Religion

I was raised Roman Catholic but never really got into it. I wanted to, but my family never practiced, they basically just believed you needed to go to religion class, get your sacrements at whatever age you're supposed to, and after confirmation, we pretty much never went again. It's sad because I always felt closer to God when I went, but my Mom always thought that a lot of avid church goers are hypocrites. In my twenties I pretty much become agnostic.
But then when I met my DH, who is a Pentacostal Christian, I started going to church with him. His family is really into the faith and many of them are ministers. I wasn't sure if I liked going to his church at first, it's like night and day from a Catholic service, but I feel I personally get more out of it. I don't agree 100% with some of their beliefs, and DH and I aren't as religious as some of the people in his family, but I feel it's at least a good foundation for our lives.

We're Roman Catholic, and our children are being raised this way as well. I practice and attend church with my sons, my husband isn't a praticing Catholic, but made all of his sacrements

I was raised Roman Catholic, 9 years of Catholic school, and I am no longer Christian. I think the best description for me would be pagan, but I do not practice Wicca, either. I find that I mostly agree with Buddhists, or at least disagree the least.

DH is an ordained minister in the Church of Christ.

The kids will have a children's Bible, a children's Koran, a children's Torah, and whatever else we can get our hands on.

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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Posted by curiousgeorge

We are both very into church, reading the bible nightly and prayers!! Its the center of our world and our marriage. We will bring up our children around it also. In our world its very important to us.

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same here. its really nice to have that fellowship with your husband..we love our nightly devotional and prayer time!

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Same here :) i was raised in a Christian church ('born again' christian or what have you)... I have no idea how i'd get through life without the faith & amazing church, friends & family both DH & i have. There are SO many different churches, different atmospheres & different people out there that are so different from one another.... and when u find that place, atmosphere or church that's right for u - it's the most amazing feeling in the world! Our sundays & weekday involvement are what we look forward too most in our scheduels....the music? I feel like i'm a concert :) the people? completely non judging, and the things we're involved in & get to do are just so much fun...and the thing that i love most is that everything is from the heart. Its just us trying to live our lives for God...and he loves us JUST THE WAY WE ARE...which is what makes us WANT to live christian lives . when things get rough - there is nothing like the feeling of 'amazing grace' nothing! i absolutely LOVE my faith & my church can u tell? lol.

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Posted by jtgarsik

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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Posted by curiousgeorge

We are both very into church, reading the bible nightly and prayers!! Its the center of our world and our marriage. We will bring up our children around it also. In our world its very important to us.

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same here. its really nice to have that fellowship with your husband..we love our nightly devotional and prayer time!

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Same here :) i was raised in a Christian church ('born again' christian or what have you)... I have no idea how i'd get through life without the faith & amazing church, friends & family both DH & i have. There are SO many different churches, different atmospheres & different people out there that are so different from one another.... and when u find that place, atmosphere or church that's right for u - it's the most amazing feeling in the world! Our sundays & weekday involvement are what we look forward too most in our scheduels....the music? I feel like i'm a concert :) the people? completely non judging, and the things we're involved in & get to do are just so much fun...and the thing that i love most is that everything is from the heart. Its just us trying to live our lives for God...and he loves us JUST THE WAY WE ARE...which is what makes us WANT to live christian lives . when things get rough - there is nothing like the feeling of 'amazing grace' nothing! i absolutely LOVE my faith & my church can u tell? lol.

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This sounds very much like my church! Its really exciting and brings you ALIVE to find the right one and to be a part of that type of community!

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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.....

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i agree with this... i actually have a lot of friends - who didn't attend church for YEARS because of whatever issues they had, or a certain way they felt towards their past experiences. When they finally took a look at some other churches & even religions, it led them to a place now that they are SO incredibly happy & thankful for it's more like a 'wow - i had no idea faith & church could be this great..and WHY did i wait so long to find this??' type feeling. everyone has different spiritual wants & needs, and there actually are a lot of options out there.

DH and I were both raised catholic. I began going to mass with my grandmother most sundays after my grandfather passed away last January. I started going because she was so sad and I felt it was a good thing for us to share (my grandfather didn't go to mass with her).

