Why Should I Come Back to the Church?

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bearcat9276

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Hello all,

hopefully I’m posting this in the right place.

I left the church almost four years ago, when I was a freshman in high school, as a result of research and questioning that I was going through at that time. I no longer identify with any religious group or belief system. However, I’ve maintained a real interest in religion, religious debates/discussions, etc. and am very open to different beliefs.

This forum seems to be a great place for discussion of these religious issues, so I would like to pose a question:

As an ex-Catholic, now a non-believer, why should I return to the Church? What reasons are there to convince me that the claims made by the Catholic Church are true?
 
bearcat9276 said:
Hello all,

hopefully I’m posting this in the right place.

I left the church almost four years ago, when I was a freshman in high school, as a result of research and questioning that I was going through at that time. I no longer identify with any religious group or belief system. However, I’ve maintained a real interest in religion, religious debates/discussions, etc. and am very open to different beliefs.

This forum seems to be a great place for discussion of these religious issues, so I would like to pose a question:

As an ex-Catholic, now a non-believer, why should I return to the Church? What reasons are there to convince me that the claims made by the Catholic Church are true?
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When you say non-believer, do you mean in God or Catholicism?

Peace
 
why don’t you study history and see the unbroken chain from Peter till now?
What things drove you away from the current group you got involved with?
I would also suggest that you go to adoration somewhere, sit before the Blesses Sacrament and then ask God to lead you, or even just sit there and be. I’m Catholic not because everyone in the Church is perfect but because the Catholic Church is what it claims and contains the complete truth and founded by Jesus Himself.
 
I wandered away from the Catholic Church in high school too (seems to be very common). Didn’t come back for well over 30 years!

You don’t say if you still believe in God. If not, that is obviously the first step. Most people, even most Catholics, don’t know that the Church teaches that we can know of the existence of God through natural reason alone. Check Edward Feser’s writings and blog for lots of info on this. There’s a VERY strong case to be made that atheism, not belief, is the irrational and evidence-poor choice.

We’d need more info as to why you left the Church. I myself had only the basest motives: I didn’t want to be bothered, and didn’t want to be told that what I wanted to do was wrong.

But to answer your question as briefly as possible without more background, the one and only reason you should come back to the Church is because it is true, because it is founded and guided by God, and because it alone offers the fullness of truth and grace by which you may be saved and joined for eternity with God.
 
robwar said:
why don’t you study history and see the unbroken chain from Peter till now?
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How would an unbroken line of popes convince me that the beliefs of Catholicism are true?
robwar said:
What things drove you away from the current group you got involved with?
Click to expand...
A lot of reading and researching, watching debates, etc. I became persuaded that skepticism was the most rational option when it comes to religion.
robwar said:
I would also suggest that you go to adoration somewhere, sit before the Blesses Sacrament and then ask God to lead you, or even just sit there and be.
Click to expand...
I attend mass every week with family members (for their sake, not mine), and the same with various sacraments. So far it has not moved me towards belief, but I suppose it’s always possible that something could change.
 
snarflemike said:
You don’t say if you still believe in God. If not, that is obviously the first step. Most people, even most Catholics, don’t know that the Church teaches that we can know of the existence of God through natural reason alone. Check Edward Feser’s writings and blog for lots of info on this. There’s a VERY strong case to be made that atheism, not belief, is the irrational and evidence-poor choice.
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At this point I remain skeptical of the existence of God. What particular arguments do you find convincing?
snarflemike said:
We’d need more info as to why you left the Church. I myself had only the basest motives: I didn’t want to be bothered, and didn’t want to be told that what I wanted to do was wrong.
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I left because I felt that the Church did not provide adequate reasons for me to believe what they said. I considered it unlikely that the Bible was the Word of God, rather than a purely human text, and I considered it unlikely that the Church truly spoke infallible truth rather than simply being an ordinary human institution.
 
Hi BearCat

I’m reminded of a phrase of Rabbi Lionel Blue - we all need a spiritual home, not a spiritual prison.

If you’re inquiring again, then why not make that exploration from within the Catholic Church? It’s the place so many people have explored their relationship to God, their relationship with Jesus (including looking into what we can know about our Lord).

I’d encourage you to find a place to settle down, quieten down, and listen for the quiet voice of God. I have found the Catholic Church an excellent place for that (I’m personally far more swayed by it’s rich heritage in prayer, including the liturgy, than I am by any systematic dogmatic theology). But maybe you need to find a home elsewhere for a bit - sometimes we need to go out into the desert for a while, away from what is familiar, only to return later with a new perspective on the place we left.

God bless you on your pilgrimage.
 
Michael_Allen said:
Hi BearCat

I’m reminded of a phrase of Rabbi Lionel Blue - we all need a spiritual home, not a spiritual prison.

If you’re inquiring again, then why not make that exploration from within the Catholic Church? It’s the place so many people have explored their relationship to God, their relationship with Jesus (including looking into what we can know about our Lord).

I’d encourage you to find a place to settle down, quieten down, and listen for the quiet voice of God. I have found the Catholic Church an excellent place for that (I’m personally far more swayed by it’s rich heritage in prayer, including the liturgy, than I am by any systematic dogmatic theology). But maybe you need to find a home elsewhere for a bit - sometimes we need to go out into the desert for a while, away from what is familiar, only to return later with a new perspective on the place we left.

God bless you on your pilgrimage.
Click to expand...
I’ve actually remained quite active in the church, for family/personal reasons. I participated in youth group all throughout high school, I do service work through my local parish, I attend mass and the sacraments with my family, etc. I have done my best to remain open minded throughout this process but so far I have not found anything to make me believe that the Church really speaks the truth.
 
Let me offer you a book to read: “Surprised by Joy” by CS Lewis. It is his spiritual autobiography, and is a fascinating read. He was a brilliant man, professor at both Oxford and Cambridge, who became an atheist when he was young, and came back to belief in God almost against his will (“the most dejected and reluctant in all of England” is how he describes himself when he realized that God does exist, because he didn’t want it to be true).

He faced all the fundamental questions you (and all of us) face, and he is brutally honest about himself, warts and all. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
 
snarflemike said:
Let me offer you a book to read: “Surprised by Joy” by CS Lewis. It is his spiritual autobiography, and is a fascinating read. He was a brilliant man, professor at both Oxford and Cambridge, who became an atheist when he was young, and came back to belief in God almost against his will (“the most dejected and reluctant in all of England” is how he describes himself when he realized that God does exist, because he didn’t want it to be true).

He faced all the fundamental questions you (and all of us) face, and he is brutally honest about himself, warts and all. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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I’ve read quite a bit of C.S. Lewis, though I have not read that particular book (Screwtape Letters was always my favorite). I’ll give it a try next time I’m at the library.
 
bearcat9276 said:
How would an unbroken line of popes convince me that the beliefs of Catholicism are true?

With an unbroken line of popes…we have an unbroken line from the Apostles…from 1John 4…6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
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bearcat9276 said:
Hello all,

hopefully I’m posting this in the right place.

I left the church almost four years ago, when I was a freshman in high school, as a result of research and questioning that I was going through at that time. I no longer identify with any religious group or belief system. However, I’ve maintained a real interest in religion, religious debates/discussions, etc. and am very open to different beliefs.

This forum seems to be a great place for discussion of these religious issues, so I would like to pose a question:

As an ex-Catholic, now a non-believer, why should I return to the Church? What reasons are there to convince me that the claims made by the Catholic Church are true?
Click to expand...
I did the same thing, I left became a Atheist, then I did some research and I came to the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence for God

and Religion is just man trying to reach God - well if God revealed himself then I want the religion he made

after much study , research in the early church fathers, and the amazing things the Catholic Church has done and how its survived 2000 years I find quite amazing and the more research I do the more I come to find the Jesus lived and he made a church with Peter as his rock and it is the Catholic Church today

please ask any specific questions in the apologetics forum we would love to answer them! 😃

Pax Vobiscum-
 
bearcat9276 said:
I’ve actually remained quite active in the church, for family/personal reasons. I participated in youth group all throughout high school, I do service work through my local parish, I attend mass and the sacraments with my family, etc. I have done my best to remain open minded throughout this process but so far I have not found anything to make me believe that the Church really speaks the truth.
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Welcome bearcat and may God bless you for inquiring.

This bolded comment struck me while reading your posts. How could any person, Catholic or otherwise or website teach you “what is truth”?

How do YOU determine what is truth? If someone quotes from the great Augustine or Aquinas, how will you determine if it is truth? From what basis will this revelation come?

There are many writings, quotes, or scripture out there to prove there is a truth and it can be found in the Catholic Church, but how will you know once it is revealed to you?

Peace!!!
 
bearcat9276 said:
Hello all,

hopefully I’m posting this in the right place.

I left the church almost four years ago, when I was a freshman in high school, as a result of research and questioning that I was going through at that time. I no longer identify with any religious group or belief system. However, I’ve maintained a real interest in religion, religious debates/discussions, etc. and am very open to different beliefs.

This forum seems to be a great place for discussion of these religious issues, so I would like to pose a question:

As an ex-Catholic, now a non-believer, why should I return to the Church? What reasons are there to convince me that the claims made by the Catholic Church are true?
Click to expand...
Peter asked Jesus “To whom shall we go?” If you do not turn to God/ Christ, ask yourself this question.
 
There is only one genuinely debatable premise that one has to accept in order to make it an airtight case that God exists. The premise is as follows:

“It is logically possible (coherently conceivable) that God exists.”

That’s all. If we grant that one premise, then the conclusion that “God exists” follows by inescapable and strict logical necessity.

This much is firmly established in contemporary philosophy of religion, though the advance is totally unknown at the level of the popular debate. The implications of this proof are familiar to well-informed professional philosophers (regardless of whether they are atheists or theists).
 
bearcat9276 said:
I left the church almost four years ago, when I was a freshman in high school, as a result of research and questioning that I was going through at that time.
Click to expand...
I would ask that you do the same amount of research and questioning as to why you left the Church as you did when ‘someone’ drew your attention away from her. Also, you may want to consider what the integral reason for ‘leaving’ was; an argument in the family, a death, etc.

May I suggest you try going to “Theology on Tap”? It’s a somewhat open format for young adults to discuss the Catholic faith and get answers to theological questions. I can see from what you have written that you are still going to Mass and participating with your parish. That is a vital part of your re-integration into the faith. Remember, it’s often easier for people to act their way into a new way of thinking than to think their way into a new way of acting. Even Mother Teresa went through some dark times in her faith.

Know that I will keep you in my prayers.
 
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