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SSTeacher
Guest
Do you think people generally leave Catholicism for reasons of conscience or simply because they aren’t much interested in spiritual matters of any kind?
Curiously,
Mick
Curiously,
Mick
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Mirdath
Guest
There are many answers to that question. Some leave Catholicism out of intellectual laziness (some, I might add, embrace it for the same reason); some leave it because other pastures look greener or easier to deal with; some leave it because of the faults of Catholics themselves, not least the priests involved in the abuse scandals; some leave it because they find another faith truer to humanity’s striving towards the divine; and some leave it because they have no faith at all. And that’s only a few of the possible reasons, although I think they’re the most common. I myself fall into the last category.
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1ke
Guest
There are as many answers as there are people.Do you think people generally leave Catholicism for reasons of conscience or simply because they aren’t much interested in spiritual matters of any kind?
Curiously,
Mick
Painting with broad brushstrokes, I find *many *leave over a teaching of the Church which they personally want to engage in-- most commonly the Church’s teaching on divorce & remarriage and contraception as well as other sexual sins.
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Blade_and_Blood
Guest
Some fall out because they aren’t serious about it; others fall out because they don’t agree with it, therefore not enlightened or satisfied with the teachings they receive; a precious few fall out because they have become even *more *spiritual, so they seek enlightenment elsewhere… where they usually find it.Do you think people generally leave Catholicism for reasons of conscience or simply because they aren’t much interested in spiritual matters of any kind?
Curiously,
Mick
Remember: There is a bold line between the religious and the spiritual.
It’s probably more complex than that, but that’s the simplest way I can get it to you.
This goes for any religion, by the way.Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood
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DD2007
Guest
I left for many reasons. What got the ball rolling was that I realized that I was involved in idolatry. Praying to Mary and the saints. Getting on my knees in front of statues…etcDo you think people generally leave Catholicism for reasons of conscience or simply because they aren’t much interested in spiritual matters of any kind?
Curiously,
Mick
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Roman_Catholic_1
Guest
I would hope that the reason people leave (and I pray that they don’t) would be for the same reason that people would convert to the faith. Over what they believe to be truth.
Any other reason than that is really just inadequate in my opinion.
God bless
Any other reason than that is really just inadequate in my opinion.
God bless
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FickleFreckled
Guest
Most of the people I knew who left over the divorce / remarriage issue have trickled back, sought annulments, etc. A couple of friends converted to Protestant denominations to be able to worship with their spouses, who wouldn’t convert to Catholicism. I left in large part because of the way God was presented to me as a child but eventually came back, preferring to struggle with the issues as a Catholic rather than outside the Church.
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LDNCatholic
Guest
Here you state this as if it is fact. It is not.
As other posters have said, there are numerous answers for that question, likely as many as the number who have left.
Speaking from experience I have not met many who have left the faith for intellectual or spiritual reasons (one or two who have left to become Protestants), mainly they either fall away because they find the rules hard, or think that the rules don’t apply to them. Quite a few I know left because they simply didn’t believe in God.
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Mirdath
Guest
Wouldn’t that count as an ‘intellectual or spiritual reason’?
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MugenOne
Guest
Catholic Church= too much rules and regulations. Who says carrying Christ’s cross is easy?
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Ame
Guest
In the 1980’s, in the small town where I grew up, many people left the Catholic church for one huge reason. A non-denominational “mega church” was developed in our community and it was “popular” to go there. From children to adults, everyone who attended the “mega church” shared their experience throughout the community. The “mega church” had a rock band and the preacher was the best motivational-speaker ever and they always seemed like they had so much fun at the “mega church.” People started to feel sorry if you were still going to that boring Catholic church when you could be having so much fun at the “mega church.” Presently, the “mega church” has expanded. It now includes huge roaring fountains at the entrance, a bookstore, and a coffee house (from what I’ve read in the newspapers).
I have never set foot in the “mega church” and I never will. Most of those people that left our little boring Catholic church in the 1980’s have made their back home from the “mega church.”
I have never set foot in the “mega church” and I never will. Most of those people that left our little boring Catholic church in the 1980’s have made their back home from the “mega church.”
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allhers
Guest
…and some leave because they have no idea WHO they are leaving and believe lies like this.
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LDNCatholic
Guest
Actually yes I suppose it would. My mistake
I guess what I meant was that I know very few people who have left Catholicism for another spiritual system. Didn’t mean to offend.
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Marsha_Adams
Guest
You may not know many people who have left Catholicism for another spiritual system, but the Seventh Day Adventist denomination collects Catholic converts by the thousands every year. In fact the SDAs prize Catholic converts above any others.Actually yes I suppose it would. My mistake
I guess what I meant was that I know very few people who have left Catholicism for another spiritual system. Didn’t mean to offend.
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LDNCatholic
Guest
Luckily the Adventists are few in number and not very strong with the coversions here in the UK. I do not doubt that many convert to different religions, I was just pointing out that in my experience I have only met two.
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CHESTERTONRULES
Guest
Poor catechesis.Do you think people generally leave Catholicism for reasons of conscience or simply because they aren’t much interested in spiritual matters of any kind?
Curiously,
Mick
Guilt or rebellion.
Boredom resulting from poor catechesis.
I’m a convert to Catholicism, by the way, from a fundamentalist/charismatic/methodist upbringing.
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Hesychios
Guest
In the Chicago area probably 60% (I’m guessing, but it’s a significant percentage) of the people over 40 years old were raised as Roman Catholics. Many of these had at least eight years of Catholic parish school.
It just seems to me that too many of these became non-practicing. I do not think that most initially jump to another church, they more often than not just drift away (especially easy in a large parish). I am only speaking from my exposure to these cases in suburban Chicagoland since I was young. I don’t have data to back this up, no scientific research involved.
Considering the high rate of divorces, I think that has had a devastating effect. For some reason a lot of these cases become disconnected from the church, they are no longer spiritually fed and the children do not go to church if a parent does not see to it. Children then often become very skeptical of religion.
A fair number of these drifting types become attracted to other religions eventually. Perhaps not permanently, but for a few years at least (some types of church, like the JW for example, have a high turnover rate). Often these people will identify themselves as former Catholics, but they quite often had not practiced in years.
My case was different, I am basically trying to illustrate what I have seen as the most common examples.
Michael
It just seems to me that too many of these became non-practicing. I do not think that most initially jump to another church, they more often than not just drift away (especially easy in a large parish). I am only speaking from my exposure to these cases in suburban Chicagoland since I was young. I don’t have data to back this up, no scientific research involved.
Considering the high rate of divorces, I think that has had a devastating effect. For some reason a lot of these cases become disconnected from the church, they are no longer spiritually fed and the children do not go to church if a parent does not see to it. Children then often become very skeptical of religion.
A fair number of these drifting types become attracted to other religions eventually. Perhaps not permanently, but for a few years at least (some types of church, like the JW for example, have a high turnover rate). Often these people will identify themselves as former Catholics, but they quite often had not practiced in years.
My case was different, I am basically trying to illustrate what I have seen as the most common examples.
Michael
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Blade_and_Blood
Guest
Yes, but there are more Catholics than there are the number of Catholics converting the Protestant church.
But thanks for pointing out another reason: personal interest.
Kudos!
Ironically Yours.
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cheese_sdc
Guest
Good answer. If a person cannot believe in the truths Catholicism teaches, let them go else to find Truth.
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