This topic of Religion is meant to help myself put my questions, thoughts, and ideas into actual writing. I write this to express my feelings, and receiving some answers or suggestions would be great. This is NOT about me choosing to leave the Church.
This is not meant to offend anyone.Thank you.
___________________________________________________________________
I like to think of myself as a decently versed Catholic. I know a good amount of history about the Church, I've read a few Bible passages, and I've listened to priests' homilies and sermons. But I come across so many questions that I've never had answers for..or maybe I just haven't looked hard enough, which is extremely possible. I know that I must do more research if I'm to tackle these topics properly, but here's some random questions that I have when it comes to the Catholic church.
Something that has bothered me is the fact that the highest level in the Church's hierarchy that a woman can reach is to be a nun or sister. I've read that the Catholic church can't change this because Christ made the roles for men and women clear when he was on earth, and that no one else has the right to change that. That because he selected all male apostles (12 Disciples), it could be seen that he purposefully didn't choose women. This can be explained by the era He lived in, as women were seen as inferior to men. But this can't be the case, as different Bible verses state that Jesus didn't have a problem breaking the society's rules about women (Matt. 9:20; Luke 7:37; John 4:27). Also, it is stated that even though it seems unfair that women can't be priests, God has given women some things that men can't do, like give birth to children.
But still, these suggestions (I'm not calling them facts), still concern me. So the Catholic church can't change rules that were made thousands of years ago? The Church can't adapt? Elsewhere in the world, like the Middle East, where it is common for women to still be treated as inferior, change is being made. For example, Arab women aren't allowed to drive, yet an ongoing revolution (maybe not the best word, but you know what I mean) from the women themselves shows them acting independently and driving anyway. Many people are supportive of this throughout the world, many who are Catholic. But why encourage change, when your own religion doesn't even support it? I understand that some historical Catholic rituals must be kept sacred, like the Sacraments, but to not let women preach? I don't feel great about that. Especially when I know that even my devout-Catholic mother could provide Church goers with more inspirational and informative sermons and homilies.
Another little thing that I have a problem with is..why can't priests get married? You may think that this is me trying to be humorous here, but I really am not. Women are blessed with the greatest gift of all: being able to give birth to children. It's an amazing miracle of life when it occurs. But why are priests not able to join everyone else in the world and get married and have sex? Priests preach about love, something they definitely experience from the Church's local church goers through hospitality and a sense of community. But for some reason, they can't experience love with a significant other? It doesn't make sense to me.
This problem here is probably a good reason why Catholicism is seeing a lack of new recruits for priesthood. It's a serious concern, especially among young adults whom the Church aims to recruit. I just don't understand this limit for priests. Surely there are some "good, historical reasons" that the Church could give, but again, this is all about adapting to current society, in my point of view at least. And maybe this is a bit of a tangent, but wouldn't letting priests experience real love with a women decrease the frightening amount of child molestation cases that the Catholic Church's priests face? May seem like a wild proposition, but think about it and it makes sense.
All in all, these are just some random thoughts about flaws that I see with the Church. Believe me, I have more. I just want to save those for another post.
Thanks for reading.
------------------
Some topics (but not limited to) that I hope to cover in the upcoming days (in no particular order):
1) Other Religious Alternatives
2) Guilty Conscience About Lack of Faith
3) Catholics Against Homosexuals
------------------
Sources:
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0201sbs.asp
Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Perspective
I've had a rough night and day so far, going through some frustrating times. I've talked before about how life may bring you through some really dark tunnels, when there seems to be no end in sight. But in the grand scheme of things, that tunnel may only be a few miles long, really short compared to the (almost) eternal marathon that life seems to be. Frustration is only a ripple in life, sometimes even a larger wave. It will cause discomfort, but for a short amount of time.
But that wave could possibly overwhelm you. It's times like these that you need to use the power of perspective.
I was driving to work, slightly angry, sad, and a little bit shaken up. My mind was drifting into all these crazy, seemingly impossible, thoughts. I was frustrated beyond belief, actually.
Then I saw traffic building up on the side of the road. My anger spilled over and I cursed under my breath, remarking to myself about how idiotic slow drivers can sometimes be. But then I realized that the car that was moving extremely slowly was a hearse, and behind it was a morbid looking line of cars moving just as slowly. That's when I felt terrible about myself, realizing that my anger took control of me and blinded me to the importance of life.
Like actually living. Life is short and death is inevitable. Which is why one must live everyday as best as he or she can. You never know what can happen. You may lose a loved one, you may know someone who has fallen ill, or maybe you yourself may have something dire happen. It puts everything in perspective.
