Let's Talk About Common Misunderstandings, Shall We?

So, I have a dear friend who recently contacted me on Facebook about a post she read in here Theology Class group.  It was concerning a woman who is at odds with her in-laws with regard to their Catholic faith.  My friend asked me to please provide a means of response to this post because she does not feel that Catholics are in opposition to Christ's Teachings.  She feels this way because she knows some very devout Catholics (I am humbled to be on her list, in fact) who practice their faith fully and therefore, it's obvious to her that Catholics are, indeed, one with Christ and His Teachings. 

As I welcome inquiries into my faith and am thankful for a wonderful friend who asks questions rather than making assumptions, I was happy to oblige her.  Below is the excerpt of the post she sent to me and then, my response to her.  Perhaps some of you may find this helpful, as well?  Perhaps, it might give you pause? Ultimately, I hope that it will remind you that if we are following Christ and are "for Him" then we are inevitably "on the same team."

Peace be with you.

I am married to a converted catholic and have struggled for nearly 20-years with the issue of the crucifix with my in-laws. My mother-in-law believes so strongly in this symbol that she actually snuck one into the back of a picture frame that she gave to me at my baby shower. She knew that I disapproved of the use of the crucifix, so she figured that if it was taped in the back of the frame that her grandson would be protected by the power of it and that I would never know. Years after the birth of our son I discovered the secretly hidden object in his room. I was initially angered by the clandestine actions but through God’s grace I was able to eventually discuss it with her. God knows that at times we are unable to handle certain events and allows them when He knows we can deal with them. Had I found it the first few years of my sons life I would have been unable to peacefully discuss it.


Her belief in that symbolic figure is so important to her that she is unable to understand why I am so equally opposed to it. I guess that is why the first few paragraphs of this article really stood out to me. When he says, “a number of Christians feel that their gospel presentations should include simply the fact of Christ’s death, but not his resurrection. Some go so far as to have a crucifix in their homes or around their necks with a corpse hanging on it. Certainly such a picture elicits remorse and pity. But does it offer hope” I was immediately reminded of my in-laws and many of the other catholic acquaintances in my life. The idea that they seemingly worship a dead savior and not a risen one grieves my heart.


Wallace so clearly shows how vital it is to understand why the resurrection is so important for our lives. The fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy and the wiping away of our sin debt is a clear reason to display a bare cross to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus and the gift of eternity. As Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”.

I do love you so dearly! :-) Thank you for coming to me and asking me the question. I am never offended or dismayed by anyone questioning the "why" of things we do as Catholics. Being a devout Catholic, myself, I often have to clarify common misconceptions.

• Some are brought on by Catholics who are "Catholic" in name only.
• Others are brought on by perpetuated myths and misunderstandings about our faith.
• And still yet, there are times when it is a combination of both poor Catholic representation AND perpetuated misunderstandings...those are always fun! LOL

First of all, I think I explained the rosary, right? It is our way of keeping "time" or "focus" while praying. It helps us to keep "track" of where we are in the prayer, as well. As we've discussed before, when we are praying the "Hail Mary" we are repeating what was spoken to Mary by the Angel as well as her cousin, Elizabeth and then, asking for her help in prayer. We do not worship her and the full rosary is about meditation...focusing on Christ's amazing life and sacrifice for us while praying for an intention. When we ask for Mary's prayer, we are doing the same thing that anyone might do in a time of need...asking someone they love and trust to please pray for them and/or their need. :-)

Second, the post you sent is quite clearly tinged with significant emotions, indeed. You are correct in your assumption that it appears she has a strong bias toward Catholicism based upon her own upbringing. The strong language she uses to describe certain events and feelings indicates that wholeheartedly. I think that her case is a combination of misunderstanding and possibly, not a full or correct representation by her Catholic in-laws. Sometimes, too, there are cases where the Catholic is a devout Catholic, but perhaps lacks the skills of properly and clearly explaining our faith, which can also lend itself to a lot of confusion. Maybe that is what's occurred here? I'm not sure.

However, to properly explain...the crucifix is NOT our way of recognizing only Christ's death and ignoring His resurrection. It is a symbol - not unlike plain crosses to others - that reminds us of His incredibly selfless sacrifice. It is sacred as a symbol because Christ's life, death AND resurrection is sacred to us. We never want to forget all that He did for us so that we might be saved and receive hope of meeting our Father in Heaven...without His sacrifice...without His death AND resurrection...we would all be lost. Catholicism is also a combination of Scripture (mostly Scripture) and oral tradition. It's important to note that the Bible was originated by the Catholic Church...therefore...it cannot be in opposition to the Church's teachings because the Bible came from those teachings. Does that make sense?

A common misconception (one I had myself, before I learned about it and converted, actually) is that Catholics worship images/idols/statues rather than Christ and God. That is wholly untrue. The statues and artwork you see are simply more reminders - things we keep close to help us to NEVER forget why we are here...why were are blessed...why we are Saved! We don't worship those things, but they help to serve as constant reminders of what our faith is about...at its core. It is always and has always been about Christ's love for us and how He sacrificed Himself...how God sacrificed His ONLY Son for our sins...that because He did this, we are not doomed to Hell. He created that "bridge" between us and God. In our creed, we discuss what we believe and it clearly states that Christ "died, was buried and rose again" so we most certainly do not ignore that He is the RISEN LORD. :-)

Many people get hung up on things because, to put it in simple terms, they have been taught to believe that way by leaders of other denominations. I always like to remind people that "denominations" are not "of God" but rather, are manmade. Once Christ died, Catholics were made up of the Jews and Gentiles that chose to follow His way and His teachings...to answer the call He placed upon them. It wasn't until hundreds of years later that there was a split within the Church that gave us the thousands of denominations we have today. That split, while there were things that desperately needed addressing at the time, was the result of Luther taking it upon Himself to determine what Christ had ordained from the beginning...essentially, making the very mistakes in things that he so worried about. Instead of addressing them at the source, he simply created a new religion. From that...from him, stemmed all of the other Christian faiths we know so commonly today.

Before becoming Catholic, I wanted to find answers. I found them historically and Scripturally. It helped to lead me here and to a deeper found faith for which I am eternally grateful. Sadly, I find that many denominations spend entirely too much time worrying about Catholics and what Catholics "do" or "don't do" as opposed to focusing upon their own faith lives. I have yet to understand that. People get far too hung up on the differences and deciding "who" has the authority to preach the Gospel. And yet, do they not recall what was clearly stated by Christ, Himself?

"John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."

Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward."
Mark 9:38-41

Love you - miss you!
Christine