I think alot of men who had no business, nor any true vocation, being a priest, became one as a cover for their more insidious pasttimes.

Oh, I agree with you there. I don’t think that the priesthood “makes” men into pedophiles. I think that pedophiles are attracted to the priesthood because is gives them everything they need–an excuse to not be married, unquestioned power and respect, and direct interaction with children who are supposed to respect them unquestioningly.

What’s hideous is that the church covered it up by relocating those priests so often instead of removing their titles, turing them in for criminal prosecution and getting them help. The church has to accept responsibility for those actions. The fact that it doesn’t, and at the same time continues to declare that a vatican ordained priest has special powers granted to him by God is just hypocritical, don’t you think? To me, it just negates the whole infallible image that the church tries to put on for itself.

But, like I said, I know a lot of Catholics who are able to reconcile that within themselves and I’m not judgmental of them at all, they’ve found some peace and that’s great.

I know it turns a lot of people off but that is definitely not what the Church is about. Most Priests are dedicated, celibate, loyal servants of Christ. The scandal truly blackened the bunch though, which is a shame.

But the absolute best thing about the Catholic church is the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. That alone makes all the other parts of being Catholic not only bearable, but in time, enjoyable.

Do I think being Catholic is the only way to get to Heaven? Absolutely not!!! There are many, many fine Christian churches and as long as they advocate the Christ is the only way, they’re good to go. However, they are sorely missing out on the Real Presence in Christ in the Eucharist. That’s what I meant by if people knew what the Church has (and I mean really knew. Really truly believed that the bread & wine becomes the Body and Blood of Christ) they would never leave.

See, I don’t believe that.

First off, I don’t believe that only a Vatican ordained Priest can turn the bread and wine into body and blood. I don’t believe it. I cannot adhere to a set of rules that believes that a man who molests a child can then turn around and consecrate the eucharist. It defies any logic. I do not believe that the church (a human institution with human failings) has the God-given magic to make those decisions. We know that there have been truly evil Popes, so there is no basis for believing that they are anything above human, and they’re the ones that head the church. The idea that the RCC is anything above any other church in any way is just a fairy tale, but it’s worse than that because it propagates fear and lies (hence all of the molesting priests being protected by the church). I think it’s really kind of ill in a lot of ways with the shroud of mystique.

Furthermore I do not believe that Christ is the only way. I do not believe, as I said, in one true religion at all. This is something that I looked into very seriously before even considering conversion, and if you read your catechism, you’ll see that the RCC does not believe that one needs to be Christian in order to be saved, either. There is a lot of non-explicit terminology in there, but the general gist is that yeah, they believe that it’s best to accept Christ as our Savior, but not being exposed to Christ (which is variable–how much exposure counts as “exposure”), then you’re not denied salvation. So, you might want to look into that yourself.

Regardless, I do not believe in a God who would deny people salvation just based upon where they were born. It goes against the all-knowing, all-loving God that we learn about in the Bible.

1) Sacred Tradition - what Jesus said orally (he never wrote a book)to his followers and they in turn passed on to us via the Apostles

2) Sacred Scripture - the Holy Bible

3) The Magesterium of the Church.

If any priest or bishop goes against the Mageterium of the Church, they are wrong, plain and simple. Nobody gets to make up their own rules. Nobody gets to interpret Scripture as they see fit. That’s why we have the Magesterium to do it for us,which relies totally on Divine Inspiration.

But the absolute best thing about the Catholic church is the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. That alone makes all the other parts of being Catholic not only bearable, but in time, enjoyable.

Do I think being Catholic is the only way to get to Heaven? Absolutely not!!! There are many, many fine Christian churches and as long as they advocate the Christ is the only way, they’re good to go. However, they are sorely missing out on the Real Presence in Christ in the Eucharist. That’s what I meant by if people knew what the Church has (and I mean really knew. Really truly believed that the bread & wine becomes the Body and Blood of Christ) they would never leave.

Yeah, that’s the thing though, eh. If you purport to being Catholic then you must follow all the teachings of the Church even the ones you don’t agree with. Otherwise, you’re Catholic in name only (or as some would say, a cafeteria Catholic). The only way, truthfully, for anyone to come to that place is by asking for help from above. In other words a prayer could go something like this: “Lord, if you agree that the Catholic Church is the ONE, HOLY, APOSTOLIC, church then please help me to accept it and help my disbelief”. See what happens.

What’s funny about that is I actually DID that, and the answer I got was very much a sign that I needed to leave the church. That was two years ago Easter. Since then I have met with the priest and talked with other people and really feel like there is closure with the church and me.

I do not believe that the RCC is the ONE, HOLY, APOSTOLIC church and if we’re to take the sign that God gave me, then neither does He

Really, I do not believe that there is one “right” religion, much less one branch of one religion.

And, it is very obvious that if one is going to purport to being Catholic, one does NOT have to follow all the teachings of the church, since there is much disagreement among branches of the church about what is the correct teaching. The Jesuits are famous grumblers about the dogma, for instance. They’re constantly questioning and challenging things. And the way Catholicism is practiced here (by Bishops no less) may be different than the way it’s practiced a state away. There is a lot of inconsistencies under that umbrella.

I’ve done a lot of theological study, particularly about Catholicism, when I was making my conversion and I just don’t think you can make a blanket statement about how if everyone knew exactly what the Catholic Church stands for and offers, no one would EVER leave, because that’s just not true for everyone.

I completely understand having a church community turn on you. Been there, done that, have the DVD.

I wouldn’t say that was a Catholic thing. I’ve been a church cantor for many different religions. Some communities were better than others. I think that you are doing what you should - finding a community that supports you and helps you in your relationship with God.

I converted to Catholicism as an adult, and I just see the bigger church as full of hypocrisy and misogyny. But, that’s just me! I just cannot get on board with the anti-birth control stuff, or the protection given to child abusing priests, or the whole annulment but not divorce thing. Plus there’s the issue of women not being allowed to be clergy and the idea that the Pope is infallible (when he speaks “from the chair”), but then that infallibility can be taken away in the future if it seems like he wasn’t really a good guy after all. They just make up the rules as they go along, just like everyone else, but since they’re HOLY they claim religious immunity. Which is…hypocrisy.

But, that’s just my opinion! And I know there are many brilliant, good people who are able to reconcile with the church and I don’t think less of them, I admire them for being able to find that peace in themselves. I can’t do it. I wish I could.