Christians: Are you Catholic or Protestant?

[ETKearne]

Baptized a Catholic, and attended both Catholic, and Protestant churches in my youth. Did the heathenry thing for a few years. Been studyin', and preparin' myself, almost 20 years after my baptism, for my confirmation, first holy communion, and my first confession. It's going to be a long confession, too.

When I recently "returned" to the Church (about five months ago), I decided to make a thorough Confession to a priest I used to be good friends with. He agreed to meet with me just to chit chat and then for the Confession.

Boy, it was nerve-wracking. I spent at least 45 minutes with him (it was at his rectory not the Confessional) and it was very emotional and embarrassing, as I had done some truly immoral things that he was probably SHOCKED to hear coming from my mouth (I was always a goody-goody). But afterwards I felt at peace and he was so happy to have me back in good standing.

Best of luck!

[Planeless Earhart]

When I recently "returned" to the Church (about five months ago), I decided to make a thorough Confession to a priest I used to be good friends with. He agreed to meet with me just to chit chat and then for the Confession.

Boy, it was nerve-wracking. I spent at least 45 minutes with him (it was at his rectory not the Confessional) and it was very emotional and embarrassing, as I had done some truly immoral things that he was probably SHOCKED to hear coming from my mouth (I was always a goody-goody). But afterwards I felt at peace and he was so happy to have me back in good standing.

Best of luck!

That's exactly how I'm hoping to feel when I confess. I'm not leaving anything out, it's just too much of a burden. lol. Thanks for the wish o' luck!

[Parzival]

I am a baptized Lutheran (Protestant) which is usual for Latvia, but I can't say that I am really religious. Yes I believe in God and I definitely prefer Protestant traditions and customs better.

All my Latvian relatives are Lutherans while my Russian relative belong to the staroveri (old believer) minority in Latvia.

Cool family history. I watched a documentary on the Old Believers on http://www.folkstreams.net/. They looked like a very interesting sect. They kind of reminded me of like a Russian Orthodox version of the Amish in that they have preserved so much of their traditions and have even limited technology's influence on their community. Have you had many opportunities to visit them and observe their lifestyle and practices?

[Parzival]

Planeless & ETKearne, cool and inspiring story. If you are comfortable, after you go, please also share your experience Planeless. I was like 15 the 1st and only time I went to Confession. I don't remember it being very moving or uplifting then, but I've heard from some other people that they take great profit from it and even after leaving Catholicism they miss it.

[Edelmann]

I'm sort of in a grey zone at the moment. As an infant I was baptized Catholic, so by Catholic standards I assume that still applies. However, I was not raised Catholic, nor even Christian; so there was a long period of apostasy. I converted under Protestant conditions, however, so I have loyalties there which I cannot sever anyway. I cannot say that I've developed any doctrinal loyalties just yet, though.

[Midori]

I'm sort of in a grey zone at the moment. At birth I was baptized Catholic, so by Catholic standards I assume that still applies. However, I was not raised Catholic, nor even Christian; so there was a long period of apostasy. I converted under Protestant conditions, however, so I have loyalties there which I cannot sever anyway. I cannot say that I've developed any doctrinal loyalties just yet, though.

Similar case here. I was a Protestant but nowadays I'm sort of a non-denominational. Like, I wear a rosary but I'm not a Catholic (I don't believe the Pope is a man of God with any authority). I guess I'm a little bit of everything

[askra]

I was baptised as catholic, i did the first communion and the confirmation but mainly because it's a common tradition, i'm not a believer and my family doesn't attend the catholic church, and if i was forced to choose between a catholic or a protestant church, i would choose a protestant one now.

[Faewerd]

I'm Protestant too, and catholic at the same time. i used to attend some churches with my parents when i was a kid, including the seventh day adventist, the pentecostal assemblies of canada and the catholic and the lutheran churches. My mother's family, which is french canadian, is catholic, and my father's family is protestant, mostly lutheran, but today i don't attend any church nor give importance to doctrines, i'm just christian, though i feel more attracted to the protestant views, nevertheless i don't reject the catholic ones.

[Verchar]

am catholic (of eastern rite)
we also used to be called "orthodox catholics" but i think eastern or byzantine catholic is more accurate and less confusing name

p. s. the name of the thread shows a bit of typical western ignorance towards eastern christians, especially those of orthodox church

[Twistedmind]

Eastern Orthodx, aka Greek Orthodox.