https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:54:59 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-381836 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:52:25 +0000 ladyfingers 381836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just want to say I have a friend who is extremely liberal, both socially and politically, and she is a practicing Catholic. That's just to say that she doesn't agree with all the teachings anyway, but she has found a church and a priest that is aligned with her personal beliefs, and managed to stay in the Catholic religion (which is what she grew up with and where she's more comfortable). It can be done! She finds great comfort in her faith. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-381782 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:40:12 +0000 mediagirl 381782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I grew up Catholic and definitely don't believe in some of the things the Catholic church believes in. We considered staying members of the Catholic church but ended up joining an Episcopal church because of their welcoming attitude, rather than feeling shunned, like we did from the Catholic church. We got married outside of the Catholic church, so we are no longer allowed to participate in Catholic communion. To me, that was the final straw that sent me looking elsewhere. </p> <p>We actually went to 4 different Catholic churches in our area before we decided to start looking at other religions. We found the Episcopal religion very familiar, yet without restriction.</p> <p>I think it's all about finding a church that makes you happy and that you feel comfortable in. Definitely "try out" various Catholic churches in your area and then start to talk to the Priests about what it would take to "become" Catholic again.</p> <p>Haha...I just realized I posted on this 11 months ago. Too funny. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-381702 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:15:12 +0000 Honeybee 381702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't see this thread originally, but I'm a (very) liberal Catholic' I converted as an adult, in my senior year at college. My husband was raised in the religion, we were married in the Church, and our kids are baptized (and will be raised) in the Church, as well. </p> <p>Spiritually, I actually leave more towards agnosticism; politically, I'm a socialist, and very liberal in my beliefs/views. Although my beliefs do not always match the Church's theology, I believe with the broader messages of the role of the community in salvation, worship, our connection to God, and our responisbilities as human beings. I've always attended liberal parishes where the priests have openly disagreed with some of the Chruch's teachings, so I guess I've only seen models of Catholic communities that encourage members to question and discuss the theology of the Church while still identifying as a Catholic. I know that we will soon be attending a more conservative Catholic parish, but I hope they still have the openness I've become accustomed to in my previous experiences.</p> <p>All this is to say that are a lot of Catholics who don't agree with all of the Church's teachings but identify with the basic tenants of the faith. Hopefully, if you return to the church, you'll find a parish that respects your choice to disagree, even if they don't support your objections. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-381644 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:58:50 +0000 meredithNYC 381644@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another Catholic here - and a pretty liberal one, at that. Like many have said, the feel of the church really varies from parish to parish. I am lucky to be in a major city and have a lot of options, which I understand isn't the case for everyone. For me, joining another denomination is not something I would ever consider, as I feel at home in Catholic church - despite some of its flaws. But good luck, no matter what you decide! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-381607 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:40:48 +0000 honeybear 381607@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but I need a break from politics today. So let's talk about religion! ;) </p> <p>If you're still deciding whether to pursue this, one thing you might look into is RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes in your area. The aim of these classes is to move people towards the sacraments of baptism (if they aren't already baptized--baptism in most Christian denominations is respected by the Catholic Church) and confirmation at the following Easter Vigil. </p> <p>In any event, you don't have to agree that you will eventually be baptized/confirmed to go to the classes. They should be free, too. Good RCIA classes will be like a fantastic college seminar, participatory and thought-provoking. Also, they generally aren't led by priests and I've never seen any "hard sell" tactics. (So don't be scared!) If you've already been confirmed, but just want to "audit" a class to see if Catholicism is really right for you, I'm sure the RCIA leader would be happy to have you. ;) </p> <p>Best wishes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-36012 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:42:22 +0000 Mrs. D 36012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>like @MamaMoose:, I'm Presbyterian, and I love my congregation. My DH grew up Catholic and had many issues with the priests at the church he attended growing up, so he left, but found when we got together that he loved my church, and has since converted. Good luck searching out a good fit for you, regardless of denomination. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-35718 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:05:18 +0000 DigAPony 35718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a former Catholic, and I also recommend just trying out different churches, both Catholic and Episcopalian. (From my understanding, the main differences are that Episcopalians do not follow the Pope as head of the church, and they do not believe in transubstantiation in the same way.)</p> <p>You're right, this is not an easy thing to figure out, but if you feel the need to join a church community of some kind, don't hesitate to try different churches! