This Catholic Journey
Good for you good for you! We need people like you! It amazes me these so-called Christians when they want to talk about Catholics their first inclination is to joke and insult us and try to make our beliefs sound trite. It happens quite frequently to me. Even professional, educated people do it.
I am also amazed when former Catholics claim they were never told what Christ did for us! Come on! And Protestants don't have a monopoly on "personal relationships with Christ." Some Catholics are "raised Catholic" but not really "raised Catholic." That is too bad. It sounds like you are so on the right track. And I am becoming addicted to Catholic radio too!
I know your reading list is packed but you might want to recommend this terrific book to the next cradle Catholic who disses the Church: It's Not the Same Without You: Coming Home to the Catholic Church by Mitch Finley.
He speaks with compassion and intelligence directly to lapsed Catholics and suggests how to heal the misunderstandings, disappointments, and hurts.
On a (typical) personal note: I've had people say, "How does an educated, bright, and mature woman like you end up *choosing* to become Catholic??"
My answer is too long to reprint here, but it's a good one!
Perhaps, one of the reasons that it may be hard for some former Catholics is that there is a part of them that regrets having left. There is a line in Shakespeare "The Lady doth protest too much, methinks." Sometimes people are so vociferous and adamant in their claims, it may actually indicate the reverse. Your coming into the Church may bring up their own doubts for having left. Just a theory, probably true for some, perhaps not for others.
Bloglines had not updated you so I didn't know I was getting out of the loop here! :)
I've had some of the same questions lately too as I've come across people who have left the Catholic church. Everything I've seen and experienced and learned this past year is so different from what their perception or their own experience was.
A few months after we left our last Baptist church we went back for a friends baptism. A man there asked my husband where we were going to church and he replied that God had led us to the Catholic church. The man was very quick to say that he didn't believe that was possible. Even then, when I was still at least a little uncertain that really bothered me....I've appreciated those friends who can at least be honest and say " I don't understand but I know you are seeking God and I know your relationship with Him"...anyway I could go on but for me it would not be a good idea to dwell there long :)
God bless you, Amber and your steadfast witness to the church which Jesus established as One and not churches. Most of these non-catholics misrepresented the teachings of the Catholic church, I could understand if their interpretations are different from ours but most of time they make up stories or quoted authors that were either virulent anti-catholics or other sources made up some stories.
The thing they can not stand is, when I challenge them by pointing out a departure from the truth, happened in the 30's at Lambeth Conference, wherein prior to that, ALL christian churches agreed that contraception is unnatural and thus violate God's Law on human sexuality and on the premise that TRUTH is One, only one and unchangeable. Protestant churches cave-in to social pressures, only the Catholic church stayed on. Amber, you can read about it entitled, "Humanae Vitae", just google it.
All laws whether natural,moral and evangelical laws should be treated with utmost respect on our articles of faith, why? because they are all part of God's Law, His fullness and are essential to be counted as true followers of Jesus.
With the modern wonders of today, stem cell, cloning, genetic manipulation, euthanesia and other bio-medical research, the big question arises, who is the one which speaks for Christ? how could we have the certainty of Jesus' teachings regarding these matters?
Even the most learnt protestant scholar couldn't answer... because the error was already committed.
Keep the faith. It's a wonderful gift from our Lord Jesus.
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