My letter to my modernist RCIA class

[Gabriel Anton]

Peace be with you.

JLOL

Do NOT send that to your classmates - I really really mean that.

They have come to appreciate the teaching that the RCIA team gave them - you are , putting it bluntly , destroying their new faith - a very very unwise move.

You should not be suggesting another programme for them - that is undermining what they have been given so far and giving the impression , whether you mean it or not , that you know far more than they do.

All of you who were Received this year need time to settle down and become comfortable - this is a slow process and you do not want them to burn out and crash because of pressure.

Listen to her, JLOL.

Not to mention the Catholic mantra of walking the faith not running.

Two months of Catholicism is NOT enough to teach a entire parish including your own priest about the faith.

Listen to him, JLOL.

You should not be attempting to teach - and this is what you are trying to do.

Have you been trained as a teacher of Religious subjects ? Are you a catechist ?

Teaching a neophyte is the responsibility of the priest.

Listen to her, JLOL.

I say this with no malice and come in peace. I have been following the thread and
Anhelyna has given some great advice and you should not so easily disregard it. Writing the last letter is the worst thing you could do as it could stir up mighty anger and hatred toward you for acting all "hi and mighty" toward the person something you do not want to do.

Always look inward at yourself before look outward to find faults, because many times ours ae always bigger.

Listen to him, JLOL.

Oh yes I do, which is why I can't do number 2.) I'm worried I might freeze up if things go bad!

Listen to yourself, JLOL.

Please tell me what you think of my plan, I'll wait until tomorrow before making my final move.

I meant what I said in the first post that you are a Beginner in the Faith. I can tell.

Your plan will only cause problems like headaches and heartaches for yourself and others because you are interpreting things and situations through the window of a tainted and unclear soul. It's like looking through a dirty window. You see and perceive things not clearly and mistakenly.

People can be very cruel when they lose their temper and patience.

You need to spend more time on yourself spiritually first and let your virtues do the talking, not just your head and your lips.

If you want to see the Priest, you should ask him about cleaning duties like sweeping the floor or cleaning toilets or gardening like weeding, lawn mowing, rose pruning or mopping the floor, or cleaning the statues, or cleaning the seats and benches, or financial donation, or whether prayers are needed for anybody.

If you want to see the RCIA teacher, you should ask her if there are any chores you can assist her with.


God bless you.

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

This is the final day!
If no one makes any suggestions or arguments by this afternoon, I'll try to float FORMED past my RCIA instructor, and report back to everyone what her response was.

And please, please, please!:

How about this, will you do this: The Rosary Novena to Our Lady for my classmate?

 

[jerrygab2]

I'm pretty sure you got a lot of suggestions from good people here but your still going to do what you want even though the advice you got was talk to your Priest. Here's my advice - Chill out!

It's not your place to do anything but to talk in a very respectful way about the errors that you perceive to your Priest, period.

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

I'm pretty sure you got a lot of suggestions from good people here but your still going to do what you want even though the advice you got was talk to your Priest. Here's my advice - Chill out!

It's not your place to do anything but to talk in a very respectful way about the errors that you perceive to your Priest, period.

I am taking everyone's advice, I emailed the priest yesterday! Please pray that he reads my email and answers me, and sets up an appointment!

If you think I shouldn't float FOMRED past my RCIA instructor, please make your case!

I do want to say, that I do find the Catholics on CF way more supportive and helpful than the ones on Catholic Answers Forum, I am grateful.

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

Do as you wish

So have given up on me? That's very disappointing and unchristian. You do realize this will undermine the trust I have of any of your advice in the future, especially in regards to evangelization since you show lack of persistence.

 

[chevyontheriver]

So have given up on me? That's very disappointing and unchristian. You do realize this will undermine the trust I have of any of your advice in the future, especially in regards to evangelization since you show lack of persistence.

Look. We're trying. And we can get frustrated too. So preparing to write us off is up to you, but you got good advice, and you can take it or leave it. It was all offered with sincerity.

