Expert: Fr. Michael - 10/2/2006

Question
I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school for nine
years, but lately I have been questioning if the Catholic church is
where I should stay. I've attended other churches, mostly non-
denominational, and I'm always highly impacted by the love that
the people there have for our Lord. Many are highly involved in
missions and getting the word of God out to the nations, just as
Jesus said that we should. When I go back to Catholic church, I
don't see the passion and desire for God. This leaves me
skeptical. I know not all churches are the same, but our loving
and forgiving God.. it doesn't seem right that only the Catholic
Church will be saved.

The Lord gave us the freedom to choose Him, so that we could
rejoice in him, so why do we have Holy Days of Obligation? We
should want to be there instead of supposed to be. I hate how
the Catholic Church sometimes makes loving God feel like a
checklist.

I'm struggling with where I should be. I don't know if you can
help me, but I thought I'd give it a shot. Thanks for your time- I
appreciate it!

Shannon

Answer
Religion is not a smorgasbord.  There can be only one true religion, and that is the one that you must follow.  There is no other moral option.  You can't just willy-nilly decide to become a Jew or a Protestant or a Mohammedan.  Religion is your obligation to worship God as HE wants.  It is not a matter of what YOU want.  You didn't create God.  He created you.

Those who do not know that the (traditional) Catholic Faith is the one that Christ established may possibly be in invincible ignorance and have a partial excuse for following a false Faith, but you do not have that excuse.  If you turn away from the Faith, the responsibility will be yours to bear without excuse.

It would be nice if you always did what you are supposed to without having to have a checklist, but you know that you don't.  Your mother didn't tell you, "Do your homework only if you want to."  You father didn't tell you, "Don't lie unless you want to."  Many people need a checklist because they have little will to do what is right, just to please themselves.

It very much sounds as if you are going in that direction.  You need your own Faith all the more, whether you know it or not.