I have been a Catholic my whole life. Due to personal disatisfaction with the way the Catholic church is conducting itself (which is a topic in another board for another day) I can no longer bring myself to go a Catholic Church for worship.
Question – What other demonination should I try that is similar to the Catholic experience? Or what is not similar but worth a look?
Thanks!
It is my understanding that the Protestant denomination closest to Catholicism is the Episcopal church.
As an outside observer to both, I agree that Episcopalian services seem very similar to Catholic services. I’ve only been to Catholic mass a couple times, and to an Episcopal service once, but I was surprised at how similar they were, compared to the relative informality of most of the Protestant services I’ve visited.
FWIW, my mom was raised Catholic (catholic school, catholic mass, etc) but she raised us Lutheran which she calls “Catholic Lite” - all of the fun but none of the guilt 
It’s all the same Bible, ya know. Just depends on how they preach it. Might not be a bad idea to check out several different churches in your area to see how you like the congregation, service and the minister because in my experience that is what will lure you in or put you off the most not just the name on the front.
TheLadyLion found Lutheran services to look very much like R.C. mass but that’s no suprise as Luther never wanted to break away from the R.C. but to reform it. We are a liturgical church with a structured worhshp you may find comfortably familiar but with many distinct differences.
There are several flavors of Lutherans with the Wisconsin and Missouri synods being extremely conservative and fundimentalist. I’m in the ELCA (evangelical lutheran church of america) and we’re on the liberal end of the spectrum as Lutherans go. My own congregation is more liberal than most, actively promoting gay and lesbian rights including gay unions and clergy.
It’s unclear to me me from the OP if the goal is to keep a similar “look and feel” to Roman Catholic services, or to keep as close as possible to the theology of the Roman Catholic church.
While ZipperJJ is correct to say it’s all the same Bible, the Roman Catholic tradition is more than simply the Bible. We believe that the Bible tells us, for example, that Christ instituted sacraments, that they are seven in number, and they are external signs that give both actual and sanctifying grace. One of those sacraments is the Holy Eucharist, in which bread and wine actually become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Is it important to find a faith that also believes this, even if the order and form of the Mass are different than what you’re used to? Or would you prefer an order and phrasing that sounds like what you know, but doesn’t share the belief?
I have to respond that this is precisely the wrong reason for leaving the Church.
What defines the Catholic Church is that it teaches certain facts and it is the truth or falsity of the facts that should be the basis of your decision to leave or stay.
Before continuing let me stress that the issues here should not be confused with opinions or – worse – likes and dislikes. The issues are akin to, say, news reports. We have to decide whether to believe them or not based on evidence and the source’s veracity, because they refer to events that we cannot check ourselves. But the actual truth of those events have nothing to do with our opinions, what we happen to think about them.
Now one of these facts, believed to be true by Catholics, is that the Church is instituted by God and is inerrant with regard to doctrine. That is, even if the pope is a murderous, raping bastard (as some popes have been!), when he makes a statement about doctrine, like Transubstantiation for instance, his judgment is guided by God and his authority in that regard is intact.
If you do not believe these views are true, then in accordance with your conscience you (perhaps) should leave. But leaving because you don’t like them or some things they do is not a good reason. Who are you to decide to cleave the Body of Christ?
In addition, the main reason that I could never be a non-Catholic Christian is that I don’t see any reason to believe any of it outside of the Church. Apart from the Church’s authority and its unbroken Tradition from Christ himself, what reason is there to believe there is anything special about the Bible? At least the Koran claims to be inspired of God. But what about the Gospels, the letters of Paul? To all appearances those writers themselves didn’t even think they were transmitting the Word of God with a capital W. The only reason we have for believing them to be God’s word is that the Church came to that conclusion and has maintained it all these years. Without the Catholic Church there wouldn’t even be a Bible!
Your attitude shows a distinctly modern attitude that which church you go to has more to do with taste than truth.
I myself am neither a Catholic nor a Christian (but as you can I guess I am a former Catholic). I stopped believing in it on theological grounds, not because I happened to find it distasteful.
If you are interested further, check out the Biblical Evidence for Catholicism site especially the page titled “Catholic Scandals and Shortcomings.”
Not entirely true as protestants don’t use the apocryphal books of the bible that the R.C. church does.
