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I am scared of no longer being Catholic?

Hello. I have been raised Catholic, and have pretty much stuck to the traditions. Now I am understanding that the traditions go against what the Scripture teaches, and that the Bible should be my source for following God. I am starting to wonder about praying to Mary and the saints. and this scares me because... I am engaged to a wonderful man. He has been raised Catholic (he's from Mexico) he doesn't go to church but he definitely has faith in God and he prays to Mary... He told me he loves Mary because she is the mother of everyone. As my religion seems to be changing I am frustrated because he is the only man I can see myself marrying. Very selfless and loving, always working hard for people he loves or those who need it. He would make the best husband and father to my children. He loves not just by words but always by real actions. I have already picked him.. But a couple of my new Christian friends tell me I can't be "unequally yoked". I need to be with a man who will lead me spiritually, who studies God's word daily. My fiance doesn't read the Bible, he wasn't taught that (I wasn't really taught the importance of it when I was Catholic). I don't want to have to try to convert him.. and I also don't want to end our engagement because I am understanding faith differently now. Please, ideally, non-Catholic Christians, I need advice, I don't want to go against God, but this man is also the most noble and wonderful man I have ever met.. true faith in God and a heart of gold. I love him.

Public Comments

Don't be scared.. embrace it!
I laugh heartily whenever I see someone throw away happiness and condemn themselves to misery out of fear of displeasing an imaginary boogeyman in the sky.
I think you are giving too much credence to DOGMA and not enough to the man's good works. This is the modern Christian fallacy and relates to the heresy of Paul. I suspect that Jesus would choose your man over your friends.
You will probably always have those feelings
quit worrying so much about technicalities and just marry him, i'm sure God wouldn't care, he'd be happy for you that you're happy, its not like the guy is a satanist.
I really don't see how it matters? You are simply considering trading one set of christian dogma for another. If it really makes you feel better, then go for it.
If you are truly looking for the God of Love and Peace then you need to check out this site...www.watchtower.org and ask for a free home bible study and learn what the bible really teaches!
It's up to you. Just know you're going to face a whole lot of ugly from a never ending source of stupid. Other Christians HATE Catholics. Never understood it since they are Christians, but whatever.
There are many paths and many roads to happiness and enlightenment. Someone who makes you feel love, who allows you to love him and the world around you more because you're in this relationship...is someone worth keeping. You may not understand why you and he have been brought together, but many things are mysteries to us. Embrace this chance you've been given, and love him with all your heart. Surely God has blessed you with this opportunity for happiness. :) (and ps. who knows, maybe he will become Catholic if it is that important to you).
Religion cant stand in the way of Love... if he doesn't go to church there is nothing to worry about. Clearly you don't care about him only his religion.
Don't listen to them,friends are easily replaced but you can't replace the person you love.(And you're friends read their Bible every day?And they're not Atheist yet?)
Marrying this man would not go against your God. Lead yourself spiritually by studying daily. Live well and good and it shouldn't matter how your fiance prays. I do not understand his affinity for Mary, though, she only mothered Jesus. The Catholic traditions usually do go against scripture, so don't feel bad about no longer being Catholic. Just worry about your actions and worship your God as the scripture tells you to. But most importantly, do NOT base your relationship on faith. Do NOT try and change him. Worry about yourself. You cans serve your God AND have a happy marriage, don't waste the one life here you have worrying about trivial things.
Go with your heart, not your friends. The guy you're with sounds like a good man.
Don't let any religion, organized or not, rule your heart. Use the brains God gave you and think for yourself. Do what makes you happy, not what makes others happy.
