I am a Catholic and I am proud of that. Not because of my religion (which is pretty kick ass), but because it means I am a believer of God. It means I know Jesus and I've read the Bible and I believe. So when a group of people under a different Christian denomination thinks my Catholicism is worthy of condemnation, it's a bit unsettling. Because that's not how it's supposed to go. We're not supposed to be separated under God, we're supposed to be one.
Let's get to it:
I was approached by a petite old woman tonight. She handed me a flyer that read, "need an answer? It's Jesus Christ." Perhaps it was my black boots that made her think I needed Jesus, but I waved my hand and said to her, "I'm Catholic. I know Jesus is already the answer." She smiled meekly and said that I should still go to the born again Christian church in Box Hill.
"It's okay, I'm Catholic," I replied.
"It's okay, I'm Catholic," I replied.
She paused and said in an eerie whisper, "Catholics worship idols."
There was something quite odd about her; it was like she came out of a
low-budget Hollywood horror film. She had long graying hair and wore a
loose dress that accentuated her gaunt frame. "No, we worship Jesus. We're on the same team, you and I," I said cheerfully.
With that, she left to guard the posters that lined the fence outside a church. Signs that read, 'Jesus came to save sinners', 'the wicked shall be turned into hell', and 'Christ died for the ungodly'. I'm sure that woman and her fellow born again friends weren't very popular with the Saturday night city crowd, because if I—a fellow believer—refused to listen, then I could only imagine how the atheist bystanders felt.
Those people held signs that had the word 'sinners' on it as if they weren't part of that group. We are all sinners. We are all bad and unworthy of anything. To parade your presumed superiority because you belong in a certain church means assuming you are better than everyone else. Even with the intention to share faith, those people made it seem like they were parading their 'saved souls' and effectively separating themselves from the passersby. Believers in Christ should never put a barrier between them and the non-Christians. We are all the same. We are not better than anyone else.
Those people held signs that had the word 'sinners' on it as if they weren't part of that group. We are all sinners. We are all bad and unworthy of anything. To parade your presumed superiority because you belong in a certain church means assuming you are better than everyone else. Even with the intention to share faith, those people made it seem like they were parading their 'saved souls' and effectively separating themselves from the passersby. Believers in Christ should never put a barrier between them and the non-Christians. We are all the same. We are not better than anyone else.
Trying to proselytize innocent passersby is like giving a single tofu to someone in hopes that they will become a vegan. It is not flyers that convert a person, it is action. It is being kind. It is loving others. It is empathy and compassion. People will believe in God when you show them what believing does to you and those around you. Actions speak louder than words, and your kindness is a scream into the consciousness of non-believers. People look up to Mother Theresa and even the Dalai Lama not because they give out flyers and condemn non-believers with picket signs, but because they do good.
Standing under the scorching Australian summer just to hand out the Book of Mormons will not make anyone rethink their beliefs. Telling me that my religion isn't 'true' makes you seem insecure about your own faith. Is my belief in God not enough? Are my prayers less genuine than yours? Is my Jesus different than your savior? Are both our beliefs not based on love, compassion, and faith?
I understand why many agnostics and atheists despise religious denominations. Because many religious people believe that they have secured a place in Heaven. They have not. No one can be sure, because even my pastor said to me that after decades of serving God, he hopes that he has done enough to go to Heaven. He hopes, but he does not know. Many religious people should get off their high-horse. Spreading the gospel has more to do with showing the goodness of God and less to do with telling it.
I came to the conclusion long ago that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu. But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian. -Mahatma Gandhi
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