I also would recommend visiting an Anglican/Episcopal church - with the caveat that many Anglicans don’t consider themselves “Protestant.” They are not Roman Catholic, but they do consider themselves part of the “one holy Catholic apostolic church.”
I am a newbee but was glad to see it isn’t just me
who feels confused now about my feeling about being a Catholic
esp with Easter
I loved the Church
but feel confused now
The Episcopal Church welcomes you!
My wife and I recently converted to the Episcopal church for exactly the same reasons. We are quite happy with the decision.
TGWATY should go visit the Orthodox thread and debate until everyone dies of old age about which church is the unbroken line without which there “would’nt even be a Bible”. Personally, I would think any Christian would accept the statement “without God there wouldn’t even be a Bible.”
furnishesq, this question is impossible to answer without knowing particulars. Lutheran, Anglican, and Episcopal are all “almost Catholic”. Lutheran’s however can either be very conservative (Missouri Synod) or liberal (ELCA). Any of them might be unacceptable to you because they also follow some of the same beliefs or practices that are driving you away from Catholicism. Orthodoxy is another possibility.
Congregationalists and Southern Baptists are about as far from Catholic as you can get as far as their political structure and yet poles apart from each other politically. So, it all depends on what is bothering you.
If you still believe Catholic doctrine, then you probably should stay in the church. You might consider staying and fighting for your church, rather than ceding it to the heirarchy. After all, “the church is the people”, not the Pope & the priests.
But this might mean your church activities would be more challenging and less comfortable and reassuring – that may not be something you want to deal with.
You might try looking around at different parishes in your city – there can be vast differences in the “feel” of the church from one to another. A common joke (originating in the Father Koestler series of mysteries, I think) is that catholic parishes can be classified according to what century they fit into.
It’s actually not that far off. Here in the Twin Cities, they range from a parish that would be comfortable in the 1400’s (they’d gladly start up the Inquisition again if they could), several that clearly long for the 1950’s, to a parish that everyone agrees is somewhere in the future – about year 2020 or so. If you’re in or near a large city, you should be able to find a parish that fits you.
Or it least it was until the coup of AD 1123 (First Lateran Council).
Regards,
Agback
That is quite a statement, and one fought over for centuries. I will leave this fight to the Voice of the Faithful and others. I don’t see this happening anytime soon. People have tried this for a thousand years with little results. I won’t get too much into this idea because it veers off into the “great debates” board. For the time being I need a p[lace to worship that doesn’t make my blood boil.
Most Protestant churches are very happy to have you attend as many services as you like before you actually join, or even if you never join. I would agree that Episcopal or Anglican have a “look and feel” to them that is very similar to the Roman Catholic church. As others have stated, I guess a good deal depends on how strongly you feel about key issues like allegiance to the Pope, celibate clergy, and other teachings.
Just to clarify some of the posts above, the Epsicopal Church is Anglican, not simply like it in this regard. The Episcopal Church of the USA is part of the worldwide Anglican communion.
Witnessing belongs in Great Debates.
Off to Great Debates.
DrMatrix - GQ Moderator
TGWATY says:
I see, TGWATY, you have not yet liberated yourself completely from your erstwhile Catholic faith.
You should continue being within the Catholic fold, considering your attachment to the Catholic Church, as shown in your rather apologetics response to Furnishesq on behalf of the Catholic Church.
May I suggest that you take up the lifestyle of a postgraduate Catholic.
What is a postgraduate Catholic?
Being a postgraduate Catholic means you enjoy everything you want to enjoy in the Catholic Church, all its wealth of history, culture, arts, literature, rituals, pomp and pageantry, etc.; but when you find any belief or observance not convenient, exercise the option to not take it seriously as to be troubled in your mind and heart.
Now, as for Furnishesq, I suggest he take up the lifestyle of a postgraduate Catholic also.
Unless he wants to be an ecumenical religionist.
What is that?
I think I am myself an ecumenical religionist in heart and in mind, although a card carryng Christian in statistics data, and also in my customary religious acts.
An ecumenical religionist is a person who accepts all that is constructive and enhancing of humanity in every religion, and can feel at home in the practices of every religion, practices namely that are not barbarous.
Visit my thread on What religion in fact is all about…
Good luck or Go with God (they are synonymous).
Susma Rio Sep