You said"Now I am understanding that the traditions go against what the Scripture teaches" No that is wrong. With out Sacred Tradition we would not even have a Holy Bible( Catholic Church also produced it in the 4th century) Sacred Tradition is the how Jesus taught the Apostles and they taught their disciples. It is the oral teachings of Jesus Christ. How are you unequally yoked if you are both Catholic Christians? Asking the Saints to pray with us and for us is the same as asking friends or family members to pray for us. Catholic Christians believe in eternal life and those in heaven are still a part of the Body of Christ. Your Protestant friends are leading you astray and are trying to get you to convert to one of their 38,000 denominations or non denominations of Protestant religions. Please dont listen to them. The Catholic Church is the Church that Jesus Christ established in 33AD and for almost 1,600 years it was the only Church. Protestant Christianity is 500 years old and established by men,not Jesus. Catholic Christian †
if you keep these 7 laws you will have an EQUAL share in the world to come. * To behave justly in all relationships, and to establish courts of justice. * To refrain from blaspheming G*d's name. * To refrain from practicing idolatry. * To avoid immoral practices, specifically incest and adultery. * To avoid shedding the blood of ones fellow man. * To refrain from robbing ones fellow man. * To refrain from eating a limb torn from a live animal. xtianity is diametrically opposed to Judaism G*D denies jesus and all xtian teachings. Scripture says G*D has no son but the Nation of Israel. Shemot-Exodus 4:22 And you shall say to Pharaoh, 'So said the Lord, "My firstborn son is Israel." ' G*D said no one could die for the sins of another: Devarim - Deuteronomy - Chapter 24:16. Fathers shall not be put to death because of sons, nor shall sons be put to death because of fathers; each man shall be put to death for his own transgression. Ezekiel 18: 20. The soul that sins, it shall die; a son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and a father shall not bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 21. And if the wicked man repent of all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My laws and executes justice and righteousness, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22. All his transgressions that he has committed shall not be remembered regarding him: through his righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23. Do I desire the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Is it not rather in his repenting of his ways that he may live? G*D is not a trinity. The origin of the trinity is ancient Babylon. Scripture says G*D is 1 Devarim - Deuteronomy - Chapter 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one. Yeshayahu- Isaiah - Chapter 45:7. Who forms light and creates darkness, Who makes peace and creates evil; I am the Lord, Who makes all these. G*D alone is the only savior Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior. G*D alone is the only Redeemer Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. Scripture says G*D said none share his glory Yeshayahu- Isaiah - Chapter 42:8. I am the Lord, that is My Name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to the graven images. G*D said none sit beside him Yeshayahu- Isaiah - Chapter 45: 5. I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God: I will strengthen you although you have not known Me. 6. In order that they know from the shining of the sun and from the west that there is no one besides Me; I am the Lord and there is no other Fear G*D and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiates 12:13 Shoftim - Judges - Chapter 2 1. And a messenger of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said (in God's name), "I will take you up from Egypt and I have brought you to the land that I have sworn to your forefathers and I said, 'I will not break my covenant with you forever. Further more G*D said not to trust in man and that He would not come in the flesh of man. Jeremiah 17:5 So says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
Your friends are telling you correctly. I realize how difficult these times must be for you, for the both of you. Perhaps it is time your fiance does read the bible but start with this: Dr. J. M. Carroll, author of "The Trail of Blood" it is a little booklet you can read on the Internet. Here is the address: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Books,%20Tracts%20&%20Preaching/Printed%20Books/trail_of_blood_jm_carroll.htm There is no greater freedom than to know the truth of your faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is not confined to a church organization, to a building, but is free to be reached by a child or an adult if we seek him. Jesus is truth, he is the way and the life, no man comes to the Father but through HIM. I use the King James Version 1611 exclusively for I know the truth is there, do not let other men sway you from Jesus--no other man has the truth but Jesus. The rest of us have opinions. God bless.
I'm scared that people in this age still believe in that fairy tale, and they argue constantly about what specific ritual they should be involved in. Don't you people ever look at this nonsense and notice the extremely different viewpoints of all these various xtian faiths? It's all made the hell up ! and this should become obvious to you unless you don't read any newer books. Heck there's even older books that make more sense.
