Monday, August 26, 2013
Religion
I will not get into why, but religion came to the forefront this evening. I never thought it would be a divisive subject, but it somehow always is. I hate organized religion. I hated it when my father beat it into me. I hated it when I was told to sit down and shut up being one of the few protestants in a catholic school. I hate it now that my son is supposed to live in limbo/purgatory because he was never baptized in the catholic church (yes, I refuse to capitalize those words). What bothers me the most is that people...very flawed people (just like me) believe they have it right. How arrogant we are to think we know what is beyond our understanding. No matter if I am wrong or right, God and I will work it out, or not. Either way, I am not going to ask "saints" or "intermediaries" to speak for me. I will stand tall in front of "god" and say what needs to be said. There will be no prayer, no kneeling, no asking of forgiveness...that is not what "god" and I need to resolve. What we need to resolve is very clear and very simple, and when we speak, s/he will give me answers or damn me to hell. I couldn't care less what the end result is, just as long as I get my answers.
I am defiently a "cafeteria catholic" because I can in no way believe that God would not let a child straight into Heaven just because he or she wasn't baptized! I*t is sad though that many people do believe that. I went to a funeral for a friend whose son was still born. At the very "catholic" cemetery, there were headstones that actually stated the babies had not been baptized. I can't think of anything sadder.
ReplyDeletewe had many people praying for my son to be healed of his cancer. He was not. But I don't believe that was all "in God's plan", as I don't believe your sons death was. We are now facing another life struggle - a baby to be born with down syndrome AND a heart defect that will require surgery. I ask people to pray for our STRENGTH to make it though each day!
Nancy
Recently I have returned to the Catholic Church. Not just the usual one either -- the Old School Tridentine Mass. Kneeling, genuflecting, rosary-reciting, you name it. They espouse things that I can't reconcile in my mind - but the one thing I find challenging and spiritually fortifying is the observance of Obedience. I have been rebellious and stubborn my whole life. I can't say it has served me well. I am giving this way of worshiping God a second chance. And I do not equate Dogma with God. Christ himself was a destroyer of Dogma.
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