r/Catholicism

EDIT: I'm asking this in good faith. I am a (admittedly very bad) Catholic and I'd prefer to live as a good Catholic, but I find it very difficult. I'm clearly being downvoted because nobody believes that I have good intentions so I guess I need to clarify that. Downvoting stops people from seeing my post and I want to have a good faith discussion with people which I can't do if people aren't charitable and assume that I'm dishonest.

Getting to heaven requires so much effort and it involves so much suffering that I don't even know if it is worth it. I think primarily because it is a matter of faith; if heaven exists, there is no way to prove it. There is also no way to comprehend what it is like without experiencing it firsthand. The things that I can experience in this life aren't a matter of faith and they don't have to be proven, because I can know them through experiencing them. I don't have to have faith that the stove exists, that it is hot, and that touching it will burn me. I can prove that it objectively does exist, that it is hot and that heat burns my flesh which causes me to experience pain. I don't have to exercise faith to prove that pain exists, because I can directly encounter it.

How should I believe that heaven is worth its price in suffering if I can know the self-evident reality of suffering but not of heaven? I can experience and know what this life is like but I can't experience and know what comes after. I know what I can do to give myself relief from suffering in this life but I supposedly get punished with more suffering in hell for doing that. Why would I be punished for not doing what I don't know?

Why when I see a Marian site or statue defaced or someone streaking in a church, peeing on an alter, it’s protestants or Muslims, but I never hear Protestants defacing Muslims site or mosques, or Hindu site or temples. Like why focus on your bothers in Christ, if you want to a deface religious sites go target a false religion. I’m not promoting attacking religious sites just curious why we are targeted by fellow Christian’s often it seem.

The Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, and The Orthodox all believe in the truth presence of the Eucharist, and all of them, including Methodists and Moravians believe in infant baptism.

Catholics have had a storied and immeasurable contribution to American hospitals but I think it's time to recommit ourselves to the most important calling of our time. Free child birth funded through Catholic Charities

I made an appointment with a priest to do Confession so I can take communion this Sunday. I’ve been going back to Mass after about 15 years of being an atheist. A lot of things led me back to the church, and it feels so good. I was really nervous to do confession after so long, but with it being face to face with the priest, it turned into more of a conversation. I feel so ready to be back.

I think I saw my guardian angel, but I am a little doubtful. To give context, I asked if I could see him. I wasn't demanding; I know they can't do anything God won't allow them to do, so I asked, but I didn't think anything would come of it. As I was falling asleep, I can only describe it as headlights coming toward me—that's how bright he was, but a more golden color. I only saw his eyes and hair (or what appeared to be hair; it wasn't quite like human hair). His eyes were smiling at me; they looked so pure, innocent, and clear. It actually startled me, not because it felt evil, but because I don't think I was ready for that. Because it startled me, I've been having doubts that it was my guardian angel. If it was, wouldn't I have felt positive emotions? Also, should I tell my priest?

I did the opposite of this btw. My party descended into a dark place early. I lived with a great dude second year of college. He was a Catholic guy who was so involved in campus and ministry but he also treated me with zero judgement. I’d often black out and come back who knows what. He finally told me he was a little worried about me. Then the same thing the next morning. I was clearly not of sober mind and I yelled at him and told him I’ll never follow your judgemental cult. Come to find out he stuck with me and we did a lot together and he had this aurora about him I’ll never forget. Kind, but a warrior for God. I wish I could have gotten involved in what he was doing. I’ve forgiven myself and it took me 15 years about to finally clean up the booze and coke use. This man sadly passed away preaching to a meth addict a few years back. He was just not afraid to do what Tod needed him to do. I’m just thinking it’s not too late of course for me but you younger students I strongly caution to seek God if you haven’t. He’s real and he needs us.

I'm looking for perspective and not judgement.

We have 3 kids. My husband is a practising Catholic and I'm not anymore. I'm fairly well-versed in the Church's teaching on contraception, so I'm not asking to be walked through Humanea Vitae, I understand the position.