This may be a way that God is encouraging you to come back home to His Church and to reject the doctrines of men that you have embraced in the non-Catholic man-made sect that calls itself Christian. There is not a single doctrine of the Church that goes against Scriptures. You see, Jesus said that His Church would never fall into apostasy. (meaning false teaching). The Bible says that the Churhc is the "pillar and foundation of the truth. Jesus is not a liar and the Bible does not teach falsely as non-Catholic Christians claim. Jesus gave His mother to the Church from the cross when He said to St. John, "behold your mother" and to the blessed mother "behold your son" which was describing the familial relationship that God desires with us. We are all one body in Christ. The following is from my blog that explains prayer to the blessed mother and other saints: http://fiatvolvntastua.blogspot.com/2009/06/its-ok-to-pray-to-saints.html The man you love is preaching to you by his faith and his example and is being used by the Holy Spirit to bring you home into God's will. Jesus prayed that we all be one in His Church lest there be any doubt as to His will saying the following in His prayer: Joh 17:21 (KJV) That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Your friends are trying to do the work of the great deceiver and father of lies to draw you away from His Church. Remember Satan can appear as an angel of light to deceive men. Embrace this godly man that God has sent you as you have been truly blessed. God bless! In Christ Fr. Joseph
Talk to a priest. There are many many many many misconceptions and outright lies out there about what Catholics belief and about what is in the bible in relation to how it may be used against Catholics. You admit you were not well taught the faith. That is the issue here, because that lack of knowledge is what is allowing you to fall for satan's tricks and let him drag you down. (case in point, the text the Trail of Blood that another user mentioned. It has long long ago been debunked as complete and utter deception, through and through, in every inch and crevice, by historians. Yet satan still uses it to drag people away from the Church) Catholicism is the most biblical Church on the planet. I highly doubt your new "friends" have any idea what they're talking about. In the end, ask yourself this - who is/are the more righteous and Christ-like? Your fiance or your friends. Sounds to me like it's your fiance. That should tell you something there.
I think God is speaking to you through your deep love for this man who is Catholic. I hope and pray that you use this profound opportunity to study the Catholic faith of your childhood, and realize that the faith your fiancee holds dear is the faith that Jesus Christ gave to the world almost 2,000 years ago. I suggest that you make a list of all the things that you think the Catholic Church teaches that you think might be contrary to The Bible. Make an appointment with a priest, telling him what you need to discuss. Ask your fiancee for a recommendation for a good priest who can meet with you. Take your list with you when you go to meet the priest. Ask him to pray with you first, then to help you learn the truth about the Catholic Church. You can learn much from the Catechism of The Catholic Church. It is available in paperback very inexpensively. If you can not afford a copy of your own, and you want to own a copy, please e-mail me. I will make sure a Catholic parish near you makes a copy available to you at no cost to you. You won't have to give me any personal information about you, just the name of the Catholic parish where you want to go to get the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Most parishes will loan you a copy, but many can not afford to hand them out for free. If you want a copy, you need only e-mail me with the name of the parish and the town in which it is located. I will make sure they are able to give you a copy at no cost to you. I hope and pray that you marry your fiancee in the Catholic Church, that you are blessed with many children, that you have your children baptized in the Catholic Church, that you educate them well in the Christian faith, and that you, your husband and all of your children live well in peace and happiness with the blessings of Jesus Christ. I am Roman Catholic. Peace be with you.
