I have sat around thinking for awhile how to approach this blog entry and the message within. I have the utmost respect for men of Faith, because they often have the thankless job of spreading and maintaining their religion among the people who disapprove of it. They have to give up some things spiritually to thrive in other things spiritually.
I just want to discuss two points in the entry that I do not agree with, and why logically I believe the message conveyed by that bit seems a bit … dangerous … as far as spirtuality and Faith in the Creator goes. I ask the patience of the man and his paritioners I know will probably read this after it shows up in his blog somehow.
- If you are in a place where you justify your role by being a “reformer,” I would seriously counsel you to consider whether this is a delusion. The Church should save you and not the other way around. The myth of the Reformation is alive and well – but it did not work then and does not work now. Almost every effort I can think of that is a matter of Church reform resulted in the creation of new denominations that quickly became everything that its founders fought against. Read a little history.
Okay, let’s approach history from the true standpoint of reformation and the Catholic faith. Exactly what role did Martin Luther and later reformists accomplish, other than their own followings? Well, if we look at the Catholic Church at the time, we see many things wrong with the Church. Indulgences, to begin with. The Medici pope bankrupting the Vatican. An overly strong worship of religious artifacts. Using influence, money and family to gain strong positions in the Church.
Martin Luther’s movement, then what should be called John Calvin’s movement as well, sparked a Counter-Reformation (or Catholic Reformation). A lot of bad, bad, bad practices were cleaned up to regain the trust of congregations, and to improve the image of the Church. The revolution from without started one within.
Recently, the Mormon faith has also caused a reformation of sorts in the Catholic Church. To counter the words of Joseph Smith, more of the bible has been spelled out to people. Sermons are evolving, the administration is changing course and ethics are once again being pursued in light of terrible public relations involving priests and young men/boys. So, once again, the revolution from without leads to one within.
So reformation is not a bad thing and does have an impact on the Church. She can only withstand so much criticism and abandonment before she has to adjust and revise practice to meet the demands of her faithful before there are no faithful left. All things must change, or they grow stale and wither. Like the vine that is not pruned and taken care of.
We live in frightful and terrible times. In almost all places sin is “ever present at the door.” With the instantaneous character of news, we also all know too much too soon and in such a way that we can emote better than we can pray. Fear the press and the instantaneousness of our news. The fathers said that the devil cannot predict the future – he only seems to because he is fast. Beware the speed of news.
Is it the news we’re really worried about here? Or is it a more broad topic? Is it the Internet that’s really the fear? How does NEWS contribute to the downfall of the faithful?
I’m not certain of the implication, so excuse me if I postulate. What is the alternative? That we let the Church review the news (and consequently all knowledge) and feed it to us at a slow pace so that it may be too late to react politically and socially to something awful? Why are we afraid of it? Because it harbors truth that may hurt the Church itself?
Often times, when I encounter religious edifices denouncing the news and the Internet and science, it’s because they have an issue with control. They can’t control the thoughts of the faithful. That the faithful can’t think for themselves or will be misled. That is a very vain and foolish misconception. To totally avoid temptation does not strengthen resolve. It weakens it. I’m not saying go get yourself embroiled in morally questionable situations to resist. I’m saying trying to partition off your life and world so fanatically that you live in a state of paranoia and fear is folly. If you don’t know what is going on around you at all times, you run the risk of being involved in a conflict you are unprepared for.
The other reason I can postulate about the news being something to be feared is that the less knowledge one has about the world around him, the easier it is for the Church to prevent free-thinking that leads to disquiet rebellion. Questions of faith, questioning the Church, etc. Avoiding conflict because peace is the safer alternative. That has never worked. That will never work. History proves that. People splinter from core Faiths throughout human historybecause the core Faiths try to lockdown on change and free-thinking. They cause their own problems – but they refuse to acknowledge objective solutions (because faith is subjective, right?).
So with all due respect, I agree that the importance of our spirtual well-being is a concern for the Church. But so is the importance of the gifts the Creator gives us – a mind of our own and free will. People need to decide for themselves what information is right and what is wrong. Not have it dictated to them and fear put within them. Grace is good, and slow grace is an interesting concept. But the Grace of God does not focus on the exclusion of without to focus on within, but the inclusion of all thoughts and deeds and relying on the faith within to see one through the obstacles and moral dilemmas of the present.
And if the institution of the Church is the problem, then the problem needs to be rectified. That only comes from the people who are concerned with the well-being of the Church, and not just the Church’s well-being of the people.
Thank you.
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