We humans need a major reality check. A big, slap you upside the head, knock you on your butt, get your bell rung kind of reality check. We are so unbelievably, horribly selfish. Every day I read the headlines, the articles and especially the comment boxes and I am blown away by how ME focused we have become, how "relative" all aspects of life are and how intolerant and hypocritical people have become in the name of tolerance. Why do I say this? Because I use to be that person! (And if I'm honest, in some aspects I still am - thank the Lord for confession). I use to think this is MY world, this is MY body, this is MY truth, I do things MY way and that is the way it should be for everyone and if everyone just followed that philosophy then we would all get along famously and no one would feel judged or be hurt.
That is the biggest crock of crap philosophy ever. It serves one person and one person only - the person who believes it. It harms everyone else (at some point) and the truth is it also harms the person believing it.
1John 1:5-10. God is light. But in order to walk in the light we must admit that we sin. Most exclaim His great mercy (which is true) but they fail to realize that in order to receive that mercy we must first acknowledge then admit that we have done something (sin) on which the mercy can be bestowed. He doesn't just go around sprinkling forgiveness like pixie dust. His mercy is great, but in order to receive it our humility and our honesty about our concupiscence must be greater.
So if by divine grace we realized that we may have SOME of these tendencies and that we MAY want to change ourselves, what is a person to do?
1. Get over yourself. Start adopting and applying the virtue of humility. Learn what it means to be humble. Take large bites of that pie.
2. Study history. The history opposite of what you know (or think you know). Especially the histories of those you most disagree with. If you are American study European history. If you are a non-denominational Christian, study Catholicism (written by Catholics) **and no, it doesn't count if you were "raised" Catholic and you think you can skip doing this. I know SO MANY "cradle-Catholics" practicing and non-practicing that have absolutely NO idea about the history or teachings of the Catholic church and they believe the same lies and distortions about the church as those people who get their catechism from secular media.** Ask questions about said history, talk to people who live it.
3. Study culture. It is very hard to understand the history of a country or belief if you first don't understand their culture.
4. Slowly take time to reflect on the fact that you may be wrong about some things. SHOCKER! This works only if you have been working diligently on Step 1.
5. Search for truth. Not YOUR truth, THE truth. There are "truths" with a little "t" and then there is Truth with a big "T". Learn to understand and see the difference.
6. Go to counseling. If the thought of doing any of the steps above makes you anxious, angry or defensive, you may have some internal wounds that need some healing.
And lastly, admit it. Admit that you don't know everything. Admit that you are selfish. Admit that you DO judge others. Admit that you don't have any idea about what you are talking about. Admit that you make mistakes. Admit that you are afraid if you don't go along with what the world and the media says is "right" that you will be shunned, hated and abandoned. Admit everything about yourself that you fear the most.
Once you admit it, you will start to see just a shimmer of what it means to be "free".
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Sometimes the Truth is Horrible
**WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW**
Today I read a story about a young woman who is set to graduate from a pro-life college who took it upon herself to display photos showing the truthful horror of abortion on campus. Her college thought this a bad idea and is now making life pretty awful for her. See article here: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/06/christian-university-feuds-with-pro-life-student-over-graphic-abortion-display/
Here is the letter I sent to a number of officials at the college.:
__________________________________________________________________________
Sometimes the truth of our inhumanity can only be described in photographs. It is the only way to capture the stark reality of how horribly we can regard life. People can argue with a journalist’s column or a study. But you cannot argue with a photograph. Graphic images have graced the covers of magazines and made the front pages of newspapers to make people aware of these horrors and reveal the truth about the evil actions we are capable of committing. Those who sometimes risk their lives to take these photos don’t do it in the hopes that they will be displayed indoors for those who choose to see them. They take them so that we all may have the chance to absorb their message, to shock our hardened souls and to hopefully bring about a change of heart so that we can start to regard each other with the dignity that each individual on this planet deserves.
The pictures that Diana Jimenez showed were disturbing. They should be. Abortion is the ultimate inhuman act. But these photos spoke the truth.
Would you have stopped her if she had shown the following pictures on campus? The ones that have been shared the world over in magazines, papers and on the internet? Are these pictures more acceptable because they are now considered history? The number of babies being killed world-wide is historical too because it is wiping out generation after generation of people who have NO VOICE and no ability to fight back. People need to realize this. People need to SEE this. Just as they need to see the truth of war, the truth of the Holocaust and the truth of racism.
I beg you to consider this going forward and especially in your treatment of Ms. Jimenez.
