Why Do People Leave The Catholic Church?

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People leave the catholic faith - because they do not KNOW it.

Going back to the catechism…

Why did God make you?
God made me to KNOW Him, LOVE Him, and SERVE Him in this world - and to be forever happy with him in the next.

How can we love something that we do not KNOW?

Learn the faith, do not leave it…
 
They want a religion that accepts divorce.
They want a religion that doesn’t tell them to have children.
They want a religion that makes them feel warm and fuzzy.
They want a religion that says they can have as many wives as
they want.
They want a religion that says if they are wealthy they are the
best.
They want a religion that says they are as great as God.
They want a religion that puts women down.

I think you get the idea. Perhaps you can add more.

:eek:
 
they want a religion where they find Jesus.

some people, as peter kreeft says, have to leave the catholic church to find Jesus, unfortunately, because their local parish, although Jesus is present, is not teaching them about Him in a way that they can accept.

the fullness of truth is found in the catholic church. every mass - you can find Jesus there. but we catholics can do a pretty lousy job of pointing to Him sometimes (i mean, we ARE human, after all), and so those who genuinely want to know Him go looking far and wide to find Him.

then realize (hopefully) that He was at home the whole time.
 
They don’t want heaven… maybe… or are just too wimpy to realize that Catholicism is correct and they aren’t

God Bless–JMJ
Laura 🙂
 
Originally Quoted by jeffreedy789:

they want a religion where they find Jesus.
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This is very much true. I remember in reading Sr. Briege McKenna’s best-selling book, Miracles Do Happen, a story in which she describes how many Mexican Catholics left a Catholic mission in favor of an evangelical one because they found Jesus in the latter and not in the former.
Originally Quoted by AnnaRose:

They want a religion that accepts divorce.
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I’m not sure if people change religions for the purposes of divorce, but the Catholic teaching on divorce probably does keep some married couples away from the Church. Also, you have to keep in mind that Jesus does allow for divorce in the sole case of marital infidelity. So a church that teaches limited divorce has a Scriptural basis.
They want a religion that says they can have as many wives as
they want.
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I suppose that’s why everyone is converting to Islam 😛
They want a religion that says if they are wealthy they are the
best.
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Are you referring to some of the Pentecostal churches that have a “prosperity” teaching?
They want a religion that says they are as great as God.
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Secular humanism?
They want a religion that puts women down.
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And which religion is that???

I think occasionally people change religions because they believe their conscience tells them that it is God’s will to do so.
 
First I think they may have a problem with and one or more of Church policies, birth control policies of the Church, the Church’s pro-life versus the popular cultures pro choice stance, being required to go to mass every week, obeying Church dogmas, etc

Second, I think the see so much criticism about the Church and they start to believe some of this non-sense. They see that the Church does not emphasize scriptures as much as protestant sects.

They are impressed with Bible quoting ministers and members, or they are unable to defend their belief because they are not aware of the scriptural backing or historical background.

They start to believe the Bible only half truths, and ignore the traditions and Chruch Councils that developed Church doctrine.

Being Catholic is not easy, we are required to do so much more, fasting, praying, abstinince, charity. It is much simpler to just say “I believe in Jesus”, and forget about the alms giving and good works.

You can save a lot of money by not giving to the Church or the poor. (you may end up in H***, but that does seem to matter to them. 🙂

And last, the temptations of the world are too much for them to give up. The pursuit of money, power and pleasure (and maybe even drugs or alchohol) overtakes their sense of duty to God and humankind.

There must be 50 ways (probably a whole lot more) or reasons (excuses) to leave the Church, none or them good or appropriate and none them can ever override the main reason for staying. Jesus and His Chruch holds the keys to eternal life, where can we turn if we leave Him or His Church.

wc
 
There must be 50 ways (probably a whole lot more) or reasons (excuses) to leave the Church, none or them good or appropriate and none them can ever override the main reason for staying. Jesus and His Chruch holds the keys to eternal life, where can we turn if we leave Him or His Church.
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wc

Yes, what was the old quote, “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt?” John Henry Cardinal Newman, I believe.
 
I have never lapsed over a period of years,but i have lapsed for a matter of months,mainly due to clinical depression.I hated my job
and i felt guilty about that as there were people who were unemployed.
Sometimes people have a problem with a particular temptation when they are down in the dumps and they feel they cannot honestly go to Confession and make a firm purpose of amendment.Consequently,they cannot receive Communion and so they feel miserable when everyone else is going to Communion and they cannot.So,the next step is they miss Mass
altogether.
Kindness and prayer bring people back.Fortunately,i did get that,though there have been one or two i wanted to punch.I remember a psychiatrist speaking on TV about how people with schizophrenia had a bad Press,that a depressed person was just as likely to be violent.
 
