Very Recently Left Catholicism And Need Advice For Dealing With The Fallout From Catholics

Isilwen said:

Having very recently left Catholicism and I am getting much blow back from Catholics because I did. Lots of you're going to hell type comments and the Catholic church is the only church that Jesus is in or that he started. My favorites are that I left because of the scandals or the LGBT movement. I will say that I lean liberal in many things, but also conservative in others. I vote independent and not down party lines.

I left because I just don't agree with Catholicism and I was what they considered a cradle Catholic. I have been doing much research into Catholicism over the past few years, reading about the early church fathers and early Christianity and what I have come to realize is that the phrase, "history is written by the victors" is so true! What I see is that they are the true church because they were the first ones to claim it and nothing more.

Also don't believe the old phrase, "Once Catholic, always Catholic." Especially for those who through no choice of their own were baptized Catholic as infants such as I was. Had I been given a choice, I wouldn't have been Catholic. I believe that is just a way to scare you into staying with Catholicism. I am not necessarily against being baptized as an infant, just that the baptism doesn't bind you to one denomination.

So, after realizing that I just don't agree with many things that the Catholic church says, I couldn't stay.

What can I do about these other Catholics coming down so hard on me?

Haven't chosen a church to attend yet, as I didn't go this weekend wanting a break from things and having too much to do around my apartment.

I will say that I want to stay liturgical and am leaning Episcopal.

Click to expand...

Isilwen said:

What can I do about these other Catholics coming down so hard on me?

Click to expand...

Isilwen said:

Having very recently left Catholicism and I am getting much blow back from Catholics because I did. Lots of you're going to hell type comments and the Catholic church is the only church that Jesus is in or that he started. My favorites are that I left because of the scandals or the LGBT movement. I will say that I lean liberal in many things, but also conservative in others. I vote independent and not down party lines.

I left because I just don't agree with Catholicism and I was what they considered a cradle Catholic. I have been doing much research into Catholicism over the past few years, reading about the early church fathers and early Christianity and what I have come to realize is that the phrase, "history is written by the victors" is so true! What I see is that they are the true church because they were the first ones to claim it and nothing more.

Also don't believe the old phrase, "Once Catholic, always Catholic." Especially for those who through no choice of their own were baptized Catholic as infants such as I was. Had I been given a choice, I wouldn't have been Catholic. I believe that is just a way to scare you into staying with Catholicism. I am not necessarily against being baptized as an infant, just that the baptism doesn't bind you to one denomination.

So, after realizing that I just don't agree with many things that the Catholic church says, I couldn't stay.

What can I do about these other Catholics coming down so hard on me?

Haven't chosen a church to attend yet, as I didn't go this weekend wanting a break from things and having too much to do around my apartment.

I will say that I want to stay liturgical and am leaning Episcopal.

Click to expand...

Isilwen said:

Having very recently left Catholicism and I am getting much blow back from Catholics because I did. Lots of you're going to hell type comments and the Catholic church is the only church that Jesus is in or that he started. My favorites are that I left because of the scandals or the LGBT movement. I will say that I lean liberal in many things, but also conservative in others. I vote independent and not down party lines.

I left because I just don't agree with Catholicism and I was what they considered a cradle Catholic. I have been doing much research into Catholicism over the past few years, reading about the early church fathers and early Christianity and what I have come to realize is that the phrase, "history is written by the victors" is so true! What I see is that they are the true church because they were the first ones to claim it and nothing more.

Also don't believe the old phrase, "Once Catholic, always Catholic." Especially for those who through no choice of their own were baptized Catholic as infants such as I was. Had I been given a choice, I wouldn't have been Catholic. I believe that is just a way to scare you into staying with Catholicism. I am not necessarily against being baptized as an infant, just that the baptism doesn't bind you to one denomination.

So, after realizing that I just don't agree with many things that the Catholic church says, I couldn't stay.

What can I do about these other Catholics coming down so hard on me?

Haven't chosen a church to attend yet, as I didn't go this weekend wanting a break from things and having too much to do around my apartment.

I will say that I want to stay liturgical and am leaning Episcopal.

Click to expand...

Isilwen said:

I believe that through my Catholic baptism, that while it doesn't tie me to Catholicism, it does indeed qualify as a born again experience. I realize that there is some debate about that, and what constitutes a born again experience, but I am firm on that stance.

I am a Christian by baptism and born again by baptism.

Thank you for your response.

Click to expand...

Albion said:

"Once a Catholic, always a Catholic" is the Roman Catholic Church's view of the matter. But so what if they count you as being under their jurisdiction after you have moved to another part of Christ's church?! It doesn't matter at all.

But as for your Catholic friends and their behavior towards you, I am sure that explaining church history, patristics, or any of that to them would be useless. They repeat what they have been told by the church that they trust.

So, I would find a way to politely turn their comments aside, perhaps with a little bit of humor, making clear that you remain a convinced disciple of Our Lord as always and think of them as genuine Christians, too.

Click to expand...

Isilwen said:

As I said, through my baptism as a Catholic I was born again. I am not going to debate that.

Click to expand...

Isilwen said:

That was one of the books that I read, the one from Scott, but it just further drew me away from the Catholic church.

I am away from the Catholic church, and I after all my research plan on staying that way.

Click to expand...

Isilwen said:

Sorry, I thought you were disagreeing with me. My mistake if you weren't.

Click to expand...