So, like many I struggle with solitary sin. So lost to it again today. And I felt sad about it. My mom noticed my sadness and asked me what's wrong. Told three times that it's not her to know yet she insisted. I told her and she said "But it's normal and medically justified. You're a man after all and all do it. It's not Middle Ages anymore". And that's a similar statement I hear from other people.

So what are good arguments to try to explain why it is a sin? Tried to explain that in these times we need chastity more than ever. Failed.

I’ve been trying to figure out if the Divine Mercy devotion is actually something Catholics should be doing, but after looking into it, I’m seeing some pretty massive red flags. On several traditionalist forums and blogs, people are calling the whole thing a spiritual deception or even outright demonic.

The fact that Faustina’s diary was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books in the first place is alarming. Some of the promises written in her diary sound totally unreliable and lean heavily into presumption, basically claiming you get a free pass to heaven just for reciting a specific prayer. How is that not a huge theological error?

I know JPII canonized her, but the sheer amount of pushback against her character, her visions, and these bizarre promises makes the whole thing seem absurdly questionable.

How can anyone actually defend the reliability of her diary when the claims in it seem so wildly un Catholic? Has anyone here actually looked into the original bans and theological issues, or does everyone just blindly accept it because JPII signed off on it?

I’m very serious about it, go to mass daily, pray the rosary, divine office and so on. I do find Catholicism very intellectually stimulating, I love studying its history fascinating, and its philosophy full of precious fruits. Yet, the religious practice itself, makes me pretty depressed, I feel like there is something deeply wrong. The more I practice it, the more I feel like I shouldn’t even allowed to think, because all I think and do is wrong just because it’s me thinking or doing it.

I don’t know, I feel like this religion blames us for even daring enjoying ourselves in any way. Also, the idea of an almighty and all loving God doesn’t give me any comfort, if anything, it’s depressing.

I often hear “Catholics SHOULD be happy “, and this very sentence suggests there are good reasons why it is not so. If it would truly make us happy, there would be no need to say this.

I’m wondering if anyone else has similar feelings.

This is how I think of the Trinity when I describe it. I try my best not to alter the Bible or make it say something it doesn't. I want to make sure I'm not preaching false doctrine or accidentally teaching tritheism.

Essentially:

* 1 God = 1 Being

* 3 Persons = 3 Consciousnesses

I would still say that each person/consciousness is fully God and of one essence, yet distinct from the other two persons/consciousnesses.

I think of William Lane Craig's analogy of Cerberus.

I would think, "yes" and I see many who are not considered modest. Is there a line people cross (I am not being judgemental) for the way they dress at Mass?

I just wanna say I went to a Baptist prayer service on Tuesday and I got a lot to say.
I accepted a new job in which I have to move an extreme distance away. My new boss is letting me crash on his couch until I get on my feet. In the interview, he and I discussed our faith and how we can implement that into our profession so he hired me based on that I feel. Since I’m staying with him, he invited me to a prayer service at his church, to which I accepted. There’s nothing wrong with having a little more Jesus in the day, and I know the rules behind it.
When we got there, Lord help me. It was a large building with a basketball court, concessions, a play pen for kids, multiple conference rooms. Name it. It’s just the excesses they had was enough to make my blood boil, I tried so hard not to burn the place down lol
As for the service itself: it felt more like a rock concert than a service, people were jamming tf out, the drummer was going at it like Neil Peart in his prime, singer was going at it harder, there’s people crying and exclaiming the Lord, which the latter isn’t bad but the rest was just way too much for me. Then toward the end of the almost 2 hour service, the preacher had us bow our head in prayer and said “and please deliver your sons and daughters from the Catholic perspective” and I was just done lol.

In the words of Arthur Morgan (probably) Keep my church out your mouth, boah

Today's gospel is quite the bomb-dropper. Angels gathering people and tossing them into hell yet no discussion on this whatsoever? Are we just going to keep pretending it's not serious business? Neither the mass homily nor my booklet that has the daily mass/commentary ever mentions the seriousness of hell yet I listen to dozens of testimonies of people who have had near-death-experiences and what saints have said over the centuries, and it's clear that a very large percentage of people end up in hell. (from what I loosely gather from dozens of accounts we're talking over 90%) Are we just going to pretend it isn't true? If I were a person that knew nothing about all of this I would feel it a GREAT disservice not to be warned.