Now, I enjoy going to mass. HOWEVER, I do not agree with everything the catholic church teaches. I am pro-choice, I believe that women who can't conceive naturally should seek help using IUI or IVF, I believe in birth control, and I think homosexuals should be able to have some sort of civil union.

For a loooong time I would say that I didn't believe in god- now, I like to believe that there is something that is bigger than us all. And I believe in the basic foundations of the church.

I find the RC church to be somewhat hypocritical (ie- priests allegedly molesting young boys, but at the same time preaching that homosexuality is wrong)

I hope to someday find a church that I can have a little more faith in.

But for now, going to mass on sundays in the RC church gives me peace and helps me to spend time with my grandmother.

I plan on raising our children as catholics like I was, but they are free to choose their own religion when they are old enough to understand it all.

I am agnostic also... have been for a long time

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Posted by kahlua716


I find the RC church to be somewhat hypocritical (ie- priests allegedly molesting young boys, but at the same time preaching that homosexuality is wrong)

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I am a Roman Catholic as well. I was very disturbed by the cover up that went on in some parishes to protect pedophiles and feel awful for anyone that fell victim to these sick people. Sadly the low percentage of bad priests gives the good ones who have dedicated their lives to help better the world a bad reputation.
My uncle is a priest he is a Salesian of Don Bosco. His life has been dedicated to those less fortunate than him and he has gone on many missions all over the world. I greatly admire all the work he has done. It was so sad to hear stories from him about how he was travelling with his collar on and being harassed on flights and by people on the street. Please don't let the awful actions of a small percentage of priests take away from all the good work so many priests do on a daily basis.

I hope I don't sound preachy. It just is close to home since it's someone so close to our family that has to live with remarks he doesn't deserve after dedicating his life to only good causes and hard work for the benefit of anyone but himself.

ETA: You going to mass with your grandmother on Sunday is so sweet. I loved when we went with my grandmother she always gave me a $1 to put in the basket.

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Posted by MeNBobs

I am a Roman Catholic as well. I was very disturbed by the cover up that went on in some parishes to protect pedophiles and feel awful for anyone that fell victim to these sick people. Sadly the low percentage of bad priests gives the good ones who have dedicated their lives to help better the world a bad reputation.
My uncle is a priest he is a Salesian of Don Bosco. His life has been dedicated to those less fortunate than him and he has gone on many missions all over the world. I greatly admire all the work he has done. It was so sad to hear stories from him about how he was travelling with his collar on and being harassed on flights and by people on the street. Please don't let the awful actions of a small percentage of priests take away from all the good work so many priests do on a daily basis.

I hope I don't sound preachy. It just is close to home since it's someone so close to our family that has to live with remarks he doesn't deserve after dedicating his life to only good causes and hard work for the benefit of anyone but himself.

ETA: You going to mass with your grandmother on Sunday is so sweet. I loved when we went with my grandmother she always gave me a $1 to put in the basket.

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i agree with u catherine...this is along the same lines as what jess & i were saying only it's an individual instead of church. It makes me sad that just because someones church, religion, preist, someone they know that's religious etc. gives 'religion' a bad name. I hate that it can discourage something so great when there are people who do A LOT of good, and AREN'T hypocrits..u know what i mean?? There ARE christians, pastors, churches, parish's etc. that AREN'T judgemental and ritualized to the point of having no heart in anything. Believe me, i'm a christian & i'm first to admit that there are WAY to many of judgemental so called christians out there, but just like those 'closed minded religions' i think there are also 'closed minded people' in general who aren't open to any sort of religion & shutdown at the thought of it because of past experiences... & they're truly missing out because they haven't seen everything that's out there!

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Posted by jtgarsik

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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.....

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i agree with this... i actually have a lot of friends - who didn't attend church for YEARS because of whatever issues they had, or a certain way they felt towards their past experiences. When they finally took a look at some other churches & even religions, it led them to a place now that they are SO incredibly happy & thankful for it's more like a 'wow - i had no idea faith & church could be this great..and WHY did i wait so long to find this??' type feeling. everyone has different spiritual wants & needs, and there actually are a lot of options out there.

