I questioned myself as to why I should feel that way and many thoughts entered my head but I think the prominent one was that I felt religion was being pushed on me. Why couldn't I have just viewed those photos with some wonderful classical music playing in the background. Why did the author have to attach religion to the presentation....I guess of course that was her intent. The author must feel strongly enough about her faith that she wants to share it. And you know what...that is ok, it's just not for me.
I wrote my friend and thanked her for sending me the link and gave her my views after I had viewed it. Confession time here....I didn't watch them all, actually I only watched one....and that was enough for me...it was to religious for me. Did you notice how I used the word "confession". That is my catholic conscience for you...."guilt'. Catholicism is built on guilt.
I was raised in a staunch catholic household. I went to catholic school my whole life, I went to church every Sunday and during Christmas week and Easter week it was more frequent. There were things about my faith that I strongly believed. Primarily that there is a force much greater than ourselves out there. As a child I believed in the Virgin Mary, the Holy trinity and that Jesus was God and that he died on the cross to save our souls, well I believed it to a point. And then I read the bible, and that changed everything for me.
When I was in elementary school I can remember getting kicked out of class because I challenged my teacher who was a nun about Adam and Eve and asked her why we couldn't believe in Darwin's theory of the evolution of man. Yes, I did ask that....and you can thank the National Geographic for that one.
In school we never studied the bible. Yes we read excerpts from the bible. Every Sunday at mass the priest would read the Gospel According to one of the Apostle's...and of course there were two other readings that took place. After the priest read the gospel we sat down and listened to him for 20 to 30 mins go on about something that was suppose to be related to the readings that day...most of the time I didn't understand....most of the time I fidgeted in my seat, or fell asleep.
That was how it was for many years, I blindly believed or well thought I believed. I believed because that was all I knew...that was the faith of my parents and the environment in which I was raised. It wasn't until I went to high school and I had the most amazing Religion teacher. She actually talked about religion in terms that we as teenagers could understand. She introduced us to Buddhism, Muslim, Judaism and Protestant faiths. I was intrigued. I think I enjoyed learning about Buddhism the most, it seemed to fit my philosophy more...not that I realized thought that I had any philosophy when it came to religion. The last confession I went to was when I was in Grade 12 and we had to go to confession before we could go to our Graduation mass.
I rarely went to church after graduation and yet when my daughters were born I had them all baptised in the catholic faith. Looking back again I think it was a guilt thing again....I was taught that a baby was born with original sin....yes a baby was born with sin....and they had to be baptised to relieve them of this sin and if they weren't baptised and died then their souls would go to purgatory and would stay there until someone said enough Hail Mary's and Our Father's to set the poor little souls free and send them to Heaven. Now how awful is that, and yet as I said I had my daughters all baptised and for some reason I believed.
I have long put my birth faith behind me, but I still believe I am a christian. I still believe in the goodness of man, I still believe that we must not harm each other, that we need to have more patience and tolerance for others differences. We must learn to debate and dialogue without judgement but rather to get a clearer understanding of the person and their position.
So I would like to close this post with some of the photos that I have taken over the summer. These photos make me know there is something greater than I, and every day I give thanks for the opportunity for being able to enjoy all that I have been given!
The power,drama, and elegance of the mighty ocean
The ruggedness of the coastline
Some creative and strong resourceful individual managed to carry this couch to the rock, so they could sit and enjoy all the beauty that lay before them....
and nature can still grow and flourish on the craggy slopes and shores
7 comments:
well put, Mary Ann. I was not brought up Catholic, rather United Church of Canada an felt guilty about making sure my kids went to church, too. Of course, they rejected it - and still do. I have, over time, seen it all in a religious organization, having worked in the church office for 3 years. That absolutely turned me off as I saw it as just big business. I also was witness to some of the pastors' attitudes towards certain people and was shocked beyond words. I also taught in a Christian school and believe me, most of the kids there are little "devils." lol Now I take what I want of "religion" and leave the rest. I don't attend church but do revel in the wonder and majesty of a world in which so much is mysterious and unknown. I do believe there is something/someone divine "out there" but feel I can talk/worship/sing/wonder/praise Him/Her/It on my own. I hope that makes sense.
I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to.
God Bless You :-)
~Ron
Hypocrites are like the Bible says of the Poor -these you will have with you always. Unfortunately, that is the truth, isn't it? The key is to recognize said hypocrisy and strive to keep your own self as free of that as possible. And Mary Anne, regardless of one's beliefs, who can look at those pictures you posted of the beauty in your surroundings and not think that some kind of higher power somewhere, at sometime over the ages, had a hand in the creation of that beauty? One doesn't have to be a believer to appreciate the gorgeous scenery all around us regardless of where we live but your area really does seem to be overly abundant. In my opinion, anyway!
Wow! The photos you posted are fantastic! I really enjoyed looking at them :-)
~Ron
My parents sent me to Sunday School through junior high, but that was it for me. I was always bothered by the kids that were hellions in school and seemed to think they made up for it in a few hours on Sunday. - Margy
Well said. I think much would apply to me as well. Methodist here. Married a Catholic. Son is now an liberal Presbyterian. The core values of the New Testament work for me. Organized religion not so much. I find God in much of the natural world I see and enjoy. It speaks for itself and doesn't require pushing on anybody.
You say you think you are a Christian. I noticed you used a lower case "c," not sure if that was intentional or not. My point if you are indeed a Christian the main thing you need to believe is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died, rose from the dead - all in atonement for our sins and to give us eternal life in Heaven. (Non-believers also have eternal life, just not with God.)
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