People of faith - please help me?

Question

I was born and raised a Catholic however due to the hypocrisy of the faith I have not attended church for over 10 years. However I would love to know how other's feel about this?

I do not mean to offend, I am genuinly interested in this. My mum could not take communion as she was divorced, however my aunt in the next parish could? How can this be a fair religion?

How can priests preach to us to love one another - then tell us things like homosexuals are wrong and sinful? How can one priest allow a gay man in his congragation yet another can say no?

Please can you explain this as it may help me make sense of things?

Answer 1

This is the nature of religion. You should find out for yourself what is true or not. The Church is full of hypocrisy and hate but, in the church, you can find truth.

Remember, there is religion and then there is faith. Try not to confuse them too much as they are usually very different things.

The best thing to do I think is to focus on what Jesus actually said and did. Do not pay too much attention to what others say or do in the Church but rather find the truth yourself.

Answer 2

I was raised Catholic too. Went to Catholic school for 9 years. The thing that made me leave, was I wanted to marry a man who was already married 'in the Church' and if you've ever tried to 'annul' a marriage, you'll understand why I decided it wasn't worth it. Later on in life, when I wanted to give my kids a basis for religion, I tried a Christian church, bible believing, non-denominational. I found it very freeing to not have the rules of Catholicism, and follow the rules in the bible. I also found that I wondered why I was worshiping Mary as a kid, I felt like I had created her into an idol. (this is later) I don't want to offend any Catholics, this is my perception and my answer to the question. I was learning in leaps and bounds in this new faith, and have followed the bible much more ever since. It seems likely to find fault in any organized religion, since they're all organized by 'people.' and people aren't perfect. I believe they all fill a void however, and people go to the church where they feel comfortable, whether it's the teaching, the people, the music-Ah, the music!!!!! The Basis of Christianity is the BIBLE, not the religion!! Hope this helps. Pray about it,

Answer 3

Ahh, very good question....

I understand where you are coming from. I am not catholic, but protestant but have the same issues and have not attended church for a while either, now that I have my son, I believe it is important for him to grow up with church activities and to get a good solid background.

My husband and I have great discussions, and the best we come up with is that we must have a relationship with God. That is who we serve and the example we are instructed to follow. The preacher, pastor, priest, bishop, etc., is not the person we are worshiping and so we need to recognize that they are not perfect and capable of sinning just as we are.

I don't agree with all the legalism that churches have established today. We need to take on a more critical role ourselves to know what rules/laws are established in the Bible by God for us to live by. Churches tend to develop their own rules which I call fences...and put those around the laws established by God, therefore becoming the laws...ie, can't take communion if divorced, saying that a priest can not be married, even saying it's a sin to wear pants, or dance, etc, When we make our own rules, we can't live by them....we fail. Therefore we become hypocrites....

I think we need to do our best to find churches and parishes that teach what we believe but recognize that it is up to us to be able to understand the biblical teachings of Jesus.

Good Luck....and don't ever think you are alone in your thinking, and don't ever think you're a bad person because you haven't been in a church building for 10 years. The Bible telIs us to "fellowship" with other believers....and that's what we've just done here.

God Bless!

Answer 4

I'm not catholic but I have noticed many differences from priest to priest. The whole gay thing sucks, because how many males have come out and said that priests have molested them. I really don't know what to think of the catholic church. However, I do believe other churches go through issues similar to these.

Answer 5

Hon, you are like SO MANY others! Including myself...

I was Baptized Catholic (Roman Catholic, father is, well, you know what I'm talking about), Confirmed on my own in the Lutheran faith when I was a teen. I love being a Lutheran. There may still be some hypocrisy, as there is in all religions, but I can be me without being damned to hell by the man-made church and rules because of who I am.

There are so many other Christian denominations to which you could belong and God doesn't care which church you attend, nor under which heading. Don't shy away from having a relationship with Christ because the RC's told u you can't. That is not what His love was or is about. All churches in all denominations are also very different - this explains your confusion about 1 religion having different rules. Roman Catholic is different from Catholic...not sure how since I am Lutheran but even in my religion there are differences in each Pastor and church. Find one you like and can relate to.


God Bless.

Answer 6

I have to agree that the Catholic religion is hypocritical but so are many others. How can a Protestant preach love and then commit us to senseless wars? How can Muslims do the same? Religion is a personal thing and when it becomes an organization it stars to fail in its mission to teach love and help one another. Find your religion in your own heart and worship there as well. Organized religions are a good social focus but they all have their faults. I was once a Catholic, not I shun church and speak to God on my own.

Answer 7

I know how you feel,I was born and raised a catholic also and have not attended mass or confession for over 15 years.
But decided to finally see sense 2 years ago as I find it to be the most hypocritical religion for too many reasons to mention.

Be glad you had the courage and good sense to question it,now you can go your own way.

Answer 8

Switch to being a protestant, it is far more accepting of relationships. Even the vicars can marry. Catholicism has so many rules and regulations. I don't feel that Protestants judge so much. I know a Catholic priest who wouldn't marry his own son because he had a child out of wedlock. I don't think anyone who looks down on another is truly religious, let he who casts the first stone etc! If you don't fancy that, just believe in God stuff the religion, and live a good life! We should all do that x

Answer 9

There is a big difference between religion/church and faith/spirituality. A religion is the books of rules according to the special religion, all of which are invented by mankind, according to the interests of special groups throughout the history. On the other hand, spirituality and faith is the personal Truth within. Search your own, meditate and open your heart.

Answer 10

I think it's sad your mom couldn't come to the grace of God for being divorce. That makes no sense to me. That is between her and God, but God never hesitates to let someone come to His throne of grace...I don't take a particular interest in the Catholic church...I am Christian and in Christianity true repentance clears the way for someone to commune with God...if someone is holding onto sin, there is a barrier between that person and God because God is a HOLY and JUST. If you mum is repentant and honestly trying to live a consecrated life, then there is no reason for her to not have fellowship with God. That is something the Catholic church must have created.

Yes you are to love one another, but loving someone doesn't mean saying everything is "okay". A parent loves their child doesnt mean they let them run out in the street when they want to. A loving parent chastises his/her children. The same is with God. You love homoesexuals, but loving them doesn't mean telling them that their practices are okay.

I am sorry that your congregation is very hypocritcal, but yes that is very wrong that they allow a gay man in the congregation unless that gay man is repenting of his thoughts and life...