For people who have changed religions/beliefs - Page 2

[kcstar]

Originally Posted by ER RN Mom

I'm having some "transition" issues myself right now. I was raised Catholic and really enjoyed it. About 8 years ago I started to become drawn to the Pagan path and followed it for about 2 years. I then went back to observing the Catholic faith and traditions. My husband is agnostic, but we were married in the Church and our baby was baptized Catholic. All the time, I was luke-warm (at best), at really feeling a connection to my faith.

Now, here I am again, feeling a little lost and alone. Recently I came to the realization that, despite all the years I spent telling the world I was Christian, I was really just going through the motions (literally at times). I don't accept Jesus Christ as my savior. There is it. I feel like the more I observe any faith, the more excluded other groups become. Exclusion IS NOT the message I want to give to my children. So why am I afraid to say that I'm not a Christian?

I think part of me feels like the world wants me to have a title. I need to be classified. I don't know if there is a God. I think there may be. But if there is, do you think He/She would need me to be classified??? Does God REALLY care what religion we are??

This spoke to me. I was also raised devoutly Catholic. My mom and her parents were cradle Catholics, my dad converted when he was in college. I was happy in the church through high school, even into college. Then I started exploring some things with a Pagan friend, and reading more. My husband converted to Catholicism, we married within the church, and shortly after started to drift away.

For me, it took a lot of researching the early history of Christianity, and some of the background/related traditions in Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Mithraism and similar Roman faiths... two years of research and reading before I felt comfortable missing a weekend of Mass, and several more years before I could admit that I really wasn't Catholic at all.

One thing I will say. To my understanding, Catholicism does not require one to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.

In the Catholic schools, the priests encouraged us to attend Mass even when we doubted, when we were mentally arguing with the sermons, when we didn't agree with what was said, when we felt lukewarm. The idea being that everybody goes through these phases on their spiritual journey, and if one keeps up one's spiritual practices, even when they seem meaningless, that's sometimes when a breakthrough can occur. Of course this goes for whatever faith tradition one chooses to practice.

I will agree with the PP that having gone to church all of my life, I don't feel comfortable being without a community. My pagan community on campus was really good, but I still started attending the UU church when my schedule let me. Then, when we moved, the UU church is what we've stuck with. Some of the pagan groups we've found... didn't fit well with our personal beliefs.

[ER RN Mom]

Originally Posted by kcstar

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One thing I will say. To my understanding, Catholicism does not require one to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.

In the Catholic schools, the priests encouraged us to attend Mass even when we doubted, when we were mentally arguing with the sermons, when we didn't agree with what was said, when we felt lukewarm. The idea being that everybody goes through these phases on their spiritual journey, and if one keeps up one's spiritual practices, even when they seem meaningless, that's sometimes when a breakthrough can occur. Of course this goes for whatever faith tradition one chooses to practice.

That's really where I'm having issues right now. I feel like I could go Catholic Church and feel really comfortable with the prayers and the rituals, but when it comes to the creed, I don't really feel comfortable with saying it,especially when it seems like its changed about 10 times since I was a kid. How can you just change a creed without any input from the community who is going to recite it??? And the homily...well that's dependent on the priest. Some are more accepting of everyone, some are all fire and brimstone. And the members can get really pushy about giving money, and denouncing those that are not Catholic. One thing I do not agree with is the evangelism. I'm really one to let others be who they are. I sometime feel that the church would be great if it weren't for all the people in it.

[kcstar]

Originally Posted by ER RN Mom

That's really where I'm having issues right now. I feel like I could go Catholic Church and feel really comfortable with the prayers and the rituals, but when it comes to the creed, I don't really feel comfortable with saying it,especially when it seems like its changed about 10 times since I was a kid. How can you just change a creed without any input from the community who is going to recite it??? And the homily...well that's dependent on the priest. Some are more accepting of everyone, some are all fire and brimstone. And the members can get really pushy about giving money, and denouncing those that are not Catholic. One thing I do not agree with is the evangelism. I'm really one to let others be who they are. I sometime feel that the church would be great if it weren't for all the people in it.

I don't remember any changes to the Creed. Maybe I just haven't been back enough to see it. I agree, the homilies can be anywhere across the board. I once decided to try out the Latin Mass in town. The priest wasn't mic'ed except for the homily, so I couldn't hear anything of the Mass. The homily was all about St. Thomas Moore and OLD grudges against Henry VIII!!!

If you want to be Catholic, I would look for a church that you're comfortable with. I know some that I'd consider keeping in touch with, and others that I wouldn't go back to.