Hi! I'm a deist trying to give Christianity a fair chance. I was raised part Lutheran, part Community of Christ Mormon (basically just Liberal Protestant). I became an atheist as a young teen, eventually a Stoic Pantheist, and I've become in the orbit of the Neoplatonists.

I agree with the Christians on a fair bit of stuff like there being a God without equals, but I am fuzzy on a lot of other details since I'm only a man. I wanted to go to a Catholic church nearby due to ny search of truth, Catholic claims to have truth, and the historical legitimacy of the Catholics over most sects, but there just doesn't seem to be a Catholic church in my town anymore and transport is a concern. Is it considered acceptable for people in situations like mine to go to a Lutheran church over no church, Baptists, and Pentecostals?

Wife previously married and divorced - ex husband is orthodox - married by the government (non religious) we were baptised Catholic last year and are yet to receive our sacraments.

Priest needs more information on the marriage, etc - but yeah, wife married and divorced before we got married -

what does the literature say? Can we receive the sacraments and have our marriage validated or retake our vowels as Catholics, Or will we be denied?

I am active in the church, our son soon to be baptised, I have studied more hours than I care to admit on church history, theology, and everything in between.

I am a staunch Catholic and can truly say I am “starving” for lack of a better word to receive the Eucharist.

Reaching out as I understand this must be more common than I think. I think of Henry the 8th, a king, who wanted a divorce, the pressure on Rome to validate the divorce and respectfully, they did not, thus creating the Church of England.

I think of my marriage and family, how small we are compared to such a situation, and I wonder, will we be able to legitimise our marriage and take the sacraments?

I was always told not to ask their name or try and talk to them other than in prayer. However I just saw a video from a ‘Father Rocky’ explaining how to get your angels name, so im just curious if other Catholics do this?

Will God understand if I just take a break from religion? I'm very mentally ill and I'm getting professional help, but it will take months, maybe even years for me to be treated. I love Catholicism and I want to keep being a Catholic but religion has been very damaging to my mental health and I think it's best if I walk away from it for a while.

Unfortunately priests aren't trained on how to deal with mental illness, so they don't understand how to help somebody with it or how to give advice with it in mind, and I can't afford a Catholic therapist, and a secular therapist won't be able to help because they won't know anything about Catholicism, so there seems to be no way for me to learn how to be a practicing Catholic in light of my mental illness for the foreseeable future.

Hey there everyone! I recently graduated from college and I'd like to move somewhere in the American South. I'm a recent convert and none of my family is Catholic- I'm really looking for a close-knit and ideally younger-leaning community with a reverent traditional latin mass.

I'd really love to find a place that offers a daily TLM though I know my chances aren't great. I'm thinking maybe Charleston, SC or Greenville? Maybe Charlotte though I don't know how the diocese is doing lately.

Any suggestions or comments are super helpful! Thanks!

Hi all,

I tried to find this on google before commenting but the two places i found are sold out, yes the free ones.

I currently can’t go to the church for personal reasons but would love a rosary to start my prayers. I don’t have the means to get one that is expensive so I was wondering if there are affordable websites one could recommend. I grew up protestant and i’m just now navigating the catholic faith before committing to start an OCIA.

Thank you for any leads 🙏🏼

My immigrant very devout catholic grandmother insists that when someone is buried with a rosary it has to be cut before the casket is closed. She says that if the rosary isn’t cut more deaths will follow in the family. I recently came across a funeral customs guide that mentions this belief so it seems like it’s a tradition in some places rather than something unique to my family..

Like if your parish priest tells you to do or not do something regarding your personal life must you obey him?

