I'm Taking a Break

FRiends, tonight I went to mass with my family, and one of the scriptures was the story of "The Road to Emmaus." The monsignor's sermon was on that topic, and it was excellent. He started out by asking why Jesus would allow the disciples not to recognize Him until He broke bread for them, and his thought was that Christ wanted us to look for Him everywhere, to remember that He said "Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me" so that we would realize though we may not recognize Him at first, He is there.

This excellent sermon led me to thinking about another crucial teaching; when Christ was asked, "Who is my neighbor?" He gave the example of the Good Samaritan. This has to be a familiar parable to every Christian, so I won't repeat it here.

I am sure that anyone who has been reading active religion threads lately has wondered about the second commandment: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." There has been a remarkable lack of kindness therein. I have been a part of that unkindness.

I will not speak of doctrinal differences here. I only want to say that I am sorry, to all who have been on the religion threads, for unkind remarks, for arguing. I have certainly not turned the other cheek, nor have I acted in a charitable way.

Because I am a Catholic, and accustomed to self-examination in the light of the teachings of Christ, I am ashamed of myself. This is not how I want to be toward other Christians, and certainly is not how I act in real life, for I have many dear Protestant friends and family members.

I had a moment of feeble self-justification as I prayed this evening, that I was provoked into anger. But we aren't to give in to that temptation, and I blame no one for my anger except my own faults. After all, when I stand before God, He will not want to know why I didn't improve a certain other poster's behavior, He will want an accounting from me as to why I didn't improve my own.

So this represents a step in that direction: I am off the religious threads. Because I am human, fallible, and love my Church, I would be tempted to defend it and thus fall into my old ways. Truthfully, the Catholic Church does not need me to fight on an internet forum for its honor.

Again, I am sorry, and I ask your forgiveness. Christ told us that when we want to bring an offering, we should FIRST make peace with our brother, THEN bring our offerings. I should not have added to the already considerable acrimony. I remedy that now, and ask those who think the way I do to join me in praying for all of us conservatives for something much more important: the will of Christ Almighty be done in our lives and in our country.

It is good to take a breather from time to time. I very recently took a hiatus and now am just spending much less time on FR since my wife has been sick at the start of the new year.

I'm a cradle Catholic, and I have noticed that there is a bit of acrimony on the threads, but no more or less than I have ever seen since I joined FR a number of years ago. There is also a lot of nasty interaction at the political threads, as well.

While some have bemoaned this as a new phenom, I kind of think it's just the nature of the beast. I don't think that a lot of conservatives are in a very happy space. While I don't particularly like all of the backbiting I believe this medium is a healthy place for people to place their snarky comments, sarcastic quotes and cynical dramas.

In the religion threads I pretty much have learned to bypass the folks that just want to argue about doctrine. I generally don't read their comments and definitely don't engage them. Most of these individuals, Catholic, evangeilical or otherwise, are involved in serving their own ego, more than they are interested in advancing the work of Christ. I'm quite certain they are tiresome bores in every medium and interaction ~ and I mean that in a Christian way, of course. I think these individuals represent a very small cross section of FR, but they do seem to use a lot of band width.

I wouldn't let your experience here reflect on your relationship with our Christian brothers and sisters. If you haven't already, it may prove more productive to reach out to people of different traditions in your home community; maybe work on an ecumenical service project or volunteer where you can actually come together and pray with some of our friends. As John XXIII says, if they can say the Lord's prayer they are still our brothers and sisters.

I used to live a pretty secluded Catholic life now I find that I work in service projects with other Christians; my wife was baptized a Methodist but attends my church, my children attend a very cross-denominational, private Lutheran school, many of the children that I serve as a catechist have one parent who is not Catholic (one of my students has 2 parents who are NOT Catholic and they bring him to Sunday School! Isn't that a blessing?) many of these children have parents who are Catholic in name only and they are looking for something for their children that they do not have in their own lives.

While I may get a little flustered with many of the scathing posts at FR, I also take a lot of comfort from the prayer threads. No one seems to ask what denomination you are when someone that they love is sick or dying. What could be more pleasing to our Lord than to have complete strangers, who may never even meet praying for each others families?

We have our differences. I've always felt that the nature of ecumenism is to know and understand the differences between one's faith traditions and respect them ~ that's what I teach my own children ~ not to reshape our faith into something that we can not abide in. In doing this I think that we can also serve as evangelists in a way that will not be dishonorable to our own Catholic teachings. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar,...or other elements (so I am told.)

“Teach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words” ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Very nice post, Joe. And a terrific FReeper page, too. I’m not so much an ecumenicist as a “live and let live” type of person. The acrimony really bothers me, especially when I find myself feeling it, not just reading it. Not that I can’t handle it, just that it’s not what I think God wants for my life.

I’m as vulnerable to insults as the next person. I have many religions among my family and friends in the meat world, and I have never had the experiences with them that I’ve had here.

Apparently, my effort to change the noise to music ratio has been pretty well wasted; nevertheless, I thank you and others on this thread for the quiet, supportive comments.

