification of my soul so that I can enter heaven. Whether that happens instantly or over a period of “time” the Church does not teach. Either way there is something that MUST happen between the death of an imperfect Christian and that person entering heaven in a glorified state.

The Pope. I could write forever about the Pope, but there are just a few basic things to remember: first, that Jesus Christ gave the keys of heaven to Peter. He entrusted them to him. After his Resurrection he further instructed Peter to feed his sheep. He specifically singled Peter out. He also told Peter when he gave him the keys that the Church was built upon him and that he had the power to loose and bind, a power also given to the other apostles. Jesus also sent the apostles in the same way that the Father sent Jesus. The apostles act then in persona christi.

Now, Scripture doesn’t record Peter’s death and what happened to the keys afterwards, but it does record what happened after Judas’ death in which the apostles themselves held a small conclave of their own and replaced Judas with Matthias, making him equal to the apostles. Outside of Scripture, the documents of the first Christians testify to the fact that when the apostles die, they are replaced and that at times even more are added (such as Paul). These testimonies point to the fact that other men replaced Peter and were given the powers of the “office” that Peter vacated. This is the same office that Jesus said the Church was built on, which the gates of hell would never overtake (Matthew 18) the same Church that is the pillar of truth (1 Timothy 3). This office has continued to be passed down since then, most recently to Pope Francis. The Church currently rests upon Francis and the gates of hell will not prevail over it. This Church still must be the pillar of truth. These are the promises of Christ.

Of course, people can bring arguments against it, but it is just as good, even better, than any other theories about what Church may be the true Church (and we know that there must be a true Church that fully and only teaches truth via 1 Timothy 3), and it is the only one that has a Scriptural claim of any sort.

If you are really interested in learning what the Church teaches and why what the Church teaches is true, I would suggest reading the Catechism, the full thing, cover to cover. Doing that was the thing that truly opened my eyes to the reality of Christianity and how Catholicism fulfills everything I could ever want my relationship with Jesus to be.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

so far I like what I’ve read about the Methodist church.

Just curious, what is it that you like about the Methodist church?

 

[Batt1eRatt1e]

Just curious, what is it that you like about the Methodist church?

It seems like a Catholic lite version after reading through forums. I just like going and being able to worship the word and not all these formalities.

 

[Miriam1947]

Well, I’m only going to comment on the RCIA topic the OP raised. I have to say, at first I thought RCIA seemed like a long time and it did seem unreasonable. But now that it is over I think it’s the best thing for joining the church. I was born and raised Mormon. One of the worst things I think they do is baptize people after only a few meetings with their missionaries. I see a lot of people who join the Mormons but then fall away because they didn’t know about all the little things. But here in the Catholic church they make sure you have a pretty solid foundation before taking that big step. And now I’ll make a comment on my trip through RCIA. I started going to RCIA December of the 2011-12 session. In late January, even though I was on track for getting baptized on Easter 2012, I came down with Salmonella that took the doctors almost a month to diagnose because of a heart problem. Since I had missed another month, and because I figured I missed three months at the beginning I decided to drop out and come back for the 2012-13 session and now I’m baptized. But it was all worth it. I’m so glad I dropped out because there was so much I missed and even though I read the material it didn’t sink in that well while trying to catch up during that first attempt.

RCIA is worth going through. Not only that but you get to know a lot of people during the process.

Welcome home!!

Is anyone else in your family Catholic? Have you put your conversion story here? I’d love to read it.

 

[Quaesitor]

Welcome home!!

Is anyone else in your family Catholic? Have you put your conversion story here? I’d love to read it.

Thank you! No, no one is Catholic in my family except me now. There was a post a long time ago I’ll link, that does give some of my story: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=9698403#post9698403

As far as the OP’s issues I think you need to hear what Catholics really practice from an faithfully active member of the Roman Catholic church. You don’t ask for legal advice at the dentists office do you, no you go to a lawyer.