Why do people leave the Catholic Church?

[mark_a]

Bob there is only one truth and that is Christ died for our sins. I don’t consider a truth to be transubstantiation for instance. That’s an improper definition applied to the Lord’s supper.

How 'bout those pesky moral teachings that the Catholic Church (along with just a few also-rans) refuses to cave in about even though there is enormous cultural pressure to do so? Denying transubstantiation or papal infallibility or teachings about Mary don’t necessarily let Protestantism off the hook for turning a blind eye toward or downright endorsing moral depravity.

To the op:

Almost everyone who is ignorant or indifferent of their faith invariably finds himself in a crisis in their life where they need God.

Catholics, instead of placing blame on themselves for their lack of knowledge and faith, blame it on the Church.

There are plenty of anti-Catholic “Christians”, many of whom are ex-Catholics, who are more than willing to “help” this person out of the Catholic Church.

But I know from these forums that many of these fallen-away Catholics, once they see what these other denoms are really all about, come back home.

 

[Marsha_Adams]

Are you saying there’s no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church??

If JHCooper isn’t, I will. There is no salvation outside the Church. Of course, that isn’t original with me, several Popes have said it before me, including the Holy Father Benedict XVI. Not the Roman Catholic Church (more correctly termed the Latin Rite Catholic Church), but the Catholic Church which includes several rites.

 

[NDfan]

How 'bout those pesky moral teachings that the Catholic Church (along with just a few also-rans) refuses to cave in about even though there is enormous cultural pressure to do so? Denying transubstantiation or papal infallibility or teachings about Mary don’t necessarily let Protestantism off the hook for turning a blind eye toward or downright endorsing moral depravity.

Moral depravity?? Do you care to clarify your statement here?

To the op:

Almost everyone who is ignorant or indifferent of their faith invariably finds himself in a crisis in their life where they need God.

Catholics, instead of placing blame on themselves for their lack of knowledge and faith, blame it on the Church.

There are plenty of anti-Catholic “Christians”, many of whom are ex-Catholics, who are more than willing to “help” this person out of the Catholic Church.

But I know from these forums that many of these fallen-away Catholics, once they see what these other denoms are really all about, come back home.

I never personally try to help anyone out of the Catholic church. They can do that on their own if they wish. I think your statements are obvious generalizations that have no foundation. I don’t see my church as having demons. GOD led me to this church so you may want to re-consider calling GOD a demon.

 

[NDfan]

If JHCooper isn’t, I will. There is no salvation outside the Church. Of course, that isn’t original with me, several Popes have said it before me, including the Holy Father Benedict XVI. Not the Roman Catholic Church (more correctly termed the Latin Rite Catholic Church), but the Catholic Church which includes several rites.

Then you don’t know what Benedict said because he never said this nor is it the official position of the church. Just goes to show that it doesn’t matter what previous popes may say. The church doesn’t hold their position. Perhaps you may want to re-examine the Catechism.

 

[Cluny]

People leave Protestant and especially pop-evangelical churches, too.

Did you know that?

 

[estesbob]

Are you saying there’s no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church??

Corect-btu that does not mean one has to be a member of the Catholic Church. you can not seperate Christ from his Church.

 

[NDfan]

Corect-btu that does not mean one has to be a member of the Catholic Church. you can not seperate Christ from his Church.

Well Bob according to the Catholic Church members of other Christian churches who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are in a certain, though imperfect, union with the Catholic Church. Hence they have salvation.

 

[SSTeacher]

People leave Protestant and especially pop-evangelical churches, too.

Did you know that?

Yes.

Perceptively,
Mick

 

[SSTeacher]

I’ve met pastors who have dedicated their lives to a service to Christ and are not Roman Catholic. If you talk with any of them and hear of their stories you’ll never convince me that GOD is not calling and leading them.

I’ve met such pastors, too. They may be doctrinally incorrect from a Catholic perspective but when men (and women) can be observed putting themselves last and even considering others better than themselves it would seem quite reasonable to attribute such unnatural and unworldly behavior to the Holy Spirit. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

Ecumenically
Mick

 

[SSTeacher]

NDfan;4836927:

Are you saying there’s no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church??

If JHCooper isn’t, I will. There is no salvation outside the Church. Of course, that isn’t original with me, several Popes have said it before me, including the Holy Father Benedict XVI. Not the Roman Catholic Church (more correctly termed the Latin Rite Catholic Church), but the Catholic Church which includes several rites.

I had thought the Catholic Church taught that God judged everyone according to their lights. It does seem wise to defer to the Lord in this matter of salvation, don’t you think?

Cautiously,
Mick

 

[estesbob]

Well Bob according to the Catholic Church members of other Christian churches who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are in a certain, though imperfect, union with the Catholic Church. Hence they have salvation.

Actually they dont even have to be Christian.

 

[Pug]

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

Some people grew up Catholic but never connected with it, other than as some place they got taken by their parents. Perhaps they don’t believe in God, or when they finally do connect with something, it isn’t at mass. If you never come to love God or to thirst for the water without cost (and see Jesus as the answer to your thirst, of course), what would be the point of the whole thing? Or, maybe when they did want to get involved, they encountered an obstacle of some sort, so they eventually found somewhere else to get involved (fill in the blank for the obstacle, but remarriage could be one). Another possibility is coming to hold beliefs that don’t seem to fit with being Catholic. There are plenty of beliefs one can have that would do that. One example would be to come to believe that the Church is the Whore of Babylon, but I don’t think that one is all that common.

