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I am 13, and currently Roman Catholic, but am not entirely happy with all of the beliefs and customs that I have been brought up with. I want to find a more liberal strand of Christianity, but am not sure how to go about this. And even if I did know, would I have to convert? Or would it not be necissary because I am already Christian? I don't really know what to do...

Laisie,  one of the bravest steps a person can take is to come out of the catholic system.  And, you have made a very wise choice.  I came out of the catholic church too.  And, I converted to Jesus alone.  Not to any church although I can go to any one I want to for fellowship and support.
Your first step now is to find an independent pastor who will baptise you by complete immersion.
Your second step then is to talk to this independant pastor about the Bible, to opin your Bible with him, or someone close to him in the church, and to read it.
Above all else, you must tell Father in Heaven that you have renounced the catholic church and all her teachings and from now on you wish to walk with Him in Spirit and in Truth.  
Once yopu are baprised into JESUS, and not a church, you will be a new creation.  Then, you walk by HIS side and do not follow the commandments of men.
You have renounced a powerful established religion.  I praise God that you have done that!  And, I congratulate you!Take it one step at a time as I have told you, and do not be fooled by religious people who may come knocking on your door.
You have a direct prayer line to Father God now through His Son, Jesus.  Use it to help you walk forward into your life of freedom.  And, may God walk with you.

Love...Ta,mara.

Tamara is entirely correct. First and foremost, you have to make sure you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Do this by asking Him to come into your life. He will. Then, the Holy Spirit will lead you to the church that best fits you. Good luck and God bless you.

What Heidi says is true Laisie.
Just, talk to Jesus as a friend.  Not as you have been in the catholic church.  Tell Him you want to have Him as your personal Saviour and that you want to walk with Him and not organised religion.
You are very young and it is obvious that Jesus is calling you out of that church to be in Service for Him as a true Child of God.  
If there is any way we can help you.  Please ask.  And, don't hesitate!

Love...Tamara.

Please define what you mean by “liberal strand of Christianity” for us, if you will.

My advice, my dear sister, is that you search out the Church that best fits you. Any Catholic can explain you back into the church with Western logic, and there are plenty of independent groups are more then happy to confuse you further, using scripture and showing the exactly opposite of that your Catholic Brothers just showed you in scripture. You are going to have to do some research, find what is right. We can’t get the truth from a forum. I wish it where that easy, uh? If all Christians would come to the truth.

Reading pages of Dogma isn’t going to give you a good feel for what the church is like. You are going to have to talk to some members. My advise to you would be, with your parents permission, of course, search out the pastors in your area. All the different forms of Baptist/Pentecostals, different Catholic rites, Anglican/Episcopalian/Methodist groups. Look in your phone book. Call them up, and ask to have a meeting with them. I’m sure most if not all of the pastors you call will be more then happy to meet with an inquisitive young lady such as your self, who is searching for the truth. Talk to them face to face. Even go meet with you priest if you haven’t already! If he is a group priest, he should help you find a better group for you.

Some will spend all their time telling you why Roman Catholicism is wrong. Make it clear you don’t want to here that, and tell they you want to here what makes there over group right! There is a time and place for that. You are not trying to find evidence against RCC right now, right now you are searching for the truth in one group, not the lies in another. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT believe anything one church has to say about another without asking someone fro that church to explain. That is how rumors start.

Don’t be scared to ask the tough questions. Don’t fear pulling your bible out and asking them about scriptures that seem to conflict with their doctrine. If you want to find the truth, you will have to dig DEEP. You are kind of young, so some of the stuff may confuse you. Just bring a pad and paper to take notes with and look them up later, comparing them wit the scripture. We have people from all kinds of groups on this board, if you need clarification that the pastor didn’t give, I’m sure we can help you.

Of course, I assume your parents are with you in this, or at least support your journey.

Have fun in your search, we will all pray you find Gods will for you.

What Tibby tells you is true Laisie.
I was a catholic.  And, I was held in bondage by the doctrines of the church.  Pray to this saint, pray to that saint.
And, I found I was in bondage to the diocese as well as the pope.

Seek, and ye shall find, are the words of Jesus.  But, do be careful.  Very careful.  You are very young and already you see the flaws in the system.  This is good.  But, be very careful of whom you speak to as a pastor.  Satan will lead you a merry dance.  Stay strong by prayer in faith to Gather through Jesus.  Praise Father. And stay by Him now.  Don't pray what people have written.  Speak to Father in your own words.  He will hear you!

Love...Tamara.

After you give your life to Christ, you need to do something very important, which is to establish your authority-by what standard you judge things to be true. One church says one thing, another says another-which is true? Look to the word of God. To be a Christian you need to understand that the Bible is the inspired word of God, without error of any kind. And that is what you really need. Just the word of God, and ask the Holy Spirit to open it up to you. That's a great start. Then, you will be able to find a good church. Many independent Reformed churches are good, but some have slipped away from the word, particularly the Christian Reformed Church, so the way you tell how good they are is if they are orthodox. If so, you have a good one that will line up with the word. Most Baptist churches are good, too. Many Presbyterian churches are good. But any church is a unit. Some may be good, others may be terrible. That's why it's so important to get very familiar with the Bible. And if you have any questions, please ask.

Hello Laisie

It’s the everlasting love of God that touched your heart with His Holy Spirit Who gave you thirst to find the Truth. And the Truth is Christ Jesus, and Him alone (John 14:6). Your first step into following Christ is to become a born again child of God. You don’t need to go anywhere for it. The following is a fine small site, very simply written; please click and read very carefully (you mentioned you already are a Christian but when you read this site, you will know if you really are):

http://www.his-amazing-love.org/sarah.html  (http://www.his-amazing-love.org/sarah.html)

(Please send the above site to all your friends. You may write to the webmaster, she is good in right teaching.) The short stories in it will help you understand more the basics and help you trust the Lord Jesus.

