Why do catholics leave the Catholic Church

[ProVobis]

All that is required is co-operation and participation. I don’t find it surprising that we may be decreasing in numbers as it has been predicted by Popes that we will end up with a much smaller Church.

I’ve wondered about this. Isn’t the current Catholic population counted by baptisms into the Church?

 

[PRmerger]

Hey PRmerger,

You know, your actually talking to an ex alterboy. I was actualy considering pristhood when I was a child. I know the catholic religon well,

I am 100% certain that you do not know Catholic teachings, Kush.

I doubt you could give any answer to this question: where is Scripture in the Mass (without consulting Fr. Google, of course).

Or why we profess Mary to be ever virgin.

No, you cannot say you know Catholic teachings because you were an altar boy.

It’s clear you were poorly catechized.

 

[Brandall]

I’ve wondered about this. Isn’t the current Catholic population counted by baptisms into the Church?

I can’t say for sure about that but a couple of thoughts. Christians from other religions that convert to Catholicism are not required another baptism as long as their baptism was valid. I don’t know what percentage of converts were christian prior to conversion but probably pretty high. Other than that, there are deaths to consider, conversions to other denominations and those that wander away. Again, I’m just speculating but surely the church has a way to estimate a true count.

 

[Brandall]

Sometimes we do the right things for the wrong reasons and sometimes we do the wrong things for the right reasons. While meaning well, it’s good to take a breath from time to time and decide if we’re doing more harm than good.

 

[ljwahn]

While I understand the need for being around like minded folks, I also sometimes feel the community thing is overdone. I do not go to church to see friends, sing Happy Birthday to those with birthdays that week, shake or hold hands with someone next to me and a lot of other practices that distract from the purpose of going to Mass. I go to worship God. I need time to tell Him my troubles, to thank Him for my family, and everything else He has done for me. The community thing is a distraction for me.

 

[adrift]

I am 100% certain that you do not know Catholic teachings, Kush.

I doubt you could give any answer to this question: where is Scripture in the Mass (without consulting Fr. Google, of course).

Or why we profess Mary to be ever virgin.

No, you cannot say you know Catholic teachings because you were an altar boy.

It’s clear you were poorly catechized.

His post #207 clearly demonstrated the truth of you write. There are many who believe that they know the faith just because they attended Church.

 

[PRmerger]

His post #207 clearly demonstrated the truth of you write. There are many who believe that they know the faith just because they attended Church.

:sad_yes:

If I had a penny for every person who thinks that saying, “I was an altar boy for 5 years!” gives hims credibility when he proclaims some sort of ga-ga la-la nonsense about what the Catholic Church purportedly taught him…

I’d be a rich woman.

Being an altar boy, or going to Catholic schools for 12 years, or having an uncle who’s a priest, or knowing the Mass in Latin (that’s another good one I once heard) does not equate to “I am well catechized in the Catholic faith.”

 

[clem456]

:sad_yes:

If I had a penny for every person who thinks that saying, “I was an altar boy for 5 years!” gives hims credibility when he proclaims some sort of ga-ga la-la nonsense about what the Catholic Church purportedly taught him…

I’d be a rich woman.

Being an altar boy, or going to Catholic schools for 12 years, or having an uncle who’s a priest, or knowing the Mass in Latin (that’s another good one I once heard) does not equate to “I am well catechized in the Catholic faith.”

You guys are having quite a discussion about a poster who ran into problems with the Church but is still seeking God…telling him he cannot claim to be a Christian, has no credibility etc…

Ummm…did you notice, the poster is no longer participating in the discussion?

 

[PRmerger]

You guys are having quite a discussion about a poster who ran into problems with the Church but is still seeking God…telling him he cannot claim to be a Christian, has no credibility etc…

I don’t know what post you are referring to which told him he “cannot claim to be a Christian”, clem. Could you please cite that?

Also, saying *he was an altar boy *gives him no credibility, as far as knowledge of Catholic teaching.

His posts speak for himself that he is quite ignorant of his Catholic faith.

Ummm…did you notice, the poster is no longer participating in the discussion?

No matter.

He is welcome to read the posts, and all of us members are free to comment on all open posts on the CAFs.

 

[Peebo]

I remember when I entered the Catholic Church in 1994…I was talking to one of the older parishoners…she said that after Vatican 2 there had been a great decline in the number of Catholics who attended church…to my surprise she said she was glad…because now only those people who truly believe in Jesus Christ and his church attend…which is the way it should be…I couldn’t agree more…as for anyone claiming to know all about the Catholic faith yet still decide they don’t need the church anymore…if you know so much…then you must know that you are turning your back on Jesus Christ by rejecting the Eucharist…there are no protestant churches that have the authority to consecrate the Eucharist…it’s easy to say that you can read the bible and still follow Jesus Christ without some organized church telling you what is right and what is not…since the reformation ther are now something like 30,000 protestant churches ( and growing daily) who also thought they didn’t need the teaching authority of the Catholic Church…they even mock the idea that the Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ…many actually detest the idea of Catholics venerating our Blessed Mother…can you imagine standing before Jesus Christ and saying to him that you thought it repulsive that those Catholics thought your(Jesus’) mother was someone special…I’m sure our Blessed Lord thinks his mother is special.

