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Author Topic: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....  (Read 8263 times)

Elizabeth

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Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« on: February 20, 2013, 08:24:22 am »
I was brought up Christian, but ventured into Catholicism on my own. I disagree with a lot of their teachings, as well as Jesus as Messiah, but I feel stuck there.

At this point in my life, I am examining what I want to teach my children when I have them. I want them to grow up knowing they can choose where they want to go spiritually. I want them to be confident that they can choose their own path.

I feel a strong pull towards Catholicism, I do not know why. But I also want to do my own thing. I struggle with figuring out what that is.

I constantly waffle between the two. For a few weeks, I can be fine with deciding to leave Christianity. But then, WHAM, I feel like I should give it one more try. And back and forth it goes.

Was anyone else like this? What helped to finalize your path in either your birth religion or another?

Thanks
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tophathaiku

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2013, 09:53:52 am »
Quote from: Elizabeth;97101
I was brought up Christian...
Was anyone else like this? What helped to finalize your path in either your birth religion or another?

Thanks


Yes, I grew up Pentecostal.  What finalized my path?  Well...it wasn't easy.  I think I had to come to terms with how I viewed my birth religion.  There were a few things that drew me...the method of worship (music ministry) and the idea of grace/charity, but the rest of it...I had to have many conversations with myself in order to realize that this was not what I wanted.

I really don't know what your personal experience is, but from an outsider's point of view it seems like you might be drawn to Catholicism for one or two reasons.  One, you like the idea of ritual--incense, candles, rosary, praying to Mary and the Saints, etc.  And that might be why you are drawn to paganism as these things are also present in the various traditions.  Second, you could be fearing the consequences of not being Catholic/Christian, meaning hell.  I went through that as well.  But I figured that this particular Deity was going to send me straight to hell anyway (being unapologetic about a few things in my personal life), so I might as well do what I want.  

Some people manage to find harmony in being a Christo-pagan.  I couldn't because I felt like I would have to give up too much of each in order to make it work.  This, of course, is a personal decision.  If you want to go that route, I am sure there are some woderful people on TC that can give you advice.
 
I hope you are able to make peace with your decisions and that whatever path you decide to follow is fullfilling for you. :)

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2013, 10:15:50 am »
Quote from: Elizabeth;97101
I constantly waffle between the two. For a few weeks, I can be fine with deciding to leave Christianity. But then, WHAM, I feel like I should give it one more try. And back and forth it goes.


This. I had to make a clear commitment to taking some time away from any expressions of Christianity at all, as that yo-yoing was driving me bonkers. I may be about ready to try a Unitarian church, or it might need to be longer.

I still do Catholic folk magic and some other things that are rooted in Christianity. It's always going to be there, even though God isn't, anymore. I hope the point of this will be made clear one of these days - but for now, I just know it's something about the way things are meant to be for me.
"We're all stories, in the end. Make it a good one, eh?"
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mlr52

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2013, 11:28:49 am »
Quote from: Elizabeth;97101
I was brought up Christian, but ventured into Catholicism on my own. I disagree with a lot of their teachings, as well as Jesus as Messiah, but I feel stuck there.

Thanks

 Catholic is Christian.  If by Christian you are talking about one of the Protestant denominations they are called that because the broke away from the Catholic Church in protest. It is for those of the Hebrew faith to dicide if Jesus is the Messiah.
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Vale

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2013, 02:26:15 pm »
Quote from: Elizabeth;97101


Was anyone else like this? What helped to finalize your path in either your birth religion or another?

Thanks

I guess I was lucky as I was brought up only nominally Christian so it never really had deep roots.

Once I did decide to stop paying lip service to it I looked out the bible, prayer book and various other bits and pieces of christian theology that I'd been given at baptism as a baby and gave the lot to a charity shop. It felt very liberating having them out of the house and I haven't regretted it for one second.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2013, 02:26:59 pm by Vale »

sailor

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2013, 03:06:55 pm »
Quote from: mlr52;97128
It is for those of the Hebrew faith to dicide if Jesus is the Messiah.

 
He's not, end of theological discussion as regards Judaism (or Islam also).

