IF you deconverted in midlife, can you help?

[Abaddon_ire]

1.3 billion catholics can't be wrong.

Yet you're no longer Catholic...

And you are not a christian.

[pocaracas]

1.3 billion catholics can't be wrong.

Yet you're no longer Catholic...

And why are you not a Catholic?

[Jehanne]

Let's see..

In trying to determine if infant baptism is a requirement, biblical scripture is pointless? Must I remind you that YOU'RE the one that brought up that you were baptized as a baby? The point is that the Catholic doctrine you were raised in (specifically concerning baptism) isn't supported by biblical scripture, regardless of your personal feelings.

1.3 billion catholics can't be wrong.

The Church used to universally and unequivocally teach that infants who died without water baptism would be excluded from Heaven (first, it was taught that such babes went to Hell proper, and later on, the Limbo of the Children, the "uppermost" level of Hell), the Beatific Vision, and now, hardly any Catholic believes that.

[Huggy Bear]

Yet you're no longer Catholic...

And why are you not a Catholic?

Because their doctrine is contrary to Biblical scripture, not to mention they put a man in the place of God...

2 Thessalonians 2

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

[Foxaèr]

And why are you not a Catholic?

Because their doctrine is contrary to Biblical scripture, not to mention they put a man in the place of God...

Do you go to church? Isn't your pastor or whatever you want to call him in the place of god?

[Huggy Bear]

Because their doctrine is contrary to Biblical scripture, not to mention they put a man in the place of God...

Do you go to church? Isn't your pastor or whatever you want to call him in the place of god?

No.

[Foxaèr]

Do you go to church?  Isn't your pastor or whatever you want to call him in the place of god?

No.

Liar. There's no difference between a priest, pastor, minister, what-have-you.

Your argument is therefore, invalid.

[Shell B]

Moderator Notice
This thread has gone wildly off topic. I'm going to split it, which is a huge pain in the ass. Take any further posts on the topic to the new thread.

[Shell B]

On a site note, I left the religious side discussion, as the OP has engaged in it, and it seems in the same vein as the OP, if a bit "Let's introduce to you another friend of the Bible" ish.

[pocaracas]

And why are you not a Catholic?

Because their doctrine is contrary to Biblical scripture, not to mention they put a man in the place of God...

2 Thessalonians 2

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

You are aware that they were the ones who compiled the books into what became the bible, right?
You are aware that all their doctrine is backed up by more than the bible, right? By tradition and by philosophy.
You are aware that the man you claim they put in place of God is, in fact, a representative, a mouthpiece... a priest, right?

Certainly, throughout the ages, some men in such a position have made themselves appear to the commoners as being in the place of God, but that was not the original intent, nor is it today's... it was just the result of a man with power.
With great power, comes great responsibility.
And not all are capable of handling that responsibility, even if their peers are convinced that they will handle it. Mistakes are made, as power corrupts.

But that doesn't mean that the doctrine is not biblical. Have you ever taken the time to read the catechism? To read some annotated version explaining why they do things the way they do?
I was once advised to read something by Leo Trese, The Faith Explained. It explains the catholic side of things quite well, I must say, if you accept the bit about that particular god actually existing.... which you clearly do.