Blogging...
So, the day that the life sentence came for Al Qaeda Terrorist Moussaoui, I wrote an entry on one of my other blogs about him. (click the link to read the blog). Anyway, what I wrote was support for the life sentence, because I don't, as both a Catholic and a Christian, believe in the death penalty. I believe that everyone deserves a chance to come to terms with their maker and ask for forgiveness -- along with the opportunity to ask Jesus Christ to be their personal savior.
Anyway, I didn't think my blog gloated on the fact that I believe Mr. Moussaoui will spend eternity in the fires of Hell. I believe this because he doesn't show any remorse and he made a statement after the sentencing "America, you lost."
Well, I took some heat from a reader in New York. And, that's understandable, not everyone has to agree with my statement, but she wrote something that's really been digging at me since I read it:
Now, I don't believe in everything the Catholic Church states, but I feel at home when I attend Mass. I enjoy participating in the Mass. I have felt closer to God and Jesus since I first decided to be Catholic.
So, I guess I take great offense of someone questioning my Christianity merely because they don't have the same way of expressing their faith as I do. I wouldn't question the faithfulness of a Lutheran or a Methodist because they don't choose to practice the same faith as me.
So, I'm curious -- if you aren't Catholic, how do you see the Catholic Church and if you are Catholic, have you experienced this kind of doubt from other believers?
And, speaking as someone who was reared with a non-Catholic bent, is it me or are protestants becoming the new Catholics? Wasn't the Catholic religion the one that pre-judged everyone? Wasn't it the Catholics who thought they were the only ones going to Heaven? Now, it seems like for some protestants, the roles are reversed. BTW, I'm sure there's still high and mighty Catholics out there, but I'm running into less and less of them.
God Bless
Anyway, I didn't think my blog gloated on the fact that I believe Mr. Moussaoui will spend eternity in the fires of Hell. I believe this because he doesn't show any remorse and he made a statement after the sentencing "America, you lost."
Well, I took some heat from a reader in New York. And, that's understandable, not everyone has to agree with my statement, but she wrote something that's really been digging at me since I read it:
"For one thing, I doubt that you are a "Christian" if you are a Catholic.....faith in an organization is not the same as faith in Our savior."This bugs me. Since when is the Catholic Church not a part of the Christian faith? Since when are they mutually exclusive? As a Catholic, I believe that Peter was our first bishop of Rome, or, as he is now known, the Pope.
Now, I don't believe in everything the Catholic Church states, but I feel at home when I attend Mass. I enjoy participating in the Mass. I have felt closer to God and Jesus since I first decided to be Catholic.
So, I guess I take great offense of someone questioning my Christianity merely because they don't have the same way of expressing their faith as I do. I wouldn't question the faithfulness of a Lutheran or a Methodist because they don't choose to practice the same faith as me.
So, I'm curious -- if you aren't Catholic, how do you see the Catholic Church and if you are Catholic, have you experienced this kind of doubt from other believers?
And, speaking as someone who was reared with a non-Catholic bent, is it me or are protestants becoming the new Catholics? Wasn't the Catholic religion the one that pre-judged everyone? Wasn't it the Catholics who thought they were the only ones going to Heaven? Now, it seems like for some protestants, the roles are reversed. BTW, I'm sure there's still high and mighty Catholics out there, but I'm running into less and less of them.
God Bless
posted by Julie at 9:45 PM
3 Comments:
Julie, I have some comments on this very topic. I am not Catholic, I consider myself a non-demoninational Christian. I have never been to a Catholic Mass, but I do have a very good friend that is Catholic, and grew up with some Catholics. I believe that it doesn't matter what church you go to, or what type of Christian you are, as long as you beleive in Jesus Christ. As you recall Martin Luther had problems with the Church of England...Henry's Church of England to be exact. The separation of Church and state was abandoned and that is what caused the extreme disatisfaction. Also, the Catholic Church of other nations is very different from the one we have here in America. I was talking about this the other day with some friends and they said that every religion was different in America, that we had lost our fire. I beleive with Faith there are absolutes. If you know in your heart that one thing is going to happen, then in your mind it is absolute. So, I think you shouldn't worry about what so and so said, if you are truly a Christian, which a lot of Catholics are (the ones that arent are just in it for the motions with no passion, don't worry the Prodestant Church has a lot of those too) then your absolute will come through your Faith in Jesus Christ.
Erin,
Thanks so much for your kind words.
I've taken a lot of heat for being Catholic, but something about the reader's words really bugged the heck out of me. Not because I doubt my own faith, but because I couldn't understand the attack. If you don't agree with the Catholic faith, fine, but I couldn't believe someone else would doubt my faith in Christ because of my religious choice.
She had gone on to even doubt my ability to be a good Catholic, since I'm gay, which sets me off to no end.
Thanks for reminding me that words are just words and my relationship with God is not damaged by someone else's belief system.
God Bless
Julie
It seems that Erin has calmed your nerves from an obviously spiteful, and undeserved attack on the Catholic beliefs. In response to your request on how I view the Catholic faith. I don't follow the Catholic beliefs because I feel the Catholic Church is over structured in ceremonies and rituals. Where Jesus offered us salvation through his blood and forgiveness of sins through the grace of God, the Catholic faith seems to want to cling to following the old laws of the Old Testament where a believer needs to pay a preset price for forgiveness of sins. The Jewish people were very stubborn and set in their ways when Jesus came to them, so after he died and Peter and Paul (et al) were establishing the church, Peter permitted this emulation of the old law as a way for the Jewish people to mentally accept Jesus and the Christian belief, even though it was not neccessary. Protestant belief says that each person can communicate with God personally and directly through prayer. Yes God has spoken to me and has revealeed many things to me, and I have found he has a sense of humor, but I digress... One example would be the confessional, another would be Lent. Lent serves as a powerful reminder to remember Jesus's 40 days in the wilderness and to help each of us for our ministries and work. For the spiritually new or immature, a yearly reminder is helpful. For the spiritually mature a period of fasting and penance may be needed more than once per year and for different length's of time in order to prepare for acts of ministry. The rigid schedule and number of ceremonies seems good, at first, for those new to Christianity, but become cumbersome and restricting to those of advanced faith or greater hunger for the Word of God. So I feel the Catholic belief system is in the long run, determental to fully opening one's mind to the truth's Jesus revealed to us and acts more like a support system for those who have little faith. I can't say which I would rather be a part of: a church that bring millions to accept Jesus as their personal savior and have only enough faith to get to Heaven, or be part of a group of one hundred that pour every ounce of their heart and soul into the study and finding of God. The latter seems more fulfilling and maybe more selfish, so maybe in God's eyes he would want me to perform the former so more of his children can come home. Currently I'm praying God will show me how to have both. God Bless You
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