When I come across it, often, I ignore it. If someone is against Catholics, then that is their right. If someone chooses to judge me based upon my faith and the way in which I honor, love and obey God, then that is also their choice. Where I draw the line, however...where I choose to jump in the middle of things...is when I find someone misrepresenting our faith completely and totally...almost intentionally in some cases. There, I feel compelled to clarify the misguided rantings of someone who, for one reason or another, seems determined to tear down Catholics in general.
In part, of course, I hope that the person will eventually realize the err of their writings and correct themselves...but, mostly, I do this for the benefit of the uneducated readers. The ones who see the false writings and take them as factual and true. Those are the people that should be able to see the opposing view and then, hopefully, they will think about the fact that perhaps they don't have all the information in this matter. My hope and prayer is that they will choose to go to the source...to find things out for themselves and not be selective with their facts and resources as some choose to be...to realize that understanding something means you go to the source of that thing and ask questions of those who TRULY know it.
I have Protestant friends and we seem to get along fine. Sure, we realize there are differences in our beliefs and the way in which we go about worshipping our Lord God. But, we also understand that at the end of the day, we ALL follow and love Christ. We are all trying to do our best to follow Him and to be the Hands of Christ to all those we encounter. So, we don't waste time bickering over symantics...symantics that aren't going to the be thing that God asks of us on that Last Day. Denominations are Man-Made things...God will not be so focused on that as He will want to know what did we do for the least of His people???
How did we behave when we thought no one was watching us???
Did we clothe the poor?
Feed the hungry?
Heal the sick?
Care for those whom society placed as outcasts?
Christ came for those who had sinned...for those who did not know Him...He came for those in need of Him...Christ did not come for those of us who know Him...know God...to pat ourselves on the back and show off how much of the laws we knew...how good at preaching we were...etc. He came to save those no one thought worth saving. He came to give ALL mankind hope. He came to show us a new way...a better way...a loving way.
I am Catholic. I converted over two years ago after participating in an indepth RCIA Program where I learned about the faith, Christ, Scripture, etc. My questions were answered. I studied and learned about history. During that time, I learned about myself...I became a better person...a better Christian. I began to realize Christ's message more fully and incorporated into every aspect of my life. Forgiveness...mercy...justice. All of it goes together...none of it can be separated.
For the greatest of all these things is love, as Christ told us.Why then, do some feel the constant need to perpetuate a false vision of our faith and what it means to be Catholic? Is it because of the public image of those we refer to as "Cafeteria Catholics" (ones who pick-and-choose how to follow our faith based upon what is convenient to them and their lives)? Is it because of their fear of what they do not understand? Is it because of the lies that have been placed out into the general population that we worship statues, disregard the Bible and that the Church intentionally keeps us from learning Scripture?
Those are some of the things I've encountered. It's appalling, but I can understand it being a former Protestant. Sadly, in my case, it had much to do with listening to Catholics who were poor representatives of their faith to me. Even some of them who had grown up with the faith, I realize now, never truly understood it nor did they honestly and truly follow it. If they had, my opinion would have been completely different and perhaps, I would not have had as much trouble with the faith for as long as I did beforehand. I don't know.
However, when I did encounter people who were educated in the matter. When I did encounter proof of what was ACTUALLY believed...why it was believed and where/upon what it was founded, I at least (thankfully to God) had the sense to understand truth and facts when they were presented. I wasn't so grounded in my hate, distrust and misunderstanding that I turned my back upon the truth so that I could become even more comfortable with all the lies. This, sadly, seems to be the case with some of those I have encountered in the matter.
I have always encouraged people to openly ask questions of me with regard to my faith. If I don't know the answer or cannot properly explain it with the Scriptural text at that time, I promise to look it up or ask someone who is more educated. I'm not a "Walking Google" as some others are and information is not always retained in my little brain as well as say some of my friends or my dear husband. My brain capacity is limited to the most immediately vital information - everything else is pushed out as soon as I have used it for its purpose...LOL!!!
For those of you who have doubts about my Christianity due to my faith, I encourage you to ask questions...ask me...ask someone with more knowledge, but please, do not determine your opinion based upon someone else's research who claims they are being truthful about it. Trust in yourself and go directly to the source. Then, you still may well disagree with it, but at least you'll fully understand what it is you're disagreeing with and why...rather than basing it upon half truths, misleading information and at times, outright lies.
Peace be with you, always.
No comments:
Post a Comment