I know what I want in my life. I have an amazing family, friends that are practically family, and a girlfriend who I want to make family. But in times of frustration and anger, when its at the point where your boiling blood is about to overflow, take a step back, realize how good you really have it, and gain some perspective. Deal with your problems maturely, move on, and live life.
Sometimes you may find yourself moving too fast. Remember to pace yourself. Remember that eventually, you'll be leading a slow line of morbid looking cars.
Don't take anything for granted. Live to love and love to live.
_____
Sorry if this post seemed a little dark. Love you all.
But that wave could possibly overwhelm you. It's times like these that you need to use the power of perspective.
I was driving to work, slightly angry, sad, and a little bit shaken up. My mind was drifting into all these crazy, seemingly impossible, thoughts. I was frustrated beyond belief, actually.
Then I saw traffic building up on the side of the road. My anger spilled over and I cursed under my breath, remarking to myself about how idiotic slow drivers can sometimes be. But then I realized that the car that was moving extremely slowly was a hearse, and behind it was a morbid looking line of cars moving just as slowly. That's when I felt terrible about myself, realizing that my anger took control of me and blinded me to the importance of life.
Like actually living. Life is short and death is inevitable. Which is why one must live everyday as best as he or she can. You never know what can happen. You may lose a loved one, you may know someone who has fallen ill, or maybe you yourself may have something dire happen. It puts everything in perspective.
I know what I want in my life. I have an amazing family, friends that are practically family, and a girlfriend who I want to make family. But in times of frustration and anger, when its at the point where your boiling blood is about to overflow, take a step back, realize how good you really have it, and gain some perspective. Deal with your problems maturely, move on, and live life.
Sometimes you may find yourself moving too fast. Remember to pace yourself. Remember that eventually, you'll be leading a slow line of morbid looking cars.
Don't take anything for granted. Live to love and love to live.
_____
Sorry if this post seemed a little dark. Love you all.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Division
Division is taking something that is whole and separating it into different pieces. Division could be very useful; pizza pies can be evenly split, workloads can be tackled by a group or team, and, through miracles, even an entire sea can be split right down the middle. Division is great under certain circumstances.
But sometimes, division is the last thing you want.
A family divided is probably the saddest and one of the most life-numbing experiences one can go through. In this world, where the ultimate meaning of life is unknown (but there are thousands of different theories..that's a topic for another day), you are blessed with a few things in life. Shelter, food, friends, and, most importantly, family. You need to keep loved ones close to you, no matter what the circumstances are.
For a quick sidenote, always, ALWAYS, respect your parents. And if you're parents aren't alive anymore, do them justice, ask yourself if your mom or dad would approve of your actions, and keep their honor.
Brothers and sisters are special: you grow up with them, go through good times of laughter, hard times of anger, yet in the end, they will still be your sibling. They entered the world through the same womb as you did. Sometimes fights can go too far, I've experienced this with my sister before. Tears may be shed, unkind, but mostly unmeant, curse words may be screamed, and in the heat of the moment, hate may take hold. But time simmers heat eventually, and that temporary hate gets over powered by the sibling bond that you share.
Or that's how it's supposed to play out at least. Other factors sometimes take hold.
Greed. Disloyalty. Jealousy.
These driving factors cause the hate to actually increase over time, blinding the siblings into forgetting where they came from. The childhood that they shared, the insane adversity (adversity at levels that I don't believe I could've been successful in) that they battled through, and the beautiful moments of family and love that thrive when there is no animosity between each other.
The siblings also forget that they are adults. That they have children to think of. In a weird plot twist, it isn't unusual that the children (aka the cousins), may act more mature than the adults. It isn't the adults' fault; hate has blinded them so strongly, and unfortunately, weakening one sense doesn't tremendously empower your other senses like in super hero movies. But this is why it is important to learn history in the classrooms, as we are taught to try to learn from past experiences and to avoid having the same disastrous results.
Which is why my sister and I have vowed to never let money, in-laws, or material things get in the way of our relationship.
And why my sister and I remain extremely close to our cousins, despite any family drama that may occur.
The lesson in all this is that you can't forget where you came from and the siblings that you grew up with, the ones who share the same DNA and blood as you. In the end, you are fighting over things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. If you are religious, do you think there is a greater chance of you getting into Heaven if God sees that you have more money than some one else? Do you value your brothers and sisters, or can you live without talking to them for months, possibly years, at a time?
But most importantly, do you ever think of your parents? Would they approve of this? You really gotta ask yourself this and do some self-analysis.
Please just keep an open mind towards others, and learn how to forgive and move on.
Thanks.
Erick Julian
But sometimes, division is the last thing you want.
A family divided is probably the saddest and one of the most life-numbing experiences one can go through. In this world, where the ultimate meaning of life is unknown (but there are thousands of different theories..that's a topic for another day), you are blessed with a few things in life. Shelter, food, friends, and, most importantly, family. You need to keep loved ones close to you, no matter what the circumstances are.
For a quick sidenote, always, ALWAYS, respect your parents. And if you're parents aren't alive anymore, do them justice, ask yourself if your mom or dad would approve of your actions, and keep their honor.
Brothers and sisters are special: you grow up with them, go through good times of laughter, hard times of anger, yet in the end, they will still be your sibling. They entered the world through the same womb as you did. Sometimes fights can go too far, I've experienced this with my sister before. Tears may be shed, unkind, but mostly unmeant, curse words may be screamed, and in the heat of the moment, hate may take hold. But time simmers heat eventually, and that temporary hate gets over powered by the sibling bond that you share.
Or that's how it's supposed to play out at least. Other factors sometimes take hold.
Greed. Disloyalty. Jealousy.
These driving factors cause the hate to actually increase over time, blinding the siblings into forgetting where they came from. The childhood that they shared, the insane adversity (adversity at levels that I don't believe I could've been successful in) that they battled through, and the beautiful moments of family and love that thrive when there is no animosity between each other.
The siblings also forget that they are adults. That they have children to think of. In a weird plot twist, it isn't unusual that the children (aka the cousins), may act more mature than the adults. It isn't the adults' fault; hate has blinded them so strongly, and unfortunately, weakening one sense doesn't tremendously empower your other senses like in super hero movies. But this is why it is important to learn history in the classrooms, as we are taught to try to learn from past experiences and to avoid having the same disastrous results.
Which is why my sister and I have vowed to never let money, in-laws, or material things get in the way of our relationship.
And why my sister and I remain extremely close to our cousins, despite any family drama that may occur.
The lesson in all this is that you can't forget where you came from and the siblings that you grew up with, the ones who share the same DNA and blood as you. In the end, you are fighting over things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. If you are religious, do you think there is a greater chance of you getting into Heaven if God sees that you have more money than some one else? Do you value your brothers and sisters, or can you live without talking to them for months, possibly years, at a time?
But most importantly, do you ever think of your parents? Would they approve of this? You really gotta ask yourself this and do some self-analysis.
Please just keep an open mind towards others, and learn how to forgive and move on.
Thanks.
Erick Julian
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fresh Start
Hi and welcome to my first ever blog post on blogspot. I've always wanted a page that I could make mature and serious posts, unlike my tumblr (that I barely use) and nothing like Facebook (which I constantly check hourly, if not minute-ly. Truly a bad habit.).
The name of my blog is "Please and Thank You." I believe that one should always go out of his way to be nice to some one else. It's so easy and so quick..and that one action can make some one smile, feel thankful, or even want to pass along that small gesture. Don't call it chivalry, call it "being a decent human being."
To (crappily) quote the scholarly video game (oxymoron) L.A. Noire, "I'm not trying to save the world, just doing what I can to make it a little bit better." Those aren't the exact words, but it's something along those lines. If people follow that simple sentence and try to live up to it, isn't saying "Please and Thank You" a complete necessity?
My blog doesn't always have good deeds as topics..my life has way too many struggles for me to do that. If you find my writings interesting, please keep reading or maybe even leave a comment (!). But if you read my novice words and truthful thoughts, yet deem them unsatisfactory for yourself, thank you for giving me a shot and carry on with your life.
Because I'll carry on too.
Erick Julian
The name of my blog is "Please and Thank You." I believe that one should always go out of his way to be nice to some one else. It's so easy and so quick..and that one action can make some one smile, feel thankful, or even want to pass along that small gesture. Don't call it chivalry, call it "being a decent human being."
To (crappily) quote the scholarly video game (oxymoron) L.A. Noire, "I'm not trying to save the world, just doing what I can to make it a little bit better." Those aren't the exact words, but it's something along those lines. If people follow that simple sentence and try to live up to it, isn't saying "Please and Thank You" a complete necessity?
My blog doesn't always have good deeds as topics..my life has way too many struggles for me to do that. If you find my writings interesting, please keep reading or maybe even leave a comment (!). But if you read my novice words and truthful thoughts, yet deem them unsatisfactory for yourself, thank you for giving me a shot and carry on with your life.
Because I'll carry on too.
Erick Julian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)