How long can I question my catholic upbringing before being devoured by locusts?
921149
40 days.\n\nGood evening:)
991221
i'm catholic too, and i remember being a teen (i'm 23 now) and ppl assumed i was  a bad seed because of my long hair, and concert shirts, and that i played guitar. they didnt take the time to find out that i was an all A and B student, and to this day i've never drank, smoked or done a drug, let alone something ridiculous like worshipping the devil. ppl just fear what they dont understand, and if they cant figure out why you'd want to dress a certain way, they make up a reason.
253106
Go see your local priest, whichever your faith may be. Tell him your concerns and ask his advice. I shall say no more. Good luck in your endeavours.\n\nCheers, L
158062
only if you can get the previous marriage annulled, which means the church declares it never happened. otherwise no, because they don't consider you catholic anymore if you got divorced.
486627
First, let me tell you something about my past that should help you out.\n\nAbout 15 yrs ago I converted from Christianity to Wiccan.  Yes, a religion that most other religions totally hate.  My family was STRONG catholics and they were expecting me to become a priest since I knew the religion well.\n\nI became very scared of what everyone would think that I kept it a secret for about 4 years.  One day, when me and my mother was debating an issue it just slipped out.  This caused a fight.  I tried to explain the truth behind my religion, but she would not listen.  \n\nFor about 6-9 months after that the only time we talked we were fighting over religion until one day I decided I don't need to justify my religion to anybody.  She would bring it up and I would either say, "We will agree to disagree" or I would change subjects. After about a month if that of doing that we never fought about it again.\n\nMy advice to you is first let them know.  If you don't it will either cause tention as mine did until it came out or it will spill out and you will feal like you have to defend yourselfs.\n\nAfter telling her parents then don't try to justify yourselves.  You don't need to and it will only cause fights.\n\nTo finish my story me and my family got along great and still do even though a couple years after that I changed my religion again and am still today in that same religion and always will be.
794976
Welcome home!\n\nHave faith in God. In Him all things are possible. We are all prodigal sons and daughters at certain times in our lives and the Father will always take us back.\n\nStart by going regularly to Church.\n\nBecome involved in your parish.\n\nAs you become comfortable, go to confession and begin receiving the Eucharist.\n\nTake classes that discuss the doctrines of the Church, most of your struggles may be based on misunderstandings.\n\nWith love and prayers in Christ.
793813
Sigh. You have hexed yourself! I will now give you a weaker hex for you to practice your skepticism:\n\nYou will be unable to forget what I am about to tell you ever, and when you think you have forgotten the itching it will come beck. The name of the curse is INTOLERABLE ITCH, and you will feel an itch for sure! Itch!\n\nThis is the reverse of the placebo. Its called negative suggestion, and it powers most "magic" and "miracles" used by Christians. I suggest the itch, you look for an itch, you find and magnify an itch.\n\nThere is something similar with more dire consequences used by priests and most witches where they suggest that something bad will happen, and then you blame the next bad thing that happens on whatever you did against the church or the pagan. The rain would have fallen anyway, but now you have something to blame it on. The witches call it the Evil Eye, whereas the priests prefer Wrath of God. Only true believers are effected: skeptics don't feel the effects.\n\nIn the event that you don't itch, your skepticism is strong enough. If not, practice disbelieving the first half of what I said and believing the second half! And Travis, I don't think God cares much about who tells the truth, or if he does he does not show it. Lawyers and politicians would cause flash floods in D.C.!
33092
The first step is to separate yourself mentally from this chaotic world, then research an event that ties into the lives of the most prominate people to the lives of other people who were victimized because of who they were. Last and very important, always seek your Father "God" in everything you experience or read or listen to-then you will find out that he has always been within you all along.
364544
Assuming that you are an adult, go to your local Catholic parish and tell them that you are interested in joining the Church. They will enroll you in an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) class which usually starts in late November (beginning of Advent) and culminates in a baptism (Easter Vigil). At your baptism, you will also receive Confirmation and Holy Communion. Once all that happens, you are a part of the Church. However, as you will find, developing your faith is an ongoing process with its ups and downs. In the end, I hope you'll find that it pays off.\n\nIf for some reason, you don't like your parish, go to another parish. Find one that you like. Don't give up on Catholicism just because the pastor at the closest parish doesn't foster your spiritual needs. As the saying goes, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
688222
I lied to a priest in confessional and made it a big enough lie for him to catch me. I was 7 at the time. By the time I was done the priest kicked me out of the church for 6 months.\n\nThe lie?\n\nThat I was having sex with the youngest nun in the church. Somehow the priest didn't believe a 7 year old was having sex with a 20 year old nun.