You say "I need to be with a man who will lead me spiritually." I went to a Fundy church for years and they teach this. But it's really just wrong. YOUR faith leads you spiritually, not your spouses. So where does this come from? It's really a backlash against feminism, and in typical Fundy fashion they will throw out a bible verse "women be silent in the churches" to support that the man is the head of the Christian household and is to be the spiritual leader. That's what they do. That's what they always do. Most times the verse they cite is not relevant to their point. That's where it really comes from, it has nothing to do with your faith and God. So for starters understand that I am not a feminist. I'm male, in fact. Here'e the problem I have with that statement. Let's take modern politics and feminism out of the equation and just look at this religiously. We are all equal in Christ. Everyone has the responsibility to follow their own faith, man and woman. What I really hear from you when you say that, is you are just blaming your fiance for YOUR lack of faith. If you are dry in your faith, the burden is on you to get to Christ and set yourself right. Marriage to a "good Christian man" will not make up for your lack of faith. I saw this in my own first marriage as a Fundamentalist Christian. One spouse doesn't feel like going to church so the other spouse decides not to go. And then it goes back and forth leading both couples into an apathy in their faith. Sure it's a nice rosy picture of a man and woman both jointly going to church together as a happy couple. But ultimately that's not what you attend service for. You attend to worship God. And then I had friend who were both "strong" in the faith and there was always this conflict, this competition in their relationship of who is the "better Christian." Judging each other as spouses. The wife saying, well we have to do this, or the husband saying if you don't do so and so that makes you a bad Christian. All "with truth in love" of course. Oh sure. It's not about that. Your faith is your own. Your faith is not about comparing it to others, even within your own household. If you feel your spouses faith is lacking, the best way to improve their faith is to shut up and strengthen your own. Live your faith, don't preach your faith. Let me leave you with this. I was Fundy for 40 years. I converted to Catholic 2 years ago. My 2nd wife is Catholic. When I first went to Mass with her, before becoming Catholic, I would hold her hand during service. We hold hands all the time outside of church. But during Mass I could tell she felt uncomfortable with it. I didn't understand. It was because when we go to Mass we are all equal in Christ. It's about worship to God, not being a couple. It's about worship to God, not fellowship with man. Also now, I go to Mass at the church near my work sometimes. Eventually some co-workers recognized me and said hey you can ride with us so you don't have to walk. At first I didn't really want to ride with them because I didn't want to have to sit with them and have them interrupt and distract my worship in Mass. Well guess what, it wasn't a problem. We all ride together in my coworkers van, we walk in the door and then we all naturally disperse in different pews. We don't sit together. This naturally happened and it was never discussed beforehand. Catholics get that. Fundys don't. It's very subtle, the differences, yet oh so important. And this is the reason I feel you should return to your Catholic faith. Attend RCIA and really learn what it is that you would be leaving. I wished I was a cradle Catholic. Don't give up this beautiful faith. And stop listening to your "Christian" friends who are leading you astray.
Get a copy of the Catholic cathecism... and you will begin to know that the Catholic Deposit of Faith is three-leg: holy scriptures, holy traditions and the catholic church itself. Study your christianity/bible origin and it will be clear. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
I am not Catholic, but I know that you shouldn't listen to your "new friends." Many non-Catholic Christians say terrible and untrue things about Catholicism. God has brought this man into your life to lead you back to Christ's church. Christ said to the apostle Peter (his name means "stone" in Greek): "On this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." The Catholic Christian church is the mother of Christianity and has been going strong for 2000 years. The oldest Protestant Christian church, Lutheranism, is only 500 years old. All the other denominations came later and, beginning with Luther, were instituted by man - not God. There is nothing against Scripture in Catholicism. Talk to a priest; attend catechism classes. Encourage your wonderful man to go with you. Both of you would benefit from it. I see you returning to the Catholic Christian church, and a married life of love and happiness for the two of you. God be with you.
Hmmm...seems to me that you are missing some facts. 1. There are NO Catholic traditions that go against Catholic teaching. Not sure who is telling you this and not sure why your Catholic education didn't go into this, but you've been misled. 2. The Bible *is* the source for following God for Catholics. Also the Church because the Bible is incomplete (it says so, last verse of the gospel of John). BTW, the Bible also says to follow both written instruction (Bible) and oral instruction (what the Church teaches). That's in 2 Thessalonians 2. 3. Jesus established Mary as our intercessor during the wedding at Cana (John 2) and as He was dying on the Cross (John 19). Why would He do that if He didn't expect her to pray with us and for us? So there is nothing wrong with asking Mary to pray for you. 4. Good Catholics go to Mass an never miss it. Maybe your fiance has had trouble finding a Spanish Mass in your area that he is comfortable with? 5. Your fiance sounds like a great guy. You would not be "unequally yoked" as your new Christian "friends" say. Why are they trying to break up your very positive, loving relationship? Sounds fishy. 6. Your fiance can lead you spiritually, and probably will be happy to if you ask him. 7. A lot of poor people in Mexico couldn't afford to own their own Bibles, so the concept of reading Scripture daily might not have occurred to your fiance. But Catholics have readings every day. Today, our readings are from Romans 6, Psalm 1 and Luke 12. You can go online together and get the daily readings and read them together. 8. Has it occurred to you that your fiance might just be a gift to you from God?