Made by my youth minister. This is why I freaking love and miss him.

Made by my youth minister. This is why I freaking love and miss him.

You know society is in a bad place when the word “religion” is a bad word. Why? I feel the hate towards “religion” is usually geared towards the Catholic Church so I took it a bit that way. In response to this video I would like to point out a couple of things:

  • Without a church to lead you in your beliefs, you can quite literally just create a god. In turn, you aren’t worshipping our one, true God. You’re worshipping someone you make Him out to be. Religion helps shape that for you.
  • The Roman Catholic Church has some pretty bomb churches. It really does. And why shouldn’t it? It holds the Body and Blood of Jesus! I would think every Christian believes Jesus deserves that respect.
  • The Roman Catholic Church doesn’t just build churches. It is the single largest charity organization in the world. Catholics don’t “fail to feed the poor.” The Catholic Church clothes, feeds, gives water, administers health care, counsels, and gives shelter to the poor. I’m not sure which religions this guy was talking about, but it surely wasn’t the Catholic Church.
  • Jesus did not come to abolish religion. He came to save us from our sins. He started His own church. He set it up to guide us to Him. To love Him. The Church isn’t about rules or “a long list of chores.” It’s about living a godly life and finding forgiveness for your sins. The Church is there to help you find a community of others who love and worship God just as much as you do. It’s not a bad thing.
  • God doesn’t hate you for getting divorce. He doesn’t hate anyone. It’s impossible. He is love. Love can’t hate.
  • We are human. We are sinners. We are corrupted. Religious followers sometimes go astray. Jesus came and brought us back to the path we were meant to be on. Jesus didn’t hate religion or come to abolish it. He came and improved it.
  • Jesus already lives in my Catholic Church so we’ve already let Him in. Boom.
  • Religion is an infection? Really? Religion and Jesus are NOT on opposite sides of the spectrum. “Religion says slave. Jesus says son.” My religion does not say slave at all. Mine encourages me to live for Jesus with all my heart and that I should be doing works for Him and I choose to slave for Him! I think that’s a pretty darned good idea.
  • The Catholic Church has not put me in bondage. Or made me blind.
  • “Religion is man searching for God. Christianity is God searching for man.” Christianity is a religion (awkward…) and man should always be seeking out and looking for God as He has searched for us and our hearts. It goes both ways.

That is all.

"Few people suspect what God would make them if they placed no obstacle to his work."

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (via fathershane)

waynoly:

Broken Glass and Butterfly Wings: dear tumblr, I am 100% hardcore, intense CATHOLIC. let me explain.

myscatteredlight:

you know what this means?

It means that I am pro-life and believe in human dignity, from the time of conception to the time we die. I believe that…

(Source: my-scattered-light)

People need to stop hating on religion. I mean seriously.

I just saw a post about how religion kills and hates and sets rules, but Jesus loves and frees us. Yes I agree about Jesus, but you can’t say that about all religions.

My Catholic religion is what has helped me come closer to Jesus in so many ways. Jesus was the one who set up my church. I think he did a pretty fantastic job and wouldn’t appreciate bashing on religion. Religion is a belief and worship in a God. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Identifying to a religion brings people together and creates webs of support systems. The people I’ve met from religious activities has opened my eyes to the good of the world.

Lastly, I feel like people are getting this idea that people are worshiping their religion over God. While I get that, don’t assume everyone that belongs to a religion does that. I don’t flaunt that I am a Catholic. I flaunt how much I love the Lord and all the good He’s done for me. I don’t try and bring people to the Catholic church. I bring them to God first and foremost.

That is all.