I tried to post a comment on my previous post but I guess it went too long and after clicking post comment in came back as an error and wiped out my entire comment. So, I thought I would try again and post my comment on a new post and see how it goes.
First, I have NO IDEA why there is a pro-choice ad on my blog! I don't know how to delete it off... I've had ads about becoming mormon (again, I have no idea why that's on there either) and have been unsuccessful in deleting them. I think everyone knows this but I feel the need to say it again, I am pro-life!
Ok back to responding to the comments...
Sarah- I like your comment about what's in your heart while tithing not the actual amount. And I agree that I've never heard a priest say in their homily that we must tithe 10%. I'm not sure when I first even heard that, I don't recall it in my childhood so it must have been when I was an adult.
Lady Rose- I was once told by an evangelical friend "that's one thing the Catholic Church has done right - be pro-life." Hmmm... anyway, I finally found Abby Johnson's book Unplanned (previous director of a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Texas and became pro-life after witnessing an ultrasound-guided abortion.) Right from the beginning she explains her experience watching the baby on the ultrasound fight for his/her life... saw the baby's profile...saw him/her kicking it's leg to get away from the instrument knowing something was wrong, watched the young mother crying... she obviously knew it was wrong but felt she had no choice... and then I closed the book with tears running down my cheeks.
I have deep compassion for the young girls and women who've felt so scared and desperate and who've made the choice of having an abortion. And those facing it now. In fact that is one my intentions when I pray the rosary for these young girls and women... my heart aches for them.
Lynda- thank you for your honest comments about people of other faith. I'm wondering why you once thought you'd never be friends with a Catholic? Where does that thought come from? Or what concerned you about Catholics?
I grew up Catholic and had friends of many faiths. Religion was never an issue in our house or church... we were all friends. It wasn't until I was an adult and moved to the town I currently live in, did I experience anti-Catholicism. I joined a moms group at an inter-denominational church in a nearby town and I admire the effort this church puts in to the community. They have a wonderful outreach program for children and moms.
I learned quickly though by individual moms in the group that being Catholic was not a good thing. I was told and had overheard discussions of anti-Catholicism such as "Catholics are all going to hell... they don't know Jesus... it's a dead church... the pope is controlled by Satan...etc." My mind went whirling and I had no responses to any one of the above statements. None. I was shocked speechless. I had never heard such things before. When I responded that I went to a Catholic Church to one friendly mom regarding what church I belonged to, a look of disgust came over her face with her reply "Oh, you're one of those." She never talked to me again after that. Again, I was stunned and deeply wounded.
I'm still friends with a couple of women who go to this church and I've never experienced any judgment or condemnation from them. But the damage was done... so I find myself cautious and guarded when the subject of faith or church comes up. Waiting for a look or a comment that deep down I know will never come from these ladies but I can't seem to shake the uncertainity. I've prayed about it and the result was that I joined a Catholic bible study and started learning about the history of our church from Catholic scholars. I believe God used this time to steer me into becoming a better Christian by deepening my faith. It was a painful and isolating time for me and now looking back, it was a good thing.
Sue - you are a wise lady! You are so right that the depost of faith given to the apostles from Jesus has remained intact. It's humbling that what we do in our mass every week, was what Jesus instructed the apostles to teach us... over 2,000 years ago and we still worship Jesus through the Holy Eucharist.
Thank you ladies for your comments, I so enjoy reading them and it makes me think then look for answers, which in turn deepens my faith.
God bless,
noreen
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Noreen, thanks for stopping by today. I've been so out of the loop with my blog friends lately. these past two weeks, maybe three, I've been so busy with other things and trying to stay connected to everyone. but I've missed out on reading your blog of late, and I need to catch up! (It's terrible they're putting pro-choice ads on your blog!)
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the ads Noreen, but maybe you could contact Blogger directly and tell them to filter those ads out? Maybe its because of your online pro life research as of late? If its in your cookies, maybe the computer is improperly reading that as your being pro abortion?? Just a thought. Anyway, you might want to contact them:)
ReplyDeleteGod Bless!
Noreen, I have heard some of these anti-catholic things too from time to time. I didn't grow up catholic (Lutheran) and I never heard anti-catholic statements, ever, until I joined an on-line adoption group of evangelical women. I too was blown away by what some of them thought, total misinformation, about our faith. Like you, I used it as an opportunity to learn and to hopefully to grow a stronger Catholic. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi Noreen! Thanks for visiting me at SFO Mom. SFO is Secular Franciscan Order, and we are people living and working in the world, with families and spouses and children and jobs and all of that. We gather regularly as a community for prayer, learning and socializing too. In everything we do, we hope to follow the example of St. Francis and try to live inspired by the Gospel. Hope this helps--and it's not a silly question at all!
ReplyDeleteBarb at http://sfomom.blogspot.com
Oh--and DO finish reading "Unplanned." You have to get through the rough part--just as the author did--to get to the good part.
ReplyDeleteI feel sad that you have been treated so badly only for the reason you are a Catholic, Noreen. Once I used to be the only Catholic in a group of protestant homeschoolers. After some time, one woman became more friendly towards me and admitted, "You Catholics are Christians after all!" I don't know what prompted this statement but she obviously had preconceived ideas about Catholics.
ReplyDeleteThe more we learn about our faith and the more we encourage one another, the more we come to appreciate and love the Catholic Church.
I agree that many women who have abortions are really so scared and I feel compassion for them. Thank God we have our faith to give us strength to do what is right. God bless.
Thank you ladies for all of your encouragement and responses!
ReplyDeleteGardenia - I hope everything is going well for you. I totally understand that life takes precedence over blogging!
Patty- thanks for the tip. I guess this pro-choice ad only appears when I open my blog? No one else has seen it... kind of strange.
Jen - I'm hoping the anti-Catholicism views of other Christians is not wide-spread but I do wonder.
Barb- thanks for explaining SFO. I haven't reopened Unplanned yet until I finish a book by Marcus Grodi and I'm half-way through. Thanks for the encouragement!
Sue- I don't know, maybe part of the uncertainity of the Catholic Faith is that we're not as vocal about it? And when we do share our faith and live it out, others then can see we are a Christian faith??