Religion

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Posted by portjeffbride

we're both catholic and I consider it a right of passage for my kids to be raised catholic, and become a devout catholic athiest in adulthood

what's up with that anyway? why do we all fall off the wagon after confirmation

at any rate, I consider it to be a major part of my culture, and it will of course be a part of our kids upbringing.... do I honestly believe everything? nope... but I'll leave that for my kids to decide for themselves as they become adults...

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So true about falling off he wagon after confirmation!! I guess its a right of passage!! One in which I'm sure my children will follow

I am Jewish, but definitely Reform at this point in my life. And I, too, eat a lot of bacon

My Grandfather was a Rabbi, my Uncle is a Chasidic Rabbi. I have a Great Great Great Great Grandfather (not exactly sure how many 'Greats' ) who wrote a fairly famous book about the Kaballah that is studied by a lot of scholars.

I was raised with a Kosher kitchen at home (not mixing meat and dairy) ... though as we got older, it really became more that our dishes were Kosher b/c we would bring in Chinese food and eat on paper plates

Throughout high school I was a member of a Jewish youth group (B'nai B'rith), and after I came home from College I volunteered as an Advisor for that group. I also spent a summer working at their camp in Pennsylvania. I have many wonderful memories of that part of my life, and I learned a lot about what I believe and what those beliefs mean to me. I loved this book:

How to Get More Out of Being Jewish Even If:
A. You Are Not Sure You Believe in God,
B. You Think Going to Synagogue Is a Waste of Time,
C. You Think Keeping Kosher Is Stupid,
D. You Hated Hebrew school, or
E. All of the above!



I would say that I am more of a spiritual and cultural Jew than a religious one.

While my marriage is an inter-faith one, it was very important to me that both of our religions were a part of our ceremony. I was actually able to find the Rabbi who performed my Bat Mitzvah in 1989, and that meant a lot to me. Our ceremony was mostly centered around the joining of two people and two faiths.

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Posted by portjeffbride

we're both catholic and I consider it a right of passage for my kids to be raised catholic, and become a devout catholic athiest in adulthood

what's up with that anyway? why do we all fall off the wagon after confirmation

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its really a shame hopefully many who don't feel spiritually fed in the RC church find that connection somewhere else instead of just giving up altogether. thats is how it happened for me personally. and now that i found what i was always searching for, not only is service each week something i LOOK FORWARD to and need, but I want to and am beginning very actively involved in the church community, serving, etc. this journey, finding our current church, has been the biggest blessing of my life! i would love to see more ppl experience what its like to really find the right church and to thrive in that church and their relationship to God, regardless of what that church is.

I'm Catholic and DH is Jewish--mostly reform. Both of us had a religious upbringing, but spiritually, we are more alike than different. Our ceremony was also about merging two lives, two families and two faiths. We got a card afterward from one of the older relatives about how special it was to actually celebrate an interfaith marraige. Her parents were an interfaith couple, but back sixty years ago people didn't want to even talk about it, much less celebrate it.

So far, DH and I are able to participate in and support each other's faith. I know it will be more challenging if we have kids, though.

I am roman catholic. I have many differences in opinion with my faith, however I am still practice. I do not attend church weekly however I pray daily, read the bible when I can, and run retreats for HS kids.

DH and I share the same belief that one does not have to go to a church/temple to have God 'hear your prayers'.. However, I wish we would go more just for the simple comfort and peace it brings me.

We will DEFINITELY raise our children RC and bring them to church weekly. We were both raised that way and feel that it is an integral part of raising children. Lord knows having my faith got me through some pretty awful times when I was younger. I am forever thankful for the strong faith my mom instilled in me because it has been a life saver for me

Greek Orthodox. Sad to say I mainly swing by my church when they have the Greek Festival. DH is RC. The difference b/w the two are very small.
DH & I practice mainly in the bedroom.
Sorry if that was TMI?!!!!
The thought just made me very . Too bad DH went to watch crappy football.

I am Espicallpailan (not sure on spelling) and DH is Jewish. We married each other for who we are. So, there will not be any changes.

~dancer and chef~
charlotte and michael

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Posted by PattyK

I was raised as a Roman Catholic, but I stopped going to church after mom my died. I was very angry with God for taking her away from me and I felt the same anger when my dad died five years later. I go to Church for weddings, funerals & holidays. DH was raised as an Espicapal (not sure of the spelling) but he doesn't practice. I do believe in a higher power and I do pray every night, but I don't feel the same about my religion as I did when I was younger. Lately I have been feeling the desire to start going to church again, but I am not sure if I will go back to the Catholic church. DH & I might start going to the church that he used to go to when he was younger.

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just wanted to give you some .

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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Posted by PattyK

I was raised as a Roman Catholic, but I stopped going to church after mom my died. I was very angry with God for taking her away from me and I felt the same anger when my dad died five years later. I go to Church for weddings, funerals & holidays. DH was raised as an Espicapal (not sure of the spelling) but he doesn't practice. I do believe in a higher power and I do pray every night, but I don't feel the same about my religion as I did when I was younger. Lately I have been feeling the desire to start going to church again, but I am not sure if I will go back to the Catholic church. DH & I might start going to the church that he used to go to when he was younger.

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just wanted to give you some .

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Thank you, Jess.

Non-practicing Lutheran. Attended Catholic schools.

I miss Church - I found comfort in the rituals and the prayer, just got turned off by the politics of the people at Church. Also got angry with God for taking my mom and my aunt way before they should have left this earth.
Maybe one day I'll go back. I might find it in my heart to understand why/

DH is non-practicing Jewish.

I was raised Roman Catholic and DH was raised Methodist.