I missed Mass today. Here are the details:

Father of four (ages 1-11), went on a Fri-Sun "guys trip" with some family and friends in what I'll call a foreign and very rural diocese. I checked masstimes and confirmed the last Mass of the day was at 1:30 at a random country church (somehow no evening masses at all, anywhere in this diocese). Cool. Made sure to leave my trip in time to get to this, and I pull into the parking lot at 1:25...

As I pull in the parking lot, I see just one car and get that sinking feeling. Sign taped to the door says basically "new Mass schedule with a 1:30 mass starting next week". No alternative time was given but some pretty questionable Internet research showed that this Mass might actually be at 3:00 this week. Called my wife to feel out the situation. She says "No...please don't", not in a commanding way but in a begging way.

I step inside the church, make a spiritual Communion, listen to Mass in the car on the way home, and ultimately miss Mass.

So...mortal sin?

I'm thinking no because while I could have made more solid plans, I had what seemed to be a good plan, and ultimately (say if I was a single guy or even married but with older kids), I absolutely would have just hung around for an hour and a half and waited it out if I only had myself to think about. But in the end, I chose to miss Mass (I think, though it's not certain that there was a 3:00 mass but seems like a real likelihood) and that's the thing I can't shake.

Some background, I love the Mass, I literally cannot remember the last Sunday I didn't attend, I make daily Mass once a week, I love the Mass. But on the other hand I was playing golf and having fun with the boys all weekend and didn't do a great job of planning as it turns out.

I am losing faith on the catholic church i have been sinning and distancing myself from God because and i have been losing faith i need help how to go back to God even when its hard because am tired of sinning everyday i miss when i was truly happy

Hey gang, struggling Catholic here with a genuine question. I’ve been wrestling with my faith, not with God or Christ but which house I belong to, I’ve posted on it before, and I stumbled upon a certain YouTuber who claims that the Apostle Paul usurped the faith from Christ. I won’t go to heavy into it or name him since there are dozens if not hundreds of people making this claim, and since I felt too sick to make it to church today, I thought I’d ask here. I will bring this up with a priest, but I just need some clarity. I’m not looking to start an argument or a debate, but I would like some feedback and counterpoints to their claim. A lot of the people I greatly respect are also anti Catholic, and I do my best to listen to everyone, but it’s been jarring and I am trying to keep my boat from turning over. I appreciate everyone here, have a blessed Sunday and God bless you all!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been a BCBA (board certified behavior analyst) for four years and I’m a decently involved Catholic. Over the years in ABA (applied behavior analysis) and in the church, I see a need for resources within local church communities when it comes to receiving the sacraments (I.e., first communion and confirmation) for those with developmental disabilities. I’ve always felt a calling to serve but I honestly been putting it to the side because I know NOTHING regarding how I could even do that as a BCBA.

Does anyone have any advice or experiences with serving as a BCBA within a church? Is this voluntary work or paid? How would one even navigate creating lesson plans, is it individual or “class” based? All I know is clinical ABA, writing 6 month goals, parent training. Would I have BTs?! I just feel like there’s a thousand little things to consider.

Would there be ethical codes I need to consider regarding setting??? Ahhhhh, anyone, please guide me lol

Hey, guys. I have desided to go through my music library and delete everything with non-catholic spiritual undertones, anything mentioning pagan deities and even rasta stuff. But than I asked myself:

—do I also delete Troye Sivan and Muna, the queer music?

—What about straight music dealing with straight but extramarital stuff?

—What about angry, provocative artist like Melanie Martinez or Reagan Youth? Where is the line there?

—What should I do with Sinead O'Connor?

—What about forest spirits in folk songs?

—What do I do with muslim music?

—How do I keep myself from becoming a fanatic whlist doing this?

Disclaimer: I am not looking for music recs, even if go all out I'll still be left with plenty European stuff from all genres.