They want a religion that shows reverence to God.
They want a religion that where they can feel the presence of God
They want a religion that makes them feel God’s grace.
They want a religion that doesn’t suffer from changes due to the “changing times” or the whims of of a parish, or bishop.
They want a religion where they are fed spiritually.
They want a religion where their church feels like a truly holy place.
They want a religion where they can trust those spiritual leaders set above them,. even with their children.
They want a religion where the spiritual leaders are not usurped by over enthusiastic members of the laity.

Unfortunately most of this has been lost in the modernist catholic churches and so since they are no longer being fed spiritually and they end up looking for what they are missing in the church. Remove the modernism, bring back the reverence and you will rebuild the church.

.
 
Here are some.
  1. Sex abuse scandal: many bishops and priests used their clerical positions to take advantage of people. This created distrust of pastors and bishops alike and as a result many people had their faith shaken
  2. Liturgical and missalete abuse: many parishes do liturgical expirementation and use inclusive language in our missaletes, many parisheners deeply offended left the church and joined right wing protestant circles in SSPX, and other protestant churches.
  3. Dissent: givent the liberalism that sprang loose from Vatican II documents, many people have wrong idea of what the second Vatican council was about. Come to think of it, most people haven’t even read Vatican II. The rise of anarchy began to take shape. People got the impression that what was once immoral is now okay, and what was once forbidden is now no longer forbidden. When Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae came out, this document alienated many bishops and priests alike. I have not heard this document even mentioned in church at all! Catechesis non existant! What happened to qouting the church fathers? I vote for catechesis during homilies.
  4. Morals: Lack of respect for the blessed sacrament many people take communion in a serious state of sin and commit a sacrilege. 90% of people today use birth-control. 50% of people disagree with the church on abortion, homosexuality ect. The Pope has reiterated the teachings of these issues many times in his encylical letters and many of our bishops and priests and parisheners continually ignore it! People marrying out of wedlock. If a priest even mentions the word abortion or divorce, the people will act as though they are being threatened! Father Corapi explained that at a bishops conference in Mexico he told the bishops that they were the problem!
Pray, pray, and pray!

Padre Pio “The Rosary is the weapon.”
 
Madaglan,

AnnaRose says that people who leave the Church “want a religion that puts women down.”

You in response ask, “And which religion is that???”
Answer: Very, very subtly, any religion which says that ABC is OK.

Divorce boomed as use of contraceptives boomed as The Pill immensely popularized birth control psychology.

Isn’t that interesting? Supposedly, one of the benefits of The Pill was that it would create marital Utopia. No pressure from kids. More time for the couple to focus on one another. More sex to really, really bond the couple strongly, like cement!

But, as well all know, precisely, exactly the opposite occurred.

Wha’ hoppened???

Suggestion: Men by-and-large are the relational pursuers, saying, “I can’t get enough!” Women, by-and-large, are the relational “pursuees,” giving-in to the men.

Could it be that women using ABC recognize, deep, deep in their hearts, that they are disabling and killing a feature of their physiology and sexual identity, their fertlity, to keep the man happy, to maximize the man’s access to “risk-free nookie,” and so to that extent institutionalized ABC is institutionalized using of women?

Could it be that that is producing a great deal of subtle anger, which explodes into the open as marital discord?

I think that AnnaRose is correct.
 
Unfortunately most of this has been lost in the modernist catholic churches and so since they are no longer being fed spiritually and they end up looking for what they are missing in the church. Remove the modernism, bring back the reverence and you will rebuild the church
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what’s modernism?
 
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tradcatmel:
People leave the catholic faith - because they do not KNOW it.
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Whether poorly taught or just not pursuing answers, the result is the same.
NUMBER 1 reason=ignorance.
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jeffreedy789:
some people, as peter kreeft says, have to leave the catholic church to find Jesus
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This ties into the first, not knowing their faith. Someone presents a simple bible teaching and they suddenly wake up. Marring a non-Catholic, they compromise as one church is the same as the other.
NUMBER 2 reason=persuation.
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AnnaRose:
They want a religion that accepts divorce.
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Or having divorced and remarried, they think the Church abandoned them. Seeing evil doings of Church memebers, how can this church be true. Perhaps a priest or parish member has critisized them, real or immagined, and they are hurt.
NUMBER 3 reason=delusion.

