Can you still be Catholic if you believe in God, but believe in everything that the Church is against?

Question

I consider myself a Catholic. I believe in God. I pray everyday. I love the Church I go to.
The only problem is, I'm pro-stem cell research and pro-choice. I'm against gay marriage, actually, but I'm pro-gay people. A lot of my friends are gay, and I see nothing wrong with homosexuality.
The extreme Catholics sicken me. I think that they are more disgusting and immoral than someone who worships Satan, to be perfectly honest. I hate people who say that being gay is an "abombination to God". I just tell them that their mom is an abombination to God, as well. I think that abortion is awful, but I believe in a woman's choice to have one. I think that stem-cell research is amazing and promising. I think it's gross that all of the holy rollers that preach against it will be the first in line to get the treatments that are derived from it. Talk about controdicting yourself, right?
Basically, I think that a Catholic who condemns someone for their beliefs is awful.
Am I bad Catholic?

Answer 1

I think you have some soul searching to do. One cannot be a Catholic if ones beliefs are contrary to Church teaching. There is a term "Cafeteria Catholic." You may find yourself better suited to one of the Protestant denominations. As for not condemning another for their beliefs that is a good thing. I can as a Catholic respect anothers right to their beliefs even if I do not neccesarily agree with their view.

Answer 2

You are bordering on being a "bad Catholic". Learn all the facts first....and what your Catholic Faith really teaches and believes.

1) Stem cell research is not against Catholic teaching if it does not involve "Fetal" cells and destroys life. Thats is the problem....aborting babies. Other sources of stem cells are perfectly OK.

2) The Church welcomes homosexuals into the church. Just not practicing. Love the sinner, hate the sin. This also applies to heterosexual people living in fornication. The Church is very high on teaching the dignity of the human person, regardless of who or what they are. It just does not condone or approve of homosexual relationships, but will not belittle or turn away a homosexual person.

I would suggest before you go too far off the deep end you study and read the Catechism and attend an RCIA again....a good one. Watch the Catechism series on tape by Father John Corapi. You seem to have a few things a tad bit skewed.

By the way, you cannot be "Pro-Choice" and be a Catholic. To be "Pro-Choice" is to be "Pro-Death". By virtue of your actions alone, without any official declaration of the Church, you separate yourself from the Church. You excommunicate yourself automatically, and if you attend Mass and take the Eucahrist you commit a Mortal sin. Good luck my friend. Please get all this straight in your head and then go find your priest for confession.

The one thing I do agree with you on is the members of the body judging one another. That should not be happening either.

Answer 3

I totally understand where you're coming from. I agree with you on the gay thing. I refuse to believe that God would want us to treat gay people they way some people treat them. And the priest at my school says that there are certain cases where it's okay to have an abortion, for example, a rape victim could get one if the child hadn't really started to grow yet. The thing with stem cell research is, although there are many benefits that can be derived from it, thousands of fetuses would die in the process. I don't know. We'll see how it turns out.

Answer 4

I am also Catholic and I do not go to church because they preach one thing and do something else. I feel as long as you hold God in your heart, and you believe in him then you are fine. God put us here to do a job and when our job is done then he will call for us. I also feel God don't care about how we talk, look, or even act as long as we love, and believe in him and is son. And as far as abortions is concerned it is up to the person yes, but they really need to stop and think about it first because it is not right. I have had one done only for the fact that the baby I was carrying had died and my body wasn't doing what it was supost to do so I had no other choice. And if you want to you can look back in the bible or watch The Ten Commandments Jesus preached everywhere, and even healed people, and never did he ask for a dime one just for people to believe in him and his father. Just put your Heart and put your Faith in Gods hands and everything will be fine.

Answer 5

I am very much like you. I have coined a term: "liberal Catholic" for myself. It actually works for me. I do follow the Catholic church on many points (ie no adultry or pre-maritial sex) but I also disagree. If stem cell research is the only way, then I am for it. I consiter myself Catholic still, but fundi Catholics will call you hypocritical and will tell you to go to hell. Haha wait for the hate mail if you post your ideas. They will come. Anyway I think that you are Catholic--I like t osay that I follow the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. Think about that.

():-D
shadowgirl

Answer 6

Satan is fooling you...you might think something is right but actually its wrong...homosexuality is a sin as it disrupts and disgusts God's design of man...also God has the only right to make life...Conception is a holy part and science should not interfere in this...Love should be the reason for life...What if you're child asks you where he came from...what would you say?...a tube?...i would say God made you because of Mommy and Daddy's love...abortion is wrong and Jesus said that even thinking of a sin IS a sin...therefore thinking of making an abortion is a sin no matter who you are...KILLING is KILLING...you're not a bad Catholic cause you are imperfect like me..

Answer 7

No you're just an uneducated catholic. No fault with you. Blame the priest or bishop who did not educate you in the Catholic faith.
Do a bit of research into your faith on your own . If you then think all of theses things are fine, take a deep look into the mirror.

Answer 8

1. You can be catholic even if you don't believe in God.
2. You can believe in God even if you're not catholic.
3. Who cares what the church is against, its what God is against that matters.
4. You don't have to go through all those rituals, masses, etc.. to assure yourself a place in heaven. Christ is the only one that can assure you a place in heaven. Believe in Him, not the church.

Answer 9

I became an atheist because, frankly, I had no respect of the religion. You chose what you'd like to do. I just have to say: Don't lie to yourself and the Catholic community at large.