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Why not to be Catholic

Spiderman

Veteran Member
So I recently discovered I'm the only one on this website that defends Catholicism, so I figured I could start a thread on Catholicism we all could appreciate.

State your primary reason not to be Catholic. Last person to post wins :p

I personally think that there is too much focus on liturgical rubrics,Dogma, and legalism rather than focusing on Simplicity , humility, modesty, and charity. (as seen in St. Francis of Assisi , Mother Teresa, and Jesus Christ.)
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
So I recently discovered I'm the only one on this website that defends Catholicism, so I figured I could start a thread on Catholicism we all could appreciate.

State your primary reason not to be Catholic. Last person to post wins :p

I personally think that there is too much focus on liturgical rubrics,Dogma, and legalism rather than focusing on Simplicity , humility, modesty, and charity. (as seen in St. Francis of Assisi , Mother Teresa, and Jesus Christ.)
First, my reason is that I am convinced the east/India has the most advanced spiritual teachings and teachers.

Secondly, are you not a Catholic (per your last sentence)?
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
You're not the only one who defends Catholicism on this board. It's just that the other Catholics aren't very active, except for @Shiranui117. There's also @kepha31, @First Baseman, @Quiddity and a few others who chime in sometimes.

Anyway, my reasons for not really wanting to continue being Catholic are the sexual ethics teachings which I find harmful, guilt and shame inducing and non-scientific (I'm fairly liberal sexually, am not a heterosexual and am transgender), the clergy being male-only and its requirement of celibacy for all clergy, the various crimes and genocides committed in the name of the religion, the corruptions and the scandals which the hierarchy is still having issues getting a hold of letting alone rooting them out, the Vatican being entrenched in gutter politics the world over, Catholicism's unhealthily sadomasochistic and death-obsessed tendencies, the whole relic and "miracle" racket, certain theological issues (which have more to do with Christianity as a whole rather than Catholicism specifically), etc. Those are the glaring issues for me.
 

Sees

Dragonslayer
Not enough Gods and a different value system. :)

I don't hate Catholicism though and it's definitely not my least favorite within Christendom. As strange as it is, my self and other pagans have defended it from time to time on here. Just gets old seeing people take it to extreme/absurd levels when attacking it...only to support a young offshoot.
 

Thana

Lady
So I recently discovered I'm the only one on this website that defends Catholicism, so I figured I could start a thread on Catholicism we all could appreciate.

State your primary reason not to be Catholic. Last person to post wins :p

I personally think that there is too much focus on liturgical rubrics,Dogma, and legalism rather than focusing on Simplicity , humility, modesty, and charity. (as seen in St. Francis of Assisi , Mother Teresa, and Jesus Christ.)

You're not the only one who defends Catholicism. There's a few others that pop up from time to time that are Catholic/Orthodox aswell.

And as to why I'm not and never will be Catholic is because there's just too much. It's all just way too much. Like a candy bar or a pretty girl. They both look good but once you get past that then you get kind of grossed out, Either by the richness of the chocolate or the shallowness of the girl. Catholicism has no substance, It's all flash and pomp and ritual and tradition. And I'm too much of a pragmatist to be taken in by big churches and pretty robes and fancy latin.... or swinging incense or trendy hats or magic water. I could go on but... you get the picture.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
First, my reason is that I am convinced the east/India has the most advanced spiritual teachings and teachers.

Secondly, are you not a Catholic (per your last sentence)?
I am, it's just if other people are giving their reasons I might as well give mine. :)

Catholicism has The Good , The Bad , and The Ugly.

But the ugly side of Catholicism I see in the quotes of the church fathers, some of the popes and Saints, and some of the behavior of Catholics, rather than the actual official teachings of the Church.
 
So I recently discovered I'm the only one on this website that defends Catholicism, so I figured I could start a thread on Catholicism we all could appreciate.

State your primary reason not to be Catholic. Last person to post wins :p

I personally think that there is too much focus on liturgical rubrics,Dogma, and legalism rather than focusing on Simplicity , humility, modesty, and charity. (as seen in St. Francis of Assisi , Mother Teresa, and Jesus Christ.)

Pretending ancient stories that are obviously made up are real doesn't make any sense to me.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
First, my reason is that I am convinced the east/India has the most advanced spiritual teachings and teachers.

Secondly, are you not a Catholic (per your last sentence)?
I'm hoping that out of this thread I can have a better open minded View.

Lately I've been trying to combine Catholicism with science, common sense, rational thought, and as my conscience dictates.

It isn't without a boxing match with God sometimes.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
So I recently discovered I'm the only one on this website that defends Catholicism, so I figured I could start a thread on Catholicism we all could appreciate.

State your primary reason not to be Catholic. Last person to post wins :p

I personally think that there is too much focus on liturgical rubrics,Dogma, and legalism rather than focusing on Simplicity , humility, modesty, and charity. (as seen in St. Francis of Assisi , Mother Teresa, and Jesus Christ.)

I put this in my point of view. However, in general, these are reasons among others why a peson would not be Catholic. Depends on the person and how they define what it means to have a relationship with Christ.

* *
I think that first comment is a huge generalization (or if its true, I missed it..no pun). I defend Catholicism here and was Catholic (and still am according to the Church) for four years so far...and two years as a practicing one. I wasnt indoctrinated so I never left the religion; I came in as an adult....

so...

Primary reasons not to be Catholic?

It depends on how someone wants to have a relationship with Christ. If I disregard the history of the Church (which I feel history and the past has a huge influence on my worship and practice today), Id say that the sacraments--physically going through them not just in the mind and heart is a life changing thing.

