None of the churches I've attended in the last 30 years bothered with telling me about Catholicism, because they are not anti-Catholic, they are pro-Jesus. They have better things to do with their time. They don't gain adherents by tearing down Catholicism, they gain them by preaching the gospel.
Protestants are not sheeple who believe what their leadership decides for them to believe and dictates it to them. I realize that Catholics can't wrap their minds around thinking for themselves, having been so preconditioned to believe what is spoon fed to them. They tend to assume that everyone is like them. That's called projecting.
But if it makes you feel better to think that they do, by all means, go ahead, I can't stop you.
But I can tell you that you're misinformed about what Protestants really believe and practice.
If you had such a poor understanding of Church teaching while you were Catholic I can see why you left. Why I too would have left if there was any truth to what you write about what the Church teaches. But there is not and evidence to that fact abounds. Why do you ignore it?
The last resort argument of every Catholic on this board. I'll throw this one out to you.
If I was so poorly catechized, just whose fault is it? The priest who is supposed to be responsible for the flock he's entrusted with? Or the nuns who taught my catechism classes?
And why on earth would I want to stay in a church that can't even teach correctly to its members what it considers the truths it holds?
When I first accepted Christ as an adult and my eyes were finally opened to spiritual truths, one of the first things I did was go out and buy a Bible. Nobody told me I had to. I just knew that I needed to do that.
I read if voraciously. In the meantime, I knew I needed to start going back to church, so I did and I actually started by attending the parish I had been raised in. I didn't go to any Protestant churches for months. But the more I went and the more I read, the more and more discrepancies I saw between what was written in the Bible and what the Catholic church taught and practiced.
I finally went to a Evangelical/Protestant church and could not believe the difference. Not only did they teach and preach right out of the Bible, the sermons were interesting, and the people actually loved each other and cared about each other. Something that I never saw in the RCC I grew up in.
I figured I'd go to a church where the people LIVED what they believed instead of paying lip service.
metmom you wrote
“If I was so poorly catechized, just whose fault is it? The priest who is supposed to be responsible for the flock he’s entrusted with? Or the nuns who taught my catechism classes?
And why on earth would I want to stay in a church that can’t even teach correctly to its members what it considers the truths it holds?”
Guess what I totally agree with you there. It never, ever shocks me to find out that Catholics were and still are in many cases being poorly taught. And yes I blame all those modernist, liberal priests, sisters and lay people who bastardized Vatican II for that. I do not blame you or anyone else who left the Church.
I have wrote elsewhere that I would rather somebody be a good Protestant than a bad Catholic. Obviously you were being held back from giving yourself fully to God by practices in Catholicism which you could not in good faith support. In that case you should not be Catholic. For anything that separates us from God must be left behind. Because the only thing that matters in the end is our soul’s salvation. If you can not worship God without hesitation how can you rest easy that you are doing as God desires?
I believe the Catholic Church has the fullness of Truth as revealed to her by God. If you can not believe that you should not be Catholic. You did the right thing for yourself. Especially since you indicate you only sought out a Bible after you left. I’m a life long Catholic with periods of lapsing (in College) and I’ve always had a Bible. So I get the importance of Scripture to our daily lives. As does the Church. Too bad those teachers of yours failed so disgracefully in passing that on to you.
I do see most of your posts as anti Catholic and not pro Jesus. No doubt you do not mean it to be so.
AMEN! That's why we advise every Roman Catholic to return to the Bible and read it. And if that happens, it will be because the Holy Spirit is guiding that person to the truth.
I read if voraciously. In the meantime, I knew I needed to start going back to church, so I did and I actually started by attending the parish I had been raised in. I didn't go to any Protestant churches for months. But the more I went and the more I read, the more and more discrepancies I saw between what was written in the Bible and what the Catholic church taught and practiced.
Amen!
"Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word." -- Psalm 119:41
I finally went to a Evangelical/Protestant church and could not believe the difference. Not only did they teach and preach right out of the Bible, the sermons were interesting, and the people actually loved each other and cared about each other. Something that I never saw in the RCC I grew up in.
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." -- 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
And why on earth would I want to stay in a church that can't even teach correctly to its members what it considers the truths it holds?
Well said!
Initially it was your parents and God parent's fault. However, at some point in the process you have to accept responsibility.