I am no longer practicing and DH is an atheist. I wish I could believe and I sometimes think it would make life a lot easier if I did. Unfortunately, I question way to much and my logical mind is to strong.

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Posted by portjeffbride


what's up with that anyway? why do we all fall off the wagon after confirmation

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Unfortunately, I think after confirmation, many families, stop sending their kids to religious ed. and/or services. I also think the Church needs to continue their work on educating the young people after Confirmation. In high school, there should be religious ed., more active youth ministries, retreats, etc. Community service and social justice education should be required as this is the age where teenagers can actively relate their faith to their lives. 13 years old is too young to stop religious ed.

I also feel that many people are not educated on what truly goes on at Mass. People think it's just sit, stand, kneel, stand... most people don't truly understand the miracle that happens at every single Eucharist... people get caught up in theroutine, often only because they have no idea what is truly going on. More education on each part of the Mass, particularly the Consecraiton needs to go on.

I also feel that required community service should be a part of all Catholic education in high school and college. So many people leave these great schools with not much more information about their faith then when they started at a naive 14 or 18.

I was fortunate enough to travel to the 3rd world, to do service work and to spend a lot of time with priests and youth ministers in high school and college that educated me so much more about my faith then I ever got in CCD. I think if more young people availed themselves of those opportunities, we would have a lot less people leaving the church, or being agnostic or atheist.

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Posted by donegal419

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Posted by portjeffbride


what's up with that anyway? why do we all fall off the wagon after confirmation

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Unfortunately, I think after confirmation, many families, stop sending their kids to religious ed. and/or services. I also think the Church needs to continue their work on educating the young people after Confirmation. In high school, there should be religious ed., more active youth ministries, retreats, etc. Community service and social justice education should be required as this is the age where teenagers can actively relate their faith to their lives. 13 years old is too young to stop religious ed.

I also feel that many people are not educated on what truly goes on at Mass. People think it's just sit, stand, kneel, stand... most people don't truly understand the miracle that happens at every single Eucharist... people get caught up in theroutine, often only because they have no idea what is truly going on. More education on each part of the Mass, particularly the Consecraiton needs to go on.

I also feel that required community service should be a part of all Catholic education in high school and college. So many people leave these great schools with not much more information about their faith then when they started at a naive 14 or 18.

I was fortunate enough to travel to the 3rd world, to do service work and to spend a lot of time with priests and youth ministers in high school and college that educated me so much more about my faith then I ever got in CCD. I think if more young people availed themselves of those opportunities, we would have a lot less people leaving the church, or being agnostic or atheist.

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i totally agree!!

I couldn't have put it better myself! That is why I get so much pleasure out of running retreats. By educating the teenagers about Mass and the meaning behind it, it becomes something more than an hour long lecture..

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Posted by soon2bmrsVPT


i totally agree!!

I couldn't have put it better myself! That is why I get so much pleasure out of running retreats. By educating the teenagers about Mass and the meaning behind it, it becomes something more than an hour long lecture..

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Where do you work as a youth minster/ retreat leader? I would love to get involved in this again.... perhaps on a part-time level.

I actually work with an organization and volunteer my time on weekends.

www.c y f m. org...

they're based out of Garrison NY. I run DDA retreats for teens. Theyre great. You should think about helping on one in april.. Hint hint.. thats the next one Im doing

I was raised Roman Catholic but now consider myself agnostic. I stopped believing in organized religion around age 18 or so. The combination of the early death of a close friend, broadening my horizons of religion via college courses and understanding myself made me realize that organized religion (IMO) was just not realistic because it did not align with my beliefs.

My DH is Jewish-reform. It is important to him that we raise our child(ren) Jewish. I don't have a problem with it. I do think children should be supplied with some sort of organized religion which will help them develop spirituality and have a sense of belonging. Once they are old enough, they can figure it out on their own...

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Posted by soon2bmrsVPT

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Posted by donegal419

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Posted by portjeffbride


what's up with that anyway? why do we all fall off the wagon after confirmation

---

Unfortunately, I think after confirmation, many families, stop sending their kids to religious ed. and/or services. I also think the Church needs to continue their work on educating the young people after Confirmation. In high school, there should be religious ed., more active youth ministries, retreats, etc. Community service and social justice education should be required as this is the age where teenagers can actively relate their faith to their lives. 13 years old is too young to stop religious ed.

I also feel that many people are not educated on what truly goes on at Mass. People think it's just sit, stand, kneel, stand... most people don't truly understand the miracle that happens at every single Eucharist... people get caught up in theroutine, often only because they have no idea what is truly going on. More education on each part of the Mass, particularly the Consecraiton needs to go on.

I also feel that required community service should be a part of all Catholic education in high school and college. So many people leave these great schools with not much more information about their faith then when they started at a naive 14 or 18.

I was fortunate enough to travel to the 3rd world, to do service work and to spend a lot of time with priests and youth ministers in high school and college that educated me so much more about my faith then I ever got in CCD. I think if more young people availed themselves of those opportunities, we would have a lot less people leaving the church, or being agnostic or atheist.

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i totally agree!!

I couldn't have put it better myself! That is why I get so much pleasure out of running retreats. By educating the teenagers about Mass and the meaning behind it, it becomes something more than an hour long lecture..

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i agree as well, very well said!! there really needs to be a continuation of religious ed to carry people into adulthood. i also agree that many ppl fall into the routine, so much so that they may lose sight of the meaning behind the ritual.

another kind of random thought...i have also found that there are so many 'non-practicing catholics' that are turned off by some principle of the church, who just stay in that place, instead of seeking a church that might better meet their spiritual needs and bring them alive. i dont know.....