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.
Friday, May 31, 2013
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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