Catholics Anonymous (original) (raw)

Anybody alive?

12:13 am
[sofalex]

Did anybody hear read David Lodge? 'How far Can You Go', for example?

1:40 pm
[wmblair]

Why this flag - why this group? There are many people who were raised Catholic. The thing with that is that does not include much actual learning about what being Catholic actually is. (I mean if you convert - well then you learn it all) Also, there are many holes in Catholic Dogma that require faith (not just your faith that your bedroom will still be there when you get back from dinner - big double-think LEAPS OF FAITH).

So you leave. Break with your upbringing. Become ex-Catholic.

I will suggest the following as primary goals for the forum (ha-ha forum - Roman numerals - woh boy all about Roman Catholicism. Ok sorry):

I) What is your "root?" what was the thread that led your belief to unravel?
....I)i.Where does the unraveling end? How far do you go and do you have to reject eveything?

II) Do you have to be an ex-catholic? Do you have to leave just because you find out the Church is sexist or corrupt or absurd or as true as the Easter Bunny or because you think that one or whatever thing is just too much to take? Does that thorn in your side HAVE to mix metaphors and become the root of your unraveling house of cards?
....II)i.Can't you just be a Cafeteria Catholic like everyone else?
.........II)i.a] what the hell do you think of cafeteria catholics anyways - pro or con?
....II)ii. There is an established tradition of agnostic Jews. There are Jews that don't really believe in God or everything - but they are still Jews and they still have that as part of their identity and they wouldn't part with it and it is a cultural thing. Is there any place for an agnostic or cultural Catholic? would you maybe fit as one? and I mean there is a reason for the adjective Judeo-Christian - they're the same kooky religion deep down - all part of the Abrahmic Tradition.

ok. so. as a show of how there is openess in the group I will post this and then do other roman numerals later. or. hell. I don't care. you can do your own. (I do not think this is a complete list of topics)

10:12 am
[avariah]

Former Catholic Greetings! I just joined the community. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school all 12 years. I was very religious. I learned that one had to "be good" to get into Heaven. Well, in my early 20's I started really reading the Bible after hearing some say that salvation isn't something you earn for yourself - the bill, so to speak, had already been paid through Christ's death on the cross. If "being good" were all it took to enter heaven, the crucifixion would not be necessary. A light went off in my head. The books of Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, John - all over the New Testament - contain verses that explicitly state that good works don't cut the mustard. Brown-nosing my way into heaven would not have worked. I realized that Christ died in my place on the cross to pay the penalty for all sin, which is death. I couldn't remain in the Catholic church after learning this, because there's no way I'd hear a sermon confirming this ... I guess keeping people guessing about where their eternal destiny lies keeps them under control or something. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it perfectly: "For BY GRACE are you saved through FAITH, and that NOT of yourselves; it is a GIFT of God, NOT OF WORKS, so that no one can boast." Man, I *LOVE* that verse!! :-)

Blessings!
Avariah

Current Mood: sore

6:06 am
[wmblair]

come one, come all. There are a whole lotta messed up people out there and part of the reason is because they were raised catholic. So... what do we do... What are your questions... How did you break away... hat are your problems with breaking away... Might you be considering breaking away. Come On Lets have a community.