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That was actually how it happened for me after drifting from the Catholic church. It was quite a process for me. I know what its like to be in that 'in between'.... You call yourself Catholic...but do you even go to church? I wanted to feel fulfilled in my faith and in my church. I wanted to feel motivated to even attend. But I didn't. I didnt even know for a while what it was that was keeping me from feeling connected to the church. Personally, I came to find that I was looking for less man-made ritual, and more teaching from the Bible (where the gospel and its preaching is placed above all else), and how to apply it to your life. I was also looking for a church that had alot of opportunity to become involved and to serve, somewhere that I felt welcome, something more evangelical and charismatic.

At one point, it was kind of unthinkable for me that I would leave the Catholic church to find something else that would truly feed me spiritually. For one, the Catholic church was what I was brought up in and, for a short time, I was concerned about what it would mean to my family to see me seek fulfillment elsewhere. Well, boy did I pray on it all for a long while and the Lord really did bless me one day with that concern over what other people would think and my own hesitation being completely lifted from me. I realized that I was seeking to know God better, and it didn't matter that I needed to find that outside of the RC church, just that I was feeling that pull and that was a blessing. None of my fundamental beliefs had changed (about who Christ is)...they only became more informed by a more firm theological basis.

Just thought Id share because I know personally that there is DEFINITELY hope for people who do not feel connected in a certain church or denomination. I received the biggest blessing of my life, in finding my church now- a Christian non-denominational church (one of the Sovereign Grace churches), when I was finally freed of worry about it and really just trusted that the Lord would lead me to where I was meant to be!!

I think it is wonderful when anyone feels connected and fulfilled in their church and denomination, be it Catholic, Protestant, non-denominational, and otherwise! To me, its seems more important that one knows Christ than what avenue they came to Him.

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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.....

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another thought re: the above. i think what is so discouraging about the number of non-practicing Catholics is that they become 'turned off' by some aspect of the Church, yet they don't bother to ask, do research, talk to someone in the clergy, read the catechism, WHATEVER.... to actually get the reasons on why the Church believes what they do. a lot of times it's because people are misinformed OR they just don't know the rationale behind a particular teaching. So many of the Church's teachings be it pro-life, pro-family, no married priests, etc. etc. really all go back to the same principle... but people don't want to think about it that way.

i don't think it's about finding another 'church' per say to make you alive... it's about seeking the truth of what the Church teaches and see how that truth or principle can make sense in your life, if only people let it in,

Granted does the Church have its faults (the sex abuse scandal being a major one) --- of course! But that is because it is run by humans who sin like all of us.... not agreeing with one little thing should not be an excuse to give it up completely. i belive it takes a braod understanding of the Church to understand the details.. it's not a menu... when you pick and choose without seeing how it ALL fits together is what makes people falter... ti's like eating all carbs and no veggies or proteins. you need all the small pieces to make it whole.

Okay, this probably doesn't make sense... but i hope you see what i mean.

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Posted by donegal419

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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.....

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another thought re: the above. i think what is so discouraging about the number of non-practicing Catholics is that they become 'turned off' by some aspect of the Church, yet they don't bother to ask, do research, talk to someone in the clergy, read the catechism, WHATEVER.... to actually get the reasons on why the Church believes what they do. a lot of times it's because people are misinformed OR they just don't know the rationale behind a particular teaching. So many of the Church's teachings be it pro-life, pro-family, no married priests, etc. etc. really all go back to the same principle... but people don't want to think about it that way.

i don't think it's about finding another 'church' per say to make you alive... it's about seeking the truth of what the Church teaches and see how that truth or principle can make sense in your life, if only people let it in,

Granted does the Church have its faults (the sex abuse scandal being a major one) --- of course! But that is because it is run by humans who sin like all of us.... not agreeing with one little thing should not be an excuse to give it up completely. i belive it takes a braod understanding of the Church to understand the details.. it's not a menu... when you pick and choose without seeing how it ALL fits together is what makes people falter... ti's like eating all carbs and no veggies or proteins. you need all the small pieces to make it whole.

Okay, this probably doesn't make sense... but i hope you see what i mean.

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i think it did make sense.

I absolutely agree that many turn away, without ever seeking the answers to their questions or to things about the church that they are not in agreement with. I know this because for a short while, I wasn't seeking those answers. But I really did begin to. And in my case, it did lead me to another church. It wasn't because I just decided that I didn't want to understand it.

It's not always about finding 'another church' as you said...but that may indeed be the path that the Lord has for some people, as it was for me.
.....And I would encourage it, of course, if one seeks answers and feels that it isn't where God has them.

