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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.
http://buckheadchurch.org/
I think it's awesome that you're seeking!

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?).
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.
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.
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!

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.

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.

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.

We are looking at sending our kiddo to a Catholic school though. I had fantastic schooling.

@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.

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!

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.)

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!

@sorrycharlie: Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but I need a break from politics today. So let's talk about religion!

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.

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.

Best wishes!

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.

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.

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.

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.