Hello all. I have questions regarding my faith in the Lord and in Christ and would love some input. I was baptized Greek Orthodox when I was young and never really went to church at all. Now at age 35 (a few months ago actually) I felt a need to get closer to God and have never felt happier. I am married (13 years) to a Catholic woman and we baptized our 3 children Catholic. I am fine with that because regardless of denomination, we are all believers that God gave us His only begotten son and that he was crucified for our sins. When I was growing up, my step mother was baptist so I went to Greek Orthodox churches, baptist churches, and I believe we also attended Methodist churches as well. The only difference in these denominations were the way in which the Word was delivered, along with minor differences in the ceremony and in how Communion was given/taken. We are now parishioners of a Catholic church right down the street and I am very happy that I am going back to church. The fact that I can share it with my family makes me feel great. However, I do not receive Holy Communion because I have not confessed my sins, I also feel a little weird when we pray to saints such as St. Michael. I thought that we were only to pray to God through Christ. I am trying to find out what to do by reading the Bible (I read the KJV every day for the most part. I am currently reading Exodus). Where would I find out more information about this practice in the Bible? I believe that as CHRISTIANS (not only Catholics / Orthodox) we should be opposed to abortion. Not only is a life being taken, but I am sure that somewhere in the Bible it talks about how how the Lord knows us even before we are born, so aborting a pregnancy is crushing an intimate and spiritual bond that we have with God. I do not believe that homosexuality is ok (I'm not running around beating people for it or anything). I read John 20:23 and it talked about how Jesus gave the apostles the Holy Spirit and told them that whatever sins they forgive are forgiven; whatever sins they bind are bound (paraphrased). A lot of people say that we should only confess our sins to God, and not another man. I believe that when going to a priest, we are asking God to forgive our sins (not another man), but we are also talking to our shepherd so he can also give us some good spiritual advice. I do not believe that the Pope holds the keys to heaven. I believe that he is the figurehead of the Catholic Church, but just as fallible as we are. If I were to ask these questions to our priest, will I be shunned. Will I not be welcome? I just want to worship with my family. I don't want the fact that I do not take communion in our church to be the focal point for my wife to be angry with me. She has come to accept my stance on Christianity so far, and it is getting better. Basically, my questions is: Am I doing the right thing? I feel like I am, but I am only human, I could be doing something wrong. All I know is that since I started reading the Bible, praying, and going church with my family; that I am becoming closer to God, becoming a better husband, and becoming a better father.
Do I Belong?
- Thread starter tfotos
- Start date
Holy Communion is a sore subject between my wife and I. She doesn't understand why I haven't gone to confession and taken Communion. She knows it will bring me that much closer to god. I just want to make sure that I am doing things right. I don't think that praying to saints = idolatry. If I am not mistaken they are being asked to pray for us to the Lord. We as Christiants know who created us and who we must worship. If we are only to mediate through Jesus Christ, then why did he give the apostles the power to forgive sin? Might that mean that in order to go to heaven, one must believe that Christ died for our sins? Please don't think that I am being argumentative in the least regarding your quote of 1 Timothy 2:5, I need more clarification because I understand what you are saying, but then John 20:23 says something completely different than that. The church that I attend does not condone homosexuality or abortion. I was kind of giving you a brief view on my outlooks and beliefs. I just want to worship someplace where I am welcome while maintaining balance with my family. Ugh, so many questions.
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Albion
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No theological hair-splitting and no pontificating. Here's my advice....
Take communion, be happy, keep the family together in church, and stop worrying about this.
While I respect anyone who has enough integrity to care as you do about these possible conflicts, it is a rare Catholic who actually does believe every last doctrine that the church tells him he must. And that's of course true of other churches as well. Every priest knows this, too.
Among the beliefs you mentioned, it looks like you have a Protestant outlook on confession and prayer, an Orthodox mindset on the Papacy, and there's no issue with abortion and homosexuality.
So go to private confession once a year if you can stand it, and confess to God privately the rest of the time. Few Catholics actually do go to confession as the church would like, but they don't avoid communion. Don't feel a need pray to saints; there's no obligation to do that, even if you are the most rigorous of Catholics. And don't advertise your views about the Papacy; just do as many other Catholics do and think to yourself that the Church will come around in time.