 

[Anhelyna]

from JLOL
<< So have given up on me? That's very disappointing and unchristian. You do realize this will undermine the trust I have of any of your advice in the future, especially in regards to evangelization since you show lack of persistence.>>


Think of me what you will - I really do not see why I should carry on bashing my head on that brick wall - it's too painful.

It's very very clear - you are convinced that you know what you should do.

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

Look. We're trying. And we can get frustrated too. So preparing to write us off is up to you, but you got good advice, and you can take it or leave it. It was all offered with sincerity.

You're the one who suggested, I should send FORMED to my classmate. I thought I should float it by my RCIA instructor, what should do?
Should I float FORMED by my RCIA instructor?
Should I just send it to my classmate?
Or should I not send FORMED at all, and just hope and pray, that the parish priest sees and responds to my email?

What shall it be?

 

[chevyontheriver]

Sure. Mention

You're the one who suggested, I should send FORMED to my classmate. I thought I should float it by my RCIA instructor, what should do?
Should I float FORMED by my RCIA instructor?
Should I just send it to my classmate?
Or should I not send FORMED at all, and just hope and pray, that the parish priest sees and responds to my email?

What shall it be?

Sure. Mention FORMED as a good Catholic source for your class. On most of the rest, take it slow. We have tried to give good advice, and lot of that is to go slow. Mentioning FORMED does not use a cudgel. Go for it.

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

Okay how's this?

"Peace be with you [RCIA instructor's name here] and [RCIA classmate's name here], how are you?
I've found this interesting online program called FORMED, ([link here]) it has a free trial run, I'd thought I'd share it with you. How are you two doing? I'm doing great right now, I'll doing the Marian Consecration tomorrow, I'm hoping it really improve my life spiritually.

Glory to God
and
Hail Mary!

[Real Name Here]"

What do you think of that? I'm going my prayer break now, so I won't be back until later this evening. Please make you final suggestions, and then I'll make the final choice.
I feel very hopeful about this, finally, this won't be haunting me anymore!

 

[Michie]

from JLOL
<< So have given up on me? That's very disappointing and unchristian. You do realize this will undermine the trust I have of any of your advice in the future, especially in regards to evangelization since you show lack of persistence.>>


Think of me what you will - I really do not see why I should carry on bashing my head on that brick wall - it's too painful.

It's very very clear - you are convinced that you know what you should do.

It is beating a dead horse at this point from my pov.

 

[PeaceB]

So have given up on me? That's very disappointing and unchristian. You do realize this will undermine the trust I have of any of your advice in the future, especially in regards to evangelization since you show lack of persistence.

Friend, you need to grow up. Stop being a baby.

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

Any final suggestions?

 

[Michie]

No. Just talk to your priest.

Any final suggestions?

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

Okay, I've sent it! Thank you very much for all your support! You have been very helpful! It has been very fruitful! The heresy of modernism still holds a tyrannical grip over many rural parishes. I look forward to seeing the day, when Our Queen will crush the tyranny of modernism under her foot!

Salve Regina!

 

[Michie]

Let us know what unfolds.

Okay, I've sent it! Thank you very much for all your support! You have been very helpful! It has been very fruitful! The heresy of modernism still holds a tyrannical grip over many rural parishes. I look forward to seeing the day, when Our Queen will crush the tyranny of modernism under her foot!

Salve Regina!

 

[chevyontheriver]

The heresy of modernism still holds a tyrannical grip over many rural parishes.

I think that's because bishops feel they have to put their modernists priests somewhere and they'd rather not mess up a large urban parish if they could help it. So rotate them through in tiny parishes in the boonies and maybe the next priest can fix the mess. But in reality such bad priests should be sent to the diocesan station in Antarctica. Except that wouldn't be fair to the Catholics of Antarctica.

 

[jerrygab2]

It's very very clear - you are convinced that you know what you should do.

This ^. You solicited advice from the good people here and when they went out of their way to help esp. Anhelyna than throw it back in their face by doing what you want anyway, why even bother asking for help if your not going to heed such?