One reason is that it can be too dogmatic from some perspectives. For example, the Church specificallyl says it is not a Sola Scriptura denomination. So, things like marriage between two people are shuned. There are highly descrimination since the first slave to the last human being who wants to be married in a Church in his or her own faith to her call to be a priest yet denied too because of gender.

Another reason I am not a practicing Catholic is because it made me felt like I sined more than I actually did. Right now, I only remember sinning once or twice in the past couple of days. In the Church, it felt like I needed to go to confesion almost everyday to cleans what I felt was a sin. Then going to confession, the priest says "no. thats not a sin...but you understand the consequences if said was done".

Another reason Im not Catholic is because I believe the past defines me and my present life. So, all the killing sanctioned by the Church and the sacrifice (regardles the reason and source) in the NT to taking lives in the old just doesnt add up to who I am as someone who values life. I dont see blood as a needed sacrifice for sins thats like the mofia saying "and eye for an eye" to put it harshly. Its not something I can reconcile with.

Much of my family are against the Catholic Church and I always wanted to know why. Now I know. The Church has brought us through slavery defining it between color of skin rather than human trade. The Church has a political play on granting people land that dont belong to them. Before the Church and Governent separated (and even now) Church has an influence on what our laws are.

There is no respect of a diversity of religious thought within the Catholic Church. I go to Easter Vigil every year and reminded that only Catholics can take communion. Think of it If Catholic means universal and christian and scripture doesnt provide prerequisites to be saved, how can a Church deny a Christian the right to receive Jesus in the Eucharist

Also, get this. I been through the year RCIA program and did not know about the sacraments through the training only through the sacraments. You can learn about the sacraments online without the year training. The point is to take it.

All Christians take the sacraments. Unfortunately, like JW and every other denomination, they arent in accord with everyone else's right way of taking it.

That pulled me away from Catholicism: discord among Christians.
:leafwind:

I would not be Catholic if I see discord in the Church. If I see only half of the universal christians taking communion and the other half not, I see no brotherhood.

I would not be Catholic if I knew my very identity is judged not by the Bible but the Church that nutured me in faith.

I would not be Catholic (and any other religion for that matter) that has any killing in the name of their denomination, school, or practice. I value life to much to worship a voluntary sacrificial offering.

I would not be Catholic because the Church Still pushes its morals on those who disbelief them. I live in a Catholic owned residential home, mostly Catholic residents, and I work in a Catholic owned organization. My whole world is around Christians and immediate environment around Catholics.

That, in itself, is not a bad thing until you get notes on your doors saying that you should go to confession, arguments that I will go to hell, and surpressing who I am based on the majority and watching the minority religious needing to hide their stores and businesses so the church wont again make them go out of business, picket their stores, etc.

:leafwind: There are many reasons not to be Catholic :leafwind:

Thats if people care about the things I just mentioned. I have a friend who is blind to a lot of the bad things the Church has done but is more focused on her devotion to Christ, participation in the sacraments, and prayer and relationships with family and her future husband. So, if its that type of devotion and centered around relationship within a community, the Catholic Church is beautiful.

Political wise, that is the biggest reason I would not be Catholic.

* *
 
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Sirona

Hindu Wannabe
I stopped being Catholic because I began to feel queasy about the whole "fruit of your womb" thing, meaning that all women who conceive naturally are sinners. I also was friends with two Catholic priests, one was a momma's boy and the other a closet gay. (I have nothing against gays but they shouldn't hide up in the Church.)
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
The history of the Catholic Church is not pretty. It is rife with murder, torture, abuse, cruelty and human tradition masquerading as Christian truth.

To begin with, there was no earthly priesthood in first century Christianity. Those chosen to rule with Christ were going to be priests in heaven. (future. Rev 20:6)

There was no ritual, no veneration of Mary, no holy water, no rosary beads, no Pope, no monks, nuns or monasteries, no distinctive clothing or religious titles.

There were no cathedrals, no idolatry, no liturgy and no Mass.

IOW.....there is very little that Catholicism has in common with what Jesus started. :( It is a man made institution.
 

The Emperor of Mankind

Currently the galaxy's spookiest paraplegic
Why not be a Catholic? Both The Catholic Church & the Vatican are a global criminal syndicate catering to money launderers, paedophiles and hypocrites. The current Pope is a PR gimmick to keep us distracted from the fact the Church is dragging its heels in response to the global child abuse scandal, and the organisation's basic doctrines are, in my opinion, nihilistic, and reek of repression & control. Further, the early Church (both as a whole and after the Great Schism) railed against the worship of the Old Gods even as it co-opted them, attempted to neuter them and purloined some of its practices from older, Pagan traditions. The same Pagan traditions which it called evil.

Oh, and the early Church is basically responsible for the destruction of classical Hellenic culture.
 
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bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
So I recently discovered I'm the only one on this website that defends Catholicism, so I figured I could start a thread on Catholicism we all could appreciate.

State your primary reason not to be Catholic. Last person to post wins :p

I personally think that there is too much focus on liturgical rubrics,Dogma, and legalism rather than focusing on Simplicity , humility, modesty, and charity. (as seen in St. Francis of Assisi , Mother Teresa, and Jesus Christ.)

As a raised catholic, that spent 16 years in CCD, still attends mass, was an alter boy, was a trained lector and been asked to take the deacon route. I consider myself a christian(not catholic).

The child molestation situation probably tops the list. Christ was very clear about how he felt about children. It proves to me the the church is very much like every government organization that protects its own hierarchy at the expense of its following.

Probably equally using fear IE the devil and hell to control the following. I actually had to take my son to psychologist at 9 because of the CCD teaching him to be deadly afraid of the devil and hell. His personality is changed for ever.
 
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