WHY I LOVE CATHOLICISM Quote:
It encourages the legislation of morality ―
Here is a list of things you should not do. It would be wrong for you to do them, and it would be wrong for anyone else to do them as well. |
1.) It is essentially a positive religion.
Christ came and put the old testament laws into context when he gave the two great commandments.
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And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
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Catholicism, based on scripture and Christ's teaching, is essentially a positive religion. Based on the cultural conditions around us, a lot of the time all we hear from the Church is a list of "don'ts."
The greatest commandment of any follower of Christ is to love, which is far from a "don't."
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It discourages people from thinking for themselves ―
This is where we come from, this is where we're going, and this is what we should do in the meantime. You don't need to figure these things out for yourself. |
2.) It encourages people to think.
We could debate the this question quite a bit... but just look at the Jesuits or read something by our current Pope and you'll see what I'm getting at.
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It devalues reason and logic ―
None of this has to make sense, just put your faith in God. |
3.) It values reason.
Historically speaking, Catholicism has been one of the only religions to use philosophy, logic and reason when explaining its beliefs, something not found in almost all protestant traditions. (in recent days yes, but back in the day)
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It opposes the quest for knowledge, about ourselves and the world we live in ―
This is why we're here, this is how things work, and you're all lowly creatures who've been put here to worship your creator. |
4.) It gives an amazing respect for the world and a drive to understand it.
A Catholic considers himself a steward of creation, and if he takes his faith seriously, he should have a profound respect for the world, and a drive to understand it.
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It focuses on the hereafter at the expense of the now ―
Do not concern yourself with worldly pursuits. You should do these things and refrain from doing these other things if you want to get into Heaven. |
5.) Eternal Life.
In the eyes of a Catholic, salvation has already come. We already participate in eternity, be we living and breathing, or five feet under and stuffed in formaldehyde.
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It's one more group for people to put themselves into, which makes for more strife and division among mankind ―
Hold your head up high as a Christian. You'll be rewarded with everlasting bliss, while everyone else will languish in Hell for all eternity. |
6.) It is a religion of humility.
A Catholic is called to radical humility. If Catholics live out the Gospel mandate, it is essentially a religion of peace. One needs only to read the lives of Mother Teresa or John Paul II to see what I'm getting at.
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All of this with no basis for its claims whatsoever ―
Evidence isn't necessary. You know this is right because you've got a feeling, or maybe you had a personal revelation. Of course, anybody who claims to have had a personal revelation confirming that a different belief system is correct must be lying or crazy. Probably both. [/list]Done and done. <Sorry I couldn't think of a better title. I was rushed.> |
-see numbers two and three.
Final Comments Oftentimes it's so easy to see only the negatives of a few radicals and condemn the whole. Believe me, the movie
Jesus Camp sickens me perhaps more than you.
Having an open mind requires not focusing on only the bad. I'll be the first to admit that Catholics have been some quite despicable people over the centuries, including myself.
Can you see anything good within Catholicism?
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Most religions that are followed nowadays are mostly peaceful.
02-23-2007
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