I see you as a teenager that wants his own way no matter what people say to you about your destructive ideas. One final suggestion get off your high horse!

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

This ^. You solicited advice from the good people here and when they went out of their way to help esp. Anhelyna than throw it back in their face by doing what you want anyway, why even bother asking for help if your not going to heed such?

I see you as a teenager that wants his own way no matter what people say to you about your destructive ideas. One final suggestion get off your high horse!

Did I send this?:

I've written the following letter to my modernist RCIA class. I would all of you to please read it and give me feed-back and suggestions (including typos):

Throughout my entire life, I was told by this culture that I could impose my own will on reality, IT. DOESN’T. WORK! You can’t impose your own will on reality any more than you can impose your own will on nature! I am tired, so tired of believing this lie. I reverted to the Faith because I wanted to live in conformity with reality, not to believe things that would make me feel good. Not to engage in some special movement that built up some glorious society of comfort and convenience! I’m here because I’m sick and tired of all the lies, all the delusions, all the hiding from reality, I’m sick of hiding! I could address countless issues that came up in RCIA, from the various hurtful, mean-spirited, caricatures of the Faith, it’s Saints & practices, to the child-hating abomination that is contraception. But I will only address one. I’ve been meaning to address this the moment it was brought up but I got caught up in other things that I ended up putting it off until now.


The god of power and my problem with no Hell

The belief that there is no hell, or that no one goes to hell, is one of the earliest examples of a belief that God is a god of power and not a God of Truth and Love. Please examine the Youtube video below for more on the basics of belief in a god of power and how it has messed up our culture:

The belief is that because God is All-Powerful, He can do whatever He wants even if it is irrational! God can take a sinner kicking and screaming all the way to Heaven, without changing him or her, simply because he is God. He can do whatever he wants! He is all-powerful!

God does not send anyone to hell! People go there because they do not want to spend eternity with Him! They’ve spent all their lives not loving God! They do not care about Him! They continually do things that are against Him! Why would they want to spend all of eternity with Some-One they never cared about in this life? Heaven is a place where people go who love God! If one does not love God, that person does not go there because that person does not want to be there!

If God just sends everyone to Heaven, that god is a god of power, not Truth and Love. God really loves us, He would not force Himself upon us! If we do not love God and want to spend eternity with Him, He will not force us to!


Whom I’m listening to
I do not want to waste my spiritual life convincing myself that god is some pantheistic mist that I don’t have to worry about. I want Truth itself! I want an honest relationship with the Triune God of Israel! The God who has a mind and will of His own! The God who will tell me straight-up what He wants and what He expects of me! I am done running from reality, I am done hiding from it! And I am done hiding from you, here I am! I believe in the Triune God of Israel, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who has a mind and will of His own! I believe that God established only one Church, the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, as a gift, not for nice people, but for sinners! Th Church belongs to sinners, not nice people!

I am deeply ashamed of my cowardly behavior at RCIA. I already know who God is and what He wants, yet remained silent while you bashed people who believed that. But no more, I’m done being a coward! I will speak the Truth in Love! I already know a few people who are interested in the Truth and I will speak to them and give the gift I was given, the most precious gift a human person can receive!

So I’m not listening to those who are telling me things that make me feel better. I’m listening to the one who tells me the truth, particularly, I’m listening to the one who was there for me since the moment of my baptism. That person was there for me even in the darkest and most disgusting and wicked moments. No matter how hard I tried to flee from reality, she never gave up on me! She was determined to have me back and she prevailed. That person is Mary! I’m going to listen to Mary, my Queen and Mother. She will tell me the Truth, she will tell me what God wants from me! Our Lady’s very existence shows us that God has a mind and will of His own. Also, so that you cannot accuse me of not believing in a Loving God, God’s great loving act for us is giving her to be our Mother. Despite all resisting of her and even my ingratitude towards her after my reversion, she is still here, and still helping me! I know that God loves me and I am doing all I can to love Him back. I am going to continue loving God and clinging to His Beloved Mary. As long as I cling to her and remain under her mantle, I am safe! I firmly stand by everything I’ve said here. I am not going to be convinced of anything you say because I believe in a rational religion grounded in truth. I am devoted to Mary, so I am immune to any claim that humanity is so depraved that it cannot understand truth! I am more than happy to debate, rationally, with you about anything presented here, but not for awhile. I need to talk to my Queen and Mistress more and let her instruct me in the truth.