 

[msokeefe]

It’s also false. Hitler didn’t join the church until he was an adult, and had adperstions of power. He joined the church to gain favor with the masses.

Actually Hitler was an alter boy.in the Catholic Church. Supposedly he took the idea of using the swastika from a version he saw in his parish church. As he grew up, he abandoned the faith.

 

[guanophore]

 I left the Church a good 25 yrs ago.

I did not feel that a human could be infallible by definition of being human.

If that is the case, then you cannot trust the Bible, because it was written by humans. If God did not protect them from error, then it is not the product of the infallible action of the Holy Spirit.

You can’t trust your Baptism, either, because a fallible human being poured the water, and said the words. If the Holy Spirit did not act infallibly to wash your soul, then it was just getting wet.

 I also don't like the idea of priesthood exclusion of females. (congruent sentiment of mine with certain Protestant churches which I never considered)

I don’t think our sentiments have any bearing upon who Jesus chooses to do which duties in His Church. It is not a democracy. Jesus did not take a poll before He chose the 12.

I didn’t and still don’t think it’s a horrible sin to miss Mass because God is everywhere.

There are two issues here. One is that you are not encountering Jesus in the Eucharist. One must ask the question, if Jesus were literally down the street, and asked you to join Him at table, why would you not go? What is more important in your life than meeting Him when He has come to meet you in the breaking of the bread?

The other is a simple matter of obedience. Those who refuse to accept the authority of the Bishops, who have made this canon law, refuse the authority of Christ over themselves.

these are a few reasons for me.

I might return though oddly enough.

I don’t find it odd, and I pray that you will be able to overcome these difficulties so that your soul might find the fullness of Life in Him.

 

[saraih]

I was very close to leaving and it was only the Eucharist that I kept returning for, for what feels like the longest time. All I could see was what seemed like a distaste for the poor and wholesale abandonment of Catholic values in favour of making tacky political bedfellows for the smallest of advantages. Even from the safety of the UK, the US election was a horrifying experience. It brought out the very worst in people and focused us on the wrong things.

I just left the internet instead, and tried hard to only read and be involved in ‘real life’ Catholic issues. I understand better now that there are thousands of people trying every day to help people, not caring about taxes or politics. Letting politics dictate my Catholic conversation had only hurt my faith. Focusing on genuine faith issues for a while helped a lot.

Then Pope Francis came along, and changed the conversation anyway. God bless him. I see many more people talking about humility and poverty than talking about taxes and clergy abuse. Not that clergy abuse shouldn’t be discussed at all. We’re so much more than that though. I have great hope for better discussion and understanding between different kinds of Catholics now. There’s been a bitterness between camps for the longest time. Then along comes the newest Pope, happily being a Franciscan-ish Jesuit all over the place, and so much discussion about the why what and how of it all. It seems to me to be an opportunity for us all to learn and grow in our faith.

If not, the internet has proved easy to walk away from at least

 

[Porknpie]

Nora said

Originally Posted by nora_b
I didn’t and still don’t think it’s a horrible sin to miss Mass because God is everywhere.
There are two issues here. One is that you are not encountering Jesus in the Eucharist. One must ask the question, if Jesus were literally down the street, and asked you to join Him at table, why would you not go? What is more important in your life than meeting Him when He has come to meet you in the breaking of the bread?

Guan said

The other is a simple matter of obedience. Those who refuse to accept the authority of the Bishops, who have made this canon law, refuse the authority of Christ over themselves.

I’ll add that it is also scriptural…the Word of God is to gather on Sunday together. Why be neglectful,why be the one who has a habit of not meeting. Why ignore the Written Word and follow the culture of “I believe differently” ?

Hebrews 10
23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

[Brendan_64]

Maybe they feel Catholicism and the Catholic God - is not the Truth

That is very true. That was one of the reasons that I left the Catholic Church for close to 20 years. That along with what I felt was its oppressive (as in oppressing thought) nature and what I perceived to be an over-emphasis on rituals, going through the motions, and being seen to be doing the ‘right thing’.

I have since returned (for about 6 years now) and my I can say that my faith today is greater than it has ever been at any other time in my life. The nature of the Catholic faith absolutely astounds me to the core of my being. I find it truly awesome.

