Over the past few months, I've noticed myself getting more and more alienated from the Faith. I stopped going to Mass and I don't pray. Everything has been fine for over 20 years since I came to Tradition, but something has really mucked things up. Please don't tell me it's the devil. It seems most people want to blame the devil for all the ills of the world: I'm not buying it. It has to be something else.
One thing I've noticed in particular is the archaeological digs in the Middle East which show that much of the Old Testament is bunk. The sites that were thought to be there AREN'T. That rather knocks the whole religious scheme into a cocked hat and everything follows from that.
The long and short of it is that I'm just worn out. I don't know if I'll ever go back.
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I hear you saying "it has to be something else" and "please don't tell me it's the devil." Did you know that the devil wins when you think it's not him? His primary goal is to make people think he doesn't exist.
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I think you've done a good thing, coming to this forum, because there are a lot of members here who have good intentions and helpful suggestions. Most of us here have gone through periods in our lives like what you're facing now. The saints have as well. Have you ever heard of St. John of the Cross and his
Dark Night of the Soul? Maybe you could consider reading that book. You may be able to borrow a copy from a library. A friend of mine was going through a difficult time, then she started reading that book and now years later she's still reading it. But she has kept the Faith.
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Another good one is St. Alfonse de Liguori's
Preparation for Death. This book has been the turning point for thousands of readers. It's a great starting point when your faith is being challenged, because it gets you to thinking about what is really important.
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I can see you're dismayed by news of what is being found in archaeological digs. I heard a priest say about 2 years ago that all the forensic investigations all over the world, even those conducted with the intention to disprove the Bible, have only served to reinforce it and to verify what the Bible contains. There is a long list of such finds, in fact. I thought at the time,
Just wait until the naysayers get organized and Fake News gets involved with funding from Soros and NAMBLA. .Be careful what you read in the papers. Beware of the source! I have a tape (from Keep the Faith) of Fr. Aidan McGrath, Legion of Mary, an Irish priest who had escaped Communist China. In 1957 he warned about the lies you read in the papers. That was 60 years ago. It's only gotten worse!
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I would recommend for you to listen to recordings of Catholics who escaped Communist prisons. I can guarantee you'll hear things you really need to know about.
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