Glory to God
and
Hail Mary!

[Real Name Here]

Or didn't I?

Did I send this?:

Could I perhaps email them, something like this:

"Look, you have to know, I didn't feel welcome at RCIA. I was miserable there. I have been haunted ever since, by all the mean-spirited, malicious stuff that was said there. The only reason I stayed there, was because I believed the Faith, I know you look down on people for that, but I don't care anymore. I acted like a disgusting coward there and I'm deeply ashamed of it, I'll stop doing that now. From now on, I will speak the Truth in Love!

Farewell!

Glory to God
and
Hail Mary!

[real name here]"

I just need to say something, so I can get over with it, and move on.

Or didn't I?

Did I send this?:

Here's what I've got so far, of my letter to my parish priest. I've got a concern about the Panentheism part, The Catechism does a good job explaining the basic of the relationship between the Creator and Creation. But I'm concerned that the modernists might bend them to fit their view. Should I still cite them? Or does anyone have any better ideas for authoritative sources I should cite?

"Dear Father [real name here],

I am deeply grateful to be a member of the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. However, I am deeply disturbed by what was said and showed in my RCIA class, and I want to express these concerns. There have been many errors taught or implied in my RCIA class, these include but are not limited to:


-Flip-flops on absolutism vs relativism

Contrary to the Catholic doctrine of absolute Truth found in: CCC 27, CCC 144, CCC 214-217, CCC 1951, CCC 1954 etc.


-Panentheism

Contrary to the Catholic doctrine of Trinitarian Monotheism found in:

Romans 1:25,


-Flip-flops on divorce and remarriage



-An acceptance on Contraception



-Encouragements to not "tow the party line" and implications that such people who do, should be looked down on



-Discouragements of taking the faith rationally and encouragements of believing the faith the way you want it to be


There were many other error in my RCIA class, but I believe these will suffice for now Father.


I also want to say, that I felt very unwelcome there. The atmosphere there was very toxic, there was lot of scorn and scoffing there, and I felt very uncomfortable, even scared! The class just struck me as very mean-spirited and self-righteous, and I’m certain that, unless it changes, others will also feel unwelcome there. Also at RCIA, there was some gossiping and backbiting involving certain groups and individuals in the parish, which is also of concern to me Father, and adds to the negative atmosphere.


I plead, Father, that you can address and correct these concerns of mine regarding RCIA, for the good of the Church. And to ensure that the Church becomes more welcoming to young individuals like, that we feel embraced by Holy Mother Church.


Glory to God

and

Hail Mary!


[real name here]"

Or didn't I?

Did I send this?:

I've written the following letter to my classmate, in an effort to correct the damage I have done:

"Peace [Real Name Here], how are you?

I wanted to discuss with you something that’s very important to the our Faith, Truth. I talked in RCIA about how God is Truth Himself, truth is that which is, and God is HE WHO IS! I’m so glad that I know Truth Himself! I’ve never been happier in my life! I don’t have to hide from reality anymore! I can live with it now! Truth really does set you free! I’m so happy! By the way, do you have a Catechism of the Catholic Church? I know, you’ve been studying a lot, the Catechism has some interesting stuff to say on God being Truth Himself, and other doctrines as well. I actually plan on meditating on the passages of the Catechism over the summer, I hope to not only learn more about the faith, but internalize it.

Also, I’ve found this interesting online program, called FORMED (https://formed.org/) It’s very enlightening, I highly recommended for you, consider it like, your next step into the Catholic Faith.

Glory to God
and
Hail Mary!

[Real Name Here]"

Or didn't I?

Did I get my way? Did I ignore everyone's advice? You tell me!

 

[Michie]

Good grief.