I have however returned to a Church that I find to be very different (in emphasis, if not in doctrine) to the Church I left 26 years ago. The Church today is a place where I feel I can grow spiritually, the Church I left did not feel like that to me. The Church I left was a Church where you went to Mass, made sure you knelt at all the right times, said your prayers and (without question) did as the Parish Priest said.

Today I can happily go to my Parish Priest and tell him that I disagree with some of the things he is doing (or wants to do) in our Church and Parish. He asks us to be a “thorn in his side” to help keep him on the right path. That would have simply been unthinkable 26 years ago.

 

[Ignatius]

Why do and are catholics leaving the Church and possibily their salvation. Heb. 6:4-8

Continued Blessings,

Pat

Because they do not know what The Church is. No one who truely understands the tremendous gift that they have received would toss it to the curb.

 

[Brendan_64]

Because they do not know what The Church is. No one who truely understands the tremendous gift that they have received would toss it to the curb.

And that is the role of the clergy, to help people realise the enormity of the gift. Many people, particularly the young, will not realise that by themselves. Lecturing and admonishing from the pulpit, focusing on the negative, stressing the need for obedience and demanding people ‘do their duty’, will not help people realise the enormity of the gift that they have been given. Very often it will result in people deciding to turn their backs and walk away.

 

[PJM]

=PRmerger;10557386]I don’t know what post you are referring to which told him he “cannot claim to be a Christian”, clem. Could you please cite that?

Also, saying *he was an altar boy *gives him no credibility, as far as knowledge of Catholic teaching.

His posts speak for himself that he is quite ignorant of his Catholic faith.

No matter.

He is welcome to read the posts, and all of us members are free to comment on all open posts on the CAFs.

If I may interject [Im the OP]

Having been extreemly active in teaching our Catholic Faith for more than 20 years at leveals from grades 4 through Hs; Adualt eucation and RCIA; I can attest [as this FORUM proves daily] that their ARE far fewer educated Catholics than under-eduatd ones.

A LACK of CHRISTAIN charity is counter productive.

Know our faith

Live our Faith

Share it Factually with clarity; charity and evidence to others too can KNOW and live it.

That my friends is the goal of CAF.

Our GOAL is to aid SOULS seeking help. ALL SOULS

Please be mindful of this fact and mission.

Correct with charity and facts.

God Bless you and THANKS!
pat/PJM

 

[PRmerger]

If I may interject [Im the OP]

Having been extreemly active in teaching our Catholic Faith for more than 20 years at leveals from grades 4 through Hs; Adualt eucation and RCIA; I can attest [as this FORUM proves daily] that their ARE far fewer educated Catholics than under-eduatd ones.

A LACK of CHRISTAIN charity is counter productive.

Know our faith

Live our Faith

Share it Factually with clarity; charity and evidence to others too can KNOW and live it.

That my friends is the goal of CAF.

Our GOAL is to aid SOULS seeking help. ALL SOULS

Please be mindful of this fact and mission.

Correct with charity and facts.

God Bless you and THANKS!
pat/PJM

If you are referring to my statement that being an altar boy gives him no credibility regarding knowledge of his Catholic faith as being uncharitable, I must respectfully say that there is nothing whatsoever uncharitable about that.

If you are referring to my statement that he was ignorant of his Catholic faith as being uncharitable, I must respectfully say that there is nothing uncharitable whatsoever about declaring him to be ignorant.

Is there anything unfactual about my comments?

So I am confused as to what you are directing this mandate to correct with charity and facts.

 

[nora_b]

If that is the case, then you cannot trust the Bible, because it was written by humans. If God did not protect them from error, then it is not the product of the infallible action of the Holy Spirit.

You can’t trust your Baptism, either, because a fallible human being poured the water, and said the words. If the Holy Spirit did not act infallibly to wash your soul, then it was just getting wet.

A valid point about baptism. I’ll have to ponder over that one. Agreed that all of us are in fact fallible human beings so a fallible priest did administer my Baptism perhaps.

I do thank you for your prayer on this. I say odd only because it dismays and I dare say, irritates me that the Church I think about returning to does not accept me in full standing without huge barriers for my full participation. I am divorced and remarried neither of course in a Catholic ceremony but because the Church considers me Catholic even if I declared myself a non Catholic at those marriages, it does not matter and it is massive hoop jumping time and dealing with what I consider Church legalities, emphasis on the word legal where I feel I would be on trial, considered guilty when the issues surrounding my background what all has led to this point are very nuanced; many factors and fragments. I opted to leave the Church based on background issues way too long to discuss here. --I have been extremely CLOSED to considering coming back to the Church due to knowing I am relegated an inferior status at present, etc. Odd because it’s almost (for lack of better desciption) like a moth to a flame that I consider coming back.