I can respect that it can be difficult to understand why people seek another church/denomination...especially when you yourself do feel fulfilled and connected in that type of church, but sometimes I think that, just because one was brought up in a certain church, it isn't always where the Lord would have them forever. It was something that I prayed on for years, and I sought His will, not my own.

I also agree with regard to the sex scandal and not allowing that to be an excuse to turn away. It is the nature of sin and it exists within all of us and within all churches! That certainly had no part in my own path. And I also see what you are saying with regard to picking and choosing, and that is exactly why I said some of the things that I said on the 'gay marriage' thread. Many Christians, caught between the Word and the overwhelming pressure to conform to our slipping society, want to (and do) pick what they want from the Bible and leave what they feel they don't want to follow or what allows them to still 'fit in' and appear 'popular' or 'politically correct.'

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

i think it made sense

I absolutely agree that many turn away, without ever seeking the answers to their questions or to things about the church that they are not in agreement with. I know this because for a short while, I wasn't seeking them. But I really did begin to. And in my case, it did lead me to another church.

It's not always about finding 'another church' as you said...but that may indeed be the path that the Lord has for some people, as it was for me.
.....And I would encourage it, of course, if one seeks answers and feels that it isn't where God has them.

I also agree with regard to the sex scandal and not allowing that to be an excuse to turn away. It is the nature of sin and it exists within all of us and within all churches. That certainly had no part in my own path. And I also see what you are saying with regard to picking and choosing, and that is exactly why I said some of the things that I said on the 'gay marriage' thread. Many Christians, caught between the Word and the overwhelming pressure to conform to our slipping society, want to (and do) pick what they want from the Bible and leave what they feel they don't want to follow or what allows them to still 'fit in' and appear 'popular' or 'politically correct.'

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Well said.... faith and religion is a very personal thing. 'Seek and ye shall find...' i think if more people did that, we would have more people with a practicing faith, regardless of what church, denomination, etc.

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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Posted by jtgarsik

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Posted by Aug07OFCbride

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.....

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i agree with this... i actually have a lot of friends - who didn't attend church for YEARS because of whatever issues they had, or a certain way they felt towards their past experiences. When they finally took a look at some other churches & even religions, it led them to a place now that they are SO incredibly happy & thankful for it's more like a 'wow - i had no idea faith & church could be this great..and WHY did i wait so long to find this??' type feeling. everyone has different spiritual wants & needs, and there actually are a lot of options out there.

---

That was actually how it happened for me after drifting from the Catholic church. It was quite a process for me. I know what its like to be in that 'in between'.... You call yourself Catholic...but do you even go to church? I wanted to feel fulfilled in my faith and in my church. I wanted to feel motivated to even attend. But I didn't. I didnt even know for a while what it was that was keeping me from feeling connected to the church. Personally, I came to find that I was looking for less man-made ritual, and more teaching from the Bible (where the gospel and its preaching is placed above all else), and how to apply it to your life. I was also looking for a church that had alot of opportunity to become involved and to serve, somewhere that I felt welcome, something more evangelical and charismatic.

At one point, it was kind of unthinkable for me that I would leave the Catholic church to find something else that would truly feed me spiritually. For one, the Catholic church was what I was brought up in and, for a short time, I was concerned about what it would mean to my family to see me seek fulfillment elsewhere. Well, boy did I pray on it all for a long while and the Lord really did bless me one day with that concern over what other people would think and my own hesitation being completely lifted from me. I realized that I was seeking to know God better, and it didn't matter that I needed to find that outside of the RC church, just that I was feeling that pull and that was a blessing. None of my fundamental beliefs had changed (about who Christ is)...they only became more informed by a more firm theological basis.

Just thought Id share because I know personally that there is DEFINITELY hope for people who do not feel connected in a certain church or denomination. I received the biggest blessing of my life, in finding my church now- a Christian non-denominational church (one of the Sovereign Grace churches), when I was finally freed of worry about it and really just trusted that the Lord would lead me to where I was meant to be!!

I think it is wonderful when anyone feels connected and fulfilled in their church and denomination, be it Catholic, Protestant, non-denominational, and otherwise! To me, its seems more important that one knows Christ than what avenue they came to Him.

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well said jess!