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{"id":3406,"date":"2006-12-10T07:07:00","date_gmt":"2006-12-10T07:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2006\/12\/difficulties-or-doubts\/"},"modified":"2006-12-10T07:07:00","modified_gmt":"2006-12-10T07:07:00","slug":"difficulties-or-doubts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2006\/12\/difficulties-or-doubts.html","title":{"rendered":"Difficulties or Doubts?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a> How would you advise this person:<\/p>\n

He is a mature, intelligent and well read non Catholic Christian. He understands the Catholic faith better than most Catholics. He is attracted to the Catholic faith. He is frustrated and fed up with his experiences in Protestant Christianity.<\/p>\n

However, he still has difficulties over some doctrines and disciplines of the Church. For the sake of argument, let\u2019s say he has trouble with HumaneVitae<\/em> and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He doesn\u2019t actually disagree with the Church\u2019s teaching, mind you. He understands it and doesn\u2019t mind if Catholics believe it. He actually admires them for believing these things, but he honestly thinks Humane Vitae <\/em>is right, but unworkable. He understands the logic of the Immaculate Conception, and doesn\u2019t deny the doctrine outright, but he just can\u2019t bring himself to say, \u201cI believe it!\u201d with full enthusiasm. He also has problems with some Catholic customs. He\u2019s not attracted to the rosary, finds indulgences a bewildering church invention and can do without most of the \u2018Catholic clutter.\u2019 Beneath it all, however, he is attracted to the liturgy, the teaching authority of the Church, the history of the church, the lives of the saints and the monumental stature of JP2 and B16.<\/p>\n

Could this person become a Catholic? Could he write off his difficulties as insignificant, go to the bottom line and say, \u201cShucks, I accept the authority of the Pope. I want to be a Catholic. I have my difficulties, but what the heck, if Rome has spoken, that settles it. I accept it. Let\u2019s go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you think?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"