If the Catholic church had different ‘rules’, would it be more popular and or easier to be adhered to?

This question may seem obvious, stupid, or maybe complex, but it is a very interesting question. Why do so many leave the church when they become adults, or when they are challenged on their faith for the first time or when they hit a stumbling block. Is it because the faith is imperfect or no longer suitable for the age we live in? Maybe the faith has simply been misinterpreted by the Catholic church?I know that all of these questions have been answered by better men then me, many times before I asked them in this article. The answer is no, the faith is perfect, the faith is completely compatible with this age and in any other time, and the Catholic Church has not misinterpreted anything in the Faith.

So why do so many people leave or choose to stop truly believing in the one true Church?

Well, there is a chronic lack of education in the Faith, especially in the supernatural. The Catechism is sometimes not taught or taught without explaining what it actually means. You can read the Bible many times over, memorise the words but still not know what it means, what it teaches. Without the critical thinking skills, an open mind, a healthy spiritual life, or living in an environment free of anti-Catholic bigotry, it may be hard to learn the Faiths many lessons and gifts.

The overwhelming anti-Catholic and general anti-religious sentiments in the modern world and education system (even in a Catholic school) can be truly staggering. In all matter of things there is a current bias against the one true Faith and religion in general. The sometimes pure hostility towards a Catholic’s beliefs can be enough to scare some out of their Faith. This may sound silly, but no one wants to be called ‘an idiot’ especially publicly, they do not wish to be accused of being, close minded, a bully, a hater, or a bigot and to be made to feel like they have been tricked into not enjoying there lives and into being too tough and judgmental on ‘innocent’ people. Everyone else is having fun and have no cares in the world, is it just us Catholics that are not having fun and are feeling bad. This is of course nonsense; many people can be fooled into this kind of thinking. Mistaking short term selfish and destructive behaviour, for happiness and contentment.

These days in the UK and in some other parts of the world being a Catholic in good standing can mean a lack of work or educational choices or even losing them if you are challenged on certain issues and give the ‘wrong’ answers. The social stigma if found out to be a True Catholic and really believe in the faith, can be social suicide with some bad consequences and having the words bigot next to your name is not helpful in life. Not to mention the hate crime laws being used to force Catholics into denying their faith and possibly sending them to prison or into a re-educational class or some other punishment.

The situation within the church is also very damaging, with Priests and Bishops, Cardinals and even Popes sending confusing and bad signals in nearly every way, it really takes the modern day situation of Catholics into a new dimension. These are some of the worst days for the Church ever, an enemy with swords and fire would be far easier to cope with than this assault on the faith.

The Catholic Faith is not an easy one, but not only does it offer the only way of salvation, but it also is the only way of living a happy and content life here on earth, within reason of course for there can be no utopia on earth. The church is full of judgement and sin and its goals are difficult and lofty especially in this day and age. But it is also full of grace, love, happiness, understanding and charity and its lofty goals are possible to reach with faith. The main reason people leave the church is that they are selfish, closed minded and I am not talking sexually, I mean in life and faith. They are weak and so became great sinners, with no education, faith, or strength of will in any great amount. They fall deeper into sin and further away from God and Heaven and closer to Satan and Hell. Not to mention a worthless life here on earth.

They say things like I can talk to God alone, I know what God wants, I think God wants me to be happy in the way I want to be. It is all about them, all about their own short term pleasures and in avoiding responsibility and justice and true love all of which is hard and not immediately fun and easy. But the Faith is the only way to true happiness and salvation. Their reasoning is flawed and all about making themselves happy and pretending to help others in being happy, when it is only really about getting what they think they want now, in the moment.

That is the great trap of Sin.

Some of these poor people can or could be saved with good education and spiritual guidance. But with some people no matter how you try, they just do not want to be saved, in the long run sadly, some people are just not open minded enough.

However, if the Catholic church said sleep with whoever you want to with as many people as you want, then would some sinners come back?

Probably, some.

Would they truly believe, No.

If they said there is no need to confess or to take the Eucharist or pray the Rosary or pray for intercession from the Saints, then would some sinners come back?

Probably, some.

Would they truly believe, No.

You can add a few more things to the list as well and yes, some sinners would come back. But would they stay? No, they would always find more issues to not have to be faithful. They still would not believe in the supernatural or in the Church, nothing will appease Sin. Nothing. And all you would achieve is to send even more souls to Hell and to create even more pain, suffering, confusion and hate on earth.

Only action with education and spiritual guidance will help to save these lost souls or at least give them the chance of being saved.