blazeingstar Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) The Church is strong enough to 'handle' some criticism from a hurting person, even if that person is mistaken. The hurting person might not be strong enough to handle, "I wouldn't really care how much pain they were in..." from a fellow Catholic. That doesn't make them any more narcissistic than the next person. Every single one of us here is likely to think less clearly when we are badly hurt. Sometimes it takes a lot of strength offer compassion in that situation, especially if the person is blaming something or someone that you value - in that case it's easy to make it about your own hurt feelings and get defensive. But you should try to get beyond that defensive urge for the sake of other people, because there will be times when you will need other people to get beyond it for you. I have a friend whose eating disorder was made a hundred times worse by fasting and religious practices, and it was fuelled by some bad counsel she got from priests and a zealous set of well-meaning young Catholics who honestly wanted to be orthodox and to lead a good life. They told her to do things that actively harmed her, and she trusted their knowledge and respected their authority. Her illness made her more susceptible to these ideas in the first place, but the fact remains that these people continued to encourage her down a dangerous path even when she was very sick, telling her that what she was doing was legitimate religious observance. Now we could say that those people were wrong and they weren't teaching Catholicism, and we'd be right - but the fact remains that she, like the vast majority of Catholics, absorbed her religious outlook from the people around her. Christianity doesn't come vacuum-packed. Community matters, and sometimes people in a community can be spectacularly unhelpful (to put it most kindly) in a way that is seriously detrimental to others' faith. Jesus warned us about causing the little ones to stumble for a reason: we do have a responsibility to watch out for each other's welfare. In some cases it's easier than others. I know one former Catholic who misrepresents the Church often, and it used to infuriate me, because she doesn't seem to have any reason for her level of detestation. But I don't know her heart and I don't have any right to. God does. The best I can do is pray and continue to care for her. Jesus was often mocked and slandered. He didn't need Peter rushing to his defence with a sword, he needed Peter to go out and 'feed my sheep' - which included the lost ones. Or I can just keep doing what I'm doing and not care. It's a position that people can deal with. If some hurting person is driven away from the church because I gave their feelings a boo-boo then too bad for them. People need to learn to grow up and get over things. Whining about things just makes you an annoying person. The Blogger needs professional help, not spiritual warm fuzzies. The people the anorexic spoke to were probably well meaning and probably were not privvy to her disease. Again, her problem not the churchs. Edited February 14, 2014 by blazeingstar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisa Marie Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Or I can just keep doing what I'm doing and not care. It's a position that people can deal with. If some hurting person is driven away from the church because I gave their feelings a boo-boo then too bad for them. People need to learn to grow up and get over things. Whining about things just makes you an annoying person. The Blogger needs professional help, not spiritual warm fuzzies. The people the anorexic spoke to were probably well meaning and probably were not privvy to her disease. Again, her problem not the churchs. You seriously don't care if you drive people away from the Church? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilllabettt Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 You know, I'm less concerned with this lady's take down of her church's attitude towards sex. When people hurt, they need to blame. If it wasn't her church it would be mom or media or whatever. Whether the blame is deserved is another question. But I'm less concerned with that and more interested in wondering why nothing has been done to fix this problem. It is eminently fixable. It is, as far as anxiety problems go, easy to fix. So why isn't it happening? Does her church stigmatize psychotherapy too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 You seriously don't care if you drive people away from the Church? They can't deal with me, their fault, not mine. Same goes for any club i'm in, any workplace I work for, any town I live in, any family that I have (and I've had a few), any friend I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisChildForever Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 They can't deal with me, their fault, not mine. Same goes for any club i'm in, any workplace I work for, any town I live in, any family that I have (and I've had a few), any friend I have. Well, our job is to represent Christ, no? Let His light shine through us? We should be kind and compassionate to people, even if we think they don't deserve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Well, our job is to represent Christ, no? Let His light shine through us? We should be kind and compassionate to people, even if we think they don't deserve it. or I can do what I like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruciatacara Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Well, our job is to represent Christ, no? Let His light shine through us? We should be kind and compassionate to people, even if we think they don't deserve it. With blazeingstar I think you are :deadhorse: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 With blazeingstar I think you are :deadhorse: I don't do fuzzy bunny theology. Jesus said that you treat others how you want to be treated. I'm real with people. They can be real with me. If they don't like me I don't deal with them anymore. No loss to anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisa Marie Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Jesus also said love your enemies, so.... :blowkiss: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisChildForever Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 or I can do what I like. ...or you can ponder what the Scriptures say. Romans 12 Romans 14:1-12 James 4:11-12 1 John 3:11-24 God is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicCid Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 ...or you can ponder what the Scriptures say. Romans 12 Romans 14:1-12 James 4:11-12 1 John 3:11-24 God is good. Precisely. You can be "real" with people without being mean. Mean does not equal real, it equals mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Jesus also said love your enemies, so.... :blowkiss: never said they were enimies cosmically neutral an no feelings if I don't work in someones world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruciatacara Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I don't do fuzzy bunny theology. Jesus said that you treat others how you want to be treated. I'm real with people. They can be real with me. If they don't like me I don't deal with them anymore. No loss to anyone. If you are referring to Luke 6:31 perhaps the context would help a bit better... 30"Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. …32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33"If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34"If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 ...or you can ponder what the Scriptures say. Romans 12 Romans 14:1-12 James 4:11-12 1 John 3:11-24 God is good. Or I don't have to. I could cherry pick just as much as you do...shake your sandals and that whole bit. Precisely. You can be "real" with people without being mean. Mean does not equal real, it equals mean. Yeah...why don't you come back in 10 years when you've had a bit more life experiance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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