Sincerely,
Brandi Nagel
PICTURES OF WAR:
PICTURES OF THE HOLOCAUST:
PICTURES OF LYNCHINGS AND RACISM:
Today I read a story about a young woman who is set to graduate from a pro-life college who took it upon herself to display photos showing the truthful horror of abortion on campus. Her college thought this a bad idea and is now making life pretty awful for her. See article here: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/06/christian-university-feuds-with-pro-life-student-over-graphic-abortion-display/
Here is the letter I sent to a number of officials at the college.:
__________________________________________________________________________
Sometimes the truth of our inhumanity can only be described in photographs. It is the only way to capture the stark reality of how horribly we can regard life. People can argue with a journalist’s column or a study. But you cannot argue with a photograph. Graphic images have graced the covers of magazines and made the front pages of newspapers to make people aware of these horrors and reveal the truth about the evil actions we are capable of committing. Those who sometimes risk their lives to take these photos don’t do it in the hopes that they will be displayed indoors for those who choose to see them. They take them so that we all may have the chance to absorb their message, to shock our hardened souls and to hopefully bring about a change of heart so that we can start to regard each other with the dignity that each individual on this planet deserves.
The pictures that Diana Jimenez showed were disturbing. They should be. Abortion is the ultimate inhuman act. But these photos spoke the truth.
Would you have stopped her if she had shown the following pictures on campus? The ones that have been shared the world over in magazines, papers and on the internet? Are these pictures more acceptable because they are now considered history? The number of babies being killed world-wide is historical too because it is wiping out generation after generation of people who have NO VOICE and no ability to fight back. People need to realize this. People need to SEE this. Just as they need to see the truth of war, the truth of the Holocaust and the truth of racism.
I beg you to consider this going forward and especially in your treatment of Ms. Jimenez.
Sincerely,
Brandi Nagel
PICTURES OF WAR:
PICTURES OF THE HOLOCAUST:
PICTURES OF LYNCHINGS AND RACISM:
Vs.
Republican vs. Democrat. Left vs. Right. Liberal vs. Conservative. North vs. South. Verses, verses, verses, verses. There doesn't seem to be much that we are UNITED in these states about anymore.
I have a request. To all journalists, bloggers, cartoonists, meme makers, heck anyone who has the ability to access the internet and make a statement; please STOP the labels. Stop the division. Stop the generalization and attacks. It isn't making this world any better and it doesn't help your cause.
I am so sick of people being labeled "conservative right Republicans" or "liberal left Democrats" like they are the Patriots vs. the Colts. It causes us to consciously or subconsciously root for our team [no matter what]. This pigeon-holing keeps our minds from processing situations and topics logically because we mustn't deviate from our "team" and their "rules".
Not all Republicans are power and money hungry beasts who only care about themselves. Not all Democrats are radical socialist hippies. Not all "right conservatives" are freedom constricting, dogmatic, wet blankets. Not all "left liberals" are rule-hating, self-centered, baby killers.
Yes, we all have different points of view - but the media wants us to draw lines in the sand and ready our pistols for a showdown at noon. We are whipping ourselves into a frenzy and refusing to listen to each other or even have a decent conversation. We believe it is ok to write the most nasty, vile and hate filled remarks in the comment boxes of news articles. We've forgotten that there are living, breathing, suffering, dying, hoping, praying, hurting, joyful and scared human beings behind those stories, behind those words, behind those pictures.
The human race may disappear physically because bullets fly and bombs explode. But that won't be what kills us. What comes first are the words. The words spoken in hate born from ignorance. The threats verbalized and written. That is what will kill us. The anger and evil that will flow from our lips and fingertips in every language on every continent is what will cause the bullets to be fired and the bombs to be dropped.
Our words are the most deadly weapon on the planet.
Stop the labels. Stop the division. Stop the hate.
We will not agree on everything, but you can do your part and think before you speak.
I have a request. To all journalists, bloggers, cartoonists, meme makers, heck anyone who has the ability to access the internet and make a statement; please STOP the labels. Stop the division. Stop the generalization and attacks. It isn't making this world any better and it doesn't help your cause.
I am so sick of people being labeled "conservative right Republicans" or "liberal left Democrats" like they are the Patriots vs. the Colts. It causes us to consciously or subconsciously root for our team [no matter what]. This pigeon-holing keeps our minds from processing situations and topics logically because we mustn't deviate from our "team" and their "rules".
Not all Republicans are power and money hungry beasts who only care about themselves. Not all Democrats are radical socialist hippies. Not all "right conservatives" are freedom constricting, dogmatic, wet blankets. Not all "left liberals" are rule-hating, self-centered, baby killers.
Yes, we all have different points of view - but the media wants us to draw lines in the sand and ready our pistols for a showdown at noon. We are whipping ourselves into a frenzy and refusing to listen to each other or even have a decent conversation. We believe it is ok to write the most nasty, vile and hate filled remarks in the comment boxes of news articles. We've forgotten that there are living, breathing, suffering, dying, hoping, praying, hurting, joyful and scared human beings behind those stories, behind those words, behind those pictures.
The human race may disappear physically because bullets fly and bombs explode. But that won't be what kills us. What comes first are the words. The words spoken in hate born from ignorance. The threats verbalized and written. That is what will kill us. The anger and evil that will flow from our lips and fingertips in every language on every continent is what will cause the bullets to be fired and the bombs to be dropped.