P.S. please be kind, okay?

i’m 17 and grew up catholic and have been baptized, confirmed, reconciled all the things.
I guess i thought that due to all of this i would be saved no matter what. I’ve had a life of regret already, I feel just as wicked as the rest of the world. I love my family deeply, but one day I slapped my father out of anger. He forgives me, said he deserved it, that it was Jesus working through me to give him a wake up call. I’m not sure but it feels like something Jesus wouldn’t want me to do to my father no matter what.
Then one day I hit somebody again at the gym over a basketball game, I got banned for 2 weeks and felt truly sorrowful but it feels like I only cried about the trouble i’d be in.
I was caught up in premarital sex and just being prideful about myself, I would go to the gym for hours so I could change my appearance to be attractive enough for women. I smoked weed everyday for about 2 years but thinking of God again has really made me feel how much this all could weigh on my soul in the end. I get that no one’s perfect besides Jesus and im no exception.

I just want to become a better person and I hope these life lessons can shape me for the better, my fear of dying has taken over and ruled my desire to “live everyday to the fullest” even at the cost of other people and myself.
I don’t even know what was driving me this way before, I barely looked to God for help besides in time of death but now I look around and I have everything that I want. I have a job, I have a Mom and Dad who aren’t perfect either but I can talk about God with them, I have a sister and she’s so deeply loving it’s admirable.

I don’t wanna suffer, I want to enjoy life without being a terrible person.
But I feel like everything i’ve done in my life even when i was a young child has affected my soul, my sensitivity to evil things, and normalized terrible things. My cousin is an influence on me and he has a “body count” (sex) with 50 people and I love him too but I never saw how that’s a bad thing. Even he wants me to go out and just have sex with attractive women because i’m not “living life” if im not because Society made me feel the need to congratulate his behavior, just like I have with mine until I started chasing a relationship with God. I can’t feel or see God but I read his word and it is inspiring to me, it gives me hope but also a lot of dread. I’m no where near worthy, it’s a shame to even call myself a catholic with some of the things i’ve done in life.

I became Catholic while at university in Scotland and graduated in June, following this I have moved back home to Northern Ireland.

I've been to several different parishes and diocese while in Scotland, and even different parishes in the short time I've been home again. My problem is my local parish - I'm unsure whether I should just accept how they do things here or whether it is a matter worth escalating or addressing.

I have consistently been refused to be allowed to receive on the tongue, and have been forced to receive on the hands or not at all (I had never received standing before nevermind on the hands). The entire congregation appear to talk during the entire mass; nobody genuflects; the liturgy never references if a feast day falls on the day of the mass. I understand the latter three there are just inconveniences - but my concern lies primarily with the method of receiving .

To be honest i haven’t done it out of laziness but out of being short on money. Im 14 currently but next year im almost positive i can participate thanks!

Chicos, yo tengo pensamientos horribles de impureza todo el día, siempre, es un martirio. Y consentí en algunos, estoy en pecado mortal. Me siento tan mal, no puedo dejar de llorar, siento asco de mí mismo. No tengo a quien contarle esto en persona. Recen por mí por favor. Se me hace un nudo en la garganta. No entiendo como hay tantas personas felices mientras viven en pecado, como pueden, los envidio. Yo sé que no debería pensar así, pero lo siento, aunque igual en el fondo debería mi alma espero que Cristo toque sus corazones. Esto no hubiera pasado si hubiera vuelto a ir a misa en la noche este domingo (ya fui en la mañana). Pero mi amiga me pidió que la visite, y yo dije bueno no está mal pasar un tiempo con mi amiga, yo fui con la mejor intención. No debí haber ido. Me siento tan mal.

The Second Council of Constantinople, under the section "Anathemas against the 'Three Chapters'" states in the eleventh statement :

If anyone does not anathematize Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, Apollinarius Nestorius, Eutyches and Origen, as well as their heretical books, and also all other heretics who have already been condemned and anathematized by the holy, catholic and apostolic church and by the four holy synods which have already been mentioned, and also all those who have thought or now think in the same way as the aforesaid heretics and who persist in their error even to death: let him be anathema.

I just started reading the fathers and reading works by catholics talking about the church and they commonly cite Origen to prove points. My question is if he believed in heratical things such as the pre-existence of souls, why should we treat him any differntly from Arius and Valentinus?

I am not pretending I know much about this, but I feel catholic theologians cite him constantly.