| Author | Post |
|---|
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 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 07:51 pm |
|
Hello Again,
I've been thinking and praying and studying and meditating quite a bit while on this journey, and something occurred to me recently. I cannot help but acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is drawing me closer each day to the Catholic Church. Yet I know that when I fully disclose my intentions to my husband he will react negatively. Yet both he and I are struggling with our current church. At almost every service my husband will sit in the pew as if he has to "make" himself listen to the sermon. Then he will disagree at some point or another with what is being preached. And he is right to disagree because what is being preached is incorrect and does not agree with scripture. So I think that if I say I can no longer attend our church, he might agree as well. But then where would we go from here?
Just like the guest on Journey Home said the other night, he tried to attend the Anglican Church but couldn't stay because of all the heresy being preached out of the pulpit. And any other Protestant church that we would attend would have other issues that we would disagree with. How do I know this? Because this has been the pattern in both my husband's and my journey of faith. So if my husband said "I don't want you attending the Roman Catholic Church, then where could I go?" I have thought of my response to him and all I could say is, "If you don't want me to be Catholic, then I will worship and serve Jesus on my own, for there is no other Protestant Church that I want to join." I had been involved deeply in a para-church ministry that became a cult. Then attended a Pilgrim Holiness Church, where I never felt I could achieve the holiness expected of me. Then I attended a Wesleyan Church only to become dismayed at how far they had strayed from John and Charles Wesley's beliefs. Then I became a Pentecostal in the Assemblies of God, but could not agree with some of the emotionalism and theatrics that went on. As well as all the prophesies that were proclaimed every week and the "binding" and "loosing" of spirits. Then I became a Reformed Baptist but could never agree totally with the five points of Calvinism, especially "Limited Atonement" and "Perseverance of the Saints." And their view on pre-destination. Now I am a member of Non-Denominational Church where there is no authority whatsoever. The pastor answers to no one. We are it. We are an entity unto ourselves. So if heresy is preached, it is left unchecked. And there is a subtle inference that if one wants to work within this church, they must be loyal and united with the pastor. And that entails being in agreement wiht him.
So if not the Catholic Church, then where? No where. I might as well stay home and pray, read the Bible, worship God and give my tithes to the poor. "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."
Darlene
____________________
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
|
|
|
CajunRick
Guest
| Joined: | |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | | | Faith History: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 08:32 pm |
|
Darlene wrote: So if my husband said "I don't want you attending the Roman Catholic Church, then where could I go?" I have thought of my response to him and all I could say is, "If you don't want me to be Catholic, then I will worship and serve Jesus on my own, for there is no other Protestant Church that I want to join."
Why not challenge him instead to come to the Catholic church with you and find error? Or give him the Catechism or the Compendium to the Catechism, and ask him where the error is found. If he refuses all of the above, ask him what he is afraid of.
The answer is not to in effect form your own church. Jesus commanded us to be one, as he and his Father are one. If you stay home, read scripture, and pray on your own, who are you one with? Your husband? What about the rest of us? Didn't Jesus say we were all supposed to be one?
Here is a likely reason:
We men are raised never to admit fear. It is fear that is keeping your husband from learning more about the Catholic Church. We are raised to admit that we are never wrong. (Most wives have probably noticed that from time to time ... I know my wife has!  ) The reason he is unwilling to investigate the Catholic faith is that he is afraid he would have to admit he's been wrong. Because of what we believe society expects of us, it is much harder for most men to abandon lifelong beliefs than most women. (And most women reinforce the image by pretending we're the big, strong, he-man ... while we're looking.  Of course, all women recognize the joke as soon as our backs are turned. I learned the joke as a Girl Scout leader and "cookie mom" but most men still haven't figured it out. Yes, ladies, I've given away your secret.)
So give him the Catechism or the Compendium, and tell him that since he's so much bigger and stronger and smarter than you ( ) you need his help in figuring out where the error is. Then let him listen to or read conversion testimonies of people like Scott Hahn, and ask him to help you find where they went wrong.
And let us know what happens.
|
|
|
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 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 08:48 pm |
|
Rick,
I know what you say is true. I think that I need to take this step but he is so antagonistic when it comes to the Catholic faith. I just don't want to quarrel. Now healthy debate is a different matter. Prayer is the answer because only Jesus can change my husband's heart.
Darlene
____________________
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
|
|
|
CajunRick
Guest
| Joined: | |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | | | Faith History: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 08:50 pm |
|
Darlene wrote: I know what you say is true. I think that I need to take this step but he is so antagonistic when it comes to the Catholic faith. I just don't want to quarrel. Now healthy debate is a different matter. Prayer is the answer because only Jesus can change my husband's heart.
Amen! With God, all things are possible.
|
|
|
Christine Ann
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | An Hours' Drive From Cincinnati, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 171 |
| First Name: | Christine Ann | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | former Lutheran, Baptist, now Catholic. |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 01:36 am |
|
Hello Darlene,
I just wanted to say that I have a similar situation with my husband. He is dissatified with the Baptist Church he has attended until recently. And he says that all the different denominations do not hold to truth. But he is afraid of the Catholic Church. Where he works, there are many Catholic people and he always comes up with some negative story to relate to me. And my husband is not a reader. He is dyslexic and has difficulty understanding what he has read because (I think) he works so hard just to read the words. He sees me reading pretty much constantly and I know it is intimidating to him. I've tried to talk with him about some of the precepts of the RCC, but he see that as a challenge and threat. So I am trying my best with the grace of God to live this faith. And I hope that as I grow in the faith, he will begin to see it's worth.
