my religion? (catholics) added details?

Question

lately i've been kind of questioning the existence of god. or the sins. ppl say masterbation is totally healthy and it relieves stress. is that true? i'm questioning my own religion and i don't know what to do. my quincianera is coming up and i haven't gotten baptised or gotten my 1st communion. but i'm going to this year. should i NOT do all this and just NOT have a religion. i don't know what to believe. plz help. and don't say "do what u want!" u see, my whole family is religious and i'm not. plz help!!!!! (i'm catholic)
what if there is a god out there, what if i turn atheist (or however u spell it) and there is a hell & heaven. and what if there isn't a hell & heaven. I didn't get to enjoy the many things this earth had to offer cause i was afraid of sinning!!
the catholic church believes that there should not b gay ppl. now i'm not lez, but i think pppl should love whoever their hearts desires!!!!!

Answer 1

That is a natural fear.
I am Catholic too. My wife was always saying she was scared that there wasn't a heaven or hell. She was also worried that she is in trouble also because she thought it. The Priest would always say it was natural to think that.
As far as the venial sin of masturbation. That's one reason why we have confession. Venial sins will not make you go to hell. If you do them, confess them. You can be general in your confession. The priest usually doesn't want details. God knows.
And I don't know where you got that the Catholic church doesn't think here should be gay people. Who's been teaching you that? A lot of the priests are gay. It's the sexual act that is a sin. In the Commandments, it does not say that there are to be no gay people. So it's another venial sin. I knew many gay couples who went to Mass every week. Someone's been telling you wrongly.

Answer 2

You don't need a religion and you shouldn't go along with one just because everyone else does. The best part about religion, in my opinion, is the community aspect. For that reason alone, you might want to consider going through the motions and learning more about Catholicism. If nothing else, you'll get to spend time with your family and friends. It certainly can't hurt. As for the masturbation and sinning part, do what you feel is right. Sex before marriage used to be banned by the church for good reason, but now it's just tradition. The world has changed and the church hasn't done a good job of adapting in recent years. The solution that I propose is that you consider the consequences of your actions and act accordingly. Masturbation or being gay won't really hurt anyone else. Murder obviously would. Just be smart and try the whole Catholicism thing. Then, once you've tried it, you'll have a better idea of whether it's right for you. You might even have an epiphany and affirm your faith.

Answer 3

Follow and stay true to what's in YOUR heart!

Regardless of family or friends or systems in place. There's a million topics involved with your question and what you said after it!!! The bottom line is this: YOU are the one who has to live your life, many different religions have wonderful guidelines one can use as indicators of right and wrong and living a good life. But your own faith and beliefs (whether it follows the norm or not) should be enough to see you through.

Figure out first who you are and what YOU believe, then stick with it.

Answer 4

umm if ur catholic then shouldve been baptised already.

well what i would do and what i did do around the time of my confirmation is do some research on other religions, if u feel that there is a god, then beleive, if u feel the religion that u go into is right for u then do it.

-just to clarify things though-
masturbation is a sin becuase it abuses what should only be used for making babies with the one u love.

the catholic church doesnt say that being gay(attracted to ppl of the same sex) is a sin but the act of homosexuality(dude does dude) is the sin. basically they beleive its ok to be a girl and love a woman, but not ok to bang her.

Answer 5

there are different stances on masturbation as far as it being a sin or not. many ppl say it is because ur giving into sexual desires not made by your marriage partner and that masturbation should also be saved for marriage. im not totally sure of this myself. since your family is religious and it is tradition to be baptized into the catholic religion, i think you should. after you turn 18 or 21, you will have the right to be whatever religion you want. i agree with you on gay marriage tho

Answer 6

First I am not a catholic but a seventh day adventist christian, but I very much recomend that you go by a "thus saith The Lord" rather then feelings or what a pastor or someone else says, no getting rid of desires is done by asking God to take them away and we go to Him through the second member of the God Head Jesus Christ, free bible lessons www.itiswritten.com also contact me [e-mail] God bless ya

Answer 7

hey, if you don't wanna be catholic, its your choice. im a christian, because i want to be, no other reason. you have your own choice to make, and this is a pretty big one, i say, dont come here asking some atheists, or chirstians to tell you what to do, YOU choose, by YOURself, that way, whatever mistake you make, or good choice you make, you have only you to blame/thank

if you only believe in god because your scared to go to hell, that's not believing in god..so youd probly go to hell..unless you were a good person, but whats wrong with christianity? its just a better way of living, trying not to sin.

Answer 8

hellow..
i think you can't have an absolute answer for your question. it's must be your own choice..
but for whatever your religion/beliefs is, or if you're an atheist or not, wether god exist or not...
there is one accepted universal value that is love and compassion.
and the present state of life/world is unsatisfactories..
personally i don't believe in 'sin'. i also don't believe in good or bad.

Answer 9

choose your religion, God knows what choices we will make but lets us make them,see what im sayin'? I ampentecostall because I am comfortable w/ it and am able to worship God freely through song scripture and dance. and he has blessed me with the power of Prophecy. Choose what you feel is right and will bring you closer to Him. I know you didn't wan to hera that. so let me say there is a God and He loves you soo much He carries you all through your life and builds your testimony. Trust His word There is a God. And he sent His only son to die for you.