Take communion, be happy, keep the family together in church, and stop worrying about this.
While I respect anyone who has enough integrity to care as you do about these possible conflicts, it is a rare Catholic who actually does believe every last doctrine that the church tells him he must. And that's of course true of other churches as well. Every priest knows this, too.
Among the beliefs you mentioned, it looks like you have a Protestant outlook on confession and prayer, an Orthodox mindset on the Papacy, and there's no issue with abortion and homosexuality.
So go to private confession once a year if you can stand it, and confess to God privately the rest of the time. Few Catholics actually do go to confession as the church would like, but they don't avoid communion. Don't feel a need pray to saints; there's no obligation to do that, even if you are the most rigorous of Catholics. And don't advertise your views about the Papacy; just do as many other Catholics do and think to yourself that the Church will come around in time.
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- Aug 24, 2012
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I'm pretty much with Albion on this one. I think it is honorable to want to keep the unity of the family together. Catholics worship the same God so it's not like you are bowing down to another God. As far as praying to saints and believing the Pope is infallible I just wouldn't do it. Now for communion I believe the EO is the closest to being correct. I think protestants really are missing something believing it is only symbolic. Just my two cents.
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BFine
Seed Planter
The real issue is you and your wife don't hold the same core values
when it comes to religion.
In all honesty, I recommend that you find another church to attend
that does upholds God's standards.
Me and my husband attend a fellowship baptist church together but
two days out of the week he "attends" a pentecostal church online...
this has been going on for years. We have been married 10 yrs.
*The church he attends online also has a chat feature and they send
out email newsletters each week.
when it comes to religion.
In all honesty, I recommend that you find another church to attend
that does upholds God's standards.
Me and my husband attend a fellowship baptist church together but
two days out of the week he "attends" a pentecostal church online...
this has been going on for years. We have been married 10 yrs.
*The church he attends online also has a chat feature and they send
out email newsletters each week.
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- Jul 2, 2005
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tfotos,
My experience is that the Catholic Church is more willing to tolerate members not supporting all of their church's doctrinal stands than non-liberal protestant churches. (Best I can tell, one can believe about anything popularly accepted in culture in a liberal protestant church.) I have known strong Christian believers in the Catholic church, though frankly they did not support everything the Catholic church taught. Even in being open with their questions, they did find the Catholic church willing to still accept them.
Many of my fellow protestants determine which church denomination to attend solely based on how closely their personal beliefs align with the denomination's. Thus we have ended up with a slew of protestant denominations with various flavors of doctrine, even though largely they agree with one another on the major doctrines. (This all has its roots in the Protestant Reformation begun by Martin Luther.)
Hope this helps.
My experience is that the Catholic Church is more willing to tolerate members not supporting all of their church's doctrinal stands than non-liberal protestant churches. (Best I can tell, one can believe about anything popularly accepted in culture in a liberal protestant church.) I have known strong Christian believers in the Catholic church, though frankly they did not support everything the Catholic church taught. Even in being open with their questions, they did find the Catholic church willing to still accept them.
Many of my fellow protestants determine which church denomination to attend solely based on how closely their personal beliefs align with the denomination's. Thus we have ended up with a slew of protestant denominations with various flavors of doctrine, even though largely they agree with one another on the major doctrines. (This all has its roots in the Protestant Reformation begun by Martin Luther.)
Hope this helps.
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Albion
Facilitator
Very true. Protestants generally believe that the real church is the total of all believers regardless of denomination. Catholics believe that the true church is the visible organization they think Christ meant to be the only real, only valid, church. Naturally, then, the latter would tend to think that the correct membership is more important than correct doctrine.
That wouldn't be the correct way to approach it, of course. However, there is a parallel in Catholicism. Rather than finding a church that teaches the doctrines they agree with, many converts to Catholicism chose the church on the basis of its size, history, opulence, evocative architecture, sacred drama, etc. Many say that they just felt the presence of God when entering a large Catholic church.
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Have you investigated the Lutheran church (LCMS or WELS)? You might find a better fit there from what I'm reading.
Your wife might also like it because those that have the liturgical services are very similar to the RC mass.
