Ever thought about another religion

kerry4sam

Has anyone else thought about, or researched any other religion? I recently started looking into Buddhism and even made contact with some about study-groups and even meditation, but not taken it any further yet.

Then today something just said just call into my local church, the very church where my Late Loving Dad was laid before the alter on December 20th last, and as soon as the young family who had children lighting candles left, I just started crying.
Cannot explain it; don't know where it came from; I miss my Dad, some days more than others, but this I cannot explain. Their was a comfort in being in the Church, a feeling of ease and when my mind wandered back to the funeral, I just started crying. Pain would be an understatement to how I initially felt, but I would not have cried like I did had I not been in the Church, I do know that. It was kinda nice to have that escape, that sense of comfort, that feeling of a greater being.
Little did I know I was being watched by this lickle auld lady though who was standing outside, but waited there until I got up to leave.

Don't think I will stray from Catholicism, but has anyone ever thought about, or even ventured into other religions and returned again?

Many Thanks in Advance,
kerry4sam

Benny_Cake

That's a beautiful story that speaks to a lot of people's experience I'd imagine, so many of life's milestones take place in churches that it's hard not to feel moved in them sometimes. I'm lucky enough that both my parents are still alive and well, but I can only imagine that I would react in the same way.

Like a lot of people I was raised Catholic, practised while I was growing up but fell away as I entered adulthood. I always had a firm belief in God and I did a lot of reading about various religions (I'm fascinated by the subject of religion generally) and I gave serious thought to the Bahai faith at one point. While there were aspects which appealed to me, I found the highly centralised structure of that faith off-putting, and I also came to realise that I probably hadn't given Jesus a fair chance! I continued to drift aimlessly for a few years as a semi-lapsed Catholic, praying regularly, attending Mass occasionally, but I had some serious issues with a number of positions the church takes. Just over a year ago I found myself wandering into the silence of a Quaker meeting for worship, and that's where I've been every Sunday that I can make it since then. I look at it as a decision motivated by the positive things I found while reading about Quakerism rather than the negative things I found about Catholicism - most of the finest people I've known are practising Catholics. I still light a candle if I'm passing a church It's great that so many of them still open during the day.

I don't view it as joining another religion, more as moving to another expression of Christian faith. Others may disagree, of course.

Manach

What the OP is undergoing is one of the natural stages of spiritual growth.

At least that is what I'd remember reading from the theologian Martin "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life". There are a number of different paths and one of these is to learn and investigate other traditions of belief. Saying that, there are also numerous spiritual and
trends within the Church (I confess to not being personally accompanied with them) so might be investigation prior to starting such a journey.

Onesimus

kerry4sam wrote: »

Has anyone else thought about, or researched any other religion? I recently started looking into Buddhism and even made contact with some about study-groups and even meditation, but not taken it any further yet.

Then today something just said just call into my local church, the very church where my Late Loving Dad was laid before the alter on December 20th last, and as soon as the young family who had children lighting candles left, I just started crying.
Cannot explain it; don't know where it came from; I miss my Dad, some days more than others, but this I cannot explain. Their was a comfort in being in the Church, a feeling of ease and when my mind wandered back to the funeral, I just started crying. Pain would be an understatement to how I initially felt, but I would not have cried like I did had I not been in the Church, I do know that. It was kinda nice to have that escape, that sense of comfort, that feeling of a greater being.
Little did I know I was being watched by this lickle auld lady though who was standing outside, but waited there until I got up to leave.

Don't think I will stray from Catholicism, but has anyone ever thought about, or even ventured into other religions and returned again?

Many Thanks in Advance,
kerry4sam

I did. before returning to the church, when living in Scotland, I considered buddism as well along with all the other religions of the east ( except for Islam no thanks ) and I just had this sudden urge like yourself for the spiritual. I was reading up on the dalai lama and all that craic and I had a rosary posted to me from my dad and I decided to revisit my youth and learn how to pray the rosary again. So every morning I would make a coffee and then sit and pray the rosary from beginning to end ( 15 minute meditation ). I was still heavily drinking, I was 23 years of age and I would often even pray the rosary when really drunk or watch religious TV like EWTN when I came back to ireland whilst my dad was asleep so noone would see me taking advice from a nun ( I felt embarrassed so a lot of secularism and the too cool for school attitude still existed ).

