Should my wife and I return to the Catholic faith?

[IrishCanadian]

Hi everyone!

My wife and I have just married. I was raised Catholic, she Buddhist (she is Chinese). I have never been very good about practicing the faith, but my wife and I are thinking of raising our children Catholic as I've told her (my wife) how much the faith brought to my childhood.

I guess I am writing this because I feel a little bit confused. Committing ourselves to Catholicism is a big step, particularly for my wife (although she says she is ready for it). We now attend a local church fairly regularly and both take a lot away from the service.

Anyway, I am curious to hear from those of you who have decided to raise your children in the faith. What do you feel it has brought to their lives? To yours? How do you think this shapes them as people? And what do you think they would be like were you not to raise them Catholic?

Excuse all of the questions! I know I am not being particularly direct here, but I am hoping a little dialogue will help my wife and I with our decision. (We do not have any children yet, by the way. Just planning for the next few years.)

Thank you!

 

[ProScribe]

I can't really say for sure . . . it is up to you.

 

[Romans 13:3]

If you believe it, you must join it.

 

[IrishCanadian]

Thank you for the responses. Do you guys have children?

 

[IrishCanadian]

(If you don't mind me asking.)

 

[Athanasias]

I have children and was away for a while but came back. Yes you should join if you beleive it to be true. Christ calls you and her to his true presence in the Eucharist. I am a theologian if you ever have any questions about the faith feel free to pm me.

 

[IrishCanadian]

Thanks for the advice! Will probably send you a message one of these days.

 

[Romans 13:3]

I have a child and he attends mass every weekend. It is his choice, though; to go with mom and dad or grandma, that is.

 

[Athanasias]

Thanks for the advice! Will probably send you a message one of these days.

Your welcome! I look forward to your good questions via message!

 

[IrishCanadian]

I have a child and he attends mass every weekend. It is his choice, though; to go with mom and dad or grandma, that is.

Haha, and who does he choose to attend with most regularly?

 

[Romans 13:3]

Usually grandma. We live very close together but go to different parishes. He knows he has 7 shots over the weekend and usually picks the earliest Saturday mass which is what my mom usually attends.

 

[Fantine]

I have read a book that I think you'd really enjoy called "Living Buddha, Living Christ" by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk who was a close friend of Thomas Merton, David Steindl Rast, and other Catholic monastics.

He looks for the common spiritual ground in both traditions--I think it would help your wife understand Christianity better from her own spiritual perspective.

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Buddha-Christ-Anniversary-Edition/dp/159448239X

 

[Athanasias]

Or he could read "seven story mountain" by Merton which is Mertons journey to the Catholic faith and a darn fine book. http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Storey-Mountain-Thomas-Merton/dp/0156010860

 

[Athanasias]

If you want to see a miracle and a witness involving many Buddhist and the Catholic Church and her truth see here starting around 1 min 11 sec. This nun is awesome! Eucharistic Miracle 2 - YouTube

 

[MikeK]

If you believe that God made people and gave them free will, but the people decided to be bad and sentenced theirselves somehow to an eternity of torture for their finite Earthly crimes against God, but then God decided to be merciful so He sent them His Son (who was also Him Himself) through a virgin - who's anatomy absolutely remained unchanged through the birthing process - to teach them stuff, and it was awesome because He did lots of miracles and He told the people that God wouldn't make the men cut off part of their penises anymore but then they killed Him and He rose again for a while and then went to heaven, and also that Jesus made Peter the Earth-boss of the Church, and that after Peter new bosses would be voted in, bosses who are really close to God and are incapable of erring - except when they err - and that these bosses hand down to lower-level managers and then district managers and then the working stiffs, special hand blessings and permission to say prayers that will turn bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus, while still looking and tasting just like Bread and Wine, and if you believe that the unnatural feeling and smell of condoms is insufficient punishment for using on and it's reasonable for an all-loving God who created you to sentence you to eternal torture for wearing one, and on and on, then yes, you not only should become a Catholic, but you must, lest you suffer the wrath of God for not obeying what you knew to be His commands. If you're uncertain, He gives you a little more leeway.

Short version. If you believe the Catholic Church to be Christ's Church, the only true Church, infallible in Her teachings on faith and morals, then you have to join. If you believe otherwise, why would you consider it? That's a lot of baggage for your kids to carry. If you believe it, go for it. If you don't believe it, why would you raise your kid to believe it?

 

[Grannie Annie]

I was raised in a very strict Catholic family....didn't just go to Mass Sundays, did novenas, said Rosaries, went to Catholic schools....you name it, we did it if it involved the Catholic Church. I married a Catholic in a Catholic church. However, when I was in my early 30s...I'm 61 now...I left the church for various reasons, mostly because I couldn't believe the dogmas anymore, and with respect to practicing Catholics.....I could never go back to being a Catholic. I divorced when I was 38 and remarried at 40, I now attend a Baptist church and am very happy there. A few years ago I thought very seriously about going back to the Catholic church, I had a talk to the local priest, but never went any further with the discussions. It's a deeply personal decision which I think only you can make.

 

[Fantine]

Or he could read "seven story mountain" by Merton which is Mertons journey to the Catholic faith and a darn fine book. http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Storey-Mountain-Thomas-Merton/dp/0156010860

"Seven Storey Mountain" is a darn fine book--but I don't think it would help a Buddhist understand Christianity as well as "Living Buddha, Living Christ" would. The latter would help his wife understand Christianity through the commonalities of monastic tradition.

 

[IrishCanadian]

Thanks so much for the responses, guys! My wife and I are going through everything slowly. We're going to try to pick up those books, too!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Hi everyone!

My wife and I have just married. I was raised Catholic, she Buddhist (she is Chinese). I have never been very good about practicing the faith, but my wife and I are thinking of raising our children Catholic as I've told her (my wife) how much the faith brought to my childhood.

I guess I am writing this because I feel a little bit confused. Committing ourselves to Catholicism is a big step, particularly for my wife (although she says she is ready for it). We now attend a local church fairly regularly and both take a lot away from the service.

Anyway, I am curious to hear from those of you who have decided to raise your children in the faith. What do you feel it has brought to their lives? To yours? How do you think this shapes them as people? And what do you think they would be like were you not to raise them Catholic?

Excuse all of the questions! I know I am not being particularly direct here, but I am hoping a little dialogue will help my wife and I with our decision. (We do not have any children yet, by the way. Just planning for the next few years.)

Thank you!

Unless you have faith in Jesus Christ and are committed to being his disciple, don't bother.

You'll only be disappointed.

Jesus is the reason we follow religion, not religion for it's nice dogmas or rituals.


Without Jesus Christ in your lives, religion could end up being a wedge for your and your wife's relationship.

So, pray for faith in Jesus Christ first. Then let him lead you to religion.

Jim

 

[Tigg]

??? Why would you ask on OBOB if you should return to the Catholic Church? Anyone here know you personally and your wife and where you both are at spiritually? Even then... I recommend you both decide what religious beliefs you have for yourselves.

God bless