Re: Religion Question

I am Roman Catholic and we attend Church as often as we can - it is hard sometimes b/c we both work full-time AND attend school full-time. DH and I also work six days a week but as often as we can - we are there. Also, we are there for the important observances like Ash Wednesday and Christmas, etc... things like that.

I don't think it makes you a bad or good person - I know great people that attend Church and I know some people who are terrible that attend - and vice-versa. It is all about believing in what you feel, living a good life as a decent person and overall - the morals and values religion, in general, teaches is something I identify with... and want my children to understand and grow up with.

Re: Religion Question

I am Roman Catholic...Unfortuntely I do not get to church as often as I should and it really kills me I was raised in a very religious household and we went to mass every week.

DH is Catholic but I would call him a lapsed Catholic and was brought up in a household where church was not important

Re: Religion Question

I was raised Catholic, made all my sacraments, went to church every Sunday went to Sunday school etc. But I always felt like there was something more to God than what I was getting. I was doing the AP thing too as someone said.

In my 20s I became a Christian. I have learned so much and now I have a personal relationship with God. Its not about what I do to earn his love its about what he did for me on the cross. I totally get it now. HTH.

Re: Religion Question

Just to clarify:
If your Lutheran church is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in AMerica (ELCA) you can have female clergy.

If a Lutheran church is a part of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod(LCMS) or Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) you cannot have female clergy. My church is a part of the LCMS. Also, female deacons are allowed in the LCMS. They are considered laity, not clergy so they cannot perform weddings, baptisms, etc like Catholic deacons can. Sorry I forgoit to specify all this when I said I was Lutheran.

Re: Religion Question

Message edited 3/18/2008 3:22:17 PM.

Re: Religion Question

Re: Religion Question

I am a practicing Catholic. I follow church teachings as much as I can, but I don't think anyone can follow every teaching 100% of the time in any religion. There are things I strongly disagree with in the church, but there is possibility for change and I am not so disillusioned with it that I feel compelled to leave it. I can't defend some of the things that the Church does, but the tradition and the culture are very much a part of who I am.

I would define you as a Catholic, because you still seem to identify with that religion.

Re: Religion Question

I think it sounds like you could say you were rasied Catholic... it recognizes your upbringing, but insinuates that you no longer practice or believe in it anymore.

I think a lot of people say the name of their religion and I think Catholics in particular relate to thier religion, almost like an ethnicity as it a common denominator between millions and millions of people. So some people may not practice well, if at all, but still consider themselves Catholic.

I was raised Catholic and am still a practicing Catholic... I attend Mass at least once a week, sometimes more and I am a cantor as well as a Eucharistic Minister. The faith and its teachings are important to me and DH and our children will be raised Catholic.

Re: Religion Question

Re: Religion Question

its a very personal thing. Religion means different things to different people. I think you can still identify yourself as a member of that group if you agree with the teachings, or have strong familial ties that mean something to you.
I think everyone celebrates their faith in different ways - if its something that feels right to you and is working, then you're doing it right. Just because you don't do as much as others might, doesn't mean your faith or belief is any less.
Don't change how you feel about your religion because you think you should be more involved.

I was raised with no religion and thats how i live my life now - however, i do respect anyone else that is religious (as long as they show that same respect back).

Could you talk things over with a local priest? perhaps they could help you with your questions.

Re: Religion Question

Re: Religion Question

I say I was raised Roman Catholic. I received all the sacraments and went to religion classes. However I never went to church on sunday with any regularity, even when growing up. I haven't been to church, other than on a random Easter or Midnight Mass service in MANY years.

Recently I've been doing a lot of reading about the different branches of Christianity because I think my apathy with attending mass is related to my disagreement with the Roman Catholic teachings. I've come to realize that I'm likely a Presbyterian, and am in the process of exploring that further.