Religion is a big part of my life. I was born and raised in the Catholic faith. I love God with all my heart. Yes, I do pray to Mary, the saints, and the angels for help. This doesn't mean I worship idols though, and if you think Catholics do that, then you can't pass judgement on my faith, because you obviously don't know it. You probably have a bunch of preconcieved notions that other people have told you. And most of them have done limitted research, if any.
I know a lot of people think religion is bogus, and that God is a joke. Or that people are religious because they were forced to, and are stupid enough to believe any hand-fed bullshit. Sorry to break it to you, but you're wrong. God isn't a crutch, and if you believe it is, then I say your pride and vanity is your crutch. I have come by my faith through my own choice, NOT because I was force-fed.
Faith is something you have, or you don't. The bible says faith is God-given. Some people have different versions of the Christian faith. Some people see God differently, and the bible differently. Some views are contradictory, even thought both sides (or more) can back up their claims in the bible. But if God cannot be divided, then there should only be one faith. And who to say the original church (catholic) is not that one faith? Who is to say the the many times many protestant denominations, which can't even agree either, are the true faith(s)? People have different views, and most will never change. I read the bible (mainly because I was told to....yes, by God). But I don't go by the bible alone. As I said, people have different views and can back them up in the bible. So obviously (least obviously to me and other catholics) you can't go by the bible alone. You need other means, catholics use tradition (yes, that too is mentioned in the bible). We also get guidance from those over us (priests, bishops, the pope) on interpretation - since there are many ways to interpret the same passage. Plus, if you rely too much on the written Word, and not enough on the Word itself, and the Word written in our hearts, then the real purpose of the Bible is minimized.
"My Faith is the Evidence of Things Unseen" ~DC TALK
I have learned alot through the break-up. I envy nor begrudge any man. Each has his own worth and it is not mine to judge whether he uses it accordingly, or with the best intents. I save so much for tomorrow, for the "just in case", the emergency, the unknown, I deny myself much joy today. Tomorrow is not granted to me, so why be so preoccupied with it? When the time comes, things will right themselves out then. And if anything has taught me anything (haha) that no matter how much you prepare for the unexpected, it still catches you off-guard. And no matter what you prepared, will not be what was actually needed in the time. So, trusting in God to provide at the right times, I'm going to splurge. Which would make my ex so proud of me ;) saddly, too late did I learn this. But, being that God commands all things, perhaps I did not learn it too late, but rather, when I was supposed to. *smiles* Time will show all things, as all things bear good or bad fruit in the precepts of time. Wheeeeee *is totally going off on a contemplative spree* So anyway. I should stop now, or I'll never stop. I could go on for hours just contemplating, which gives me hope though, since it seems that saint augustine (did i horribly butcher his name? i hope not) did the same thing, wrote a whole book on it. =)
All I know, is I'm not dead yet. And, by now, I should be. I've had my fair share of close calls, or self-induced ones :p I have a few friends, well, that I've helped. This alone has given me reason to believe, my life has reason. Though, it is quite hard to see that most of the time, as humans, we tend to be rather near-sighted. 80 years feels a heck of a lot longer than eternity, I'll tell you that much. And 80 years of pain, seems totally not worth an eternity of joy. But, that's only because our minds are so simple, and because we exist in this life. I'm quite sure an eternity of hell will be much more painful than all the hurtful experiences possible in life, combined in 80 years. But, all we're given is the here and now :) And I hope for no more regrets, even if I am not granted the priveledge of happiness here.
"Faith is believing in something, even when common sense tells you not to" ~Miracle on 31st Street
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