After a while I began reading a book called ''The way of a pilgrim'' about an 19th century Orthodox Christian pilgrim who travels throughout commy Russia seeking out how to meditate and pray ( it is a true diary and story a modern classic ). then I read imitations of Christ by thomas a kempis. I was still really secular in many ways because afterall its all I knew and grew up with, its basically spoon fed to us from the minute we were born regardless of how religious our parents are we are always bitten by it. Conversion is a very very very slow process. In the Church we have whats known as the law of graduality in which conversion is recognised as a gradual process that can often take many many years depending on grace and the individuals search for truth.

anyways I began going back to Mass and eventually ended up really enjoying Catholicism and seeing through the falsehoods the secular world had labelled her with. I don't want to boast but I guess I was being open minded and a bit like St.Paul I came from being her persectuor and joining in on the jeering to becoming a very deeply involved Catholic who loves theology. thats not to say everyone who converts has to become a priest ( i am not ) or even a theologian ( again I'm not one of those just read about it privately at home ( or even a reader or Eucharistic minister ) but just to be Christian and enjoy prayer and the Sacraments and slowly take the advice of Scriptures, listen to the early Church fathers and apply it to oneself and daily life and thats that.

In the Catholic church we have over 26 ritual rites and the Roman rite is the largest rite and next to this is my eastern churches ''the Ukrainain Greek Catholic Church '' to which I transitioned to from roman catholicism as it is not quite my spirituality.

so.....thats my story, born roman catholic, lived a secular life never really taught the faith, got interested in buddism/hinduism and then a look into Christianity and then back to the founder of Christianity.....Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church.

branie2

No

Terrlock

I follow the Lord Jesus and his commandments.

I study the scripture's to educate myself on how to best follow the Lord.

If I fall I repent and pick myself up again.

Religion - is that not just man made doctrines?

I do also study other religions however, such as Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, unification...etc

But I'd never stray from following the Lord and I pray that the path my life takes his of his will not my own.

keano_afc

Terrlock wrote: »

I follow the Lord Jesus and his commandments.

I study the scripture's to educate myself on how to best follow the Lord.

If I fall I repent and pick myself up again.

Religion - is that not just man made doctrines?

I do also study other religions however, such as Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, unification...etc

But I'd never stray from following the Lord and I pray that the path my life takes his of his will not my own.

What this guy said.

I was raised in Catholicism but was saved out of it when I was 19. I found a lot of Catholic doctrine at odds with biblical teaching and the works based salvation grated with me. Christ has done all the work, and all we need to do is believe on Him. I find a lot of Catholics I witness to cant fathom that they dont have to work to get to heaven.

Festus

kerry4sam wrote: »

Has anyone else thought about, or researched any other religion? I recently started looking into Buddhism and even made contact with some about study-groups and even meditation, but not taken it any further yet.

I thought about atheism once but there was nothing to it

j80ezgvc3p92xu

I find a lot of Catholics I witness to cant fathom that they dont have to work to get to heaven.

Faith without works is dead, a St. Paul quote I believe?

For my part, I always loved Catholicism, cannot say I always was the best Catholic though. I love the awesome aura the One True Holy Roman Catholic Church emanates. I love the stories of the saints, the authoritative Bible interpretation and the "Viva Cristo Rey" of old (sadly the Church is loosing that attitude).

If anyone is starting to have doubts, I would suggest just going back to the beautiful Catholic books. I will guarantee that this will rekindle your love for the Church.

braddun

you are still greaving



The stages of mourning and grief are universal and are experienced by people from all walks of life. Mourning occurs in response to an individual’s own terminal illness, the loss of a close relationship, or to the death of a valued being, human or animal. There are five stages of normal grief that were first proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book “On Death and Dying.”

In our bereavement, we spend different lengths of time working through each step and express each stage with different levels of intensity. The five stages do not necessarily occur in any specific order. We often move between stages before achieving a more peaceful acceptance of death. Many of us are not afforded the luxury of time required to achieve this final stage of grief.

The death of your loved one might inspire you to evaluate your own feelings of mortality. Throughout each stage, a common thread of hope emerges: As long as there is life, there is hope. As long as there is hope, there is life.

Two types of depression are associated with mourning. The first one is a reaction to practical implications relating to the loss. Sadness and regret predominate this type of depression. We worry about the costs and burial. We worry that, in our grief, we have spent less time with others that depend on us. This phase may be eased by simple clarification and reassurance. We may need a bit of helpful cooperation and a few kind words. The second type of depression is more subtle and, in a sense, perhaps more private. It is our quiet preparation to separate and to bid our loved one farewell. Sometimes all we really need is a hug.


Coping with loss is a ultimately a deeply personal and singular experience — nobody can help you go through it more easily or understand all the emotions that you’re going through. But others can be there for you and help comfort you through this process. The best thing you can do is to allow yourself to feel the grief as it comes over you. Resisting it only will prolong the natural process of healing

keano_afc

Adelyn Dead Rehabilitation wrote: »

Faith without works is dead, a St. Paul quote I believe?

