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Free2Think
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Brooklyn, New York USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
| First Name: | Maureen | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Born into Catholicism. 10 yrs communal cult &then dif. churches-revert ... |
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Posted: Thu Jun 7th, 2007 11:14 pm |
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Through a special program in the New York City Public Schools I'm about to become a teacher. It's called the New York City Teaching Fellowship. Basically what it does is recruit people with college degrees in majors other than teaching to teach. (I have both a Bachelor's and Master's in Sociology.) While I teach I will also be going for a Master's in Education. I have to take the same teaching certification exams as someone who already has a degree in teaching. Anyway, I'm taking two exams on Saturday and would really appreciate everyone's prayers.
Many thanks.
Maureen
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1403 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Jun 7th, 2007 11:25 pm |
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My prayers will be with you Maureen. What time will you begin? I have been following yours and Darlene's stories and feel great empathy for you.
God bless
Marsha
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Free2Think
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Brooklyn, New York USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
| First Name: | Maureen | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Born into Catholicism. 10 yrs communal cult &then dif. churches-revert ... |
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Posted: Fri Jun 8th, 2007 10:53 am |
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| Marsha: It starts @ 7:45 and will be until 4:30. Thank you for your kind words regarding Darlene and me. It has been such a blessing to me that Darlene participates in this forum and how kind and gentle everyone has been. I subscribe to two mail lists of ex-COBU members. A lot of the harshness of how we had treated each other in the past still rears its ugly head on that forum. It's a relief to me that I don't have to "watch my back" to make sure I don't get treated that way on here.
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5353 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Fri Jun 8th, 2007 11:54 am |
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Free2Think wrote: It's a relief to me that I don't have to "watch my back" to make sure I don't get treated that way on here.
Please feel free to invite any who are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith to join you here. Maybe we can help.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Fri Jun 8th, 2007 02:58 pm |
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CajunRick wrote: Free2Think wrote: It's a relief to me that I don't have to "watch my back" to make sure I don't get treated that way on here.
Please feel free to invite any who are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith to join you here. Maybe we can help.
Rick,
Many of those who were in COBU are X-Catholics, so they have an anti-Catholic bias that pervades their thinking. However, it may be that Maureen and I will be the catalyst that set things in motion to reach out to them.
Many of these ex-cult members are just trying to function like normal human beings on a daily basis. Of course, some are very involved in evangelical Protestant churches and content to be there. I consider that a good thing after their horrific cult experience. But many would liken Catholicism to a controlling cult, and I can understand their thought processes and why they think this way. (not at all to suggest they are right in their thinking)
Remember, the quest and freedom for personal inquiry, the ability to use critical thinking skills, these were suppressed and prohibited in COBU, and all cults for that matter. So when a former cult member finds themselves freed from those shackles of control, they don't want to get involved with another church/group/organization/religion that inhibits their freedom to think. The Catholic Church often is viewed as a religion that controls its members with fears and anathemas, damning its members to hell unless they follow all the rules. Thus, there is "freedom" within evangelical Protestant churches because one has the right to disagree with the pastor and even leave, if they don't like what is being preached from the pulpit.
So it is that I find it wonderfully perplexing that Maureen and I find ourselves drawn to the Catholic Church. 
Darlene - BTW, I will keep you in prayer, Maureen. Let us know how the test turned out.
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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Free2Think
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Brooklyn, New York USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
| First Name: | Maureen | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Born into Catholicism. 10 yrs communal cult &then dif. churches-revert ... |
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Posted: Sun Jun 10th, 2007 05:48 pm |
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The exams yesterday were hard, and grueling (a total of 8 1/2 hours) but I think I passed. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Maureen
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susiedear
Member
| Joined: | Thu Oct 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | Twin Cities, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 186 |
| First Name: | Elizabeth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Pentecostal / Evangelical / Catholic! |
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Posted: Mon Jun 11th, 2007 12:37 pm |
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Dear Maureen, I read your story with awe and wonder, filled with thanks that you are making your way to the Catholic Church. How great that you are also on your way to becoming a teacher! Your future students will benefit from your knowledge and life wisdom. I hope that your exam report will bring good news.
Elizabeth
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But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. St. Augustine
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Free2Think
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Brooklyn, New York USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
| First Name: | Maureen | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Born into Catholicism. 10 yrs communal cult &then dif. churches-revert ... |
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Posted: Mon Jun 11th, 2007 04:24 pm |
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susiedear wrote: Dear Maureen, I read your story with awe and wonder, filled with thanks that you are making your way to the Catholic Church. How great that you are also on your way to becoming a teacher! Your future students will benefit from your knowledge and life wisdom. I hope that your exam report will bring good news.
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for your encouraging post! It meant a lot to me.
Maureen
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