Why do people leave the Church?

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There are probably hundreds of reasons that people leave the Church, but not one really good reason.
I pray for those who have left.
Brothers and sisters, come back home!
 
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Suffering? Some people suffer and when their prayers aren’t answered they become despondent or maybe stop believing God exists. Other people just slowly drift away.
 
For what its worth, I initially drifted away in my teens, and now at 40 I’m coming back. Looking back on it I think it was due to the quality of churches in my area. I grew up in Orange County, CA. If you’re familiar with the area then you know that OC is one of the major birthplaces of what people call “churchianity,” which is basically Evangelical Christianity as a social club for women with children under 8.

This attitude was also common in a lot of the Catholic churches in the area and that really turned me off. I was in Scouts from 8-18 and played sports in high school so I spent much of my time backpacking, shooting guns, fishing, track and field, etc., whereas during that time my religious experiences mostly consisted of arts and crafts geared towards 5 year olds. You can see how gluing macaroni to pictures of Baby Jesus would turn off a hormone-filled 14 year old boy used to guns and adventures in the wilderness.
 
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I’ve gone from enjoying mass to going out of obligation so I wonder if I will still be going in one year maybe out of fear of Hell I guess. Those that don’t believe in Hell can easily drift away.
 
That is a question with several million answers.

I found the book “Forming Intentional Disciples” very important as it broke down some of the myths that we often hear:
  • They wanted to be entertained instead of worshiping.
  • They did not understand the Eucharist
  • They put fun before the Eucharist
  • They wanted to do
and so on.

You an ask your relatives why they left. If you are sincere in wanting to know the reason, if you are not going to pounce on them with preconceived notions, they just might open up to you. Then it is your time to show compassion.
 
Look up The Veill Removed a short video on you tube.
It is a visual interpretation of what occurs during the second half of the Holy Mass.
I promise you will be forever changed re how you view the Mass.🙏
 
LovelyLadybug said:
Why do some people stop being Catholic? I have a few relatives who left. I pray for them every day. I just don’t understand why anybody would want to leave. 🙂
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Technically, once Baptized - one never actually stops being “Catholic”

People stop going to Mass for a variety of Reasons…

_
 
‘It is good, however, that even if love does not as yet restrain you from evil, at least the fear of hell does.’ - The Imitation of Christ
 
EndTimes said:
Why do some people stop being Catholic? I have a few relatives who left. I pray for them every day. I just don’t understand why anybody would want to leave.
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The church is boring and irrelevant. The clergy are putting people to sleep. The leadership does not believe in the Catholic project. They have taken Jesus out of the church. Need I mention the child molesters and the lavender mafia?

People do not want to leave Catholicism. They are leaving the church.
 
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I’ve seen a ton of people stop going because of the scandals. They figure that they can no longer trust the leadership of the church with their kids, so how can they trust them with their souls? Let me be clear, these are NOT my personal thoughts, just what I’ve heard.
 
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ontheway1 said:
The church is boring and irrelevant. The clergy are putting people to sleep. The leadership does not believe in the Catholic project. They have taken Jesus out of the church. Need I mention the child molesters and the lavender mafia?

People do not want to leave Catholicism. They are leaving the church.
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THE CHURCH - BODY OF CHRIST - is never to be left…

My comment " I just don’t understand why anybody would want to leave. " surprises me.

A sort of typo I believe…

For, yes, I do understand many reasons why some have fled their parishes…

We are in the time of the Great Falling Way - aka The Apostacy…

That alone should confirm Faith in those who possess it …

For - that must occur before the return of our real King - Jesus…
 
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EndTimes said:
THE CHURCH - BODY OF CHRIST - is never to be left…

My comment " I just don’t understand why anybody would want to leave. " surprises me.

A sort of typo I believe…

For, yes, I do understand many reasons why some have fled their parishes…

We are in the time of the Great Falling Way - aka The Apostacy…

That alone should confirm Faith in those who possess it …

For - that must occur before the return of our real King - Jesus…
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Yes. It is a difficult time. Time to pray.
 
This answer is nice and simple, without being overly defensive of Catholicism or critical of Protestantism. You have my applause. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
 
ontheway1 said:
Yes. It is a difficult time. Time to pray.
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As the Visible Church moves closer to its Passion,
Maintain one’s FAITH in JESUS…
Teach others…
Faith and Hope remain strong…
Charity is our ultimate Calling when Standing before Him at Judgement…
 
Are there many of us in the world? How do you maintain peace during lent, etc?
 
I’m someone who left and came back, so I can speak to my experience.

I left for human reasons. As a teenager, the kids in my age group at Church were unkind. Bullying, judging, rejecting of others etc. It was hard to feel I belonged. So I left, feeling the Church had to be hypocritically unkind.

But I’m an innately spiritual person, so I kept looking for Spirituality all over, until I realized, due to personal things, that I had to come back.

I realized that I can’t change how people treat others, but I can listen to the word, to Mass, etc, and control what I do and how I respond, so i came back. I’m still shy of getting to know other Catholics, but I know it was the right choice to be one
 
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