Thou shalt not bear false witness.
I’m telling others why others…including myself early in my 20s left the Church.
If you went though that experience, then you can speak for yourself, not others. Your reason is not the same as mine. I’m happy for you that you that you have found your path to God. But I feel the same way about Orthodoxy. I believe the truth is here and I believe there is infinite growth here (as with our doctrine on Theosis). So when you say, “they stop struggling to build an interior life with God,” who’s “they”? Certainly not me.
No. I’ve talked to scores of reverts and converts. Haven’t run across a substantial difference in this respect. There are superficial differences…but the substantial factor is interior life. No love affair with Jesus Christ.
Amen!
Well, I might ask, “Why is it your business why I care if people leave the Catholic Church?”
It’s as good speculating on this as it is to speculate on why husbands leave their wives, mothers leave their children, mothers abort their children, bosses cheat their employees, brothers betray their brothers…
I don’t see it that way. I enjoy the discourse and the well-reasoned insights that have been presented. I have enjoyed this thread very much.
Because you are talking about people like me. When you are not talking about people like me then it is none of my business. But because you are, and you are misrepresenting me, then it is my business.
Doesn’t change the fact that gossip is sin. Like I said, if you want real answers, then take it from people like me. Don’t offer speculation on a situation you have never been in. Or if you have been in that situation, don’t speak as if your experience applies to everyone else.
Well, herein lies the problem. We’re not talking about you at all.
But you are. This thread paints a very negative picture about people like me. That is why I am here and that is why I am voicing my concern. Look, fact is, I left the Catholic Church. And according to this thread, it is because I am a liberal who is too lazy to learn the facts and wants to be in a place that condones my sins and liberal ideas. Now please explain to me why I shouldn’t be offended by that?
No. The topic is about people who left the Catholic Church. It’s like your talking about black slavery and a black man approaches you offended and you say, “are you a slave right now? No? Then you shouldn’t be offended because we’re not talking about you.”And here’s the solution: you can dismiss all the talking that isn’t a description of you.
Like when there are posts describing doughy, pasty white Protestant men, I know it doesn’t apply to me.
If it’s not describing you, then… we’re not talking about you.
This is similar to my asking at a birthday party, “Seriously, why are you even defending arson?” when the mommy is doing this innocent act:
Is this something that describes you, Constantine?
Or is this a description of you?
What about this sentiment? Is it expressive of yours?
If not, then…
God loves you
When you are a bit worried about something, just pray. It always helps me 
As a parent I am concerned about my children, all of them now adults, and half of them no longer go to church- any church. It is not wrong for me as their mother to wonder why they left. I have some ideas of what the circumstance were for four of them, but I am having a difficult time understanding the difficulties that my oldest is going through. It is a matter of concern why some may wonder why people have left the Church. I do not see the OP’s question as a personal attack against you, **ConstantineTC **or anyone.There have been several people on this thread who shared with us some idea of why they left the church at one time and have returned. And you certainly should be free to post your reasons. But I do not believe that you are being fair in your post by saying, “… according to this thread, it is because I am a liberal who is too lazy to learn the facts and wants to be in a place that condones my sins and liberal ideas.”
'zactly.
It is not prideful triumphalism for me, Constantine, or speculation. I used to be one of those liberal idiots. I was away from the faith for over 20 years. All the factors mentioned above were quite relevant in my case.
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.
In that case, it is good you are here to properly represent your self.
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.
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, gossip has to be connected to certain persons. Thread topics entertaining general topics of interest don’t qualify.
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.
Indeed. And from my experience I’ve seen a lot of people leave because they want to marry someone that the Church has denied them…so they go to the neighboring church which will marry them. :sad_yes:
