southjerseygirl36 Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I went to a catholic mass and no one bothered me, unlike in protestant churches where they push you into small groups. I would like to know what kind of problems people have had being catholic. I used to be protestant, a bunch of different churches. I don't want to become catholic at this point, but i do believe in God and Christ. I don't want to be a rigid christian but I believe that salvation is a slow process and it is up to God, same as Catholics believe, also that you can't determine if you are saved or not, its up to God. I also dont' believe in judging other nonchristians, same as Catholics believe. I really strive to be like a normal moral person. I would like to go to Mass and hear the sermons. I don't want to get involved and I know its a very different thing than what the protestants do which is very cultish in a number of ways. There are things like birth control I disagree with the Catholics and also their prayers, and their need to see a priest, yet they do not bother me like the things the protestants do. I would like to hear others stories if they have any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted February 3, 2010 Super Moderator Share Posted February 3, 2010 Hello SJGirl, I was born and raised catholic. But I had questions from a very early age. By the time I was 15 or so, thanks in part to a high-school World History class unit on the world's religions, I was catholic in name only. Actually, by then I was christian in name only. Agnostic really. While some people do find a certain peace or "closeness to god" during mass, remember those things are only based on emotionalism. And churches are experts at manipulating emotions. Get the facts. Look for verifiable evidence. Research the history of the bible, church, and other religions. The whole catholic church system (and christianity in general) is corrupt -- right from the beginning straight through til now. Research the Inquisition. Look into how the catholic church supported one of its (in)famous members -- Hitler. Pay attention to the news and see how the church still suppresses human rights today. I've included some links to websites that might be helpful. Read the bible, cover-to-cover, and pay special attention to the icky parts. Could something that evil really be a god? Do you want to worship that kind of a god? Reading through the testimonials here on this website, including the main blog, for some personal stories might also be helpful. I know plenty of catholics, including priests, who are wonderful people -- smart, funny, caring. Personally, I was not damaged by the church or hurt by any of its members (aggravated, yes -- hurt, no). But I know people whose lives were devastated. The cover-up of the pedophile priests is plenty to keep me out of the catholic church forever. You say you are striving to be a normal moral person. That's great and most admirable. But you don't need religion for that. As the famous saying goes: "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." Keep searching. Keep thinking rationally. Good luck on your quest. BP ---------------------------------------- The links: http://www.near-deat.../origen048.html http://www.pocm.info...arted_pocm.html http://www.thepeople...07/08/06/p18661 infidels.org evilbilble.com jesusneverexisted.com http://skepticsannotatedbible.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraBardus Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I'm a former Catholic. Catholicism is very boring. They're very much into ritual, and believe that the Eucharist, the bread and wine actually transform into the physical body and blood of Jesus. Not just in a symbolic sense. To quote a very true line from Kevin Smith's 'Dogma'. "Catholics do not celebrate their faith, they mourn it." It's about as rigid a religion as you can get when practiced literally. Plus, you have to obey the Pope. He's the head of the Catholic Church, and acts pretty much as the mouth of the Lord. The thing is, that you're questioning not just Ex-Catholics, but Ex-Christians here. We're not going to recommend a particular brand of Christianity to you. We do not thing that one type of Christianity is better than another. They are all equally stupid. You seem to be expecting us to point you to a particular type of Christianity that might suit you, but this is about the last website to get that kind of advice from. We're Ex-Christians. We don't think any of them is right, and we don't think any of them are true. We find the basis of all Christian beliefs to be faulty. If you're looking for reasons why we think that, stick around and read for a while. There are plenty of topics that cover that sort of thing. We're not going to recommend a particular brand of Christianity to you. They are not different labels of beer. They are all wrong at the core premise of Christian beliefs. The details may differ, but the major foundations of all Christian beliefs are flawed to begin with for the same reasons. They're based on a horrible book that's never a good basis for morality, literature, and history. It's not the word of God, it's not a particularly nice story if you actually sit down and read it from cover to cover. It's inconsistent, contradicts itself, and is full of horrible acts, and even worse commands from the thing that calls itself God. The whole book only makes sense if you read it very selectively and cherry pick the segments that support the stuff you already believe in. Even then, you've got to twist and stretch it's meanings to fit your own personal beliefs. Put simply, you're in the wrong place to ask for a good Christian church to try. Our answer is none of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentLoner Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Ex-catholic here (from a die hard central american catholic country no less). Catholicim is very rigid, strict and all around judgemental. They have backwards stances of issues like birth control and a lot human rights issues. Look at the mess they've created in Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted February 3, 2010 Super Moderator Share Posted February 3, 2010 The Catholic Church has been the greatest hindrance to progress, scientific and social, since its inception. To be born into its culture and unable to easily escape is one thing, but to willingly join their filthy ranks is ridiculous. Sorry, the Church is an evil the world would be better off without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shyone Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I went to a catholic mass and no one bothered me, unlike in protestant churches where they push you into small groups. I would like to know what kind of problems people have had being catholic. I used to be protestant, a bunch of different churches. I don't want to become catholic at this point, but i do believe in God and Christ. I don't want to be a rigid christian but I believe that salvation is a slow process and it is up to God, same as Catholics believe, also that you can't determine if you are saved or not, its up to God. I also dont' believe in judging other nonchristians, same as Catholics believe. I really strive to be like a normal moral person. I would like to go to Mass and hear the sermons. I don't want to get involved and I know its a very different thing than what the protestants do which is very cultish in a number of ways. There are things like birth control I disagree with the Catholics and also their prayers, and their need to see a priest, yet they do not bother me like the things the protestants do. I would like to hear others stories if they have any. First, real catholicism involves a lot of dedication and faith, including the beliefs regarding the pope and his papal bulls(hit). The most conspicuous aspects that get public attention relate to birth control, sex, the priesthood and maybe their attention to Mary, but there is a lot more than that. I like the music; particularly the ancient music (Palestrina, Joaquin Des Pres). I recommend however that if you don't want to get really involved or take the catechism and the whole thing, watch the Catholic channel on TV. It's still bullshit, but it won't cost you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qec Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 My advice is to stay away from Catholicism (personal experience). If you must be a Christian of that general sort, then be Eastern Orthodox and don't take any political gestures seriously from any of their clergy. Otherwise, stay away from Christianity altogether... That's actually my greater advice to you. Try to find something else to believe, maybe even join a Eastern Star lodge (Freemasonry) and hold to a loose belief system wrapped around Deism. That way you have some sense of community and ritual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southjerseygirl36 Posted February 3, 2010 Author Share Posted February 3, 2010 I realize the Catholic church is corrupt in many ways. I just don't have much of anyplace to go to express my mild conservative beliefs and beliefs in God. I am not really newage. I have tried them and they strike me as moneybased as well. The protestant church really gets under my skin but the catholic church is new to me and doesn't bother me in the same ways. I do not think I could join after getting this booklet on the rosary of mindless endless praying. I could never take no birthcontrol seriously or no abortion seriously. I was once raped by a man with aids. I would of had an abortion if I was pregnant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeLily Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I went to a catholic mass and no one bothered me, unlike in protestant churches where they push you into small groups. I would like to know what kind of problems people have had being catholic. I used to be protestant, a bunch of different churches. I don't want to become catholic at this point, but i do believe in God and Christ. I don't want to be a rigid christian but I believe that salvation is a slow process and it is up to God, same as Catholics believe, also that you can't determine if you are saved or not, its up to God. I also dont' believe in judging other nonchristians, same as Catholics believe. I really strive to be like a normal moral person. I would like to go to Mass and hear the sermons. I don't want to get involved and I know its a very different thing than what the protestants do which is very cultish in a number of ways. There are things like birth control I disagree with the Catholics and also their prayers, and their need to see a priest, yet they do not bother me like the things the protestants do. I would like to hear others stories if they have any. SJGirl, I'll try to offer some input. Love your name, I've had some good times in Camden County! I had a very interesting upbringing in that I was raised both Catholic and evangelical. Because of a complicated brew of family dynamics and school issues, we were a good Catholic family in public who did weekly home Bible studies with the pastor of our "other" church, which at the time was someone's living room. When I was ten, I was reading "The Late Great Planet Earth" and memorizing catechism. My deconversion was a long and guilt-ridden process because there were *two* deeply-indoctrinated systems to content with. One is not better or worse than the other. They have stylistic differences, but both ultimately preach that they are the One True Way to God and if you don't do it their way, you are going to hell. It sounds like you are attracted to the Catholic church right now because it is a good place to engage in contemplation and ritual without feeling as pressured to get involved, as with the protestants. I'm not going to tell you to stay away from the Catholic church, and I'm not going to tell you about the damage its doctrine has caused. If you want to go to Mass and hear the sermons, I absolutely think you should! Listen with an open mind, take your time, and decide for yourself. It's a process. Don't rush it, and don't deny yourself the opportunity to seek solace where you are *today.