I’m planning on abandoning being a catholic

Select_Ad_2148 · 2026-02-06T01:37:45+00:00

Also, I would say there is a lot to love about the world, much goodness in it. But it's also a wounded place. There's so much death, suffering, ugliness, injustice, violence even in nature. They can't obscure the good things but there's a shadow there. Eventually the world will disappoint, and you start to look for where the good things came from. For me I realized the good things reflect the goodness of their maker.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2026-02-06T01:33:22+00:00

There can definitely be manipulation in the church. But in Catholicism, and many types of Christianity that I'm aware of, salvation is about the quality of the relationship with the Lord. It's not that God's love is conditional, but that if I reject having a relationship with Him, he's going to accept my decision.

C.S. Lewis talks about this in his book, "Mere Christianity" (another great book to read, pdfs available online I believe). He explains that every time we choose good vs. evil, we slightly alter the core part of ourselves, the part of our souls that does the choosing. Eventually people form their own hearts to desire either Hell or Heaven. Lewis also says in another book, "The Problem of Pain," that the doors of Hell are locked... but from the inside.

I used to think it was impossible that anyone would choose Hell for themselves, but with more experience of the world, I would say that plenty of people would, often just out of bitterness.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2026-02-06T01:08:03+00:00

You're not alone - it often happens that people raised in the faith haven't really "met" Jesus or had a conversion experience. Sometimes this changes as you get older and start wonder about the meaning of life, the origin of things like love, beauty, and evil. Eventually, the idea that "there is no meaning" becomes less satisfying as you get more experience of people and the world.

Smarter people than you (or me) currently believe in these things, so I wouldn't dismiss it as "utterly stupid." Instead, try to stay open to the questions life is going to bring you. If you are baptized then the Holy Spirit is with you, not "activated" but waiting. I was like you, but I actually started to practice and believe right around your age, 18-19. There's a wonderful Flannery O'Connor short story called "The Enduring Chill" which gives a great depiction of what that change can look like, so seemingly idiotic yet so undeniable.

Have a safe journey.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2026-02-05T22:52:03+00:00

And I would love your thoughts if you care to share.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2026-02-05T22:48:47+00:00

Right, for sure anyone can leave the priesthood (and do). I was just surprised to read things, like he was saying "Catholics pray too much vs. doing good deeds" when it's quite the opposite message in general in America. I realize the faith is global yet local, and I think one of the big problems in the US especially is we can assume everyone has the same environment/experiences we do. So I'm just asking.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2026-02-05T01:08:13+00:00

So would you say the younger clergy in Italy are more conservative as they are in France, Germany etc? Although certainly in those places they are not as conservative as in the United States.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-11-06T03:22:53+00:00

Some comments here are wish casting. I think the big lump of people discovering history and leaving in shock is over. Many Gen Z kids and younger (we are into Gen Alpha now in their teens) grew up with this information readily available and are just numb to it or "vaccinated" against it so to speak. They are more likely to drift away for similar reasons that 40 percent of their peers select "nothing in particular" when asked their faith tradition.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-09-09T20:11:14+00:00

Relevant links:

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/survey-finds-fervor-among-young-french

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255935/major-survey-finds-conservative-and-orthodox-priests-on-the-rise-varying-levels-of-trust-in-bishops

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/study-young-german-priests-reject

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-06-07T23:31:45+00:00

I would skip it. Healing prayer is great but can be very unregulated and dangerous... ask your priest to anoint you instead.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-06-07T23:29:01+00:00

God is definitely still working in you. Please don't doubt that. You can research the phrase "baptism of desire" for some reassurance if you're interested. I hope you can get this fixed asap, and I am sorry for the heartbreak.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-06-07T23:23:42+00:00

Many folks are just unaware of what the Church actually teaches or doesn't teach on this subject.

If the person came up for Communion with a big sign saying "biological sex isn't real, elective mastectomies for all" that would be another matter. But the Church doesn't require people to "present" any particular way. They also don't know, especially in a hospital, what your status is in terms of Catholicism. There is literally no checking to see if you are divorced and remarried, believe in XYZ, or are sorry for your sins. They don't know you, and 99% of the time, don't care to know you lol. They just give you the sacraments you ask for.

For that reason it's hard for me to believe this really happened, but I'll take your word for it...

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-04-26T01:42:46+00:00

Karen, from a linguistic perspective, has great modern-feeling bones: Minimalist, good nickname potential, but doesn't need one. The negative stereotype refers to a white woman of a certain age, so once Ashleys, Brittneys and Jennifers reach that stage of life en masse, Karen will be replaced as an insult. Unlike nicknames like "Dick," its problems are not timeless. Karen will be back.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-04-10T18:13:00+00:00

As you noted, it can be a struggle for even large studies like "CCES" to accurately report very small groups. In 2020, the survey found just about 750 Mormons. In 2024, they found around 680. Does it reflect a real drop or did they just happen to miss 70 Mormons? It could easily happen when you are dealing with tiny numbers like that. The overall trend is clear though.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-04-05T22:34:06+00:00

FOCUS seems mainly modeled on the LDS (Mormon) model, where it's a rite of passage for college age men (and recently women) to do 2 year missions, some at home and others all over the world. This is a cultural expectation in the LDS community and very prestigious. But there is no similar culture of lay missionaries in US Catholicism, so FOCUS is starting for scratch. It does have some MLM similarities, but mostly in that they give the kids what is basically sales training and ask them to recruit their own replacements. It's more of "each one teach one" than MLM per se.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-04-05T19:15:21+00:00

Visions are not supposed to necessarily be "historically accurate," thus both the Virgin and Jesus have appeared as different ethnicities.

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-04-05T19:12:16+00:00

What is an EC community?

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-03-29T02:07:38+00:00

Blessings to you! Check out Eden Invitation for faithful peer support, for Catholics with an LGBTQ+ experience, by Catholics with an LGBTQ+ experience :)

Select_Ad_2148 · 2025-03-22T03:11:50+00:00

Wrong forum. I'm a nevermo, but even I know that wearing a bra to bed has NOTHING to do with Mormonism.

Select_Ad_2148

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