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Friday, January 20, 2012
Catholic Response to "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus"
The guy who made the original video is very appealing and 15 million have viewed his YouTube poem. No doubt he means well and there are certainly hypocrites in the Church. So what? Jesus didn't say the synagogues were evil, he preached there. When he was accused at His trial he pointed out that He was in the temple every day. He did not separate Himself from the Church; he fulfilled the Old Covenant and started something new, the Catholic Church.
How much worse would many people be if they weren't practicing their religious faith through an established Church? Everybody I worked with at crisis pregnancy centers and on the sidewalk trying to save babies was a Christian, mostly Catholic Christians. I know many church-goers who are foster parents, adoptive parents, missionaries to the poorest of the poor, etc. And most of the charity in the world is done by believers. The Catholic Church founded universities, orphanages, hospitals, and all kinds of services for the poor. It was the monasteries during the Middle Ages that welcomed the poor at the gates and fed them. In England the destruction of the monasteries and the persecution of Catholics created the poor houses and debtors prisons. This young man is clearly ignorant of history You cannot claim to truly love Jesus and cut yourself off from His Church.
What does this young man, who is so hostile to the Church, do to make the world better (besides videotape himself onYouTube? You can't love Jesus completely if you hate the Church because Jesus Himself said to Simon Peter, "You are rock and on this rock I will build my church." And even more important is what follows: "The gates of hell will not prevail against it." Anyone who separates himself from the Church, and the Church founded by Christ is the Catholic Church whose pope is the successor of Peter, faces Satan standing on a sand dune. We need the Church and the Church needs us.
Fr. Claude Burns is from my diocese, Mary Ann.
ReplyDeleteHe is an outstanding priest. The kids love him.
Catechist Kevin
I went and watched the original video that this is a response to and frankly the kid didn't make much of a case. Jesus can't be followed the way that fellow claims to follow him because it's not about do whatever you want and you'll be forgiven.
ReplyDeleteBut it goes a lot deeper than that. He's just echoing the usual atheist line that religion is responsible for wars, generically without differentiation. The reality is that wars are caused by man's fallen nature and by false religions like Islam or National Socialism or Communism that are spread by violence and war.
The history of Christianity has been one of seeking to quiet men's passions and reduce occasions of violence. But I don't think any historical perspective intrudes into his video.
CHECKOUT This is another answer to the video which I thought was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it doesn't matter whether it makes sense or not because most people don't have the ability to reason. Did you see the number of hits? It has caught on like wildfire. Hostility to Christianity is widespread. The future may see us like the recusants in England meeting for Mass in hiding and seeing people jailed for being serious about their faith.
ReplyDeleteI doubt there is any more hostility to Christianity today than in the past. Man is fallen and doesn't like to be reminded of the fact. The whole "do your own thing" and God will understand and forgive you anyway, mantra which epitomizes the kid's video runs full force into the problem of pain and suffering. We are not in control, but we would sure like to be.
ReplyDeleteThe young man is confused and most likely guilty of some sin that is keeping him out of the Church. The priest has it right.
ReplyDeletePeople,plz,i used to be catholic.but I felt a tugging in my heart to seek the truth.i searched.i found out catholics are lost.all the idols all the rituals,lies.peter is not the rock of church.cmon.paul was in rome mostly not peter.where in the bible does it say catholics.they were called christians.bunch of lies.but we will one day find out.meantime lets work together to evangelize.just stop your idol worship ok.kneelin is worship.cmon I was one of you.remeber.more attention to mary than jesus.just pray to God.plz.its not hard.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, what makes you think that "tugging" in your heart wasn't the great deceiver? Your post is filled with non sequiturs. We have no idols. If you're talking about statues, they are no more idols than having photographs of your family. You don't worship them do you? You keep them of reminders of those you love. The Bible reference to Peter as the rock was made by Jesus Himself (Matt 16:18). The followers of Christ began to be called Christians in the first century. And why must it be in the Bible? Where in the Bible does it say that nothing counts except what's in the Bible? Did the apostles have a Bible when Jesus ascended? The Bible wasn't compiled (by the Catholic Church) until the 4th century and it was the Catholic Church that decided which books and letters were sacred revealed texts.
ReplyDeleteIt seems inconsistent to me to call for us to work together while you are accusing the Catholic Church of lying and idol worship. As for Mary, she was Christ's Mother. He obeyed the fourth commandment and honored her. He was so humble He came into our world through her. It takes humility to love and honor Mary. She leads us straight to Jesus. Would you dishonor your own mother? Jesus certainly would not. He could have come to earth as an adult. He did not. Catholics love and honor Mary in imitation of Jesus Himself. We do not worship her.