A Question for Catholics: What draws you to Catholicism over any other denomination of Christianity?

Question

I know it is another form of Christianity.
I'm not debating that.

Great Answers, truly inspirational.

Answer 1

I love my Catholic faith for the richness, the tradition and the rituals that attend the living faith. I love that it is ever-growing, adapting to today's world, but never losing touch with its roots, and willing to take the hard stands. I love that we can trace our roots right back to the moment when Jesus told Peter that he would be the rock of the church, in essence, the first Pope.

The catholic faith has been able to take the word of God and adapt it with people's traditions, making the church traditions even richer, such as the lighting of candles, the celebration of Christmas, the adoration of Mary. Yet through all the adapting, it has never compromised the Truth, the Jesus is the savior, and through Him we will be saved.

I am not blind to the faults of my church, but I do know that working to fix the faults is far more loving than walking away, so that's what I try to do.

There is a sense of safety and security in the church, knowing what to expect, approaching worship with a sense of respect and awe, and carrying on the work started by the Apostles. The history helps to guide us, and strengthens us to continue to do God's work.

Thank you for this question.

Answer 2

Well to be perfectly honest because that's how I was raised. My neighbors were Christians and I went to Church with them a couple times but they tried to convert me at age 6! I remember my neighbor (a former Catholic) telling me I was wrong and I shouldn't tell my sins to a priest and the pope was just a guy, my church was boring...I was 6. This really scared me and I think I questioned alot growing up because of it. I have stayed Catholic (not the best, I am probably a good example of the"buffet" Catholic).But I love the quiet mass, for me its a time of guided reflection and meditation. Later when I attended a semester at a Catholic College I had a nun with a doctorate in theology for a Dynamics of Faith course and she sealed the deal. We examined doctrine and really looked into the basis of our faith. I had been so stagnate in Catholicism until I realized it isn't necessarily what we were taught. There is so much room for interpretation and as Catholics we are encouraged to question and examine. From what I have experienced it isn't just a blind faith brainwashing like others sometimes seem to be. Although we are far from perfect and slow to change I think it has been a solid guide to living a good and examined life. Its not about right and wrong.

Answer 3

I can't say I'm the catholic I want to be. I wish I could be.

It's just that it's changing too rapidly, and it has many old rules that people in these times can't follow.

The catholic church I remember in my earlier days was filled with wonderment and awe. Today, they keep trying to simplify the mass and adapt to the fast paced society we now (unfortunately) live in, that it's lost a lot of followers.

Still, if it gets it's act together, it is better than most other denominations.

Pope John Paul 11 was my hero.

George Bush couldn't carry his shoes.

Bush belongs to a different denomination, and that proves my point.

As long as you have so much diversity with Christianity, you will always have conflicts in this troubled world.

Catholicism stands for peace and love of Jesus.

Other denominations believe catholics adore the Blessed Mother over Jesus.

I wish the Catholic Church would clarify it's focus of attention, giving dominance to the Lord as our Saviour and Master.

We all, as good Christians, should follow the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

Over several years, I have moved from Protestant denomination to denomination. Attended Baptist and then Assembly of God as a child and teenager. When I finally discovered the Catholic Church, I found a church where the Spirit of God was actually present in the Mass.

And for the record, Catholicism is by definition, NOT a denomination. It is the Church. All other Christian churches forming out of the Protestant Reformation are denominations.

Anyone who was Catholic and has left it, saying they are now a "real" Christian, is someone who never learned what their Catholic Faith really is.

I feel I have finally found the real Church and can't imagine going anywhere else now. This truly has the "fullness" of the Christian Faith with all of the sacraments and all of the Sacred Tradition from the original Apostolic succession. But most of all, when I am in mass I can sense a real presence of God. Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and the tabernacle. The other churches I attended before felt empty and left me empty.

Answer 5

Sorry approximately people being judgmental on your question. Roman Catholics base their non secular lives on the Liturgical Calendar. The Liturgical Calendar is a gadget that kindles the hearts of Catholics so that they are going to remember God’s impressive plan of salvation that replaced into performed in the process the beginning, life, death and becoming of Christ Who as quickly as lower back walks the earth in our time and presence. In each cycle of the Liturgical Calendar, there are six seasons. a million. introduction 2. Christmas & Epiphany 3. Lent 4. Paschal Triduum 5. Easter 6. hassle-free time yet another key factor of the Roman Catholic Church is that of the Seven Sacraments. The Seven Sacraments are center rituals in the Roman Catholic Church, and those sacraments have a useful result on all the stages and demanding moments of a Catholics life. those Seven Sacraments are: a million. Baptism 2. affirmation 3. Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion 4. Penance or Confession 5. Holy Orders 6. Matrimony 7. Anointing of the ill The Catechism of the Catholic Church recognises those seven sacraments as being guiding procedures throughout which to attain sanctifying grace. And arguably the main needed factor is that Catholicism got here from the religion of Judaism, with Jesus Christ being born a Jew and death a Jew.

