The news has been rampant recently about yet another sex abuse case within the Roman Catholic Church. What makes this particular case so different is its link with Pope Benedict XVI. Back when Joseph Ratzinger was a Cardinal, this particular priest was brought to his office (since he was in charge of overseeing this particular problem within the Church). Instead of the priest being handed to authorities (since the abuse of minors is a crime, in addition to a sin), he was ordered to undergo psychiatric therapy. When transferred to a different parish, the priest continued to abuse minors.
This problem within the Church has been a thorn in its side. It has been an insidious cancer in the Christian faith amongst those who follow the Catholic tradition. This particular aspect of the Church, among a few others, is the reason why the Church has such a bad reputation in the world. How can the children of God - that is the entire world - be fed with the Gospel if the vineyard of God is not all that welcoming? How can we expect people to allow their old ways to die and renew themselves in faith, hope, and love if the harvest is bearing bad fruit?
I have come to believe that more people will get turned off from attending church than be reasoned away from it. While there are many different things that I feel need reform, I will stick with the lone issue of sex abuse. There is a difference between being a sinner and being a criminal. It's really simple, if a priest, a deacon, a bishop, a cardinal, or the pope himself for that matter, commits such a desolating sin - like child sex abuse - not only should he not be allowed to hold the position anymore, but he should be turned over to police. Instead of trying to cover its tracks, the Church should be have a more open-door policy towards her adherents.
People don't want secrecy, they want openness. Jesus did not hold secrets. Unlike the Jewish high priests who later played a role in his crucifixion, Jesus was open and indeed opened the door to the kingdom of heaven. He opened people's eyes and hearts to the truth instead of holding the truth to himself and only giving out pre-selected information.
I'm not saying that those who commit the sin should be kicked out of the church altogether, but just as a shepherd should not commit inappropriate acts with his sheep, the pastors and associate pastors of these parishes should not be committing inappropriate acts with the parishioners, let alone their children.
So kick them out of the priesthood. That will surely send a message to those who are not pure of heart and yet are thinking of attending seminary. If a priest sins, it will be all right because no fully mortal man is without sin. But just as you wouldn't allow a priest who commits murder continue in his post, neither should one who has done this. You want to give a true apology? Show the people that you are cleaning house and ensuring it will not happen anymore.
Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Making Sacrifices...
So that time of the year is coming upon us again - the time when Catholic Christians throughout the world make a sacrifice for the Lenten season. The popular notion amongst people of this faith is to make a "sacrifice to please God." Unfortunately, that is the wrong conception one can have the season.
Lent gives us an opportunity to "die" to our old ways and to "rise" with Jesus to a new way of life. Even though we may have already become believers and experienced a conversion of heart - or became born again - our decision to let the old ways die and follow Christ in new ways is one we can make over and over again, especially during Lent. But doing so involves conversion.
What are some of the "old ways" that we need to "die" to? Many of these are personal choices and attitudes that we have gotten used to: being selfish with our time and money, refusing to help others, saying hurtful things to get a laugh, or not putting effort into school, work, and/or into our gifts/talents. Other "old ways" are attitudes and choices that we often share with the society around us: ignoring the needs of poor or homeless people, not caring for those who are sick or hungry, or allowing the most vulnerable among us to go without the help they need. Lent gives us a chance, with God's grace and our best efforts, to change our minds, our hearts, and our lives.
Isaiah speaks to us about the meaning of Lent. His words serve as a great remnder of the Lenten practices that we follow in order to move toward conversion: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What can you "do for Lent" in one or more areas?
Whatever you decide to do, it is also important to remember that Lent is a season of grace. It is not so much about what we do but about Jesus' presence with us, calling us to come closer and closer to him each day. Whatever our failures or trials in responding to his call, we are never overcome. We can always renew our efforts with help of the grace he gives us. And renewal is always possible for us, for we are following our Savior who faced what we faced, yet still manages to lead us through death into new life.
So the following is a list of points/tips I'd like to make about the upcoming season.
1) Remember that what we should sacrifice is whatever keeps us away from God. Meaning, unless it is keeping you away from God, I don't think sacrificing chocolates, soda, fast food, etc. brings the message home.
2) Fasting is not about starving yourself. If you fast, you will likely become hungry at some point during the day. Instead of moaning and groaning, just ask God to fill that hunger for you, and if you believe He will, then He will. Jesus speaks about fasting in the Gospel of Matthew. On that note, too, maybe you should wash your face after attending mass on Ash Wednesday. Who you are and what you are embarking on is between you and God. No need to wear an ash-cross throughout the day. Just remember that from ashes we came, and to ash we shall return.
