peach_cube Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 I recently picked up the book "Why I am Still a Catholic" which is a collection of essays. The book includes an extremely short essay by Maria Shriver. It seems to me that the only reason she is included is for name recognition, and that one of the editors (Marilyn Ryan) may have a slight obsession with the Kennedys. (She was a member of "Youth for Kennedy") The thing that disturbs me is that if one reads Maria Shriver's essay it is not very Catholic. Although I made an adult commitment to the Roman Catholic Church and to the Christian faith, I must be honest and say that I do not always do everything that the official Church insrtucts its members to do. In fact, I do have some very strong disagreements with the Church and with some perspectives of Pope John Paul II. I wish to be a lyal and faithful Catholic; however, Jesus came to take away our sins and not our brains. So I do have some questions about certain practices of the church in this changing world. It troubles me that so many divorced Catholics feel alienated from the community. I grieve over the fact that many gay and lesbian people feel that the Church shuts them out. I am angered that so may women feel that there is no future for them as ordained ministers of the Church, when in fact they have the gifts and the call to serve in such a capacity. Why is papal teaching so intransigent on the issue of birth control? She definitely seems to have a complete misunderstanding of the authority of the Church. It really bothers me that this would be included in an otherwise very nice and inspiring collection of essays. It helps to foster the idea that it is okay to not accept official Church teaching. I also find that most people going off of name recognition would probably read her essay first, thus creating a very bad picture of what it means to be Catholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAZEr Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 hers isn't the only one in the book that way, if I remember correctly . . . Here's the think though . . . Maria Shriver, smart though she may consider herself, is obviously not smart enough to stop and ask herself, "Why do I think I must impose MY thoughts on Church?" She obviously thinks he imposes his on her . . . so why does she think its ok to do the opposite? If God didn't taker her brain, he didn't take the Pope or the Bishop's brains either . . . so why is her brain the one that can impose and their brains the ones that have to change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geetarplayer Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 She hears the teachings as something you're not allowed to do, not as something that protects you and your relationship with God. -Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peach_cube Posted December 7, 2003 Author Share Posted December 7, 2003 definitely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 <_< shes not catholic. how sad. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geetarplayer Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 Yeah, He gave you a brain and He can just as easily take it away and it would be completely fair because HE'S GOD AND YOU'RE NOT! -Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
God Conquers Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 I detest essays like this. "I know better than 2000 years of scholarship" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyperdulia again Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 i think we should tread lightly when it comes to issuing decrees of excommunication to people. maria shriver IS catholic no matter how much she might misunderstand what thhat means, last i checked she had neither joinned another religion or been excommunicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjtina Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 She's the type of Catholic that is Catholic by name only. Just like all the other sad/evil politicians who are pro-anything that goes against the Church and Her teachings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyperdulia again Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 you cannot judge this woman's faith or know whether she's just plain wrong (which we all are about something), or whether she is willfully wrong and completely rejected what the church says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 you cannot judge this woman's faith or know whether she's just plain wrong (which we all are about something), or whether she is willfully wrong and completely rejected what the church says. in order to be catholic you must be in full communion with the Church and Her teachings. even if we do not understand nor fully comprehend them, we must always uphold the teachings of the Holy Mother Church. we are not called to fully understand all the complexities of the Church but to follow and obey them. it is only then that we are catholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyperdulia again Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 we are not to obey the church when it violates our own consciences, because that would be a mortal sin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyperdulia again Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 and furthemorer i state that any statements made on someone else's catholicity are the kind of thing that shhould make us fall flat on our faces and beg the mercy of the only one who judges human hearts and the nature of someone's faith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 we are not to obey the church when it violates our own consciences, because that would be a mortal sin. The Church can NEVER lead anybody to do what is wrong. We are to form our consciences according to its teachings. If our conscience leads us to a conclusion that goes against Church teaching, then our conscience is wrong, not the Church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 we are not to obey the church when it violates our own consciences, because that would be a mortal sin. that is when prayer and faith comes in. how can truth be a mortal sin, if it is us who are keeping ourselves from it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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