Catholics Only - What if you have trouble accepting things about your faith but you have nowhere else to go?

[Lady Bug]

Hi, I don't want to cause people to roll their eyes at me, although I can't prevent everything.

Have you ever questioned certain things that people believe in or do, but when you think of other denominations, you realize you have nowhere to go?

I trust what Jesus said about Peter (and the Apostles to a different extent) being able to bind and loose on earth. At times it's kind of hard to deal with things that not explicitly in the Bible (Marian dogmas) or things that people do that look like idolatry that actually isn't (people bowing before "what the statues represent" and not the statues themselves - I'm still kind of iffy about people doing this because even though the Catholic teachings don't promote bowing before the STATUE, it looks like they're doing that).

Yet I don't want to go anywhere else. Protestantism IS wrong and a great big tremendous thank you to St. Frances de Sales for him eloquently pointing out the flaws in Protestantism (in his book The Catholic Controversy). He has changed my life. Orthodoxy is romanticized a lot but their fasting rules are...well. And Catholicism is the only one that believes in purgatory, and I refuse to deny that. And I hate "faith alone, faith alone, faith alone."

I'm trying to stay encouraged. I may eventually shut this thread if it doesn't go well.

 

[AlexB23]

Hi, I don't want to cause people to roll their eyes at me, although I can't prevent everything.

Have you ever questioned certain things that people believe in or do, but when you think of other denominations, you realize you have nowhere to go?

I trust what Jesus said about Peter (and the Apostles to a different extent) being able to bind and loose on earth. At times it's kind of hard to deal with things that not explicitly in the Bible (Marian dogmas) or things that people do that look like idolatry that actually isn't (people bowing before "what the statues represent" and not the statues themselves - I'm still kind of iffy about people doing this because even though the Catholic teachings don't promote bowing before the STATUE, it looks like they're doing that).

Yet I don't want to go anywhere else. Protestantism IS wrong and a great big tremendous thank you to St. Frances de Sales for him eloquently pointing out the flaws in Protestantism (in his book The Catholic Controversy). He has changed my life. Orthodoxy is romanticized a lot but their fasting rules are...well. And Catholicism is the only one that believes in purgatory, and I refuse to deny that. And I hate "faith alone, faith alone, faith alone."

I'm trying to stay encouraged. I may eventually shut this thread if it doesn't go well.

I question the authority of the Pope (Papal infallibility sounds demonic if you ask me), so I look to other denominations, but only the Catholics have the Eucharist and the full 73 books of the Bible. The only other church that has that is the Orthodox church. I quit nondenominational Protestantism in 2022, and it was for the best for me to become Roman Catholic. But, yes, I am questioning the Pope given the woke stuff he has said recently, and him attending LGTV people events.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Hi, I don't want to cause people to roll their eyes at me, although I can't prevent everything.

Don’t worry about that from me.

Have you ever questioned certain things that people believe in or do, but when you think of other denominations, you realize you have nowhere to go?

Yup. But so did the Twelve when confronted by a hard saying. Where can we go? You have the words of everlasting life.

I trust what Jesus said about Peter (and the Apostles to a different extent) being able to bind and loose on earth.

Exactly.

At times it's kind of hard to deal with things that not explicitly in the Bible (Marian dogmas) …

They were hard for me for a long time.

… or things that people do that look like idolatry that actually isn't (people bowing before "what the statues represent" and not the statues themselves - I'm still kind of iffy about people doing this because even though the Catholic teachings don't promote bowing before the STATUE, it looks like they're doing that).

And perhaps ‘some’ of them are.

Yet I don't want to go anywhere else. Protestantism IS wrong and a great big tremendous thank you to St. Frances de Sales for him eloquently pointing out the flaws in Protestantism (in his book The Catholic Controversy). He has changed my life.

Yes.

Orthodoxy is romanticized a lot but their fasting rules are...well.

I wouldn’t be opposed so much to their fasting rules but I do think Orthodoxy is romanticized way too much. It’s really a fractious conglomeration. When I feel fed up with being Catholic I look at all of their factions and I think I should sit down a while longer.

And Catholicism is the only one that believes in purgatory, and I refuse to deny that. And I hate "faith alone, faith alone, faith alone."

