This is not a beat-you-up blog post…this is a seeking information blog post.
Very recently I’ve heard the term “not a practicing Catholic” used several times….I think I know what this means but not sure. I also wonder why this term seems to be used only for the catholic faith. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard not-practicing used among other Christians…..and the bigger question is: Don’t we either believe in God or we don’t believe in God? full disclosure. I’m not Catholic…and probably even fuller disclosure I’m not a practicing Christian.
What that means to me…Catholic – I don’t go to church and participate in the rituals of being Catholic. Christians – I don’t go to church and participate in “religion”. I used to be one of those Christians who soaked up what I learned in church and bible college. I soaked it up and believed that if you were a Christian you followed the teachings of the bible. Period. You didn’t pick or choose…you followed it. That was my first downfall. Example. I used to have difficulty with a new church I attended because women were allowed to be elders and deacons. The way I grew up, they were men..And women were not. So with this mentality, I soon realized that I was way too confused about the bible preaching from the pulpit yet the practice of the church and its own rules….doctrine and religion.
Add to that the preaching from the floor of congress of the United States and the practice of those same people in their private life. Talk to the hand.
Belief in God, athiesm, agnostic are all very private in our souls….but the lighter label of non practicing Christian or not religious is also held to be a death sentence….if you believe in Hell…
So whether a person is A non practicing Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, atheist, agnostic or Christian, aren’t we all just really first of all humans breathing each other’s air…..its personal, it’s private, it’s a difference of opinion just like whether we like chocolate or vanilla. To you with strong faith. Go for it. For you without faith. Go for it. To each his own!
Until next time….
Ninasusan 
This certainly does not apply to all churches, but I have found this true for the Catholic and Orthodox churches: people claim them because of their ethnicity. Italians believe they are Catholic even if they haven’t been in church for thirty years. And the Greeks, Serbs, Russians, etc., believe they are Orthodox for the same reason. Even if they believe in virtually nothing their church teaches. I went to a Greek church for over a decade and found their proprietary attitude ridiculous, offensive, and hilarious all at once. Why would someone want to “belong” to a church they never attend and don’t believe the basic tenets of? For these folks, it is all about “tradition.” I think that is part of the “non-practicing” thing. They were born into it and it is part of their culture and they are now honest enough to admit that they don’t actually practice it. I think people are becoming more honest now and admitting that church (or whatever religion) is simply not part of their lifestyle or who they are or perhaps ever were.
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I think you are right!
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I’m not sure why any Christian of any stripe would need practice. Maybe choir practice, but that’s a different issue.
Seriously though, you either believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God or you don’t. If you don’t, then you are not a Christian. If you do, then you are. If your faith is real, you will do the things of the faith. That ain’t practice. It’s the real deal. If your faith does not drive you to obey, then it’s not faith.
You can wear the name Christian or Catholic or whatever, but if your faith does not drive you to action, then that name is counterfeit.
IMHO
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I guess MB answered your question. So I’m just going to go off about something pertaining to me personally. On your blog. Nice right? But you reminded me of something. First disclosure, I was raised and even after checking out other things still consider myself an Episcopalian. Although I suppose mostly a non practicing one. if that makes sense. But I really like the teachings (what little I know of it) of Hinduism. Anyway,, awhile back my son was a guest on his friends radio talk show. The subject of religion came up. My son kept referring to me as “A very important person in my life”. His friend knows us and knew who he was referring to lol. Anyway he said “I have asked this person if you believe in this (from the bible) then how can you not believe in that (from the bible), Do you really get to pick and choose?” This son considers himself agnostic because of stuff like that. Go me, right?
So even tho I consider myself what I do, I still question lots of things. I am way more spiritual than religious. And I think a lot of ppl are, they just don’t like the words. God, Jehovah, Mohammad, whatever. If it was referred to as “love” or “the wind” that might be more acceptable. And why is that? Maybe because of fire and brimstone browbeaters who can only see everything one way. But now I’m going completely off track. lol So yes, I agree it’s personal, to your soul. As it should be. Everyone’s path is, can only be, their own.
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Yes! I think what we believe changes as we age…and I hope as long as I’m taking a breath, I will continue to question everything. But the bottom line….it’s what I believe or don’t believe that is important to me. I’ve been there and here and on my way to……..
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Thanks, MB!
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From wiki for lapsed Catholic – A lapsed catholic is a baptised Catholic who is non-practising. Such a person may still identify as a Catholic and remains a Catholic according to canon law.
Being a non practicing Catholic doesn’t mean you don’t believe but it means you aren’t participating in the rituals of the church. Going to mass, going to confession, saying the rosary and so on. It doesn’t mean that a Catholic has stopped believing in God so being non practicing isn’t a death sentence and it doesn’t mean a Catholic is going to Hell. The only unpardonable sin is continued disbelief and all you have to do to change that is to believe.
And as for confusion about the practices within Christian churches changing from church to church, a person has to decide what works for them because unless a church is committing sin those changes are merely window dressings. I think the leaders of some churches have to take responsibility for creating this feeling that there is only one way for a church to practice. It has to be all men or you can’t raise your hands or you only have communion on certain days. Those things were set in stone by the leaders of the church not God. I remember a long time missionary from China visiting and answering questions from the congregation. Someone asked who she fellowshipped with. She said the other missionaries from the different churches. People were horrified that she would worship with a Pentecostal missionary. There weren’t enough Christians in China to create those artificial barriers that Christians have created here.
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