Answer 6

Catholicism has the fullness of truth that other denominations lack. The Catholic Church is the church instituted by Jesus Christ Himself as led by St. Peter (first of the Popes) and the Apostles (Bishops, Priests, and Deacons). The Catholic Church is protected from error by the Holy Spirit and the gates of Hell will never prevail against her. The Church celebrates all Seven of the Sacraments including the Most Holy Eucharist in which we are able to truly become one Body in Christ. In the Church there is also a great history of those Saints who have gone before us, to help and inspire us to persevere to the end.

I could go on and on, but that is the most basic stuff...

Please feel free to contact me if you wish to speak further. I myself just joined the Catholic Church this past Easter, and before that I was a Baptist.

Answer 7

I am a convert from no religion to fundamentalism to Catholicism. As a poster above pointed out, Protestant Churches are denominations. The Catholic Church is not a denomination. The word Catholic means "all embracing," or "according to the whole." It is the far more diverse internally than all of Protestantism across the different denominations. There are currently 46,000 Protestant denominations and every time someone comes up with a new idea, a new one forms. There is still but one Catholic Church.

I choose Catholicism because it still practices the Christianity of the first century. The services vary little from the early services. The services written by Mark, Peter and James are still in use on occaision, although most Catholics would not realize that or their origins, and the ancient stories are still lived out. The scriptures are not a set of books to sit around and argue about, they are guideposts on how to live a life. Salvation isn't a static concept where you are or you are not. You are liberated from sin. It is wonderful to have support from others to live a loving life and to have strength from God to love others rather than focus on self.

This is to some extent found in other Protestant groups, but the operative principle in Protestantism is that if you disagree then you divide and hence you cannot embrace all because in disagreement everyone just goes their own way. Likewise, Church teachings are unchanged. No one goes to conference and vote on issues such as gay marriage or when you are allowed to kill people. The only question is what is indicated in the ancient writings such as scripture or in the other parts of the apostolic tradition, stories, songs, services, beliefs and art handed on by the apostles to us.

It may be the only Christian tradition, other than Holy Orthodoxy, where a male tribesman in a primitive society and a female New York neurosurgeon, people who do not remotely share a world view, can sit down and share the cup of love and the bread of life. They do not need to agree intellectually or fret over who is saved or who is backsliding, they merely need to love one another and accept each other for what they are, not who they need each other to be.

Catholicism is the religion of the deeply imperfect person, where profound imperfection is loved despite its problems. Sin is not loved and the scars of sin are regretted, but the people are loved even when they are most difficult to love. To be Catholic, in the ideal, is to embrace all.

The second side of the word Catholic is "according to the whole." You have to accept extraordinary diversity and have tremendous humility to forgo your own opinion for the opinion of the billions of Catholics both living and awaiting resurrection. Only people who are sure they are correct can start their own religion or denomination. As such, we are one body because none of us, from lowly uneducated worker to Pope is bright enough to come up with our own ideas to start our own Church or religion. We just pass on to our children and the world that which the apostles left to us. We live the Good News of Jesus, in the Spirit in submission to the Father.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Answer 8

Catholicism was the original or 1st church of Christianity. Jesus Christ built the church upon St.Peter.
"Now I say to you that you are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my church." (Matthew 16:18a)
All the other denominations are man made.There are thousands of denominations with their own views and perspectives. A lot of them are based on what their leaders believe. For example, Lutheranism is based on the ideology of Martin Luther. Throughout history people have changed the traditional church and replaced it with the many denomantions that exist today.The Catholic (meaning "universal") Church shares and preaches the same beliefs as they did 2000 years ago. Catholicism was given to us by the apostles.

Answer 9

For me, part of it is that it was the denomination I was raised in. I was lucky enough, though, to have parents who taught me to think for myself, ask questions and be open to other faiths.

I have chosen to remain a Catholic because it is the best fit for me. I often blame my theatrical background, but I love ritual. Rituals are nothing more than repeated, outward expressions of something going on inside. I take comfort in the familiarity of them, and enjoy going to other churches to see how other people celebrate.

Answer 10

My draw for it, despite being born into the faith, is how the clerical structure is built and used. But that's my preference, since I prefer for some order in my life, now matter how stupid or misc. it may be. Sorry if it's not much.