Why I can't accept Catholicism

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Curtis,
Bless you. God is working in your heart. I hope you find these forums useful for answering the questions you have about Catholicism.

Like others have suggested, don’t worry about the private revelations (yet 😉 ). Get your other questions answered, and you’ll be amazed how much closer you feel to the saints- without even “trying”.
 
I’ll be praying for you, Curtis. I’ll remember you in my Mass intention tomorrow and say a rosary for you too.

Take care and keep searching!
Seek and ye shall find! 🙂
  • Westy
 
The titles that these priests and other members of the cloth…Reverend, The High Reverend, The Most High Reverend

Nobody uses “high reverend” or “most high reverend.” Where did you get that idea?
 
Ohwesty said:
I’ll be praying for you, Curtis. I’ll remember you in my Mass intention tomorrow and say a rosary for you too.

Take care and keep searching!
Seek and ye shall find! 🙂
  • Westy
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Thank you very much…I appreciate the Rosary! 🙂
 
Cari said:
Curtis,
Bless you. God is working in your heart. I hope you find these forums useful for answering the questions you have about Catholicism.

Like others have suggested, don’t worry about the private revelations (yet 😉 ). Get your other questions answered, and you’ll be amazed how much closer you feel to the saints- without even “trying”.
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Yeah I’m not going to try to focus on private revelations…I just used that as an example of things that just didn’t make sense to me in the RCC. I just need to get my butt back to church and I’m sure my questions will be answered…especially with RCIA starting in September 🙂 God bless!

Curtis
 
bpbasilphx said:
The titles that these priests and other members of the cloth…Reverend, The High Reverend, The Most High Reverend

Nobody uses “high reverend” or “most high reverend.” Where did you get that idea?
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As I said in previous posts, it was something I remembered a few years ago on tv during a Christmas Mass I believe…I could have been mistaken though…It’s not like that would be the first time I was wrong 😃
 
JimR-OCDS said:
curtishouse,
could it be, that you’re seeking religion, instead of faith?

You say you’ve been to many churches, are you seeking a religion to fit you?

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be given unto you.”

Religion, without faith, that is, Jesus Christ as head of your life, will be shallow.

It may be that Jesus led you to the RCC, because thats where He wants you, despite your issues with it.

However, only you will be able to discern whether this is true or not. Prayer will be the means for finding out.

Jim
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I think that is really the case when it comes down to it…Seeking religion instead of Jesus Christ completely…It would explain why I have went from church to church throughout the past decade and never stayed put in any one church…Just please pray for me so the Lord could give me as much faith as possible…I don’t know if this will make sense but it’s like I know ABOUT Jesus but I don’t KNOW Jesus completely…Faith is something I am truly lacking and it isn’t from a lack of trying…Only God can give you faith…I hear you knocking Lord…Please come in! God bless you all.

Curtis
 
curtishouse29 said:
There are just some things that still pull me away from the RCC…Things such as devotion to Mary and the Saints…I know Catholics don’t worship Mary and/or the Saints but still the attention they receive is mindblowing…
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This might help - a former Baptist minister who converted to Catholicism (and is now a consecrated religious) wrote this about the very thing you mentioned:
I have found obedience to be a salvation. Two examples:
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1. My Conversion to the Catholic Church: When I finally sat down and took a look at Scripture honestly (and literally) I found that it was the Catholic Church, not the Baptist Church who truly interpreted Scripture literally. (i.e., the Real Presence, the Chair of Peter). When I looked at history I found that, too, the Catholics were right after all. When confronted with these Truths, I had a decision to make. Either obey Truth, or follow delusion—either become Catholic, or remain Protestant. I obeyed the Truth even though I didn’t understand it all.
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2. My devotion to Mary: Although I was convinced of the authority of the Church, the Real Presence, and all, I was not so convinced about the communion of the saints and the doctrine on Mary. That took a little while longer. But since I knew that the Church had the AUTHORITY to declare these doctrines, I simply OBEYED.
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Was my “belief” from the heart? No. Did I “feel” the devotion to Mary? No. I merely obeyed the Church and believed in the doctrine of Mary and the communion of the saints out of shear cold obedience.
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But then something odd happened. Almost immediately after I obeyed the Church on this and submitted my mind and will to the Church’s teachings, all of a sudden, I began to understand the doctrine. It was almost like magic. I began to “know” what these doctrines were about. In short order I found myself no longer obeying in cold submission, but in understanding also. I had come to understand and to agree with the doctrine through the reason of my mind.
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Still, something was missing—the devotion of my heart. Within one month after the cold obedience, followed by the revelation of intellect given to me to understand (only after the obedience), finally came an understanding of the heart.
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Within five months of confirmation I had joined the Lay Carmelite Order and now I am a professed brother (in private vows) in the Order of the Legion of St. Michael working with Mary in spiritual warfare.
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I can give other examples of this, but the chronology is always the same:
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  1. shear cold obedience
  2. understanding of intellect
  3. understanding and application of heart and spirit
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Without the obedience, the understanding and application of heart would not have happened. Now, most of the time, my obedience is warm, not cold, but I do sometimes come up against some things that I want to resist. It is then that the cold obedience must happen.
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God tells us in Scripture that obedience is greater than sacrifice.
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From “Obedience, the First and Foundational Virtue.”
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He also wrote this essay the final weeks of his RCIA:
Why Do I Want to be Catholic
 
Get a good version of the bible in your hand and just READ IT 😃 Let Jesus’ words lead you to Himself.
 
Curtis
Then, go to the source, Jesus Christ. Surrender your life to Him and be open to receive Him into your life, and be willing to transform your life. Its a dying to self process, and allowing Christ into your life, He will give you a new life.

Its a scary thing, and St. John of the Cross calls it a dark night of sense. We’ve been touched by the love of Christ, and we want more, but we’re unwilling to die to the senses that we’ve come to love, and so, we remain stuck where we are.

Only through the transforming grace given to us through Jesus Christ, can we be transformed, and brought to spiritual union with Him.

Remember, faith isn’t the suppression of doubt, its the reality of God.

Faith requires prayer, from the depth of your being. Be open to Him, and allow Him to come into your life.

Then, religion, especially Catholicism, will become rich in meaning for you.

God Bless and I’ll pray for you today at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy, where I’m heading today.

Jim
 
Eilish_Maura said:
believing in private revelation is optional - EXERCISE YOUR OPTION!

once you clear these items out of the way you can better see if there are serious items you have trouble with
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Exactly. I attend daily Mass and say the LOH. I am a committed Catholic from childhood. I don’t even havs an interest in private revelation. I have never found anything of value for me in any of it.
 
curtishouse29 said:
Also, this is going to sound really stupid but another thing that gets to me are the outfits and the titles that are in the Catholic church…
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I was in the military for a long time so the titles don’t get to me. I believe that no matter what the rank, the higher ranking person is just as much a person as I am but he does have “positional authority” (in the church, God-given authority).

Check out what priests used to wear back in the Old Testament times:hubpages.com/hub/Its-Time-to-Change-Your-Clothes (I’m particularly a fan of the bells and pomegranates 🙂 )

I’m still a little iffy on praying the rosary. I do really enjoy praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (it’s straight to Christ and you can use regular rosary beads).ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/dmmap.htm
 
I am so sorry you are having some problems accepting Catholicism. I am a cradle Catholic, and it has taken me all my life to understand and appreciate all that the Catholic Church is. We are all on a never ending journey trying to find our way in the faith.
I pray that you keep searching and asking questions, for it is so worth all the effort.

May you receive all the lovely graces that God has to give you.

Blessings

Blessings
 
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