Your wife might also like it because those that have the liturgical services are very similar to the RC mass.
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I am eastern orthodox praying to saints is wrong we only ask them for help just as we ask a tutor for help and we say for the sake of Michael the archangel the defender of Gods people abraham and isaac please remember us. But it is God we are addressing and it is in addition to our current prayers and it is not whom we put faith in. Just as Moses reasoned with God if you slew those israelites then the other nations will say you brang them down to kill him
Moses did not change God's mind but he was growing in faith by using his reason
and when a person has faith God will answer then God answers
there ought to be one church that reconciles all the believers as one. Every church which claims only itself as having salvation is heterodox and not right with God yet God does not reject the people in them who keep their traditions but love others. Those who want you to worship their own demons will tell you you must leave
you see the tutor gets some of the glory for helping you doesn't he?
Moses did not change God's mind but he was growing in faith by using his reason
and when a person has faith God will answer then God answers
there ought to be one church that reconciles all the believers as one. Every church which claims only itself as having salvation is heterodox and not right with God yet God does not reject the people in them who keep their traditions but love others. Those who want you to worship their own demons will tell you you must leave
you see the tutor gets some of the glory for helping you doesn't he?
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Has your wife tried visiting a Greek Orthodox or Baptist church? Just curious. Now that you have children, you might want to show them what you grew up with. At least give them a tour of the mosiac work inside. (-:
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I've taken them to Greek Orthodox services. The problem is they don't speak Greek. They don't feel like they have gotten anything out of the liturgy. The best church we ever attended was a Byzantine Catholic church in Alaska. The priest was awesome and very tolerant of my beliefs.
I can not convince my wife to attend another church service. She has only ever known Catholicism. When I ask her why something's is done, she responds with "it's Canon Law". I then counter with, "but what is God's law?" And she tells me that she doesn't know and that I should ask a priest these questions. I understand how she feels though. Her mother is and always has been a super devout devout devout devout devout Catholic; so she rooted it into her daughter. Did I tell you that her mom is super DEVOUT about Catholicism? I think I'm going to take someone's advice here and confess my sins to God, confess once in a while to a priest so I can maintain balance with my family, and talk to my family every day about what I have read in the Holy Bible. Thank you guys so much for the input.
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Albion
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Exactly! You are a family man and have responsibilities to your loved ones as well as a respect for them. No advice that says something like "Go to a different church" is realistic. If you were not married, etc. or if your wife had a different religious background, it might be different. And it might be different if there were significant doctrinal controversies...but as you explained the situation to us, there are none of that magnitude.
As you've indicated by referring to that church in Alaska, this also is a problem that is caused in part by something as simple as geography, so you have to do the best that's possible under real world circumstances. I am confident that the course of action you are describing is the wisest.
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I was just wondering if anyone of Catholic or Eastern Orthodox faith could shed some light and actually show me where in the Bible it talks about praying to Saints and such. If the Bible does not say that it is OK, then why are Hail Mary's and prayers to Saint Michael said during the Mass / Liturgy? I was asking my wife this question and she did not know the answer either. I sincerely thank everyone that took the time to respond to my dilemma; I really mean it. Thank you ALL so very much.
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MOD HAT ON
This is not a debate sub-forum. This is where people ask for specific advice.
The OP did NOT ask for opinions about the RCC. If he had, most of the replies would have been fine. However, he didn't and they aren't. Thus, there been deleted.
Please keep to the topic at hand. Don't even respond to this post. If you have an issue with it, please start a thread in Member Services.
MOD HAT OFF
This is not a debate sub-forum. This is where people ask for specific advice.
The OP did NOT ask for opinions about the RCC. If he had, most of the replies would have been fine. However, he didn't and they aren't. Thus, there been deleted.
Please keep to the topic at hand. Don't even respond to this post. If you have an issue with it, please start a thread in Member Services.
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T
trentlogain2
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wow. i just want to thank all of you for your responses. God has opened my eyes to tolerance and understanding. i used to be so dogmatic on ton of stuff, but He has really started to take the blinders off. that's all i can say at this point. thank you all for your precious feedback. the Lord has definitely used the folks at CF to "broaden my horizons". lol
particularly here in the advice section.
particularly here in the advice section.
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