Purgatory does make a lot of sense. And praying for the dead which underlies it.

I'm trying to stay encouraged. I may eventually shut this thread if it doesn't go well.

We pray. We complain to God. We endure. We try not to cause too much frustration for others. If we don’t have it all figured out yet we just keep asking for understanding.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I question the authority of the Pope (Papal infallibility sounds demonic if you ask me), so I look to other denominations, but only the Catholics have the Eucharist and the full 73 books of the Bible. The only other church that has that is the Orthodox church. I quit nondenominational Protestantism in 2022, and it was for the best for me to become Roman Catholic. But, yes, I am questioning the Pope given the woke stuff he has said recently, and him attending LGTV people events.

One can question the office holder without rejecting the office. And you would not be alone in questioning the office holder.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Ignore it and hope it goes away


(Works for me)

 

[RileyG]

I question the authority of the Pope (Papal infallibility sounds demonic if you ask me), so I look to other denominations, but only the Catholics have the Eucharist and the full 73 books of the Bible. The only other church that has that is the Orthodox church. I quit nondenominational Protestantism in 2022, and it was for the best for me to become Roman Catholic. But, yes, I am questioning the Pope given the woke stuff he has said recently, and him attending LGTV people events.

Papal Infallibility is not demonic. Christ promised binding and losing to St. Peter and the gates of hell will NEVER prevail against his Church.

For further reading compare Isaiah 22 and Matthew 16:18.

 

[RileyG]

We are not based on scripture alone. Also read the Church fathers. Pray for wisdom and insight.

Blessings

 

[AlexB23]

The encouragement by others to remain Catholic even if I have issues at times.

Well, my encouragement is this: The Catholics have the Eucharist and all 73 books of the Bible. Protestants do not, so you and I are in a far better church compared to the other denominations.

The Eucharist has been scientifically proven to bleed on occasion.

Catholics believe that the communion contains the flesh and blood of Jesus, but is invisible to us most of the time. However, very rarely, the bread may bleed real blood, in what is known as a Eucharistic miracle. Scientists can not explain the cause, as bread does not have the capability of bleeding. These Eucharistic miracles have only happened over 100 times, so are exceedingly rare in the nearly 2000-year history of the Catholic church. Eucharistic miracles have been studied by scientists, and in all of the confirmed miracles, the blood was type AB. In other Eucharistic miracles, the Catholic church has dismissed some, as red fungus sometimes grows on old bread. So, rigorous scientific testing is used to confirm these miracles.

Eucharistic Miracle info:

Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[AlexB23]

Pretty neat, eh, @Lady Bug ? We as Catholics can have solace that Jesus shows up inside the bread at every communion, and once in a blue moon, He can reveal himself to the human eye in the form of flesh and type AB blood. I wish Protestants understood the Eucharist as Catholics do, but they do not. But it is not my place to judge them.

 

[RileyG]

Pretty neat, eh, @Lady Bug ? We as Catholics can have solace that Jesus shows up inside the bread at every communion, and once in a blue moon, He can reveal himself to the human eye in the form of flesh and type AB blood. I wish Protestants understood the Eucharist as Catholics do, but they do not. But it is not my place to judge them.

Amen!

 

[RileyG]

Well, my encouragement is this: The Catholics have the Eucharist and all 73 books of the Bible. Protestants do not, so you and I are in a far better church compared to the other denominations.

The Eucharist has been scientifically proven to bleed on occasion.

Catholics believe that the communion contains the flesh and blood of Jesus, but is invisible to us most of the time. However, very rarely, the bread may bleed real blood, in what is known as a Eucharistic miracle. Scientists can not explain the cause, as bread does not have the capability of bleeding. These Eucharistic miracles have only happened over 100 times, so are exceedingly rare in the nearly 2000-year history of the Catholic church. Eucharistic miracles have been studied by scientists, and in all of the confirmed miracles, the blood was type AB. In other Eucharistic miracles, the Catholic church has dismissed some, as red fungus sometimes grows on old bread. So, rigorous scientific testing is used to confirm these miracles.

Eucharistic Miracle info:

Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

#1 reason to be Catholic

 

[AlexB23]

Amen!

Amen to the Eucharist.

 

[RileyG]

I believe that Mary did not sin, but Popes are different.

