Why Do People Leave The Catholic Church?

[Hesychios]

GoodSamaritan:

Newsflash: IT’S NOT OVER DOCTRINE

People leave the Catholic Church because it’s quite possible (and probable in many parishes) that you can sit next to the same person every Sunday in a liturgy and NEVER know their name. People crave a sense of community, companionship, no judgment, and social reassurance and so they leave to become Mormon, JW, Charismatic, or other. These Churches foster an environment where people feel wanted and so they fit in the doctrines in order to maintain this great feeling of fellowship.

Me, I’d much rather have the recipe for eternal life through Christ’s sacraments than attend more potlucks…

I understand your point, but as Catholics we are saved in community, it is fundamental to what we are. In some places we have lost that sense of community, it is important to recapture that.

It should be painfully obvious that the modern American super-sized parishes with five masses per Sunday are not normative for Christianity, and are novel in Catholicism. If we lose those persons sitting near us in the pew every Sunday because we regard them as strangers, we cannot escape some share in the responsibility for what happens to them.

The fact is that many of the obstacles to developing this 'sense’ of community have been beyond our control for a long time. That doesn’t constitute an excuse, that makes it incumbant upon us all to try even harder.

 

[deb1]

my husband had a conversation with his boss today. The man explained that he left the church because he was troubled by the fact that the Pope is considered infallable. Sad, but my husband is not even considering becoming Catholic and has very little real knowledge. Ironically, the man has converted to Baptist. The denomination that I am leaving for Catholisim.

 

[Ignatius]

tradcatmel:

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…

Exactly right. Thank you.

 

[Mark_Gross]

I read the answer in a book…

They went out from us but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us: but that they may be manifest, that they are not all of us.(1 Jn 2:19)

 

[BayCityRickL]

I have simply walked away from the church because the local church is more like a caricature of the church it is supposed to be.

The new bishop has 20 years experience as a bishop and he is undoing at least some of the things the previous liberal bishop did.
Perhaps he can do some good in time, maybe five, ten, or twenty years. No, he is 15 years from retirement. Make that fifteen years.

There is a tense finger-pointing here that is evident elsewhere in the forums. If I wanted to belong to a protestant church, I would have a big selection of churches to chose from in my home town.

I think a key issue locally is the role of women in the church. There is a core of women now in official roles in the diocese who seem to have the goal of having a female-dominated church, not simply having a church in which they have a voice. And, they simply want to change the culture of the local church, simply to prove that they have a footprint on it.

I’m waiting to hear, but have not yet heard, what the new interpretation of the gospel is. There was a modern nun who said as much in a recent article in the local Catholic newspaper.

They are not satisfied with evolution of the church, they want a revolution in the church, and in that order – revolution first, gospel second.

 

[Steve_Andersen]

it seems like we’re making things a little complicated here

don’t people leave a faith simply becasue they no longer believe in it?

 

[Richwhite]

I think that devout Catholics are sick and tired of the liberal leftism that has infiltrated the church.

Bishops who moved homosexual Priests around to avoid detection… Bishops and Priests who administer the sacraments to avowed heretics… Weak teachings from the pulpits…

Devout Catholics want rock solid teachings and rock solid leadership. We just don’t have it.

Richwhite

 

[Chris_Jacobsen]

The main reason people leave the Catholic Church (or any other church) is because they want to get married.

 

[Steve_Andersen]

Richwhite:

I think that devout Catholics are sick and tired of the liberal leftism that has infiltrated the church.
…

Hmmm
it seems that by definition, “devout” Catholics would be the ones to stay regardless

it would be the regualr old, run-of-the-mill Catholics that might be turned off by extremism from either end of the spectrum

sort of like politics where small but vocal minorities on the edges srt of drown out the middle

 

[Hesychios]

Chris Jacobsen:

The main reason people leave the Catholic Church (or any other church) is because they want to get married.

There is a lot of truth to this!

 

[BibleReader]

Why people leave the Church today is substantially different than why people left the Church centuries ago.

The answer is not hard to find. If you ask folks who have left the Church, “Do you use birth control?,” 99-44/100% of them (to borrow the Ivory Soap percentage) would have to say “yes”!

How many who leave the Church go to a congregation or religion which strictly prohibits use of ABC?

Just about zero?