294942
Immediately after its discussion of extra ecclesiam nulla salus (Latin, "Outside the Church, no salvation") and its affirmation that it is possible that those who do not become formal Catholics may be saved, the Catechism of the Catholic Church goes on to say:\n\n"Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men" CCC 848.\n\nThe Catholic Church has the fullness of Christian truth and that truth is meant to be shared with all. Look at it this way: Suppose you were feasting at a banquet and knew that your relatives were scrounging for crumbs under the table. Should you invite them to the feast, even though they might spurn your offer, or should you let them continue to scrounge, figuring that they'll scrape up enough off the floor to keep from starving? (Jas 2:15-17).\n\nSomething similar might be said of truth. You can have a seat at the table and eat your fill, or you can make do with what you can find on the floor dropped in the dirt and covered in bugs. Catholics have a seat at the table of truth and have the obligation to share that with those who do not yet have a seat alongside them. Non-Catholics do have some truth (like food), but it is not complete (like a banquet) and may be mixed with error (like the dirt and bugs).\n\nIn short, yes, you should defend Catholicism as the opportunity becomes available. But, more than that, you should do your best to make Catholicism "appetizing" to your relatives by being the best Christian God's grace enables you to be and by showing them not just the plausibility of Catholicism but also its beauty. And if, in the end, your relatives are sincerely unable in conscience to accept the truth of Catholicism, God will judge them on how well they lived according to the truth that they did have.
118854
Just keep going. Have you ever heard "This to shall pass".  You have to pray and ask God for strength to with stand lifes challenges.  We are here until God take us home and we are here for a reason. God just wants you to stick it out.  It will be okay. You can't do anything about the past and unless you intentionally did something wrong (meaning planned it out), than thats just life. We were not promise that life would be peachy. Challenges, heart aches and pain are apart of life. Take care and GOD BLESS
81048
catholic churches are a very good place to start. pretty much any chuch preist or preacher can point you in the right direction
176979
Consider it a blessing. it's easy to have faith and believe in something when no one disagrees with you or makes it uncomfortable to do so. now you can say you have faced adversity and STILL went to church and still upheld your belief. it's not the same as risking being fed to the lions, but hopefully you get the point, sometimes you have to stand up for your beliefs with more than words. have courage.
1114787
Please continue your anti-catholic trolling... I need the points!
713196
Catholicism has been here a long time.  Since before the United States existed as a country.
872491
First of all I would like to commend you for making the best decision of your life. I know that it appears to be a struggle letting go of the habits that you have developed in life, but I will assure you that it only feels like that because that is how the evil one would like you to feel, defeated. But you know as well as I do that there is only one source that is mightier than that evil liar, and that is Almighty God Himself.!!!  The fact that you want to be a Christian role model for your children will indeed cause the liar to squirm, it will reek havoc among its clique, causing it to throw temper tantrums and spreading a barage of lies and imaginations your way, the liar of lies will try and make you feel as if you are doing all this in vain. BUT-- NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED!!! Tada - Our Heavenly Father is watching and keeping His hand over you, you see there were some promises that were given to you when you accepted God's Son as your Savior. You were promised Eternal Salvation as long as you remained faithful and did not turn your back on Jesus, it sounds to me like you are doing all that you can to retain the relationship that you have with Jesus. Amen. Here are some scriptures that will surely help you as the liar comes to overwhelm you. Remember brother, as soon as it tries to decieve you, rebuke it with authority, the authority that God gave you!! You can stand up to that wiley thief, as long as you believe that you are a child of God, the brother of Jesus and the Prevailing Saint that God intended you to be. \nOur prayers will be with you brother, I know that you will dominate this challenge that has come your way, Have Faith, Trust and Believe!!\nFreedom from Sin - Ezekiel 36:25-26 - Romans 6:6-7 - 2 Corinthians 5:17 - \nRomans 6:14 - Colossians 2:6-7 - 1Corinthians 16:13 - Isaiah 40:29\nthese are just a few. God Bless you brother.