[Bluntpoint]

Facts. Interpretation. Perceptions. Biases.

Is Jesus our salvation?

Can he save us if we pray in a Methodist, Church of Christ or Lutheran Church?

You see, I was raised in a catholic neighborhood. To be kind, their behavior did not encourage me to want to be catholic. I married one. She no longer practices.

Like most catholics I was raised around, she treated her membership to the church more as a club and not spiritually.
She was a catholic because her parents were catholic and their parents, ad nauseaum.

[Gophack]

You are correct that there are many Catholic communities that do not do enough, or anything, to encourage people to be and practice their Catholicism.

I am I guess what's called a "revert". I was Baptized Catholic, but rarely went to church because my family didn't go to church. I was a "CEO" Catholic (Christmas and Easter Only). I had little to no understanding of my faith. If someone asked, I would say I was Catholic without having any understanding of what that meant.

I married a Catholic who went to 12 years of Catholic school who had parents who went to church regularly, and usually made the kids go. He was definitely more well-versed in the faith than I was, but he didn't always live it, per se. For example, we had pre-marital sex and used birth control.

After I had kids, however, I was discovered I was missing something in my life, and that was my faith. I started going back to church regularly. I went to confession for the first time since First Holy Communion. I started reading and learning about my faith and finally feel like I have what I have been missing.

I always had faith that Jesus was there for me. I just didn't know what I was missing ... now that I regularly receive the Sacraments, now that I understand WHY, I have grown stronger and more devout and more faithful.

I actually envy Catholic converts because they have a far deeper understanding and respect for the faith than many cradle Catholics.

God bless.