For my part, I always loved Catholicism, cannot say I always was the best Catholic though. I love the awesome aura the One True Holy Roman Catholic Church emanates. I love the stories of the saints, the authoritative Bible interpretation and the "Viva Cristo Rey" of old (sadly the Church is loosing that attitude).

If anyone is starting to have doubts, I would suggest just going back to the beautiful Catholic books. I will guarantee that this will rekindle your love for the Church.

Faith first, works second. We are saved UNTO works, not by them. The verse you quote is saying essentially that if we are saved but our works do not show this, our faith is in vain.

Its a very important distinction. If we start telling people they have to work to get to heaven it makes Christ's death on the cross meaningless.

Paul also wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 "for by grace ye have been saved not of yourselves. It is a gift from God. Not by works lest any should boast."

j80ezgvc3p92xu

Thats a dodgy interpretation. Ive talked to Proddie street preachers who told me tbh it doesnt matter what you do because you are already saved if your predestined or "born again" (a very elusive term). My understanding is that you believe, but you show you believe through good works, ergo faith without works is dead. If someone knows more about this from a RC perspective, by all means please weigh in.

keano_afc

Adelyn Dead Rehabilitation wrote: »

Thats a dodgy interpretation. Ive talked to Proddie street preachers who told me tbh it doesnt matter what you do because you are already saved if your predestined or "born again" (a very elusive term). My understanding is that you believe, but you show you believe through good works, ergo faith without works is dead. If someone knows more about this from a RC perspective, by all means please weigh in.

I agree with you, that's the point I was making. Good works don't save us. Faith in Christ does. As for your first point, I'm not sure what you're trying to say. I'm not a Protestant so I cant speak for them. I would be of the opinion that it matters greatly what you do after you are saved, as if there's no evidence of change you need to look at reasons why.

Peregrinus

Faith is more than just belief, though. I believe that the earth goes around the sun rather than the other way around, but I wouldn't say that I have faith in that claim. Faith involves a degree of trust, of reliance; if the way you live your life is affected by your belief, you make choices in life based on your belief, then you can say that you have faith. Hence "faith without works" isn't really faith at all; it's just belief, or even just a profession of belief.

keano_afc

Peregrinus wrote: »

Faith is more than just belief, though. I believe that the earth goes around the sun rather than the other way around, but I wouldn't say that I have faith in that claim. Faith involves a degree of trust, of reliance; if the way you live your life is affected by your belief, you make choices in life based on your belief, then you can say that you have faith. Hence "faith without works" isn't really faith at all; it's just belief, or even just a profession of belief.

Absolutely. As is oft quoted, the devil believes in God, he has no faith in Him however. Simple belief is not enough.

Terrlock

I think Ephesians 2:8 - 10 puts this well.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."


You can't be saved by works, works prepared by God - is something that we get to partake in because we are saved.

keano_afc

Terrlock wrote: »

I think Ephesians 2:8 - 10 puts this well.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."


You can't be saved by works, works prepared by God - is something that we get to partake in because we are saved.

Amen.

Graces7

kerry4sam wrote: »

Has anyone else thought about, or researched any other religion? I recently started looking into Buddhism and even made contact with some about study-groups and even meditation, but not taken it any further yet.

Then today something just said just call into my local church, the very church where my Late Loving Dad was laid before the alter on December 20th last, and as soon as the young family who had children lighting candles left, I just started crying.
Cannot explain it; don't know where it came from; I miss my Dad, some days more than others, but this I cannot explain. Their was a comfort in being in the Church, a feeling of ease and when my mind wandered back to the funeral, I just started crying. Pain would be an understatement to how I initially felt, but I would not have cried like I did had I not been in the Church, I do know that. It was kinda nice to have that escape, that sense of comfort, that feeling of a greater being.
Little did I know I was being watched by this lickle auld lady though who was standing outside, but waited there until I got up to leave.

Don't think I will stray from Catholicism, but has anyone ever thought about, or even ventured into other religions and returned again?

Many Thanks in Advance,
kerry4sam

Rest well in your faith,, He is here in every place in every way in every person
NB Buddhism is NOT a religion but a way of life

Graces7

Terrlock wrote: »

I think Ephesians 2:8 - 10 puts this well.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."


You can't be saved by works, works prepared by God - is something that we get to partake in because we are saved.

Go back please to the words of Jesus, not Paul.. feed the hungry, cclothe the naked, visit the sick as for me... it is a vital part of our faith in Jesus to help others. Nothing to do with being saved,, because we love Him and obey His commandments. Helping others is not our sole reserve either.