I was raised Catholic and I have horrible guilt all the time about everything. I feel like I need to do everything for other people before myself. A few people have told me it was because of the Catholic religion.
2007-03-01 17:19:37 · 19 answers · asked by winterstorm23 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes. Catholics are feel guilty because if you felt no guilt you'd have no reason to go to church now would you?
2007-03-01 17:24:11 · answer #1 · answered by dmlk2 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It depends on if you were raised by very strict parents that used their faith to control you. If everything you did as a child was considered a sin and you had to pay pennace. It is not the faith but the application of the faith that can cause feelings of guilt. It wouldn't matter what religion you were raised under. Counselling would help you to sort out the beliefs that make you feel guilty and teach you how to re think things so that you can live with much less guilt. It takes some doing but you can get past these feelings. Try to remember it is good to do for others, but if you do not take care of your needs then you will burn yourself out and have nothing left to be able to do for others. Start taking care of yourself, think, I am doing this so I can help others! That should fool that guilt thing.
2007-03-01 17:42:13 · answer #2 · answered by tuxedocat 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your inclination to put the needs of others ahead of yourself is the right one. That is what it is to be charitable.
Perhaps you are trying too hard? And you feel guilty about not helping some people you feel you could or should of helped?
If you feel you have sinned in this way, Lent is the season to seek forgiveness via the Sacrament of Confession. There may be other factors at work here, that you have not mentioned in your question. Based on the information you have provided, I think you will pleasantly surprised that you have very little reason to carry so much guilt with you.
You can't help everybody but doesn't mean you shouldn't help anybody. Assist whoever you can, however you can, but be careful not to burn yourself out.
I am going to guess that, mayeb, you want to help more people that you are able to. Do what you can. God will send someone to help to those who you could not help.
For now, do not wallow over anything you believe to have failed at. Focus on the good you've done, and draw some focus and spiritual energy from the good that yo do.
Do this and you WILL be rid of much guilt.
2007-03-02 06:17:44 · answer #3 · answered by Daver 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Catholic Church is a call to holiness. This is what we as followers of Christ are called for. Most of the time, at least for me, the feelings of guilt are there because I know I've done something wrong, or because I know there are things that need improvement.
We are in Lent right now. This is a very special time of year for reflection and penance. This time of year is even more sacred than Christmas. Take some time for prayer, for meditation. Be honest with yourself. Is your life going where it needs to go? How is your relationship with God? Take your time with this; take small steps. God wants more than anything to be closer to you, to be closer to all of us. If we're feeling guilty about something, we should ask ourselves what those things are and seek help to make things better. Talk to your priest, talk to your family, someone firmly grounded in the Faith. You will be okay. Just take your time and keep with the Faith.
God bless.
2007-03-05 08:51:57 · answer #4 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be raised Catholic is at least not so destructive as being raised as a Protestant fundie. The Catholic tradiiton, whether Roman or Anglican or Orthodox, at least provides you with the admirable process of confession as a means to relieve your sense of guilt.
However, when you achieve liberation from all that you may recognize that you are not in fact born burdened with inherited guilt. You do not need to be apologetic for existing. Your life is not foreordained by history - it will be what you choose to make it.
2007-03-01 17:30:41 · answer #5 · answered by fra59e 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I was also raised a Catholic but I have no guilt feelings. Your problem is very simple. If you feel you have a committed a sin why don't you confess it? That would remove any guilt feelings you might have.
2007-03-01 17:59:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
From what I've heard from Catholic-raised friends, that seems to be a common thing among Catholics. Something about the church creating a need for guilt so you keep going to church.
Sort of in the same way that raising a kid to believe in God creates a need in him/her to "be saved" by some superhuman thing. Which, in my opinion, is why so many people raised with Christianity dont let it go, or if they do, replace it with some other religion.
2007-03-01 17:44:48 · answer #7 · answered by Jesus W. 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Everybody wants to blame Catholics for everything! I am a Catholic too, and I don't thuink it's because of our religion it's called being considerate of other people. You have been given the gift of consideration. It's a rare thing to have these days. Your guilt is because you have gotten so used to being considerate of others that you have forgotten to be considerate of yourself. start paying attention to the things you need as well as those of others and it will get better. I had the same problem years ago and I did this and it worked, but it definetely has nothing to do with the Catholic Teachings. Best of luck to you.-James
2007-03-01 17:25:40 · answer #8 · answered by zekemilli4 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Guilt is a harmful mental habit when you dwell on it. Judging your actions to be wrong according to your higher will and goals and then regreting those actions is a function of a learning and growing being. But living there in that regret is an indulgence and impedes your progress. As soon as you have understood yourself to have been incorrect, set about changing. Get busy being new. And always remember that you must first love yourself and be really good to yourself, before you can love anyone else. If being good to others is your goal, then I think we might need you to be a little selfish sometimes. Take care of yourself so you can take care of us. You can find the balance.
2007-03-01 17:28:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes and No. Catholicism centers on CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION. Guilt can be absolved but only by carrying out a token ritual of 'prayer' suggested to you by a guy in dressed in black.
Guilt is conditional. You being a sinner for life is a certain condition of being Catholic. How you cope with that knowledge is determined by YOU not the Catholic Church
2007-03-01 17:26:52 · answer #10 · answered by Just Ask Ashley 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nope. I had horrible guilt as a Protestant (Baptist) and have actually felt a lot better about myself since becoming Catholic.
Your problem is probably Scrupulosity, which is like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but only related to guilt.
2007-03-04 17:27:50 · answer #11 · answered by Dysthymia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