Life has enough conflict all on its own without adding to it by participating in the crap that goes on, on the religion threads.

Sorry to hear your wife is sick. Please accept my prayers for her speedy return to health, and my prayers for you as you stand by her and your terrific kids.

Thanks so much for the prayers for Mollie, as well as the family. I believe the mother is the heart of the family, and in that regard we have all been impacted by her illness, which remains an undiagnosed mystery. She is getting better though ~ slowly.

I think the term “ecumenism” has 2 meanings. The one I prefer, and the one that I live by, is the “live and let live”. We can get along, as long as you don’t impose on me. The other requires that we change or compromise our faith, in favor of something that is more “harmonious”. False harmony, I might add.

I have good friends who are LDS (I don’t like using the term “Mormon”) and we obviously will never come together on doctrine. We discuss themes and values in our religion where there are similarities.

“my effort to change the noise to music ratio has been pretty well wasted”

I don’t think so. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Your labor may not immeadiately bring fruit, but hopefully you won’t be flamed. ;0)

God bless.

Not wasted at all.

Sadly, it’s Not the improved mutual hearing and respect I was hoping for . . . but not wasted.

Major change takes a lot. Even with willing cooperative clients/family members etc. 100-300 or more repetitions of the new statement, attitude, thought-choice . . . may be required to even begin serious change on deeply engrained, reflexive stuff.

You did Good. Be not weary in well doing (KJV).

I’d also encourage you to avoid leaving at all the msg, spirit, attitude, grace God gave you in that service/mass.

THAT WAS/IS FROM HIM. No amount of flack, chaff, anything need lessen it’s import and efficacy for you.

I’m deeply grieved and sorry that you seemed unable to realize, feel, see that my long post responding to whomever was still in the attitude etc. which you were calling for. That hurt and grieved me significantly.

However, I still believe the grace, msg given to you is quite a worthy one. Where practicable and I can with clear conscience, I’ll persist in trying however I can, to support it hereon.

I have no doubt that others will continue to fail to see that. Thankfully, God has better eyes and better understanding.

I was beginning to form a picture in my mind of a possible way we could more effectively help one another conform better to the image of Christ in all this.

The seeming lack of RC willingness/capacity to meet Prottys half way [not compromising priorities not fitting to compromise] . . . that lack of willingness/capacity trashed the tenuous picture forming in my mind of a possible way out of the briar patch.

It’s just not very workable for Prottys to play ball when it seems glaringly demanded that Prottys become AT LEAST Jr RC’s to be considered tolerable to breathe air and take up space on the same planet.

It’s a bit like the fighting hubby and wife . . . each screaming that if the other would just FIRST become more like the one screaming that the screaming one would THEN be nice.

There can be no dialogue; not even minimal HEARING . . . much less any Love when others are NOT ACCEPTED WHERE THEY ARE, AS THEY ARE. I’m talking persons here, personhood. I’m not talking BELIEFS.

The chronic RC problem of the part of too many RC reps of a wholesale dysfunctional ability to distingish between deeply held beliefs vs person, personhood is an enormous stumblig block. I can accept such individuals in that stance as they are.

However, their stance requires of me a certain type of response. They are unwilling/unable on the one hand to persistently fiercely, brazenly trigger the responses they get AND ACCEPT THEM in any remotely redemptive, constructive way.

Wellllll excuse me. That doesn’t cut it.

Then there’s the personal assaults. 98-100% of the time, now, the brazenly fierce and brazenly overt personal assaults now are from a small group of RC’s to Prottys.

Yet the feeling on the part of many seems to be that it’s 100% the Prottys sabotaging all the sweetness and light? No way. Won’t wash. Never will wash as a valid construction on reality.

It appears to me that many RC’s have been mentally, emotionally, philosophially cloistered inside such narrowly defined walls for so long . . . they go berzerk at the mere thought that any other reality remotely exists to the least degree.

Then appoplexy; dust in the air; rending clothes; screaming personal assaults; abuse button sitting marathons . . . and all the rest break out at the drop of a hat.

And Prottys shake their heads and observe more 2 year old/Jr high level antics by SOME RC’s and figure it will take Christ returning before things will change.

And this foaming at the fingers indignation that Prottys don’t think, perceive, believe like RC’s . . . what’s WITH THAT??? Doing the same thing perseverationally, chronically, obsessively AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESPONSE has been likened to insanity! LOL.

Guess what . . . we’re very different on a number of significant issues.

Yet, somehow, God has us together . . . FOR HIS PURPOSES. Seems to me only the stubbornly clueless and rebellious would resist trying to find out and to walk into whatever that might be on God’s agenda with us in this context.

HINT—IT’S NOT TO BECOME CLONES OF ONE ANOTHER OR OF ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.

It’s also not to become some milque toast homoginized, wattered down version of the other side or some such compromise of the two. Not in the cards. Not God’s agenda.

He did NOT make us Wal-Mart machine-stamped/molded plastic specials from some Heavenly China.

LUB,

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