Jaime Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 In my opinion,there is really only one reason people leave the Church Poor catechesis. And we all have to take responsibility for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 [quote name='hot stuff' date='Nov 15 2005, 12:19 AM']In my opinion,there is really only one reason people leave the Church Poor catechesis. And we all have to take responsibility for that. [right][snapback]789355[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Amen, amen, amen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick777 Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 to sum up what everyones said, it is a number of things, faults in the clergy or laypeople, people who just plain disagree with Church teaching....it gives me a headache to just think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tojo Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 [quote name='philothea' date='Nov 14 2005, 02:03 PM']I think being visibly knowledgable, cool, happy, and CATHOLIC is pretty persuasive. [right][snapback]788664[/snapback][/right] [/quote] So do I, when I finally met a Catholic who undeniably had a relationship with God and was knowledgeable about the Bible and Catholicism, it compelled me to finally look into the Church. This was in college.... and at least 1/4 of the kids in my high school were Catholic, none of them seemed to know or live their faith. Sure they were young, but there were lots of Protestant kids there who did..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick777 Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 exactly a lot of Catholic youth are totally uninformed, I know I was until I started studying, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photosynthesis Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 I think another reason people leave the church is an absence of JOY. People see Catholicism as a yoke, a heavy weight, something that ties you down. A bunch of rules and regulations. A one-size-fits-all belief system where you can't have any fun. Catholics can and do have fun! I mean, personally I'm feeling kind of miserable right now... but I know I'd be six feet under if it weren't for my faith. It's the only joy I have! I know I need to be more joyful about it... even in the midst of suffering. I think so often people see Catholicism as their routine in life... you go to Mass, you pray, you recieve Communion...without having any idea that you are recieving your Savior and Lord in the flesh... we need more orthodoxy, more charity and more joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick777 Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 MORE ENTHUSIASM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dspen2005 Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 imho, those that are leaving the church are those who have not grasped and accepted the objective truth that is the church's or those whose faith is weak through poor catechesis or their own wilful ignorance. I have certain issues with those individuals who say that they have left of the church b/c of the actions of certain priests, as it relates to the sex abuse scandals. someone told, or i heard somewhere, that such an action is spiritual suicide. the faith of the church does not rest w/ the actions of the priest outside his faculty as a priest -- rather, it rests on Sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium. also, i think that people are leaving b/c of poor catechesis, as i said before. people who leave the church to go to the prots generally want a more touchy-feely kind of place -- they are looking for a satisfaction of their feelings (how sweet), when they ought to be looking for a church that raises their minds and hearts to God, elevates them above the horizontal plane upon which they are stuck..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadreSantiago Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 [quote name='Era Might' date='Nov 14 2005, 02:29 PM']Actually, I believe the Church has had record breaking numbers of conversions the past few decades or so. I saw some statistics on a website a while ago detailing how many people were entering the Church. I agree with Sojourner though that, more often than not, people leave the Church because of ignorance. [right][snapback]788572[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Probably not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowcatpa Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 [color=purple]There are at least two other reasons people leave the church that haven’t been covered that I think should be included here too: [b]1.) Those in the developed world are often too Intellectual for their own good. They think they know about Catholicism, and know that it's wrong.[/b] Myles talked about the irreligious nature of Europe. I’m studying in England now and that’s definitely been my experience (and sometimes even in America it’s that way). I think this also has to do with an intellectual culture – a culture that thinks they know everything about everything. That faith is stupid, and science can tell you everything...that only the ignorant and dumb would believe Catholicism, with its popery and scandal. I have especially encountered this opinion from my Atheist or agnostic friends, but it can also apply to those who are religious but are also intellectual. They are often too intellectual by believing that they know everything, and have heard everything they need to hear. Therefore, it's so much more difficult to actaully educate. [b]2.) We live in a Pluralistic and Relativistic world. How we view others affects our choice of religion too. Some don’t want to be thought wrong, so they don’t believe others are. This conflicts with Catholicism and objective Truth.[/b] Many of us are taught for years not only that everyone is equal and we’re all people (which is of course true), but also that you can’t say your way of thinking or believing is more right than anyone else’s. If you do, then the whole world gets screwed up and we’re back to the Middle Ages with the Pope running the nations and bloody religious wars. We’ve touched upon how no one wants to believe that they themselves are wrong (the sweet comfy feeling that whatever they do is fine), but I’m thinking more of that they don’t want to think anyone else is necessarily wrong either (or at least don’t want to feel they have to vocalize that). Everyone instead should be doing what makes them happy, and as long as they’re ‘good people’ it’ll be fine. No one wants to think that their family and friends are completely misguided and have devoted their lives to partial truth. They may ask themselves, ‘Who are we to know who’s right?’ – They may think that saying that, we are infringing upon the contemporary pluralistic, relativistic world system. The implications of this idea are just as destructive as a person’s individual desire for comfort. [/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 (edited) The devil has better PR. no , I am not kidding. The Church is seen as a set of forbidding stifling rules, instead of a joyous way to live. We really smell of elderberries at being publicly happy and speading the love of God which should be the hallmark of any christian. How many of us are publicly catholic, with a bible and prayerbook in our bag, and a rosary in our pocket? How many of us even say grace in public? Do we keep a good advent and lent? Always avoid fish on Friday? Mention we will be late for the party since we are going to confession first? Do we do the things which in the past obviously pointed out our beliefs? Edited November 17, 2005 by cmotherofpirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paphnutius Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Hehe cmom,Mention we will be late for the party since we are going to confession first? I usually go after the party.... Good points though. We need to be out there because our way of living is joyous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
God Conquers Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 Our battle cry must be ETERNITY! Live forever, not for the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Just Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 One Word... Heterodoxy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
God Conquers Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 mmm, I agree... But I think heterodoxy, although a cause in some senses, is even more a symptom. Priests are lax because there is no zeal in the parish, they see such bad stuff, they get discouraged, they stop trustung God and stop trusting the Church.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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