Read the Bible, which is the Word of God, as much as you can. Try to meditate what you have read. Fill your heart with the Word of God so that you do not sin against God. (There are errors in Catholic Bible version. Amplified Bible will help you understand easily, I believe; or any other popular version.) Receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it will show the real difference.

You need fellowship. So find a Spirit-filled church and join them, but pray, may the Holy Spirit lead you. (John 16:13). He is the heavenly Guide. Don’t go to a Catholic priest with your doubts. And, search for cults in your place and avoid contacting them (like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Latter Day Saints, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, etc.). Always pray for the right leading. Yea, don’t be scared. Fear is one of Satan’s potent weapons.

You are only 13, you have longer span of life to serve the Lord Jesus. Find your calling and live for the Lord. Roman Catholics are fine people, I love them. But they are completely deceived and brainwashed. Once you are out, pray for your beloved ones. The Lord will take then out, one-by-one, as per your burdened prayer.

Blessings!

.

Philmun! What a lovely site!  I thankyou too!  Other's can be  led to that site as well as Laisie!

Love...Tamara

Why must she join a “spirit-filled” church, philman? And why shouldn’t she go to a Catholic Priest? Why can’t she go out and search for the truth? Clearly Roman Catholics are not brainwashed. The fact that she, at the tender age of 13, considering leaving the church puts one big hole in your thoery. If she wants the truth, she will have to search it out. Lets try to advice her how to find the truth, not tell her where we THINK it is.

Tamara, you could find the good in a pile of crap, couldn’t you? lol, do you ever disagree? I love reading your posts, so uplifting and cheerful.

Tib, I'd love to talk to you more about Catholocism. I know you're Catholic, and I really don't want to offend you, but this religion attributes roles to man that can only be assumed by God. I'm not insulting you in any way; I'm just pointing out the truth. Love in Christ.

Are you referrign the Church Government? Would you like to see what happens when you take all the Hierarchy out of a Church? Go visit one of those independent churches. Some of them have board-line Gnostic dourine, other are down right insane. What roles are you referring to?

feel free to reply here, or talk on PM.

Tamara, you could find the good in a pile of crap, couldn’t you? lol, do you ever disagree? I love reading your posts, so uplifting and cheerful.


ROFL!  Tibby, I don't like disagreeing!  Thankyou!

Tibby...ROFL...I'm afraid I have to agree with you again!
Although I don't believe in heirachy in a church if it is misused and against the Bible, but, I agree that some of the churches I have gone to have sent me fleeing straight home.  Insane?
That may be putting it a bit mildly I think Tib.

Love..Tamara

Tibby:  Clearly Roman Catholics are not brainwashed.


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Well, it isn't about church hierarchy, because the Bible clearly lays out the requirements for church officers. But here's a starter: Jesus told us to call no man (in the context of religious leader) Father. For that is a title to be used only for God. So why are priests called the very thing prohibited in scripture?

Love in Christ.

This is a plain enough question. There are several ways we approach this problem:

1. And this one is the most obvious, what about your biological father? What do you call him? He is a man, is he not? And you call him father.

2. And this one is most used by Catholic Apologist, read the whole chapter. They also say to call no man teacher, and to call no man Rabbi. But they called Jesus Teacher, we call teachers teachers. They called Jesus Rabbi. Teacher, Father, Rabbi.

3. And this one is my personal favorite, does the bible not tell us to cut off parts of our body that cause us to sin? So, Whitehorse, are you maimed, or sinless? Since you expect the Catholics to follow the bible in such a literal manor, should you not lead by example and do the same? The Bible also says not to call other a fool, to do so will cause you to be endangered of the fires of hell, but I've been called a fool in this forum for being Catholic. Not by you, but by others.

When you get right down to it, Father is a title, nothing more.

I'd really prefer if we not continue in this thread. I can if you wish, but consider PMing your next question and/or your rebuttal to me.

As you like, my friend. PM it is.

Thank you. :)

You're welcome.  :)

Hear the good news of Jesus Christ, be pricked by it in your heart and believe the good news of Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, be baptized for the remission of those sins, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, confess Jesus as the son of God, be added by the Lord to His church, assemble with a local congregation of Christ's church, be faithful .

Dear Laisie

       I want to add to this by saying that if you go to any church, they won't save at all; that means going to the Catholic Church won't save you neither a Baptist Church - I am in full agreement with Tamara
       To deternine what is true and what is false, go only to the Word and read it because it is from God not from man:

6   The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7   Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. - Psalm 12:6-7

16   All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17   That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

       All churches do not save but they do have messeges.  Dont pay attention to looks and feels of the church but test them to see if they pass the test.

What brings eternal life?
1.   Salvation by Faith Alone:

       This means that when you hear the "Good News" you made a decision in your heart - "I want you Jesus" as a response to the Gospel Messege, you place Faith in Him; but it is more than just faith that He will take care of you, it is Faith that He Saved you, that He alone have paid the penalty for all your sins so He  without fail will bring you to heaven.  This is true Faith that you have confidence that once you give your life to HIm, your eternity is secure, and that you will never lose it because He is faithful that He will never lose you.  That is faith alone because no works or deeds can ever help.

       That I shared is what many protestants believed.  That prespective I believed whole-heartedly because to me, that is clearly taught in scripture.  
       Now obviously, the Catholic prespective is different from ours that Faith and Works must go hand-in-hand unto salvation.  Faith, along with the sacraments, the follower must stay the course keeping the commandments of God and repenting of all sins until death comes.  This idea, I really disagree with but that is between You and God to decide.

Ps.  When reading the Bible, read the Bible literally and carefully and please, don't be afraid to ask any questions

agur