Karolina
Member
I'm trying to get non-biased feedback on choosing one of these expressions of Christianity. I have given up ever being able to discern which denomination, if any, is "the one true church", so please don't try to convince me either way. I see the point of view that is being argued at any given point, so I am swayed back and forth in a ceaseless cycle that leaves me no rest for my soul. I simply want to settle in a faith whose expression best resonates with me.
I come from a Catholic background, and I remember some of the pre-Vatican II features of Catholic Mass that have been eroded over the years in American Catholic parishes. It no longer feels like worship showing up to Church anymore. Whenever I've brought up my concerns, I'm told that "fellowship" is just as important to the life of a Christian as worship of God, so I shouldn't be upset at the chit chat and irreverence before and after (and often during) Mass. Years of this watered down experience have driven me away from a desire to even go to church. The current situation of quarantine and sign-ups for in-person church versus live streaming has only made it easier to continue slipping away from a church identity.
I thought I could just be non-religious, but it turns out I am a religious person, and I need some form of organized religion in my life. What I never could agree to before now is the idea of embracing a religion even if I don't 100% agree with its teachings. I'm now past that and want to find a place where the style of worship is reverent and the morals of the congregation (at least the ones we aspire to) are conservative.
I am looking into Orthodox Christianity, but I wanted to cover all of my bases and see if there is any reason why I should eliminate Eastern Rite Catholic churches. I am ambivalent about the role of the Pope/Bishop of Rome. I personally agree with more Orthodox theological explanations than Catholic ones, but I would not want to go to church separate from my husband and kids, who are used to Catholicism but likewise not necessarily "married" to it (for lack of a better term.)
I hope I'm making sense and it's clear what it is I'm asking and what I'm not asking. Thank you for your feedback.
I come from a Catholic background, and I remember some of the pre-Vatican II features of Catholic Mass that have been eroded over the years in American Catholic parishes. It no longer feels like worship showing up to Church anymore. Whenever I've brought up my concerns, I'm told that "fellowship" is just as important to the life of a Christian as worship of God, so I shouldn't be upset at the chit chat and irreverence before and after (and often during) Mass. Years of this watered down experience have driven me away from a desire to even go to church. The current situation of quarantine and sign-ups for in-person church versus live streaming has only made it easier to continue slipping away from a church identity.
I thought I could just be non-religious, but it turns out I am a religious person, and I need some form of organized religion in my life. What I never could agree to before now is the idea of embracing a religion even if I don't 100% agree with its teachings. I'm now past that and want to find a place where the style of worship is reverent and the morals of the congregation (at least the ones we aspire to) are conservative.
I am looking into Orthodox Christianity, but I wanted to cover all of my bases and see if there is any reason why I should eliminate Eastern Rite Catholic churches. I am ambivalent about the role of the Pope/Bishop of Rome. I personally agree with more Orthodox theological explanations than Catholic ones, but I would not want to go to church separate from my husband and kids, who are used to Catholicism but likewise not necessarily "married" to it (for lack of a better term.)
I hope I'm making sense and it's clear what it is I'm asking and what I'm not asking. Thank you for your feedback.