Elizabeth

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2013, 04:41:14 pm »
Quote from: mlr52;97128
Catholic is Christian.  If by Christian you are talking about one of the Protestant denominations they are called that because the broke away from the Catholic Church in protest. It is for those of the Hebrew faith to dicide if Jesus is the Messiah.

 
I know Catholicism is Christianity. I meant I was brought up Christian in a Protestant home but found the Catholic Church by myself.
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mlr52

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2013, 12:34:14 am »
Quote from: Elizabeth;97210
I know Catholicism is Christianity. I meant I was brought up Christian in a Protestant home but found the Catholic Church by myself.

 
From your original post, I got the understanding, that you thought Catholicism was not Christianity.
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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2013, 01:47:47 am »
Quote from: mlr52;97281
From your original post, I got the understanding, that you thought Catholicism was not Christianity.

 
I didn't, because I didn't take 'ventured into Catholicism' as meaning the same thing as 'ventured out of Christianity'.  (Much the same way that someone might say, "I've considered myself pagan for years, but it's only recently that I've ventured into Hellenic recon.")

I did stop and take a second look at that, though, to make sure of what was and wasn't being said, because quite a lot of people do have that misconception.  I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who'd actually been involved with Catholicism doing it, though; it's nearly always people who were raised with anti-Catholicism and never bothered to learn any more about it.

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stephyjh

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Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2013, 01:51:34 am »
Quote from: mlr52;97281
From your original post, I got the understanding, that you thought Catholicism was not Christianity.

Or the misunderstanding, as it were.
A heretic blast has been blown in the west,
That what is no sense must be nonsense.

-Robert Burns

mlr52

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2013, 07:35:40 am »
Quote from: SunflowerP;97287
I didn't, because I didn't take 'ventured into Catholicism' as meaning the same thing as 'ventured out of Christianity'.  (Much the same way that someone might say, "I've considered myself pagan for years, but it's only recently that I've ventured into Hellenic recon.")

I did stop and take a second look at that, though, to make sure of what was and wasn't being said, because quite a lot of people do have that misconception.  I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who'd actually been involved with Catholicism doing it, though; it's nearly always people who were raised with anti-Catholicism and never bothered to learn any more about it.

Sunflower

 
This is what lead me to understand that she thought Catholicism was not Christian.

 
Quote from: Elizabeth;97101

I constantly waffle between the two. For a few weeks, I can be fine with deciding to leave Christianity. But then, WHAM, I feel like I should give it one more try. And back and forth it goes.
Light Your Candle, In Love and Service, Blessed Be.
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Elizabeth

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2013, 08:45:39 am »
Quote from: mlr52;97311
This is what lead me to understand that she thought Catholicism was not Christian.

 
What I meant by waffling between the two was Christianity (Catholicism) and Paganism.

Quote
I feel a strong pull towards Catholicism, I do not know why. But I also want to do my own thing. I struggle with figuring out what that is.

I constantly waffle between the two. For a few weeks, I can be fine with deciding to leave Christianity. But then, WHAM, I feel like I should give it one more try. And back and forth it goes.


Now that that is all cleared up...
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“I would like to see anyone, prophet, king or God, convince a thousand cats to do the same thing at the same time.” - Neil Gaiman

mlr52

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2013, 11:54:31 am »
Quote from: Elizabeth;97323
What I meant by waffling between the two was Christianity (Catholicism) and Paganism.
Now that that is all cleared up...

 
Your first post did not refference Paganism,  just Christianity and Catholicism.
Light Your Candle, In Love and Service, Blessed Be.
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stephyjh

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Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2013, 01:59:05 pm »
Quote from: mlr52;97355
Your first post did not refference Paganism,  just Christianity and Catholicism.

The fact that there was a misunderstanding doesn't make your interpretation of her words more valid than her own.
A heretic blast has been blown in the west,
That what is no sense must be nonsense.

-Robert Burns

mlr52

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Re: Did Anyone Else Have One Foot Stuck In Their Birth Religion?....
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2013, 03:36:30 pm »
Quote from: stephyjh;97368
The fact that there was a misunderstanding doesn't make your interpretation of her words more valid than her own.

 
I have not invalidated her words.  And my understanding was based on what was written.
Light Your Candle, In Love and Service, Blessed Be.
I am a Notary Public for The State of New York, - I do not charge for Notary Fee\'s, I Live in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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