Answer 10

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Having put some thought into your answer, I can tell you that your reaction comes in the wake of having learned a potentially sobering Truth, and here it is: You are coming to realize what it means to "die to one's self". You know, your faith has taught you, that one must die to one's self if one is to follow God. This can be a terrifying experience for some people. You are realizing that choosing God means making a number of significant changes in your life, and these changes are scary. We are naturally afraid of the unknown, but God's knows this is a fearful time for you in your journey in the Faith. Rather than resist, accept it. Harken to God for help in dealing with your fear, and you will find yourself going forward with reserves of courage and fortitude you didn't know you had.

And do not trouble yourself with making changes all at once or too soon. The "cold turkey" conversion is only meant for a select few. Saint Paul, for example, experienced in a fraction of a second, the sort of conversion most of the rest of us spend our entire lives working on.

Are you familiar with the axiom, "Be patient, God isn't finished with me yet." You are allowed to take time changing your ways. Just be careful, this time is not meant to be wasted.


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No, I am afraid it is not true. And I believe you already know that in your heart. That is why you are seeking affirmation of a belief, rather than asking for the Truth. What I have to say, regarding masturbation is not what you are going to want to hear. Yet, it would be profoundly unChristian of me to lie to you, wouldn't you say?

Although masturbation relives stress, you cannot use that as an excuse because there are other, far more moral ways, to relieve the same stress. Nor is it totally healthy. Like most everything else involving the body, there are pros and cons. In this case, the cons far outweigh the pros. Do a little honest research, and you will discover this on your own.

From the moral perspective, you must seek the teachings of the Catholic Church. The catechism of the Catholic Church states

2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices.

2352 By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action." "The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose." For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of "the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved."
To form an equitable judgment about the subjects' moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.


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If you are going to get Baptized and receive First Communion before (?) your quinceanera, I don't see what the problem is, If not, then you best rule on the site of "better late than never".

If you are not sure whether or not you should join the Christian Faith, for real, you need to consider what the possible repercussions are likely to be. Ask yourself, do you believe in Heaven. Also, do you believe in Hell. If the answers to both those questions were "yes", then I have to assume you can figure out for yourself that, eventually, your soul is going to end up one place or the other for all eternity. I assume you want to go to Heaven, right? Well, what chance do you think you are going to have if you consciously choose to abandon the faith now? Anything is possible I suppose, but Salvation will be unlikely.

You are about to turn 15, if my understanding of quinceanera is accurate. You are still young and have most of your life ahead of you. It will not be too late to make up for lost time so long as you are still alive here on Earth. It is reasonable to assume a long and healthy life but, God forbid it turns out to be much less than that, you will want to be prepared. Correct? You have up until the moment of your passing to prepare yourself.

My point being, you need not despair under the false impression that it is already too late for you. The fact that you are as concerned about your Spiritual well being, as young as you are, is very encouraging; from my perspective.


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The Holy Spirit is already working His wonders in you. This is clear in your intent to flat-out dismiss any answer (lie, if you will) that endorses the "do what you want" philosophy. In my opinion, it would be a crying shame for you to abandon your faith now, when the presence of the Holy Spirit within you is so clearly obvious. Whatever you do, don't bail on God. You seem to have many a family member who is with the Spirit, they will undoubtibly be willing to lend you whatever support you need to succeed in your life in the Catholic Faith.


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Let's pretend you are tracking two people through life. One is a devout believer who is living a life of virtue. The other, is a non-believer living a life of vice. Now let's pretend (for a moment) there is no afterlife. The two people pass away, and that's it. Neither one has lost anything. Now let's acknowledge the afterlife exists. Who stands to lose the most now; the believer living a life of virtue, or the non-believer living in vice?

Am I to understand you have abstained from certain things because of the possibility of sin? You have met with success in avoiding temptations that might have otherwise lead you to sin? You've already done more for God and gone further down that road to Christ than many, many, people twice your age. You are a far more zealous Christian that you give yourself credit for. Give your faith and works even more meaning by receiving the Sacraments as soon as possible.

Many times we have to avoid something that "seems" good because these things represent an underlying danger, temptation if you will, to sin; a temptation that we might not recognize at first. Satan is not called the "Great Deceiver" for nothing. He's had thousands of Earth years to devise ways to deceive even the best of us. You and me, even if we live to be the oldest man and women ever, will still never acquire enough wisdom to outwit the Devil. But God knows this, and He has provided us with the Sacrament of Penance. That way, when we do screw up, we can be forgiven. There is no need to carry the guilt of past sins, or worry to much about future sins, when we have God's gift of the Sacrament of Penance. Jesus Christ died on the Cross making it possible for, among other things, the forgiveness of our sins. Don't let this great gift go to waste.


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With confusing moral issues, like homosexuality, the best place for you to go is straight to the Official Catholic Teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the single greatest source for Catholic Teachings. It says:

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

As you can see, the Catholic Church does not believe merely being homosexual is a sin. Homosexual activity, among the host of heterosexual activities, are immoral. We are all called to chastity, not just the heterosexuals.

There's nothing I can say that will convince you that homosexual couples just. . . shouldn't be, for lack of a better expression. The above teachings are the Church's teachings because they are God's will. There's much about God's will we won't understand, but we must follow His teachings regardless. Only by following them will the Divine Wisdom behind them be realized.

Give God and His Wisdom the benefit of the doubt in matters you don't fully understand.

If you wish, feel free to contact me.