I Do Not Understand Why JWs Leave & Become Catholics! (page 4)

Honesty

Catholics believe that Jesus is God and that He died for us as individuals.

That's exactly what the Bible teaches.

Salvation is through Jesus...

Nothing more

Nothing less

I have friends who are Catholic and they love Jesus with all their being.

minimus

Thank you for all your responses. They were interesting.

Personally, I do not believe any religion has the "Truth". I do feel that the mysticism of the RCC is VERY cultish and strange. The belief in transubstantiation is ghoulish. The attire of the clergy is absurd (to me). The view that the Pope is doctrinally infalliable is very wrong to me as it would be to believe the same about the FDS.

John Ankerberg has in the past, had tv programs suggesting they are a cult. I concur.

PrimateDave

Nice post Rapunzel.

Dave

greendawn

Catholics are OK nowadays though in the past they were a dreadfully oppressive and authoritarian religion. They do have some left overs from the days of paganism but to me this is not important since they keep the essence of christianity which the JWs certainly do not and they also let you find your own level in religion instead of constantly ramming things down your throat.

gaiagirl

If it came down to choosing between practicing as a Catholic or returning to being a JW, I would choose the Catholic Church without hesitation for the following reasons:

The Catholic Church encourages higher education, and may even offer some scholarships. JW's discourage higher education, so followers are essentially doomed to menial jobs.

The Catholic Church is accepting toward evolution, admitting that the weight of evidence in favor of evolution is so overwhelming that it cannot be ignored. JW's are still stuck in the 19th century, never mind the 20th.

Whether or not the human Mary was divine, it is important to honor the feminine aspects of divinity. JW's fail completely in this regard. The god they worship is a bloodthirsty, jealous, warmonger, completely unlike the kind and nuturing image of Mary adored by Catholics. In nature, the egg which begins life always comes from the female, not the male. And that egg CAN develop with no male involvement whatsoever. So if a divine being was responsible for this universe, and life in it, it makes better sense to view that being as a "goddess". If one chooses instead to view the universe itself as the source of life, then a feminine view of the universe still makes more sense.

Finally, I'd pass on being a JW again for the simple reason that, I've "been there, done that", and didn't find it to my liking.

Sasha

I find it hard to believe anyone who has left the JW's, could join any organized religion!!!!!

I studied Catholisim before a JW gave me the "truth" book, back in '67. I thought the Catholics went against Bible scripture. Especially with the worship of the statue of Mary. I was a Sunday school teacher from the age of 12. Methodist Doctrine. I was against that and left the church I was brought up in.

BurnTheShips

Whether or not the human Mary was divine, it is important to honor the feminine aspects of divinity.

When I was in Orlando, Florida in February, I visited the shrine "Mary Queen of the Universe".

It was a beautiful, spiritual place.

According to Catholic doctrine Mary is the greatest of all created human beings, the greatest of the saints. The most popular Catholic devotional is the prayer of the Rosary, which is a devotion to Mary, among other things.

In my hometown we have three Churches dedicated to female saints. And the new Catholic University is called Ave Maria.

alt

DanTheMan

There's a weekly radio show that runs on NPR called "Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett". They run it early on Sunday mornings on the station that serves the market I live in and I always find it very interesting to listen to - Krista is the best interviewer I've ever heard; she is so smart and friendly and inquisitive. Last week's program was "The Beauty and Challenge of Being Catholic: Hearing the Faithful". And by gum I was ready to get out of bed, put on a pair of slacks and a decent shirt and head off to Mass by the time it was done! One guy's description of the Latin Mass and its meaning to him was particularly moving.

I was raised by extremely naive and horrendously dysfunctional Catholic parents and I imagine that my conversion to JWism had a lot to do with the deep (and very adolescent) animosity I felt towards them and the rest of the world by extension. But if I ever were to get a hankering for weekly religious services again I would go back to it. I do miss it sometimes, in sort of a sentimental way I guess.

Rapunzel

Roman Catholic churches, and the liturgical services held within the chuches, most definitely have aspects - or dare I say "trappings -" that provide spiritual/psychological comfort for a lot of people. There are the incense and beautiful stained-glassed windows [of course, the grand cathedrals are architectural wonders that exert great power even over avowed atheists. There is no denying the sheer marvel of the intrinsic aesthetic beauty of these structures. They are among the glories of "Western" civilization. This is not to disparage the equivalent beauty of mosques and synagogues. For me these edifices go way beyond mere art or architecture. I am sorry to use such silly language, but for me these buildings are to culture, what organs are to the human body. These structures are "vital" to the spiritual health and well-being of their respective cultures. They are the "hearts" and "lungs" through which flows the life-force of societies and cultures]. There are also the priests' garments whose changes in color "mark off" the stages of the liturgical year; different colors correspond to different seasons. There is also the use of rosary beads, which provide an aide to meditation and spirituality.

It surprises me how many people want to see a return to the Latin mass!!! I have read articles by many people who long to for a return to the Latinate Mass. In fact, I think there is even a "movement" calling for it.

I, along with many Catholics, do have complaints against the Roman Catholic church and its doctrines. I find the stance of the church vis-a-vis sexuality in general, and birth control/contraception in particular to be...well...frankly ludicrous. Moreover, I don't agree with the church's stance barring the ordination of women to the priesthood.

To clear up a common misconception, Catholics do not "worship" Mary; they "venerate" her. In regard to statues of Mary, these are viewed as aides to worship. The various icons are not meant to be a substitute for faith; they are a supplement to faith. Having said this, I find it a little ironic that the church should grant such an exalted stauts to Mary, and yet forbid the ordination of women. I also do not appreciate the "official" position of the church in regard to homosexuals.

Despite all these comlaints, the church does have one good thing in its favor; it puts great importance on individual conscience. Many, many Roman Catholics disagree with the church's stance on contraception [and even abortion - there are "pro-choice" Catholics]. The church is far, far from being a doctrinal or ideological "monolith." The church lost such power a long time ago. Educated Catholics the world over hold a great variety of opinions on many different issues.

Satanus

It's da church, man! It decided what went into the bible. It built christianity. It propagated it worldwide for 2000 yrs (almost). All other christian religions are merely splinters off of it. In it's present form, it has something for practically everyone; wanna go deep into theological studies, wanna do philosophy, wanna be a mystic, wanna be a nominal christian, wanna be a missionary, wanna fight for human rights? It will accomadate you.

S

I Do Not Understand Why JWs Leave & Become Catholics!

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