3) Instead of sacrificing one of the superficial items listed as number one, some examples of good sacrifices can be taking out of the New Testament. St. Paul gives us good examples of positive sacrifices we can make to grow in our relationship with Christ, and to help those who have lost all hope and/or purpose.
4) When making sacrifices, it's supposed to be a life-changing one. For example, if you give up pride or being overly lustful, it's not supposed to last only until Easter. If not, what change have you really made in your life?
5) I invite all of my non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters to partake in the season as well. Lent should not be for Catholics alone, but for Christians of all denominations and traditions. I'm not saying that you have to celebrate Ash Wednesday or Palm Sunday, but I think a Pauline sacrifice would benefit each of us as individuals.
Lent gives us an opportunity to "die" to our old ways and to "rise" with Jesus to a new way of life. Even though we may have already become believers and experienced a conversion of heart - or became born again - our decision to let the old ways die and follow Christ in new ways is one we can make over and over again, especially during Lent. But doing so involves conversion.
What are some of the "old ways" that we need to "die" to? Many of these are personal choices and attitudes that we have gotten used to: being selfish with our time and money, refusing to help others, saying hurtful things to get a laugh, or not putting effort into school, work, and/or into our gifts/talents. Other "old ways" are attitudes and choices that we often share with the society around us: ignoring the needs of poor or homeless people, not caring for those who are sick or hungry, or allowing the most vulnerable among us to go without the help they need. Lent gives us a chance, with God's grace and our best efforts, to change our minds, our hearts, and our lives.
Isaiah speaks to us about the meaning of Lent. His words serve as a great remnder of the Lenten practices that we follow in order to move toward conversion: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What can you "do for Lent" in one or more areas?
Whatever you decide to do, it is also important to remember that Lent is a season of grace. It is not so much about what we do but about Jesus' presence with us, calling us to come closer and closer to him each day. Whatever our failures or trials in responding to his call, we are never overcome. We can always renew our efforts with help of the grace he gives us. And renewal is always possible for us, for we are following our Savior who faced what we faced, yet still manages to lead us through death into new life.
So the following is a list of points/tips I'd like to make about the upcoming season.
1) Remember that what we should sacrifice is whatever keeps us away from God. Meaning, unless it is keeping you away from God, I don't think sacrificing chocolates, soda, fast food, etc. brings the message home.
2) Fasting is not about starving yourself. If you fast, you will likely become hungry at some point during the day. Instead of moaning and groaning, just ask God to fill that hunger for you, and if you believe He will, then He will. Jesus speaks about fasting in the Gospel of Matthew. On that note, too, maybe you should wash your face after attending mass on Ash Wednesday. Who you are and what you are embarking on is between you and God. No need to wear an ash-cross throughout the day. Just remember that from ashes we came, and to ash we shall return.
3) Instead of sacrificing one of the superficial items listed as number one, some examples of good sacrifices can be taking out of the New Testament. St. Paul gives us good examples of positive sacrifices we can make to grow in our relationship with Christ, and to help those who have lost all hope and/or purpose.
4) When making sacrifices, it's supposed to be a life-changing one. For example, if you give up pride or being overly lustful, it's not supposed to last only until Easter. If not, what change have you really made in your life?
5) I invite all of my non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters to partake in the season as well. Lent should not be for Catholics alone, but for Christians of all denominations and traditions. I'm not saying that you have to celebrate Ash Wednesday or Palm Sunday, but I think a Pauline sacrifice would benefit each of us as individuals.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Party or Church
People in the United States have a problem. They have a confusion of beliefs. Perhaps you can call them dualist or pluralist, but I think it's just that they are inconsistent with their beliefs. People, particularly people of faith, seem more comfortable siding with their political party in most cases than with the doctrine of their beliefs. I have seen myself tackling with this issue as well, but I have realized what I have been doing. Although I see the problem, it's hard for me to change it, because I am just so comfortable with what I believe, that I do not budge from it in order to believe what Christianity will tell me what is right.
Let's take the Christians who are part of the Republican party (like me). Most of us would say that we are pro-life. We believe abortion is wrong and according to our belief system, that would be accurate. However, why is life only restricted to abortion? What about the prisoner of war who we support getting tortured? How Christian is torture? What about the death penalty? I understand that these are criminals getting the penalty, but as Christians, shouldn't we forgive? Isn't that the answer to the WWJD bracelets?
Continuing on the life issue, why are most Christians supportive of an unjust war? By unjust war, I mean one where the USA are the aggressors. Many supporters claim that Iraq is linked to 9/11, but there is no proof of that unless Saddam Hussein actually sat down and conspired with Osama bin Laden.