How many who transfer over to no congregation at all from the Roman Catholic Church continue to strictly abide by a rule prohibiting use of ABC?

Just about zero?

We live in a sexual coveting/sex-saturated age. Everybody wants their “fare share” of the “nookie cookie.” How dare God impose rules regulating their genitals! How dare God suggest that they aren’t entitled to as much sexual pleasure as they can get, freed-up of the risk of pregnancy!

Ask your neighbors, “Why did you leave the Church?”

Almost invariably, the answer is, “I disagreed with the Church on a few doctrines.”

What “few doctrines”? What aren’t they telling you?

Humanae vitae.

The infallibility doctrine.

 

[Xavier]

What is hysterical is that those of us who have left the RCC and have stated why are totally ignored by those still in. You have not listened to what we have said and you** assume** to know better than we why we have left.

 

[LindaS]

I believe that it is very true that for many years, our Church has been under the control, at least in the US, of liberal priests and bishops who have allowed many homosexual men to become priests and have fostered many other abuses. However, the Church is, and has always been under the protection of the Holy Spirit. I am seeing, on this board and others I frequent, as well as in my daily life, a movement, if you will, particularly among younger Catholics, including younger priests, to return to fidelity to the Magesterium and the teachings of the Church as they really are, not as some would like them. I believe that there are many older Catholics who have some kind of an agenda, but the Holy Spirit is still in charge. I read a quote from a Pope who reportedly told Napoleon that if the Bishops haven’t destroyed the Church, he wouldn’t either. Each of us has the responsibility to address whatever abuses we encounter and encourage our faithful priests and Bishops, as well as laity. We will be answerable for our actions as well as our beliefs.
Peace,
Linda

 

[bones_IV]

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

You will burn in hell for eternity unless you repent of this great sin you’ve committed.

Padre Pio “The Rosary is the weapon.”

 

[clarkal]

bones_IV:

You will burn in hell for eternity unless you repent of this great sin you’ve committed.

I bet that scared him!

 

[adnauseum]

I vote along with those who say people leave due to the influences of secularism.

There is a false priesthood in secular society, in our schools and universities, and on television. The false priests teach a doctrine of self-esteem.

It was a brilliant stroke of propaganda! All you have to say to do whatever you want is “what about my/his/her self-esteem?” and people will stroke their chins thoughtfully and think deep thoughts, as if it’s the most self-evident thing in the world that one ought never offend self-esteem.

In short, our beautiful millenia-old tradition of humility and realization of total dependence on God was over-run by a cheap pseudo-scientific dogma, through whose lens virtually everything in the world looks and feels oppressive.

Thanks Oprah. Thanks Phil Donahue. We’ll be cleaning up your mess for a couple of generations. But clean it up we will.

 

[bones_IV]

clarkal:

I bet that scared him!

A lot people “need the hell scared out of them”. And some catholics need it.

Padre Pio “The Rosary is the weapon.”

 

[MariaG]

posted by XavierWhat is hysterical is that those of us who have left the RCC and have stated why are totally ignored by those still in. You have not listened to what we have said and you** assume** to know better than we why we have left.

Xavier. You have expressed elsewhere, although not within this thread things like “Catholics worship Idols”. Although I know you disagree, this is simply not true. Therefore, at least in your case, ignorance of what the Catholic church actually teaches *is *the truth.

You may not have found the gospel within the Catholic Church, but that does not mean it was not preached. Or maybe it wasn’t. In that case, there will be many who will be accountable for harming you and not nurturing your faith in Christ *within *the Catholic Church.

I pray God will keep you safe. I also pray that you continue to learn about and love the Lord. And may someday you see that the Lord is within the Catholic Church and no idols are separating Catholic Christians from Him.

God Bless,
Your sister in Christ,
Maria

 

[MariaG]

post #15 by Bat-Ami

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.

Just because someone is a priest or a nun does not miraculously mean they know the Catholic faith or are protected from the lies of Satan.

And how many of the “formers” you know are married now?

God Bless,
Maria

 

[BibleReader]

Xavier:

What is hysterical is that those of us who have left the RCC and have stated why are totally ignored by those still in. You have not listened to what we have said and you** assume** to know better than we why we have left.

Tell the truth and shame the Devil: What percentage of Catholics who leave the Church use ABC? 99-44/100%? Or, is that too low?