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Hello everyone! I stumbled over this forum in my daily hunt for wisdom, guidance, and spirituality. After reading quite a few threads I decided to join and I feel great about it. As someone still searching I fear that I may not be understood by many of you and so I would like to tell you a bit about myself in the hope that your input and advice may guide me on my journey.
I was raised Roman Catholic in a small Appalachian town in Pennsylvania by my mother and her family after being born illegitimately and abandoned by my German-American Prespbytarian father. I then moved to New Jersey and was adopted by my staunchly Catholic, English immigrant mother's parents. I attended Church and CCD until I was 13 when I refused to lie to God and receive the Catholic sacrament of confirmation into the church. For this I was really never forgiven by my mother's family and the whole thing really damaged my faith and relationship with God casting my young heart into depression and agnosticism (just not knowing WHAT to believe at that point).
Beside my consistent misunderstanding and disagreeing with the fundamentals of Catholic ideologies from a young age, I didn't understand at the time WHY I chose the path of "forsaking" the only people who cared for me and dooming myself to eternal torture and a life of misery. My father's Presbyterian family had abandoned me from a young age, never sharing their faith with me or even caring for my well being so forsaking Catholicism seemed to me like biting the only hand from which I could be fed.
Nevertheless I was compelled to go against my only family when it would have been terribly easy to just say YES to confirmation and reap the benefits (as was suggested to me by certain members of family and my friends). How many 13 year old boys have that strength and wisdom and courage I think now, but at the time there was no question in my heart it was the right thing to do. Today, as a 21 year old Anglo/Saxxon-American, living in north eastern New Jersey (predominately Catholic and Jewish) I look back and realize that without a doubt, I was divinely inspired and given the courage, clarity, and strength by God!
So now, with my character in context, I'm hoping that the Landover Baptist community can help me in my quest for the one truth. I honestly don't know much about the Baptists except that I just met one named Tracey and she is not only cute but wonderfully nice, and the joke that my grandfather once told me, "A Catholic arrived at the gates of heaven. St. Peter told him everyone is waiting for you down the hall in room 10 but be very quiet as you pass room number 8. So the man asked why what is in room 8? And St. Peter replied the Baptists and they think they're the only ones up here!" Obviously it was just a joke but the conclusion can be drawn that my Grandfather thinks that Baptists don't think he's a good man and think they're better than him so much so that he should be eternally tortured in the fires of hell!
This troubles me deeply because he is the one who took me in when no one else would and I don't think I can bare to hurt him again especially now with his condition. Please help me not only with my understanding of what it is to specifically be a Baptist and how it correctly differs from Catholocism, but how to show my family this with all of the love and consideration they deserve. THANK YOU everyone and GOD BLESS!
I was raised Roman Catholic in a small Appalachian town in Pennsylvania by my mother and her family after being born illegitimately and abandoned by my German-American Prespbytarian father. I then moved to New Jersey and was adopted by my staunchly Catholic, English immigrant mother's parents. I attended Church and CCD until I was 13 when I refused to lie to God and receive the Catholic sacrament of confirmation into the church. For this I was really never forgiven by my mother's family and the whole thing really damaged my faith and relationship with God casting my young heart into depression and agnosticism (just not knowing WHAT to believe at that point).
Beside my consistent misunderstanding and disagreeing with the fundamentals of Catholic ideologies from a young age, I didn't understand at the time WHY I chose the path of "forsaking" the only people who cared for me and dooming myself to eternal torture and a life of misery. My father's Presbyterian family had abandoned me from a young age, never sharing their faith with me or even caring for my well being so forsaking Catholicism seemed to me like biting the only hand from which I could be fed.
Nevertheless I was compelled to go against my only family when it would have been terribly easy to just say YES to confirmation and reap the benefits (as was suggested to me by certain members of family and my friends). How many 13 year old boys have that strength and wisdom and courage I think now, but at the time there was no question in my heart it was the right thing to do. Today, as a 21 year old Anglo/Saxxon-American, living in north eastern New Jersey (predominately Catholic and Jewish) I look back and realize that without a doubt, I was divinely inspired and given the courage, clarity, and strength by God!
So now, with my character in context, I'm hoping that the Landover Baptist community can help me in my quest for the one truth. I honestly don't know much about the Baptists except that I just met one named Tracey and she is not only cute but wonderfully nice, and the joke that my grandfather once told me, "A Catholic arrived at the gates of heaven. St. Peter told him everyone is waiting for you down the hall in room 10 but be very quiet as you pass room number 8. So the man asked why what is in room 8? And St. Peter replied the Baptists and they think they're the only ones up here!" Obviously it was just a joke but the conclusion can be drawn that my Grandfather thinks that Baptists don't think he's a good man and think they're better than him so much so that he should be eternally tortured in the fires of hell!
This troubles me deeply because he is the one who took me in when no one else would and I don't think I can bare to hurt him again especially now with his condition. Please help me not only with my understanding of what it is to specifically be a Baptist and how it correctly differs from Catholocism, but how to show my family this with all of the love and consideration they deserve. THANK YOU everyone and GOD BLESS!
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