Scandal is also a possibility, but I don’t know if it typically operates in isolation from other causes. I would *guess *that it would not, unless it is on a large scale (from many different people).

 

[po18guy]

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…etc

You were not a Catholic, then. You neither knew Catholic teaching, nor did you follow Catholic practice. If you are telling the truth, then someone taught you horribly. Did you report the person who taught you such blasphemous practices? If not, does it worry you that other souls might be lost because of your inaction?

 

[Marsha_Adams]

Then you don’t know what Benedict said because he never said this nor is it the official position of the church. Just goes to show that it doesn’t matter what previous popes may say. The church doesn’t hold their position. Perhaps you may want to re-examine the Catechism.

Benedict signed Dominus Iesus as Cardinal Ratzinger. That letter reiterates the ancient dogma of “no salvation outside the Church.” Can a non-Catholic be saved, of course, but only because the Church is a sacrament of salvation to the world and most Protestant denominations share to some extent in the Church’s teachings.

 

[Peter_J]

I’ve never left the Catholic Church. I was actually raised Protestant, and I am thinking very seriously about entering the Catholic Church. Here are a few things I’ve observed, however:

-They find mass boring, and perhaps after visiting a more upbeat Protestant service with a friend, they begin attending a Protestant church. In this new church, there is more emphasis on dynamic preaching, the music is modern and exciting, and doctrines are simplified. There is also usually a clear connection between the biblical text and the sermon. This is not always the case in a Catholic church, where the sermon/homily might have nothing to do with the Scripture readings for the day.

-Protestantism tends to demand less from people. They are not required to fast, and their works play little to no work in their salvation.

-They can use contraception freely, so long as they are married.

-They can generally remarry after divorce.

-At some point in their past, a priest or nun was mean to them, and they are unwilling to forgive and move on with their lives.

-They are upset about the priest sex scandal and no longer feel that they can support the Church by being a part of it.

-They don’t know how to defend their faith, and when challenged by Bible-smart Protestants, they are easily convinced that the Catholic Church is wrong about any number of things.

-They encounter Protestants who are serious about their relationship with God, who love to read the Scriptures, who have great joy in their lives, and who show great kindness to others. They contrast this with some of their fellow Catholics, who seem to be just going through the motions at mass and who live like non-Christians during the week.

Hi Iambic Pen,

That a great list. The only thing I would like to point out is, I think most of those reasons cut both ways.

• For example, someone might head away from the Catholic Church because they don’t find the mass to be engaging, or they might head towards the Catholic Church because they don’t find their old Protestant service engaging.
• Someone might be looking for a less-demanding denomination, or they be looking for one that is more-demanding. Similarly, they might be looking for a denomination that more lenient on divorce, or they be looking for one that is stricter on divorce. Similarly with fasting and contraception.
• Someone might be scandalized by something in Catholicism; someone else might be scandalized by something Protestantism.
• Someone might meet smart Protestants and become convinced that Catholicism is in error. Someone else might meet smart Catholics and become convinced that Protestantism is in error. (I took the liberty of changing “bible-smart” to “smart”.)
• Someone might meet Protestants who have a great relationship with the Lord. Someone else might meet Catholics who have a great relationship with the Lord.

etc. Did I miss any?

P.S. I guess I did miss one: Someone might leave Catholicism because a priest or nun was mean to them; someone else might leave Protestantism because another Protestant (a minister or whoever) was mean to them.

Did I miss any others?

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

I’ve met such pastors, too. They may be doctrinally incorrect from a Catholic perspective but when men (and women) can be observed putting themselves last and even considering others better than themselves it would seem quite reasonable to attribute such unnatural and unworldly behavior to the Holy Spirit. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

Ecumenically
Mick

Speaking to this point, the Sheep, in the parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matt 25, didn’t even know they were serving Jesus. They were simply following his commandments.

 

[wisdomseeker]

over all my opinion is that is due to so many opposition to the CC.
many Catholics were never educated in their faith, so when they heard things against the Church such as chick tracks, many simply believed and left the Church and that is why we see so many speaking against the CC. this is to me the main reason. specially after VII council, when Catholics were never prepared for what was to come.

:byzsoc:

 

[JustHuman]

I think that most people leave Catholicism for the same reason others convert to it. They no longer believe their former worldview is the best representation of reality.

I left the Catholic Church because (over time), I came to conclude that there was no compelling evidence for a personal God, survival after death, or the historical credibility of the gospels, etc. I think it’s a bit unfair to suggest people only leave this religion because their lifestyle conflicts with doctrine.

 

[Among_Strangers]

Why do people leave the Catholic Church?

Because the sacristan is turning off the lights and trying to lock up.

 

[Adama]

I offer a quote that I believe is from Fulton Sheen. Most people don’t leave the Catholic Church. They leave what THEY THINK is the Catholic Church.