Rejecting Catholicism???

[WinePusher]

I notice there is a pretty large amount of people who belong to the "Rejected Catholicism" usergroup?

1) Would you please list your reasons as to why you rejected catholicism? If you don't want to, that's fine.

[fewwillfindit]

I belonged to the group at first, but decided to remove it because I want to be defined by what I am for rather than what I am against.

My reasons for rejecting Catholicism (there are probably some that I am forgetting):

• Veneration of idols (relics)
• Mary died sinless
• Mary died a virgin
• Prayer to Mary
• Mary as co-mediatrix (mediator) with Christ
• Prayer to other dead people (invoking saints)
• Papacy
• Papal succession
• Pope taking the title, "Vicar of Christ"
• Papal infallibility while speaking ex cathedra
• Transubstantiation
• Purgatory
• Penance (we cannot atone for our own sins in any manner)
• Church has authority to pass judgment on and interpret Scripture for members
• Mass/Eucharist is an actual real propitiatory sacrifice offered on behalf of living and dead people
• Salvation is only found within the Catholic Church
• Sacred Tradition is authoritative even when it contradicts Scripture, thus elevating it above Scripture

According to the Council of Trent, the above must be believed to be a Catholic. These teachings cannot be found explicitly in the 66 books of the Bible, and in some cases are explicitly contrary to the Bible, therefore I reject Catholicism and its dogma.

I am answering because the nature of the OP seems to be merely asking "why" and didn't seem like it was intended for debate. I've debated this recently and am a bit burned out on it for the time being. It seems like debating it is futile anyhow, as neither side, since the Reformation, has shown any intention of budging an inch. It is what it is, and certain people are attracted to one or the other and almost seem predisposed to it.

[WinePusher]

I belonged to the group at first, but decided to remove it because I want to be defined by what I am for rather than what I am against.

My reasons for rejecting Catholicism (there are probably some that I am forgetting):

• Veneration of idols (relics)
• Mary died sinless
• Mary died a virgin
• Prayer to Mary
• Mary as co-mediatrix (mediator) with Christ
• Prayer to other dead people (invoking saints)
• Papacy
• Papal succession
• Pope taking the title, "Vicar of Christ"
• Papal infallibility while speaking ex cathedra
• Transubstantiation
• Purgatory
• Penance (we cannot atone for our own sins in any manner)
• Church has authority to pass judgment on and interpret Scripture for members
• Mass/Eucharist is an actual real propitiatory sacrifice offered on behalf of living and dead people
• Salvation is only found within the Catholic Church
• Sacred Tradition is authoritative in addition to Scripture

According to the Council of Trent, the above must be believed to be a Catholic. These teachings cannot be found explicitly in the 66 books of the Bible, and in some cases are explicitly contrary to the Bible, therefore I reject Catholicism and its dogma.

I am answering because the nature of the OP seems to be merely asking "why" and didn't seem like it was intended for debate. I've debated this recently and am a bit burned out on it for the time being. It seems like debating it is futile anyhow, as neither side, since the Reformation, has shown any intention of budging an inch. It is what it is, and certain people are attracted to one or the other and almost seem predisposed to it.

I would actually agree with many points on your list, so I'd appropriately be considered a heretic in some ways. But there are some on your list that I do believe in and assert, and I'll try to give a defense of them later on in the week.

[fewwillfindit]

I would actually agree with many points on your list, so I'd appropriately be considered a heretic in some ways. But there are some on your list that I do believe in and assert, and I'll try to give a defense of them later on in the week.

I look forward to reading your defense. I hope it isn't so compelling that I am sucked into the debate against my will.

[Murad]

Gratz on the new subforum.

I would actually agree with many points on your list, so I'd appropriately be considered a heretic in some ways.

A question out of curiosity.

When would a Christian be considered a heretic? Can you be a catholic while rejecting certain teachings of catholicism?

A personal question:
Do you think the Catholic Church would see you as a heretic?

[Lux]

I was born in a mostly Catholic country: almost 80% claiming to be catholic (with about 1/5 of them actually going to church), the CC receiving financial support from the government. I went to a Catholic school ages 7 through 12, and felt somewhat "peer pressured" to belong to some sort of religion. The obvious choice was Catholicism.

