Guest NYCseeker Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Hi all, I'm a religion journalist out of New York. The other day I met a guy who "officially" became a catholic apostate. It appears that if you no longer believe in the Catholic view of things, you can go through some paperwork, meet with a priest, and in fact have a kind of ceremony to "officially" become ex-Catholic. Does anyone else have this experience of becoming a card-carrying apostate? The religion or sect doesn't matter. But I'm looking for people who can tell me about any "official" (church) processes in becoming an ex-Christian, and any personal stories about doing it. Working on an article with no strict deadline. Your help is oh-so-sincerely appreciated! Jason Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greygirl Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 I did. It took 6 months, multiple letters, and threats of legal action and press involvement to get it done, but I did. When you've spent your life as a Mormon, getting your name officially removed from their records is just about the only way to get them to leave you alone, and even that sometimes doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dra_Mucd_Uha Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 The worst I have to do (haven't yet) is leave my position as a leader in my youth group. So for me I don't really have anything "official" to leave. It was more of an unofficial thing... I did. It took 6 months, multiple letters, and threats of legal action and press involvement to get it done, but I did. When you've spent your life as a Mormon, getting your name officially removed from their records is just about the only way to get them to leave you alone, and even that sometimes doesn't work. Wow. I heard it's hell for a Mormon to leave the LDS Church. Especially for those whose families are Mormon. I'm sure that wasn't easy for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Ugh, greygirl - sorry to hear about all that. As big a monster as the Catholic Church is, at least they leave you alone if you just stop turning up for Mass each week. I don't know if I'd even bother with making a big deal out of announcing my deconversion or becoming an official apostate. I mean, why waste the effort? Just change gears and live your life, unless going through all that fuss will help you in your deconversion. For me, it'd just be a big waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandrian Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Hi all, I'm a religion journalist out of New York. The other day I met a guy who "officially" became a catholic apostate. It appears that if you no longer believe in the Catholic view of things, you can go through some paperwork, meet with a priest, and in fact have a kind of ceremony to "officially" become ex-Catholic. Does anyone else have this experience of becoming a card-carrying apostate? The religion or sect doesn't matter. But I'm looking for people who can tell me about any "official" (church) processes in becoming an ex-Christian, and any personal stories about doing it. Working on an article with no strict deadline. Your help is oh-so-sincerely appreciated! Jason Anthony That's not necessary in the Catholic faith to do that. The Catholic Church teaches that certain canonical offenses result in "Latae Sententiae" excommunication. This includes a number of acts such as heresy, a priest revealing the confession of a penitent, re-marriage after divorce, etc. Apostacy certainly is grounds for "Latae Sententiae" excommunication, so for me that means the moment I denied the existence of the Christian God, I became officially excommunicated and no longer a member of the Catholic Church. I suppose if i wanted to I could go get the Church to say so in writing, but there would be no point whatsoever for me to me waste my time or some priests time with pointless paperwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Does anyone else have this experience of becoming a card-carrying apostate? The religion or sect doesn't matter. But I'm looking for people who can tell me about any "official" (church) processes in becoming an ex-Christian, and any personal stories about doing it. If a report from Germany is useful to you, count me in. Sometime in late 2003 I decided that, if I no longer consider myself a christian, I can just as well officially leave. As Germany has a mandatory church tax for members of all the major denominations, to leave you have to sign a paper at your local city hall's office and usually pay a bit of a fee, though the latter varies with the federal country you live in. Here in Nethersaxony, pay € 25 and you're out. Got a letter from my local church's coven preacher (I'm an ex-lutheran) expressing regret and politely asking for the reasons. Filled it out, sent it back and that was it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosa Mystica Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Hi all, I'm a religion journalist out of New York. The other day I met a guy who "officially" became a catholic apostate. It appears that if you no longer believe in the Catholic view of things, you can go through some paperwork, meet with a priest, and in fact have a kind of ceremony to "officially" become ex-Catholic. Does anyone else have this experience of becoming a card-carrying apostate? The religion or sect doesn't matter. But I'm looking for people who can tell me about any "official" (church) processes in becoming an ex-Christian, and any personal stories about doing it. Working on an article with no strict deadline. Your help is oh-so-sincerely appreciated! Jason Anthony Perhaps some do this. I did not (I deconverted from Catholicism). Not doing it "officially" has helped me to protect myself from my parents (who don't know), and from scathing comments of holier-than-thou priests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 I did. It took 6 months, multiple letters, and threats of legal action and press involvement to get it done, but I did. When you've spent your life as a Mormon, getting your name officially removed from their records is just about the only way to get them to leave you alone, and even that sometimes doesn't work. I used a different approach to leave the LDS Church. I just told them I was gay and was banging my new boyfriend. The LDS Church court date was set for just a couple of weeks in the future and they did me the favor of excommunicating me. I also received as an extra added bonus—my excommunication document. It was suitable for framing, so I did just that. Many people have told me that they see my excommunication paper as proof that the LDS Church rejected me rather than the other way around, but I disagree. I did get them to do what I wanted, so as far as I am concerned, I was the one in control. From 1985 to 1989 I was coke-head. I found my framed excommunication document a handy place to cut the coke and snort my brains out. I wound not recommend the activity, but the mental picture of that still amuses me. IBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NYCseeker Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 OK, you cats are incredible. Thanks for the discussion about leaving "officially." I'm trying to suss out if there are enough interesting stories and issues out there to make this fly. Clearly there are. I asked the Catholic "apostate" I met why he bothered to go through official channels. It seemed to me like breaking up with an invisible friend - "i don't believe in you" "yes, you do!" "no, I really don't, you're entirely fictional and i'm going to go make a sandwich," etcetera etcetera. If you no longer recognize the truth or authority of the church, why seek their approval to leave? My research so far has turned up a few answers: - psychological closure - registering a complaint or "taking a stand" against the church in an official way - "coming out" as an athiest or agnostic and having some formal recognition of that - being discharged from formal rolls - formal extrication from responsibilities or communities. All further discussion on this topic is warmly welcomed. Am moving forward with this piece. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ nivek ♦ Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 NYCseeker.. At several times in my parents odd oddessy through religions we were baptized members of the LDS church. Good "Temple Mormons", we did the several visits to the D.C. temple and allwe kids were used to be baptized for the dead. When faced with the paperwork of the excommunication bullshit, elected to tell the elders to go fuck themselves. Was not going to give them *last say* on the decision to leave their system. Took several years of politely asking them to remove me from the rolls of church membership. Even today when meeting memebers of the Morg (Mormon Borg) it is unnerving to be called "Brother" by them.. kevinL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 When faced with the paperwork of the excommunication bullshit, elected to tell the elders to go fuck themselves. kevinL I didn't have any paperwork to review, nor did I have to sign anything. I guess I was just lucky, they wanted me out as much as I wanted to be gone. I still have an odd sexual fetish for Mormon Missionaries on bicycles though. kevinL, I did not know this about you. Thanks for sharing it. IBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 I was officially excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. At the time I was crushed that I was being denied salvation, so I threw the letter from the Vatican away thinking it was only a matter of time before it was reversed. I wish now I had kept the letter... I wouldn't have snorted blow off of it, but the chances of it being used to roll joints with would be high. And I mean "high" in every sense of the word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 I wish now I had kept the letter... I wouldn't have snorted blow off of it, but the chances of it being used to roll joints with would be high. And I mean "high" in every sense of the word. May I join you? I had to give up the ‘blow,’ but I still enjoy the weed. Perhaps I can call the Vatican and have a copy sent to you. I am sure the excommunication paper will burn nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antlerman Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Upon my deconversion, I sent an official notice in the mail to God himself. As with my childhood letters to Santa Claus, and all prior prayers to God as an adult, there was a predictable lack of response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gliph Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 So IBF... did you have to send your special underwear back too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 So IBF... did you have to send your special underwear back too? Alas, I was never given a pair of those consecrated undies. Boohoo You see, only members with a Temple Recommend Card are given the privilege of wearing the sacred under garments. I was never given a card because I had a terrible problem with a sin that no other teenage boy would ever do; I confessed to masturbation. I must have been the only boy in my Priest Quorum that ever did such a thing, because all my friends were allowed in the Temple. It is a terrible sin that I am sure few of you have ever heard of, but it still haunts me EVERYDAY!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts