Questioning Catholic Saying Hello To Everyone ...

Obviously I'm new to the site, and I'm not entirely sure if there's something I'm supposed to post here, so I guess a brief introduction.

I was born and raised Catholic and was an enthusiastic believer for much of my youth, though as many young people do I questioned my faith and near the end of college stopped going to church altogether. I think this was influenced by a number of things, but the biggest was because I saw what I considered a lot of bigotry and hipocrisy in the Catholic church that I really could not justify.

A few years ago, I came back to the church. I wanted to feel connected to God again and ended up ignoring many of the issues I have with Catholicism. I figured the more important thing was rekindling my relationship with God. However, as I've been back in the church and trying to become more active spiritually, I find that perhaps I should be relating to God through a demonination with slightly different (I will admit, somewhat more liberal) views.

Thus, I have joined this site hoping to learn more about Christianity and my personal spirituality, and to connect with people from many different Christian denominations.
 
Obviously I'm new to the site, and I'm not entirely sure if there's something I'm supposed to post here, so I guess a brief introduction.

I was born and raised Catholic and was an enthusiastic believer for much of my youth, though as many young people do I questioned my faith and near the end of college stopped going to church altogether. I think this was influenced by a number of things, but the biggest was because I saw what I considered a lot of bigotry and hipocrisy in the Catholic church that I really could not justify.

A few years ago, I came back to the church. I wanted to feel connected to God again and ended up ignoring many of the issues I have with Catholicism. I figured the more important thing was rekindling my relationship with God. However, as I've been back in the church and trying to become more active spiritually, I find that perhaps I should be relating to God through a demonination with slightly different (I will admit, somewhat more liberal) views.

Thus, I have joined this site hoping to learn more about Christianity and my personal spirituality, and to connect with people from many different Christian denominations.

Hi there; good to see you.

The question is not what this or that cleric's opinion is, or what for their own reasons religious figures may claim to be the will of God, but rather what God Himself in His Word says.

John 3:16 is a good summary of the Gospel in all its simplicity.

Faith in the Lord Jesus, the Savior of sinners, on account of His sin atoning death at the Cross is the central theme of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, with the Old Testament promises pointing forward to what is revealed in the New Testament.

PS: I see that you also take an interest in science, from your screen name! Hebrews chapter 11 has a good account of how the truth that God created the world links in with the Gospel that Christians profess: faith is the key.

God richly bless your reading of His Word.
 
Well our church is by no means liberal; actually it is one of the oldest types mentioned in the Bible's New Testament: Baptist.

We believe the Bible is Truth; and the first step in seeking God is accepting His Gift: Salvation from His Grace through Faith. This is the only way to heaven according to scripture-belief in the Father, in the Son and what He has done and the Holy Spirit. Much of what being saved means comes from the following scripture quotes but is present throughout the entirety of the Bible starting with Adam and Eve in the Garden to the 'rapture' before the second coming Christ.

...God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them... And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God....Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

I am the way, the truth and the life.

Jesus the Christ-Son of the Living God


The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Paul-Apostle to the Gentiles

Hello and welcome to the forum.
 
Hi there; good to see you.

The question is not what this or that cleric's opinion is, or what for their own reasons religious figures may claim to be the will of God, but rather what God Himself in His Word says.

John 3:16 is a good summary of the Gospel in all its simplicity.

Faith in the Lord Jesus, the Savior of sinners, on account of His sin atoning death at the Cross is the central theme of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, with the Old Testament promises pointing forward to what is revealed in the New Testament.

PS: I see that you also take an interest in science, from your screen name! Hebrews chapter 11 has a good account of how the truth that God created the world links in with the Gospel that Christians profess: faith is the key.

God richly bless your reading of His Word.

Hi, Farouk. I agree that each individual's opinions on the Christian faith do not affect the actual truth of Jesus and God. I have done some basic reading (all books written by/approved by the Catholic church, one of which explicitly describes how all of the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by the New Testament through Jesus' life and death) and have spoken a good deal with a priest, both formally and informally, and we both agree that there is a Truth, and, as you describe in your third paragraph, that this truth involves having faith in Jesus and accepting God's saving graces through him.

Our differences, of course, lie in the details. He, of course, believe that the Catholic church is the One True Church and that the apostolic succession gives the Church authority in all matters. I do not necessarily believe that such an obviously flawed institution can truly claim infallibility.

Many time the response I get when I say that I'm questioning some of the moral positions of the Catholic church is that I'm falling into the trap of wanting to go to a church that has the same social values I do so that I don't have to hear that what I believe is morally wrong according to God. And while I fully admit that I may be misguided in my beliefs, God gave me my brain for a reason and I can't help using it. As you pointed out, yes, I am a scientist by training and I am told that I am often very analytical in my reasoning.

What it comes down to, for me, is how the Bible itself was compiled, translated over the centuries, and now interpreted by many different Christian denominations. I mean, even within a relatively small city, many of the Catholic priests differ greatly in their personal interpretations of the Bible. So multiply that by all the Christians around the world and the many different denominations, and you get an infinite number of opinions.

Yes, there is one Truth out there. But I doubt I'll ever know it, at least not during my time on earth, and I doubt that anyone else really knows it either down to the smallest detail. I would hope and believe that as long as we're following Jesus' teachings as closely as we can, and atoning when we know we have sinned, then we can call ourselves good Christians.
 
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I do have a small experience with a Baptist church. I had a good friend in high school who was Baptist and I attended services and youth activities with her a few times. I do like the view that the Bible is Truth, however, I don't think that every story is "literally true" and therefore much of my "questioning" lies in how the Bible is interpreted (and our fallbility as humans in our reading of it). Therefore, I don't know that I would be a good fit for the Baptist church, but I do appreciate your post.

I especially like the quote above, it is one of my favorites, and something that I wish all Christians would remember. I am all for letting people know when they are headed down a path leading them away from God, but there are too many who forget that whether someone listens to us or not, we are still called to love them.
 
Hi SpiritualScientist98:

Psalm 119:105 is a great verse. The Word indeed abides for ever (Psalm 119:89). Also, the words of the Lord Jesus in John 17:17. He Himself is the living and eternal Word made flesh (John 1:14).

I cannot see that He would be minded to alter aspects of divine truth merely to accommodate the latest, transient human reasoning, though.

In the end it's a question of finding out what the written Word of God really says and means, rather than what this or that clerical person may like to say it means.

Our conscience and reasoning is important, but above all when our conscience is enlightened by the Word of God and purged by the blood of Christ, who 'offered Himself without spot to God' in order to 'purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God' (Hebrews 9:14).

It's good to be able to talk with you in this way.
 
I do have a small experience with a Baptist church. I had a good friend in high school who was Baptist and I attended services and youth activities with her a few times. I do like the view that the Bible is Truth, however, I don't think that every story is "literally true" and therefore much of my "questioning" lies in how the Bible is interpreted (and our fallbility as humans in our reading of it). Therefore, I don't know that I would be a good fit for the Baptist church, but I do appreciate your post.

I especially like the quote above, it is one of my favorites, and something that I wish all Christians would remember. I am all for letting people know when they are headed down a path leading them away from God, but there are too many who forget that whether someone listens to us or not, we are still called to love them.

What I find interesting is that many people see the Bible as 'stories' and yet some many things in have been proven true though historical documentation, archaeology and even science.

Are all things literal? Are all things figurative? No. The Bible is the living testament of Jesus the Christ-who is the Living Son of God risen from the dead sitting on the right hand of God in heaven. If you don't believe that, than there is no point in reading the Bible to feed your spirit.

Many people try to over analyze the Bible. If we don't recognize the heart of the book as Love-which is the Word-which is Jesus Christ; the power of the text is lost. However; once a person is saved and accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit communes with that person and the Bible is seen with new eyes and heard with new ears.

Jesus Christ referenced the Old Testament many times to include the Deluge and Jonah; either Jesus spoke the truth, or you can say He is a liar and you might as well look for your salvation somewhere else.

There is a wonderful simplicity in the Gospel, in salvation: all God wants you to do is believe in Him-which means you will love and obey him. Not the traditions and religions of man. As Christians-we have direct access to the Father through the Son communicating in the Spirit. The Bible is our guide. Tithes, Church attendance, charity, good deeds, prayer, fasting, memorizing the Bible will not get you into heaven. Believing and accepting what Jesus Christ did for you on the Cross will.

Ephesians 2:
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
 
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.[/quote]

Great passage that summarizes the Biblical Gospel well.
 
Welcome aboard. I pray that you will find what you seek in your Spiritual Journey. We do not have many Catholics here anymore, but the site's overall paradigm seems to shift from time to time. Right now, we seem to be more "Baptist" from what I've seen. For the most part, I try to keep things unbiased, so feel free to participate however you feel called. Just know that the CCC doesn't hold any weight on this site (since we do no officially recognize any one denomination) so any topics regarding that will likely not be very productive, and there are some who are offended by certain Catholic doctrines. If you run into problems, feel free to contact me.
 
Yes, there is one Truth out there. But I doubt I'll ever know it, at least not during my time on earth, and I doubt that anyone else really knows it either down to the smallest detail

Hey Spiritual Scientist, I agree, and Paul said the same thing: 1 Corinthians 13:12

It's good to be chatting with you -- I suspect you've probably struggled through a lot of the same things I have, and I'm eager to discuss your journey with you.

My background is not science, it's literary criticism, and particularly postmodernism. Because of my training, the nature of truth is something that I've considered over several years, and I'm interested in hearing your insights as you, as a scientist, have considered and interpreted scripture.

On denominations, I didn't grow up as part of a denomination, and I personally don't feel any need to be part of any particular one. When people start discussing the superiority of one denomination over another, I just roll my eyes internally and think about 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. I've done work with my brothers and sisters across five countries from many types of denominations, and they've all been the church to me.

I've intentionally worshiped/done ministry with church groups that were way out of my comfort zone, and doing so has really caused me to challenge a lot of me preconceptions, and I think I've come out the other side the better for it: more conformed to a Spirit-led worldview informed by the experiences and insights of my brothers and sisters with much different spiritual gifts to compliment my own.

I tried once, fed up and frustrated, to go it on my own for a while, and I ended up believing some pretty incorrect theology, and quite frankly, I needed to be part of a fellowship of believers to see that. So I think being part of the church, being part of a group of believers with a variety of spiritual gifts, is essential. But I think denomination is totally irrelevant. Right now I'm part of a Salvation Army church (not an official member, just a fellow servant), not at all because I think the Salvos are "the ones who've got it right" or anything, just because there's opportunity for me to do ministry with them right now.

Anyway, I look forward to lots of great discussions with you.
 
Obviously I'm new to the site, and I'm not entirely sure if there's something I'm supposed to post here, so I guess a brief introduction.

I was born and raised Catholic and was an enthusiastic believer for much of my youth, though as many young people do I questioned my faith and near the end of college stopped going to church altogether. I think this was influenced by a number of things, but the biggest was because I saw what I considered a lot of bigotry and hipocrisy in the Catholic church that I really could not justify.

A few years ago, I came back to the church. I wanted to feel connected to God again and ended up ignoring many of the issues I have with Catholicism. I figured the more important thing was rekindling my relationship with God. However, as I've been back in the church and trying to become more active spiritually, I find that perhaps I should be relating to God through a demonination with slightly different (I will admit, somewhat more liberal) views.

Thus, I have joined this site hoping to learn more about Christianity and my personal spirituality, and to connect with people from many different Christian denominations.

Oh, I’m very much ready too! The last time I opened this site, I wasn’t too open yet. Thank Heavens for this site that gave me clearer views on learning prophecies.
 
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