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-35242 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:04:09 +0000 hopeful 35242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was raised Catholic and still am practicing. My husband was raised Catholic and got disillusioned after he was thrown out of CCD class at age 14 for trying to talk about evolution ~ a fact that astounds and saddens me since the Catholic church officially is very pro-science (a Catholic monk came up with the big bang theory!), so that teacher was in pretty poor form. Anyway he doesn't practice any more though he did go along with me through the process to get married in the church. And I consider myself to be a pretty liberal Catholic. </p> <p>Since I was in school forever (PhD), I spent a decent amount of time at university-based churches, which are definitely more on the liberal side of the spectrum. Even now, 3 years after graduating, I live in a college town and the university's Catholic church is the one I attend - it's quite large, offering something like 6 masses at different times every weekend, with lots of non-students in attendance. So if you have a university in your area you might want to check them out to see if they have masses for non-students. </p> <p>In grad school my roommate was a non-denominational Christian and I went to several faith groups with her, which was really interesting. They were a great group of people and I enjoyed our discussions, even if I was a bit of an outsider as a Catholic ~ in the end it is all Christianity, so.... what can I say, I'm pretty open minded about this! I do love the rituals of the Catholic church so can't see myself ever leaving, though. </p> <p>As for it being hard to figure out~ working out one's beliefs is not an easy thing to do. But, as trite as it might sound, I'd suggest praying about it! God will help you end up where you are supposed to be :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-34688 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:18:36 +0000 mrs. wagon 34688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with most of the posters above-- every church is different, Catholics and Protestants have different beliefs (but a lot in common)... I would suggest researching churches in your area (and asking friends/family for suggestions), going to their websites and reading about their beliefs. Once you find one or two that resonate with you, visit them on a Sunday and see how you like the service. There are so many churches out there and you will hopefully be warmly welcomed and not seriously pressured to join... I too think it's wonderful that you are seeking and you are so openminded! I'm a Christian and attend a protestant church. Oh and I agree that the Pastor or Priest has a lot to do with the church! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-34640 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:34:01 +0000 heartonastring 34640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both DH and I were raised Catholic, but have strayed from the Church and its doctrine. As a result, I really didn't feel comfortable getting married in the Church, as I thought it would be disingenuous, and I really didn't want to be married by an institution with whom I disagreed so vehemently on certain issues. </p> <p>Anyhow, I ended up finding a Protestant Church that very much fits my beliefs (is Liberal in certain ways, i.e. they conduct gay marriages), but also traditional enough that it still feel comfortable for me coming from the Catholic Church. My DH doesn't come either :)</p> <p>All that to say, it might be worthwhile to check out some other churches, Episcopalian (for me, this was still too close to Catholicism, but maybe it will work for you) and other Protestant denominations. Spend a few Sundays trying out different churches and see which you like the best. I also think so much of it comes down to your personal connection with the Pastor. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-34447 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:15:09 +0000 MamaMoose 34447@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: Definitely look into Episcopalianism. I have a lot of friends who converted after growing up Catholic. We are actually Presbyterian so I don't have first hand experience but I know a lot of people who are really happy in their Episcopal churches. It's almost like Catholic light. Or as my friend (who is a protestant who married a catholic) calls it "The Church of the Holy Compromise". With the Catholic church it really doesn't matter how open minded the priest is. The Vatican decides how Catholics should view social issues so there's really not a lot of flexibility on the teachings as far as homosexuality, birth control, etc. So if you don't agree with the Vatican's view I imagine it would be very difficult to be a parishoner in the church. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-34410 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:37:41 +0000 sorrycharlie 34410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hmm you guys are giving me a lot to think about! I'm gonna really have to start doing my research...I didn't realize it'd be so hard! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-34406 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:34:27 +0000 venice4504 34406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grew up Catholic, went to a Catholic k-8 and a Jesuit high school. That being said I don't attend church now because I haven't/really didn't look found one that is a little more liberal. If you were to find a church that maybe didn't agree with everything but didn't make everyone tow the line I think I would be more inclined to go back to Mass.</p> <p>We are looking at sending our kiddo to a Catholic school though. I had fantastic schooling. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-33693 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:20:20 +0000 MrsBrewer 33693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grew up Catholic, went to private school and everything. But now I no longer am a practicing Catholic, I consider myself a Christian though, and I go to a Christian church, I also don't agree with a lot of the Catholic teachings, but I do follow the teachings of Christianity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-33689 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:17:45 +0000 Lozza 33689@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you like the ritual and "feel" of Catholicism, but have issues with some of the teachings, I second mediagirl's suggestion to check out Episcopalian churches around your area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-33602 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:45:48 +0000 Shutterbug 33602@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you just need to attend a few churches to find the right fit. There is a church in Boston where we did our Pre-cana counseling and they were super inclusive and loving/accepting of all people, which really made me want to stick with Catholicism, rather than leave because of a couple points on which I disagree (abortion, gay rights). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-33517 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:44:31 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 33517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grew up Catholic but quit practicing when I left for college. I went to a pretty traditional Catholic church. Since then Ive heard of many slightly more open-minded parishes, but I haven't felt the need to go back. I totally get questioning religion with kids so to be in the picture though... I think the key is not the actual religion, but the feel of the people. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-33516 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:40:17 +0000 cvbee 33516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Check out: <a href="http://www.catholicscomehome.