The thing is I'm done with kids. NFP scares me too much to rely on given how sure I am about this.

Every time we're together I ask for a condom, and I know it’s hard on him even though he doesn't say much. I feel bad about it honestly. I don't want this to turn into "condom or nothing" because that feels manipulative, but I also don't know what the middle ground even looks like here.

Not trying to start a debate about doctrine, I just don't know how other couples in this spot have actually gotten through it without one person feeling steamrolled. Would really appreciate hearing from people who've lived this, either side.

God bless!

I have a difficult time accepting the church’s teaching that NFP or complete abstinence are the only acceptable forms to avoid pregnancy in marriage. i understand that marriage is also about procreation and that having children is beautiful but being someone who has 4 kids before 28 and knowing I have a good 15 more years of child bearing and NFP already brought about said 4th child…Its just difficult to fathom. its like my only option is to either never have sex with my husband again until I’m 50 or have so many that we can’t afford to feed them and if I pick a third option then I am sinful. it just seems cruel honestly… how do other people deal with this? how do you feed your kids or house them? how do you have a happy sexless marriage? I just dont understand

This piece is a more popular version of a chapter I wrote for an academic book in Catholic bioethics that was published not too long ago.

I explain why Catholic hospitals, schools, etc. have vaccine mandates and should do so. The focus is on the ethical reasoning behind these: I am assuming the science of vaccines.

Two of the OCIA leaders were pressed when they made this statement and they insist people of all religions, Buddhism, Muslim, etc go to heaven. From what I can find, the Catholic Church teaches that belief in Christ alone is the ONLY way to salvation.

Please weigh in. After a lifetime in Protestant church and deep faith I'm genuinely befuddled.

Recently engaged and we’re working towards getting married next year. I’m also in OCIA at the moment and should be “fully Catholic” by the time we get married. My fiancé is a cradle catholic and getting married in the church is very important to us.

I skimmed our parish’s webpage on the process of getting married there and it mentioned the FOCCUS test, which I also snooped via some googling. There are a few questions about NFP on there, which made me nervous.

During my time in OCIA I have been happy with my choice to join the Catholic Church and agree with the majority of what is taught to me.

The sticking point is the church’s teachings on sexuality. I do not agree, I have tried to agree but just don’t. I planned to give my doubts to God and it wasn’t something that would stop me from converting.

I’m lucky because my birth control is medically necessary. I put NFP out of my mind because I will never need to do it and didn’t expect to be grilled on it.

Since we need to take the FOCCUS test and go over the answers with our priest (I also believe the retreat we’re required to do will also bring NFP up) my opinion on NFP will probably come up.

I’m not going to lie to a priest just to get married. Could the priest refuse to marry us because of my (our) opinion on birth control?

EDIT: I accept the teachings. I am converting because I trust church teachings more than my mind. I said “disagree” because that is the unfortunate truth, not because I think the church is wrong.

Mine is Jobs 1:21

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,vand naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

🜋

So I am a Catholic 18 year old I've asked a couple questions in this subreddit...ig my thing is I keep juggling between atheism and theism...it's like one moment it's like yeah I'm so sure God exists and the other is like...come on man touch grass there's probably no god...and I am a theist I do believe in a God I think the historical argument for Christ is the best argument for God...but I think evil is a big issue...my thing is...how do you guys be good Christians and have strong faith while you know, having no answer for the problem of evil? How do you accept that we don't know and still believe in god? EDIT: btw I'm talking about natural evil, I'm aware that free will is what causes the evils humans commit

Are non-sexual romantic relationships with the same sex really a sin? personally i dont see it as a sin since for me its basically the same as a heterosexual relationship.

i am a straight minor and im partly struggling w my faith because of this since i am strongly against discrimination and homophobia, yet i see a lot of Catholics/Christians say that it is a sin, although they only say its a sin when the relationship is sexual.

I've been meaning to ask this when I heard from a classmate from school that if she had to choose between science and religion, she would choose science because they are facts and are incompatible with religion in general

And it got me asking myself can Christianity and Science coexist together?