What about universal health care and welfare? As a fiscal conservative, myself, it is extremely hard for me to support these programs. But as a Christian, those are two programs that I feel guilty not supporting. Wouldn't God be pleased with everyone getting health care? Wouldn't God want us to help our fellow humans whenever they cannot afford the basic necessities of life?
There are countless other doctrines that come into conflict when the political party is easier to be in line with than the faith. And those conflicts are on both the left and the right of the political spectrum. If that's the case, can either party truthfully claim to be the "party of God"? I just think some dialogue needs to be started.
Let's take the Christians who are part of the Republican party (like me). Most of us would say that we are pro-life. We believe abortion is wrong and according to our belief system, that would be accurate. However, why is life only restricted to abortion? What about the prisoner of war who we support getting tortured? How Christian is torture? What about the death penalty? I understand that these are criminals getting the penalty, but as Christians, shouldn't we forgive? Isn't that the answer to the WWJD bracelets?
Continuing on the life issue, why are most Christians supportive of an unjust war? By unjust war, I mean one where the USA are the aggressors. Many supporters claim that Iraq is linked to 9/11, but there is no proof of that unless Saddam Hussein actually sat down and conspired with Osama bin Laden.
What about universal health care and welfare? As a fiscal conservative, myself, it is extremely hard for me to support these programs. But as a Christian, those are two programs that I feel guilty not supporting. Wouldn't God be pleased with everyone getting health care? Wouldn't God want us to help our fellow humans whenever they cannot afford the basic necessities of life?
There are countless other doctrines that come into conflict when the political party is easier to be in line with than the faith. And those conflicts are on both the left and the right of the political spectrum. If that's the case, can either party truthfully claim to be the "party of God"? I just think some dialogue needs to be started.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Why We Need Each Other
Why We Need Each Other
by Matt Lott of the band Wavorly
Sometimes I don't want to go to church.Some weeks, it's just hard for me to get up and go. Yeah, laziness is no excuse for missing church, but it has happened. Other times, my reason for not going starts with nagging thoughts about some of the people who've hurt me. Or people I've had bad experiences with at churches. I think about some of the people who don't seem to represent the name of Christ too well. Thinking about those experiences makes me want to stay home.
When I read the IYF article, "The Cure for Loneliness," it hit me that maybe I wasn't really giving the people around me much of a chance. Maybe my attitude was messed up. Maybe I misunderstood the purpose of church.
The article refers to a phrase in the Apostle's Creed that just kept coming back to me: " … the communion of saints." This really stuck out in my mind because it made me realize that the communion of saints includes everyone, including people like me who aren't very saintly at times. And having all those people together is important. Why?
The author quotes John 13:35. It reads, "If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples" (CEV). We have to love and support our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's how we show God's love.
That helped me see that I'm often so concerned with loving the lost and reaching out to the unsaved that I forget my own Christian brothers and sisters. I don't support them as much as I could, I don't commune with these saints, and I even use some of them as excuses not to go to church! It's easy for me to let small hurts stand in the way of loving my brothers and sisters in Christ.
This article reminded me that the love I show my fellow believers will help those who don't believe see that Christ's love is for everyone, no matter what we've done or what we struggle with. I also am reminded that I should be happy to have opportunities to be with other Christians in church. Because by learning to love other believers as they are, I am modeling the love of God.
by Matt Lott of the band Wavorly
Sometimes I don't want to go to church.Some weeks, it's just hard for me to get up and go. Yeah, laziness is no excuse for missing church, but it has happened. Other times, my reason for not going starts with nagging thoughts about some of the people who've hurt me. Or people I've had bad experiences with at churches. I think about some of the people who don't seem to represent the name of Christ too well. Thinking about those experiences makes me want to stay home.
When I read the IYF article, "The Cure for Loneliness," it hit me that maybe I wasn't really giving the people around me much of a chance. Maybe my attitude was messed up. Maybe I misunderstood the purpose of church.
The article refers to a phrase in the Apostle's Creed that just kept coming back to me: " … the communion of saints." This really stuck out in my mind because it made me realize that the communion of saints includes everyone, including people like me who aren't very saintly at times. And having all those people together is important. Why?
The author quotes John 13:35. It reads, "If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples" (CEV). We have to love and support our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's how we show God's love.
That helped me see that I'm often so concerned with loving the lost and reaching out to the unsaved that I forget my own Christian brothers and sisters. I don't support them as much as I could, I don't commune with these saints, and I even use some of them as excuses not to go to church! It's easy for me to let small hurts stand in the way of loving my brothers and sisters in Christ.
This article reminded me that the love I show my fellow believers will help those who don't believe see that Christ's love is for everyone, no matter what we've done or what we struggle with. I also am reminded that I should be happy to have opportunities to be with other Christians in church. Because by learning to love other believers as they are, I am modeling the love of God.
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