Whhooohhh there DB .... the question was about renouncing the Catholic religion NOT renouncing Divine Consciousness /God itself. One has NOTHING to do with the other. Having been exposed to Catholicism at an early age I personally chose to step AWAY from all dogmatic based organized religion at around the age of 13 because that particular approach to The Divine ONE simply did not serve me. If a particular religion speaks to you FINE.. if it does not... FINE. I actually became an Agnostic *(never to be confused with Atheism) for a number of years because for ME blind faith BELIEF, Thank God : ) ... was NOT enough! I NEEDED to KNOW.. beyond all doubt. After 10 years "God" showed up BIG TIME.... and I realized that God does not care what religion, or lack of, our finite minds chose to align with... what matters is that we LOVE. Grace WILL find us when WE are ready AND can strike ANYONE at any time regardless of one's belief system. So YES GRACE is ESSENTIAL.. however, as Gandhi has suggested, most Christians, Catholics included have NO IDEA as to the true Greatness of one such as Jesus. Jesus' gift was soooo much greater then just granting the individual soul entrance into some heaven... but no soul can grasp WHAT this Transcendent Knowledge could possibly be UNTIL Grace Strikes. It is not one's religion or belief system that matters... but rather one's loving and generous heart which acts as a magnet for that all important Grace. PS.. the finite mind of man cannot fully embrace the Perfect ALLness of God... for that one needs Transcendent Knowledge.. directly from The Divine ONE. Whatever one THINKS "God" is.. will not, can not be it. BTW ... The veiled mind of man is FINITE, whereas "God" is INFINITE... something to contemplate. It was not until Grace struck that I was ABLE to comprehend Transcendently, from beyond the mind, what Gandhi was actually suggesting... that Christians, and others, might understand just HOW Great one such as Jesus truly is. The GIFT of Grace grants FAR more than a place in some heaven. All just meaningless words here UNTIL Grace Strikes. Bottom Line.... it is essential to follow one's heart and step away from ANY belief system which no longer resonates. As for rejecting God? That is actually impossible. What people are rejecting is some finite mind's IDEA of what God is. The finite mind's concept of perfection and God's actual PERFECTION are quite different.. and ONLY Grace will reveal the difference. Peace, Faith

Faith,

   You are entitled to your own beliefs.  You are responsible for your own spiritual salvation.