I don’t think so, Constantine. I think you are a rare exception. I also know and minister to scores of lapsed Catholics. Most of them leave regarding factors that originate below the waist! I hardly think you situation is common.
I wouldn’t call it rare. My bishop himself was a former Roman Catholic. There are plenty of reasons why people leave. I don’t deny that there are those who leave because of liberalist ideas or plain laziness to know more about the faith. But there are those who leave because they just wasn’t cared for, that no one cared to show them the path. You know what I loved about Orthodoxy? There is that personalism that doesn’t exist in Roman Catholicism these days. Every Sacrament is given to you by name, even common, repeated Sacraments like Communion and Confession. Priests are almost never rotated unless out of extreme necessity, so they stay with the same parish for life. They have a bond with everybody, a real father role for the parishioners. I’ve been to Roman Catholic parishes where I was a parishioner for years, and I’ve never known anyone nor have I carried a conversation with the priest. Sure, people will say, “well, you have to come up and introduce yourself.” Not every person on earth can do that. In fact, once I attended an “orientation” type of gathering where new parishioners are welcomed. And then every ministry and group in the parish try to get you to join them.
Some people do actually end up somewhere else after a sincere pursuit of faith. Or others whom I know who left for dubious reasons, but they grew in their new faith and become quite sincere in their belief.
In that case, it is good you are here to properly represent your self.
I just want people to be fair to us. I know it’s not easy to understand or even love those who have turned their backs on the beliefs you hold. But at the very least, extend Christian charity towards us and be fair, that is all I ask.
No, actually. I would find it equally interesting. In fact, I periodically troll the Orthodox board looking for such threads. I have a tendency to lean East myself.
I’ve given up on Orthodox message boards. I guess the best way to hate your own Church/religion is to join a message board about it. I was hoping to learn more about Orthodoxy but instead ended up with a group of people who’d rather question how Orthodox I am (being a new convert) than take me under their wing and help me grow. I’m thankful I have a priest who is there for me always and be the real icon of Orthodoxy for me.
Yes, and inaccurate as well. Many of them are grossly ignorant about their faith, but I have never met a Catholic, lapsed or faithful, that felt like they could not think for themselves or needed an infallible person to tell them what to believe.
Well, I don’t believe that, but I wanted to drive a point about saying hurtful things about other people.
Well, gossip has to be connected to certain persons. Thread topics entertaining general topics of interest don’t qualify.
I would still say it does. Because it still creates a stereotype, and stereotypes often lead to bigotry.
It seems that you have been very offended by this thread, and have taken some of the posts very personally. I am sorry if anything I wrote was offensive to you. I respect your spiritual journey, especially since I have been observing you work it out over the course of the last two and a half years.
I’m just offended by the generalizations. I am not personally offended. But I am saddened that people enjoy speculating about other people or presuming what they think and feel. I don’t see how this fits into Christ’s commandment to love one another, including our enemies. If people want to learn about why Catholics leave, I offer myself to at least be one case where people can ask questions and learn. But speculating isn’t about learning.