Our words are the most deadly weapon on the planet.
Stop the labels. Stop the division. Stop the hate.
We will not agree on everything, but you can do your part and think before you speak.
Friday, May 31, 2013
C.S. Lewis - Jesus: Lord, Liar or Lunatic
I have started reading the works of C.S. Lewis. Lewis is most famous for his Narnia series which is laced with Christian symbolism. What interests me is that he was once an atheist. Below I've copied one of his best quotes about whether Christ was really who he said he was while here on earth. Many people I know like to state that they think him a good teacher, but not our Lord. This quote I've found is a thoughtful and appropriate response.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Jesus was either the Lord our God, a liar, or a lunatic.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Jesus was either the Lord our God, a liar, or a lunatic.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
"Defending your Catholic faith is easy." Said no Catholic ever.
"Defending your Catholic faith is easy." Said no Catholic ever.
For me, deciding to become a Catholic and going through the process of coming into the Church was easy once I made up my mind to start the process. I absorbed everything taught in RCIA, I prayed about the issues I didn't understand, I bought and borrowed all kinds of books on conversion stories and church history and I listened to countless podcast hours on theology.
In my formation I heard rumblings about the persecution, rejection and the hostility that one might face when making the decision to become Catholic, but I am an optimist (dare I say an idealist) and I hoped that everyone would see how much I loved it, how much joy it brought me and they too would either have their fire relit, find resources to deepen their faith or at least charitably ask questions about my experience. At the moment however, my optimism finds itself isolated in the vacuum of reality, choking to death.
Don't get me wrong, I am very lucky that to my knowledge, no one has permanently cut ties with me because of my conversion. However, I have gotten many healthy doses of anger (direct and indirect), defiance, eye rolls, rejection, annoyance, argument, condemnation, name calling, avoidance, silence and the ever popular fish-eye.
I make an effort at all times to adhere to 1 Peter 3:15-17 - "Simply proclaim the Lord Christ holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their accusations. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong." I keep this in mind whenever I post an article, share a doctrine or have a conversation about Catholicism and it's teachings. If I feel that I am making the person uncomfortable, I stop. I try to ask questions instead, but even that doesn't always seem to work. I have come to the conclusion that I am the most horrible apologist and witness to the faith ever. At times, I feel I overwhelm even those who have a sufficient formation of faith. I am the Catholic "Tommy Boy".
I chose Saint Paul as my Confirmation Saint hoping that because I too was "knocked off my horse" and I had some credibility as a writer that I would embody the traits (even on a tiny level) that made him such a force in spreading the word of our Lord. What I failed to realize was that Paul's life was full of torture, pain and persecution. Be careful what you wish for.
Despite all these trials I will continue to defend my faith. I will learn from my mistakes, I will apologize when I hurt someone and I will pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance in speaking with others.
For me, deciding to become a Catholic and going through the process of coming into the Church was easy once I made up my mind to start the process. I absorbed everything taught in RCIA, I prayed about the issues I didn't understand, I bought and borrowed all kinds of books on conversion stories and church history and I listened to countless podcast hours on theology.
In my formation I heard rumblings about the persecution, rejection and the hostility that one might face when making the decision to become Catholic, but I am an optimist (dare I say an idealist) and I hoped that everyone would see how much I loved it, how much joy it brought me and they too would either have their fire relit, find resources to deepen their faith or at least charitably ask questions about my experience. At the moment however, my optimism finds itself isolated in the vacuum of reality, choking to death.
Don't get me wrong, I am very lucky that to my knowledge, no one has permanently cut ties with me because of my conversion. However, I have gotten many healthy doses of anger (direct and indirect), defiance, eye rolls, rejection, annoyance, argument, condemnation, name calling, avoidance, silence and the ever popular fish-eye.
I make an effort at all times to adhere to 1 Peter 3:15-17 - "Simply proclaim the Lord Christ holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their accusations. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong." I keep this in mind whenever I post an article, share a doctrine or have a conversation about Catholicism and it's teachings. If I feel that I am making the person uncomfortable, I stop. I try to ask questions instead, but even that doesn't always seem to work. I have come to the conclusion that I am the most horrible apologist and witness to the faith ever. At times, I feel I overwhelm even those who have a sufficient formation of faith. I am the Catholic "Tommy Boy".
I chose Saint Paul as my Confirmation Saint hoping that because I too was "knocked off my horse" and I had some credibility as a writer that I would embody the traits (even on a tiny level) that made him such a force in spreading the word of our Lord. What I failed to realize was that Paul's life was full of torture, pain and persecution. Be careful what you wish for.
Despite all these trials I will continue to defend my faith. I will learn from my mistakes, I will apologize when I hurt someone and I will pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance in speaking with others.
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