At present he has stopped going to church altogether, which I knew would probably happen when I turned to Catholicism. I feel badly about that, but then again it gives me hope that some day he will join me if he has turned against protestantism althogether. Where else is there to go? The RCC has the truth, the full truth and I pray that somehow we can overcome these hurdles to bring him home.
I will pray for your situation. My husband is not antagonistic, but misinformed about so much of the Catholic Church. He won't attend Mass with me and maybe it's too soon for that anyway. Prayer, prayer, prayer really is the answer and a heart full of love for the Catholic Church on my part.
Please pray for my situation.
In His Love,
Christine Ann
|
|
|
CajunRick
Guest
| Joined: | |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | | | Faith History: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 01:42 am |
|
Christine Ann wrote: He is dyslexic and has difficulty understanding what he has read because (I think) he works so hard just to read the words. He sees me reading pretty much constantly and I know it is intimidating to him. I've tried to talk with him about some of the precepts of the RCC, but he see that as a challenge and threat. So I am trying my best with the grace of God to live this faith. And I hope that as I grow in the faith, he will begin to see it's worth.
Christine, couldn't you ask him to listen to testimonies of people like Scott Hahn and ask you to help find where he went wrong? CatholiCity offers Dr. Hahn's audio testimony, as well as Fr. Corapi's story, for free (they do ask $1.00 per CD for shipping if you order on the Internet).
|
|
|
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 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:02 pm |
|
Hello Christine,
I most certainly will pray for you and your husband. In my situation, I am the intellectual one. My husband is not a reader much at all. We do read the Sunday school lesson together before going to church. He sees me reading Catholic literature but he hasn't asked any questions lately. I live one day at a time in regard to this matter.
Darlene
____________________
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
|
|
|
twiggymoo
Member
| Joined: | Fri Oct 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 38 |
| First Name: | Twiggymoo | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Nazarene, Free Methodist, Baptist..Romeward bound |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 06:00 pm |
|
We are leaving our Baptist seeker church and I have a similar situation - If not the Catholic Faith, then where? My wife and I both found problems with the seeker church we've been attending now for 15 years. It has gotten so that even she wants to leave. I am praying for an opening in her heart to the Holy Church of Christ (Catholic).
|
|
|
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 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 06:30 pm |
|
Twiggymoo,
Can you tell me a liitle bit about the ideology of those "seeker" churches? Do they use Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life" as a guide?
Darlene
____________________
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
|
|
|
Christine Ann
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | An Hours' Drive From Cincinnati, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 171 |
| First Name: | Christine Ann | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | former Lutheran, Baptist, now Catholic. |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 09:53 pm |
|
Rick,
Thank you. Thank you. What a great idea...if I can get him to sit down and listen, but it's well worth a try. I ordered the CD's you suggested (and all the others) from Mary Foundation. I'm so grateful they have the CD's available, that I gave them a donation, too. I guess others have probably had the problem with reading that my husband has, and have benefited from them.
He's not intellectual, but he hears and understand things that way very well! Rick, you are a treasure house of references! Thanks again. 
In Christ,
Christine Ann
|
|
|
Saint Wanna Be
Member
| Joined: | Thu Oct 26th, 2006 |
| Location: | Oxford, Mississippi USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Roman Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 21st, 2007 11:31 am |
|
The Purpose Driven Life is not a book about the cross of Christ. Basically, I would say that this is the screaming emptiness of this most popular read. Sure, there are many good pointers and some "good" things in the book, but the cross is nowhere to be found. Jesus is nowhere to be found, not the Jesus of the cross. This book could have been written by Joel Olsteen or Zig Ziglar. When my wife and I read it the year it came out we were not yet catholic. I remember thinking even then how weak the theology was. We had been in "seeker" churches in Nashville for years and this book is written for that spiritual mentality. It is a very purpose driven mentality that thrives in its spiritual relativism. There are very serious believers in the seeker churches, but they are serious about their personal understanding, interpretation, and freedom to live their faith their way. It is very protestant. The spirit of Luther is alive and well in every believer in these churches. If they disagree with their preacher regarding baptism, they simply find a church that teaches what they believe. I am not exaggerating. Rick Warren appeals greatly to this mind set.
Paul said "I knew nothing among you but Christ and Him crucified." Some of the "seeker" churches won't even allow a cross to be displayed in their mega buildings. My question to Rick Warren and those in the camp I use to reside in is, If we are such serious seekers, why don't we want to know more about what the early church fathers had to say about being a follower of Jesus?
Keith
http://www.wesmanmusic.com
____________________
St.W.B.
In the Eucharist We find Emmanuel
|
|
|
David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2410 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 21st, 2007 02:15 pm |
|
If they disagree with their preacher regarding baptism, they simply find a church that teaches what they believe.
More’s the pity that such communities even exist. It shows how much they value the truth.
David
|
|
|
Current time is 07:59 am | |
|
|
