I converted to Roman Catholicism AMA

[lightsandmirrors]

I was recieved into the Roman Catholic Church a few years ago, having previously been an atheist. Ask me anything and I will try to answer!

Hi. Why did you feel you needed to join an organised religion, rather than just living your life in accordance with what you believe to be Christian principles?

There’s no such thing as pick-and-mix Catholicism and all those who choose to believe they can hold more ‘moderate’ beliefs and ignore the bits they don’t like about Catholicism or the Catholic Church are just fooling themselves. It’s all or nothing folks.

i know many good honest catholics, some very caring people, charitable and generous.
but as for the institution and some attitudes, the sense of superiority among some clergy and old fashioned catholics, puts me off. i cannot accept what seems to be their view that god is a catholic, and they have somehow cornered the market, or approach routes to him. that anything else is lesser or error.
as if one could strictly define and limit the divinity.

OP, if you don't intend taking your child to church, will you be able to get him into a catholic school ? and if you do get him in, won't they expect, railroad him into FHC etc.

It’s all or nothing folks.
That's your opinion. Many Catholics don't agree.

@CarolinaPink

Hi. Why did you feel you needed to join an organised religion, rather than just living your life in accordance with what you believe to be Christian principles?

I lived for a couple of years as you suggest without organised religion but with belief and personally I found that my faith didn't have a meaningful impact on my life or my choices. My faith lacked a framework to give it meaning and direction, and I felt I needed a community to provide a level of accountability and support.

@alexdgr8

i know many good honest catholics, some very caring people, charitable and generous. but as for the institution and some attitudes, the sense of superiority among some clergy and old fashioned catholics, puts me off. i cannot accept what seems to be their view that god is a catholic, and they have somehow cornered the market, or approach routes to him. that anything else is lesser or error. as if one could strictly define and limit the divinity.

OP, if you don't intend taking your child to church, will you be able to get him into a catholic school ? and if you do get him in, won't they expect, railroad him into FHC etc.

Sorry alexdgr8, confusingly posted under another username. For clarity let's try again - He will be baptised and I will be attending church. I am sure I will bring him along every now and then when DH can't provide childcare. As far as I know that would be enough to get him a place at an RC school. I'm not an expert on that though so happy to be corrected. I would want him to do his FHC and as soon as he started the prep for that I would start taking him to Mass regularly. I wouldn't force him to if he didn't want to obviously and likewise with confirmation. But I don't really see that as contradictory with raising him to have a choice. MN itself is awash with atheist lapsed Catholic, confirmation or FHC certainly doesn't seem to protect against losing belief in your teens or later in life. But I think if I didn't give him a Catholic education I would be depriving him of that experience, which he could never choose to experience again later in life in the same way. As an adult convert I certainly feel I have missed out on that. In my thinking, if you're an atheist; baptism, FHC and confirmation are meaningless. If you believe then they are everything. So I want to give him the best opportunity to experience those things. If he later changes his mind I hope he wouldn't be too bothered about going through the ceremonies.

@Sometimesonly

It’s all or nothing folks. That's your opinion. Many Catholics don't agree.

Then they’d be wrong and suffering from cognitive dissonance.

Good lord, even back in the sixties Catholic women were ignoring the Pope and taking oral contraceptives. You must be in a very...intense branch of the religion, or else taking it all very literally, as a convert.

Then they’d be wrong and suffering from cognitive dissonance.

Again, your opinion.

yes, i read that in ireland, many doctors to be kind would prescribe something to regulate the menstrual cycle, so that the woman could more easily practice NFP.
this something was hormonal, and had a side effect....
in a country where contraception was not legally available.
and many women were bowed down with multiple births.
in the uk oral contraception was available in the 1960s, to married women, with their husband's consent..
so things were just fine and dandy here, by comparison.

On threads where a poster declares that they’ve just obtained British citizenship, do people start asking how they feel about endorsing imperialism, the Irish famine and the Iraq war?

Catholicism is like the IRA, once you join, you can never leave.

@MayDayFightsBack

There’s no such thing as pick-and-mix Catholicism and all those who choose to believe they can hold more ‘moderate’ beliefs and ignore the bits they don’t like about Catholicism or the Catholic Church are just fooling themselves. It’s all or nothing folks.

Well pick and mix seems to be fine with all other religions. Why should Catholicism be different. Of course you should be able to detach yourself from less moderate views. If it's "all or nothing" does that apply to all muslims who don't agree with the less moderate ones? Of course it shouldn't.

@Taikoo

Catholicism is like the IRA, once you join, you can never leave.

I'd better hope that they don't find me then.

My current non-catholic parish is about one third former RC's. I guess we all need to hide.