This is the experience of my observations over the last 50 years, and has been seen as the most common reasons (excuses).

Kotton :cool:
 
👋 To say that people don’t know the Catholic faith is being a bit harsh. I know people who knew Catholicism in a great way( former sisters, Nuns, Priests ) and they are no longer Catholics. Not everyone left for freedom to divorce, take birth control, to marry among other things.

Many left because their souls wanted to find its true home. That was one of the reasons that I left. I am now a Jew in the Conservative movement of Judaism. I know former Sisters, Nuns, Priests who are also now Jewish. You really have to be careful of how you answer and view that question. People do not leave for stupid or simple reasons. I wasn’t marrying a Jewish man. I became a Jew because I found that Judaism was where my soul was at home and it has been the greatest comfort/learning imaginable. I love learning about all aspects of Judaism. I have no problems with keeping kosher( which fosters holiness) or any other aspects of Judaism. I run into former Catholics who are now Jews quite often. I also know some who are now Muslims.

People leave for many reasons. Catholicism nor did Christianity satisfied or helped me to be a better person or to know G-D. But that is me. I can’t speak for others.

Sincerely,
Bat-Ami
 
The reason why I left was quite simple. A priest with a personal agenda that had nothing to do with Catholicism. This priest asked for honest feedback about the confirmation program from students, and when he got it, he refused to confirm my sister. Then when he discovered that my mother was leaving the Church over this, he told my sister that he would only confirm her if she could make her mother come back to church. My entire family left immediately. We attended a different parish in town for a while, but left for good shortly before my own confirmation.

I’m fully aware that priests are only human and they are just as sinful as anyone else, but when you place your trust in someone who stomps all over you, it is very difficult to forgive. Priests do have incredible power within their parish, and not all use that power to help their people.

Now, I will say that my sister returned to the Church only a short time after all this happened, and I returned myself this year (13 or so years after this incident). It’s been a rough road coming back, but it’s getting easier.

Just remember that not everyone leaves because Catholicism is too hard, some of us leave because of Catholics.
 
Bat-Ami said:
👋 To say that people don’t know the Catholic faith is being a bit harsh. I know people who knew Catholicism in a great way( former sisters, Nuns, Priests ) and they are no longer Catholics. Not everyone left for freedom to divorce, take birth control, to marry among other things.

Many left because their souls wanted to find its true home. That was one of the reasons that I left. I am now a Jew in the Conservative movement of Judaism. I know former Sisters, Nuns, Priests who are also now Jewish. You really have to be careful of how you answer and view that question. People do not leave for stupid or simple reasons. I wasn’t marrying a Jewish man. I became a Jew because I found that Judaism was where my soul was at home and it has been the greatest comfort/learning imaginable. I love learning about all aspects of Judaism. I have no problems with keeping kosher( which fosters holiness) or any other aspects of Judaism. I run into former Catholics who are now Jews quite often. I also know some who are now Muslims.

People leave for many reasons. Catholicism nor did Christianity satisfied or helped me to be a better person or to know G-D. But that is me. I can’t speak for others.

Sincerely,
Bat-Ami
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People may leave for many reasons, but it has been my observation (as with many writers here, apparently) that these people tend to have certain issues bothering them. Moveover, they tend not to be able to describe why the Church teaches and believes those things they disagree with. They just know they disagree.

That may not be the case for you, or for certain individuals, but it is often true, and I believe, USUALLY true.

Peace.
John
 
I left the Church because of ignorance, what is interesting is after you leave you become an expert in Catholicism.

I have heard, seen it time and time again, people leaving the Church who go on Sunday, most or some of the time. Then when they are in a new church they were a “good Catholic” but didn’t get anything out of it.
Sometimes it does take a new environment to liven the spirit and some people find that in a new church. I know when I have gotten a new job I suddenly am renewed, can work longer and contribute more.
Going to other churches for me did that, but anti-catholicism brought me back as I doubted all the crazy things people said. A few months of investigation started to bring me back into the Church. You can’t argue with the truth.
 
An interesting answer, for those who left, might be why did you return? Do you still think the original reasons you left were valid? Some might find they were never there in the first place. Still another interesting question would be what would it take for you to return? Are you considering returning?
 
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Curious:
what’s modernism?
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I’ll let you read what Pope Pius X wrote about it

cathinsight.com/apologetics/piusmod.htm

and more on modernism here

dissent/defnmdrn.htm

and there are many other resources. Just do a Google search of the words catholicism and modernism, but be careful and check out the sites where you find the articles at there are some real nut cases out there.
 
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