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.catholicscomehome.org/</a></p> <p>I am glad to be back for the community, the spiritual attention and I also feel good about it for my future children. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-33209 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:37:55 +0000 Pipers Mommy 33209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I are Catholic, we were not married in a church, and we definitely do not agree with all the church's teachings. What we have found is every church is different. When our daughter was born it was important for us that she be baptized so we went and became members and regularly attended church for about 2 months. I followed up with the priest and he gave us a laundry list of things that needed to be done before he would even think of baptizing her. We started checking off the list, and as we were doing this we realized we really didn't care for the priest or his teachings- every week he stood up during the homily and preached to the parishioners about what we were doing wrong (how about celebrate the fact that we were there?).<br /> So we decided to look elsewhere. We now drive 25 minutes to another Catholic church. Our daughter was baptized almost immediately, and without question (we met with the priest for about an hour with the godparents to discuss our expectations of the church, it was pretty painless.)- After, we left my sister (the godmother) said, wow he's great if we lived closer I would definitely go to church more regularly. I think it is all about the priest assigned to the church.<br /> We enjoy going every Sunday, we actively participate in the church programs to help the less fortunate. We are not 'born again', we just want for our religion to help guide our daughter through life- if she decides Catholicism isn't for her we'll be OK with that . But I do hope she chooses to believe in some higher power.<br /> My advice would be to go to a few churches and sit through a mass or two to see if you like the priest's style/personality and go from there. Good Luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-33047 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:38:14 +0000 mediagirl 33047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went through this before we got married. Both of us grew up Catholic and got confirmed. We were told that if we wanted to get married, we would have to go through this whole 6 month process (because it would be after our "civil" (according to the Catholic Church) wedding). I then asked about children and was told that a child cannot be Baptised in the Catholic Church if his/her parents are not parishioners. To become parishioners, we had to go through that 6 month process to be "married" in the Catholic church. Even though we're already married....</p> <p>OMG it was miserable just thinking about it. I ended up finding a fantastic Episcopal church (after a loooong journey) and am so happy to have joined it. People are so much more open and welcoming, they don't talk about politics and there are no rules like you have to be a man if you are a priest and you can't be a homosexual. Plus, since no one talks about politics, you'll never hear a sermon (like we did in that Catholic Church on Christmas Eve) that talks about how abortion is wrong. :/</p> <p>I don't know how it's going to be for you but if you want to go back to the Catholic church and raise your child Catholic, I hope you find a church that works for you that isn't super strict like the one we ran into! I wish you luck because I know this feeling and it's so hard to find your way to a church that will work for you!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-32992 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:41:05 +0000 sorrycharlie 32992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: thanks! I'll definitely check it out. My grandfather is Protestant. I feel like a dodo to admit it, but I'm not even sure of the differences between all the different types. Some are more obvious than others, so maybe there's one that fits my interests better than straight Catholicism?</p> <p>@JustlikeHeaven: this is such a good point. I'll have to ask around, and maybe when my grandmother goes I could go with her and just sit to listen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-32948 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:17:11 +0000 DpeachLu 32948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a young Catholic. I cant say I know the ins and outs... but I can tell you that I have found that I like some churches (the actual community) and some I dont. I do think it depends on the priest. I have found that some keep my interest more during their sermons ... and seem a lot more modern and some just seem to be way too old fashioned. I would reccommend trying a few out in your community, talking to the priest maybe the church secretary.. there may be one that completely turns you away for being liberal and there may be one that totally understands where you are coming from. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-32941 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:15:18 +0000 chopsuey 32941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm Protestant/Christian so I can't offer any advice about Catholicism, but if you're interested in learning more about faith and belief, you can check out my church's website. They have tons of online resources.<br /> <a href="http://buckheadchurch.org/" rel="nofollow">http://buckheadchurch.org/</a><br /> I think it's awesome that you're seeking! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/question-about-catholicism#post-32916 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:02:13 +0000 sorrycharlie 32916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wasn't sure where to post this, I apologize in advance if I aimed wrong ;)</p> <p>I was baptized &amp; made my first communion, but about 1-2 years after that, my mom (she and my dad were raised Catholic) pulled me out of CCD. she didn't agree with some of the teachings, namely issues concerning homosexuality, women following their men, etc. I should also add that even though I went to CCD, we did not regularly attend Church. </p> <p>Fast forward 15+ years later, I've been thinking about going back. I like the idea of having something to believe in, but I don't agree with all of the teachings (namely that homosexuality is a sin, as well as some other minor things). I'm pretty sure the Church I attended is fairly open-minded, as I know many people that attend and are not super conservative.</p> <p>Is there anyone who practices but isn't over the top with it, that could give me some advice? I don't want to make the jump to talking to the Priest yet. I know that DH likely won't go (he was raised a different religion, though he does NOT follow it whatsoever), which is okay with me. </p> <p>I think my main concern is that I like the idea of believing, but I'm not sure that I want to make the jump to being "born again," or similar, if that makes any sense. I know that "born again" is a separate branch ;) but I hope that kind of makes sense.</p> <p>Please don't take any of this personally! I'm just totally confused and looking for advice! :) </p>