Hello, I actually wanted to post to you on this board because I had actually been to another site and it seemed to be just a bunch of arguing between protestants and Catholics on religion.   And I am not wanting arguments.  I believe we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. 
 
Hopefully I can make this short, so here goes.....I am protestant and my husband is Catholic.  So..some may so and yeah what is the problem.....well, I was actually married before.  There are multiple reasons to why my marriage ended, and no reason to get into all of that, because I personally see a marriage as a marriage, no matter where at or what religion.  I also know in todays world, we don't live in a perfect world and sometimes staying together is more harmful to the person and also the children involved.  I do have two children from my previous marriage. 

Anyway, I have been really really hurt by some of the comments that I have recently read off of one of the other websites message boards that was from Catholics.  It come down to the point of actually stating that my husband was a sinner and he was really stuck between a rock and hard place with being in this marriage.   Also pretty much that the church did not recognize my marriage as being ordained by God.  We were married in a church....no not a Catholic church, but I believe and felt God in our ceremony.  It just really hurts to read such comments about my marriage.  I mean I might would have eventually considered converting, but that would just not be possible for me to do with the way that I feel that they feel about me and my marriage.  Also, taking communion is a very important thing for me to do, and to be told that I could not do it, is also a slap in the face in a sense. 

My husband is very much into his beliefs as a Catholic, grew up in it and went to Catholic school.  I feel that he has to be in turmoil, being in a way "outed" by his church.   There is just a couple of questions that I would like to ask....Where do they feel that being married to me is going to send him to hell?  or do they actually believe that?   Also, what happened to teaching God's loving forgiveness, mercy and grace?   

Hope I didnt' get too long.  This is a very serious problem for me.  Just feeling really hurt over it.   Hope you can help a bit. 

God Bless
Lisa

Rick,

Thank you so much for your reply and the love of Christ that were in your words to me.   

I would probably not have a big problem with an annulement.  The only thing is, I don't believe in them.  I believe that Christ knows what my past situation was and he also knows my heart.  Not sure if I have this right at all, but to stand in front of a jury of men to only rehash wounds that have healed, would not be beneficial to me at all.  I sought out counsel from my church during that time and feel that I have worked through the healing process of my past.  Do I think my marriage to my former husband was ordained from God....No I don't.   I think he and I both were very young at the time and had no business at all going into that type of convenent when we were children ourselves....years later it fell apart, but it was to both of our faults.   

I then met my husband that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is the best thing to ever happen to me (besides my salvation).  There is so much difference in this marriage.  I have truly married my best friend and soul mate.  I know that sounds probably cheesy, but I think from being in a marriage before and not knowing what a true relationship was, it makes me appreciate this one so much more.  I can say that this is until death do us part, I would never want to go through that again and made sure of that this time around by choosing someone that I knew was God sent to me.   

That being said, it might be something I might in the future consider, but it would not be for me, it would be for my husband only.   I am also positive (speaking right now) that I would probably never convert.   There are a lot of the teachings of protestant and Catholic that I agree with, but there are also a lot on both sides that I totally don't agree with.  I am at this time seeking out the truth of what God wants to show me.  As I said before in the first post, I think we as all churches need to get people in our churches by showing God is forgiving, merciful and full of grace, and that is howwe are going to win people into our churches.   I think of David a lot in the bible.  He did so many wrong things, but the bible still says that he was a man after God's own heart.    I just want to be a woman after God's own heart, despite some mistakes that I have made in the past as a human. 

God Bless You,
Lisa