I started attending catechism classes, behind my parents' backs. My biggest problem with them was that the woman read to us stories as incredible as the ones we read in Literature, but claimed they actually happened. I was already a bit of a skeptic, and didn't really believe any of it. Of course, I felt bad about that, and one day I decided to approach the teacher after class to consult her about that. Her response can be summed up to "We know they are true cause they're in the Bible, and you should believe it cause god wants you to". When I asked her how can we know the Bible is not lying, she made a face that I'd probably find hilarious now, but it kind of scared me back then. I guess 10 year olds don't usually question catechism teachers

Other than that we mostly practiced for the First Communion ceremony, and the whole thing with the candles and the lines and the exact movements seemed odd to me. I did believe in god back then, but it was hard for me to believe that god cared about such little things as the way we stand in line to receive communion. I did like the singing, and remained in the school's chorus way after I'd rejected catholicism.

My experience with catechism left me basically with:

Doubts about the Bible.
Fear of hell/punishment from god.
Confusion about the nature of god and Jesus.

A chat with a friend of mine whose family was devoutly catholic was a key moment. I learned about catholic stands in issues such as homosexuality and birth control, and that pretty much settled the matter for me.

I didn't believe in the sort of god that punishes you.
I doubted the Bible and already disliked some of it.
I had failed to accomplish the personal relationship with god/Jesus.
I didn't care for the ritual part.
I could not even understand the concept of the Trinity (not that I fully grasp it now )
I held the opposing point of view of the CC on the issues of the day.

In other words, I was probably not even a christian by anyone's standards and definitely not a catholic, so I walked away from catechism and catholicism (much to my classmates' and teachers shock).

Sorry if this is long and boring.

[theopoesis]

Sorry if this is long and boring.

I'm a lurker on this thread, but I figured I'd pipe in and say that was neither long, nor boring. You should read a few of my posts. Now those are long and boring. I found this an interesting story, though I'm sorry we fell on different sides of the religious question when it was all over. I am glad to have heard your story, though. Thanks.

[Lux]

Sorry if this is long and boring.

I'm a lurker on this thread, but I figured I'd pipe in and say that was neither long, nor boring. You should read a few of my posts. Now those are long and boring. I found this an interesting story, though I'm sorry we fell on different sides of the religious question when it was all over. I am glad to have heard your story, though. Thanks.

Thanks! It's good to get a chance to share the fact that I didn't just decline to be a christian because I was feeling particularly evil that day I'm getting more and more convinced that some people are soft-wired for different levels of skepticism.

I have read some of your posts, they are not boring at all.

[De Maria]

[De Maria]

I was born in a mostly Catholic country: almost 80% claiming to be catholic (with about 1/5 of them actually going to church), the CC receiving financial support from the government. I went to a Catholic school ages 7 through 12, and felt somewhat "peer pressured" to belong to some sort of religion. The obvious choice was Catholicism.

I started attending catechism classes, behind my parents' backs. My biggest problem with them was that the woman read to us stories as incredible as the ones we read in Literature, but claimed they actually happened. I was already a bit of a skeptic, and didn't really believe any of it. Of course, I felt bad about that, and one day I decided to approach the teacher after class to consult her about that. Her response can be summed up to "We know they are true cause they're in the Bible, and you should believe it cause god wants you to". When I asked her how can we know the Bible is not lying, she made a face that I'd probably find hilarious now, but it kind of scared me back then. I guess 10 year olds don't usually question catechism teachers

Other than that we mostly practiced for the First Communion ceremony, and the whole thing with the candles and the lines and the exact movements seemed odd to me. I did believe in god back then, but it was hard for me to believe that god cared about such little things as the way we stand in line to receive communion. I did like the singing, and remained in the school's chorus way after I'd rejected catholicism.

My experience with catechism left me basically with:

Doubts about the Bible.
Fear of hell/punishment from god.
Confusion about the nature of god and Jesus.

A chat with a friend of mine whose family was devoutly catholic was a key moment. I learned about catholic stands in issues such as homosexuality and birth control, and that pretty much settled the matter for me.

I didn't believe in the sort of god that punishes you.
I doubted the Bible and already disliked some of it.
I had failed to accomplish the personal relationship with god/Jesus.
I didn't care for the ritual part.
I could not even understand the concept of the Trinity (not that I fully grasp it now )
I held the opposing point of view of the CC on the issues of the day.

In other words, I was probably not even a christian by anyone's standards and definitely not a catholic, so I walked away from catechism and catholicism (much to my classmates' and teachers shock).

Sorry if this is long and boring.

Not long and boring at all. How could it be, your story is very similar to mine. Except I came back to Catholicism in the end.

In the end, it is Catholicism which answers all my questions.

Sincerely,

De Maria