* The rest will evolve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Redneck Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 The Catholic Church really f*cked me up mentally. I was raised in that sh*t until about 17-18. My mom kept telling me that sex is evil, be wary of women, the Catholic is the only true church, all others are false, don't masturbate. I got brainwashed with believing in hell to that point that it made me afraid to interact with people. Even when I did interact, I was constantly condemning myself, especially around women (lustful thoughts). I felt guilty for every little thing (heavy guilt is a common symptom of RCC mental abuse) The RCC is the reason I went to fundie/evangelical Xtianity. Inside, I hated the RCC, but couldn't abandon Xtianity, so I went to Fundism, which was basically the same mental raping, but packaged differently. I thought I got away from the RCC, but I just got more of the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostchild Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 My advice is to stay away from Catholicism (personal experience). If you must be a Christian of that general sort, then be Eastern Orthodox and don't take any political gestures seriously from any of their clergy. Otherwise, stay away from Christianity altogether... That's actually my greater advice to you. Try to find something else to believe, maybe even join a Eastern Star lodge (Freemasonry) and hold to a loose belief system wrapped around Deism. That way you have some sense of community and ritual. I'm not sure why you'd point to eastern orthodoxy over the catholics. At best, eastern rite churches are just catholics with pre 1900 rules, and the worst branches of the church are rather vile little cults. Interfaith politics infests every branch from the greeks through to the Old Believers and everything in between, which is why they're splintered into over 1000 individual church sects, and ithe infighting is impossible to ignore if you hang out there for any length of time.. Depending on which branch you get involved with they can be fairly lax- that is to say, no fasting, only two church services a week, and the most chilled will let you skip confession, but that's only a few priests who are ultra-liberal - but most are far stricter. sorry to rant.. grew up orthodox (EOC, Ukranian, Greek, OCA, and ROCE) and they are scaaary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunaticheathen Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 I can understand the attraction to Catholicism coming from strict protestantism. I flirted with the RCC for a moment, mostly because they weren't afraid to make their churches gorgeous, the art is lovely, and I loved the ritual and the candles and music. But at the core, it's still the same guilt, money-grubbing, and mind-control. Lay Catholics are generally laid-back, compared to protestant fundies anyway. And around here, they're positively raging liberals! Most party like heathens, and many also dabble in Vodou. But this is a very different culture. But Contra is right, none of us are very likely to actually recommend any type of christianity to anyone. None of us are hot on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southjerseygirl36 Posted February 5, 2010 Author Share Posted February 5, 2010 I deeply appreciate every response. I could never take the Catholc prayers seriously. I still pray my own prayers but I do not fit in any church it seems. They are all so rigid in the most strict ways that they are turning even the conservatives to sounding liberal. They all have screwed up minds, and hurt poeple socially, and ruined people's professional development in the process of those things. I know I have been harmed as a result. I still believe in a good God and I would like to meet with others but it seems that there are no others in any group. Every church is actually a cult of some sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight-mindwanderings Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 Well if you have one in your area you could try going to a Unitarian Universalist church. I've never been so I am not sure exactly what their service has, but they are very liberal and open to a wide variety of belief and even disbelief. They have an earth-based slant, use the bible or other holy books for what decent passages they offer. If what you crave is the feeling of community and fellowship, you could give it a shot! . Here is a website of a church that might be in your area. Good luck and I'm sorry its so hard to find a place to fit in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeLily Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 Well if you have one in your area you could try going to a Unitarian Universalist church. I've never been so I am not sure exactly what their service has, but they are very liberal and open to a wide variety of belief and even disbelief. They have an earth-based slant, use the bible or other holy books for what decent passages they offer. If what you crave is the feeling of community and fellowship, you could give it a shot! . Here is a website of a church that might be in your area. Good luck and I'm sorry its so hard to find a place to fit in. Good advice, that's exactly what I was thinking. FWIW I belong to a Unitarian church. If it's the community aspect you're looking for, you will find people in all stages of their spiritual evolution all the way to lifelong atheists. I don't even go to services that often, but it's helped me connect with other questioners who have the same hobbies and social causes as me. Some congregations are better than others and I'm very lucky. Worth a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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