Agreed 100%.

 

[AlexB23]

#1 reason to be Catholic

Agreed.

 

[Bob Crowley]

For what it's worth my old (Presbyterian) pastor turned up one night in a vision and said "The Catholic Church is closest to the truth", with a distinct emphasis on the word "closest". This was some time after I'd become Catholic and I might have had a couple of issues at the time.

Obviously that's personal revelation, but as far as I'm concerned that's it. Incidentally he also warned me there'd be a "lot" of pedophile cases in the Catholic Church long before I became Catholic, using the words "... I think there's going to be a lot of them". That time the emphasis was on the word "lot".

I suppose he warned me about that circa 1990 or 1991 as he died himself in 1992.

Despite his earlier warning, he still turned up a few years later in visionary form and said it was "closest" to the truth. So what's the point of going anywhere else?

 

[mourningdove~]

For what it's worth my old (Presbyterian) pastor turned up one night in a vision and said "The Catholic Church is closest to the truth", with a distinct emphasis on the word "closest".

What about the Orthodox Church? They seem pretty 'closest', too.
Did your pastor have anything to say about them?

 

[Bob Crowley]

No - just the Catholic Church. We had talked about the Catholic Church when I was a member of his Presbyterian Church and he was still alive.

He predicted then that he thought I'd become Catholic. I demurred saying it seemed to me my (atheist ex-Catholic) father had taken me out of the Church.

He said "I think God might want you to go back there..." There was more, but the Orthodox Church or Churches didn't come into our discussion, and when he appeared in the vision he referred only to the Catholic Church.

The Orthodox Church or Churches didn't get a mention during our earthly discussion or in the later vision.

 

[fide]

Hi, I don't want to cause people to roll their eyes at me, although I can't prevent everything.

Have you ever questioned certain things that people believe in or do, but when you think of other denominations, you realize you have nowhere to go?

I trust what Jesus said about Peter (and the Apostles to a different extent) being able to bind and loose on earth. At times it's kind of hard to deal with things that not explicitly in the Bible (Marian dogmas) or things that people do that look like idolatry that actually isn't (people bowing before "what the statues represent" and not the statues themselves - I'm still kind of iffy about people doing this because even though the Catholic teachings don't promote bowing before the STATUE, it looks like they're doing that).

Yet I don't want to go anywhere else. Protestantism IS wrong and a great big tremendous thank you to St. Frances de Sales for him eloquently pointing out the flaws in Protestantism (in his book The Catholic Controversy). He has changed my life. Orthodoxy is romanticized a lot but their fasting rules are...well. And Catholicism is the only one that believes in purgatory, and I refuse to deny that. And I hate "faith alone, faith alone, faith alone."

I'm trying to stay encouraged. I may eventually shut this thread if it doesn't go well.

I believe it was John Henry Newman - a famous convert from Anglicanism - who wrote of many difficulties with the Catholic Faith, but yet, not one doubt about it: "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt." Mine were not that many - 10,000! I had a few. But I had no doubt: the Catholic Faith is Truth, it is of Christ. St. Peter also, after hearing the "hard sayings" of Jesus in John 6, when many of His disciples left Jesus after His "Bread of Life" discourse:

John 6:67 Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;

St. Peter knew because he had heard interiorly, from God, Holy and Eternal Truth from Jesus. So did Newman, and I did too, and all doubts were gone. No one can doubt the confirmation of God within the soul. If you know, because of this, you know and thanks be to God that you do. The evil one will still tempt you, but God will strengthen you, and if you persevere, one by one, either quickly or slowly, all difficulties will fade away.

 

[fide]

What about the Orthodox Church? They seem pretty 'closest', too.
Did your pastor have anything to say about them?

and to @AlexB23
The Orthodox have many beautiful qualities in their Faith, but the lack of the Filioque clause in their Creed is serious - a very important Truth thus lacking at the foundation of their beliefs (imho), concerning the very nature of the Holy Trinity.

 

[AlexB23]

and to @AlexB23
The Orthodox have many beautiful qualities in their Faith, but the lack of the Filioque clause in their Creed is serious - a very important Truth thus lacking at the foundation of their beliefs (imho), concerning the very nature of the Holy Trinity.

Interesting. Seems that every church has flaws