Part one
Unbridling of Liberalism
During the 1960s and 1970s, those of us brought up in Catholic families who were then in our adolescent years should be very familiar with the variety of social influences being introduced at that time. As early teens and those barely considered of “legal age”, based on our interests and lack of true maturity we had many directions to choose from in the infancy of our soon approaching independent lives. What with the shallow concept most of us possessed from our growing years of Catholic teachings, we were still at a very impressionable age, although no one could tell us that. At the same time, we were presented socially with the choice to continue with God and the practice, learning and continued growth of our faith or follow the undeniably enticing if not infectious liberal attributes of the “sexual revolution” and the “peace, drugs, and rock and roll” philosophy.
So how did our generation turn out? The statistical averages for these last 50+ years show 50% to 70% of all baptized Catholics in the United States do not practice their faith because they claim they did not “agree” with all the “Church teachings”. A small percentage converted to another more liberal protestant faith that better corresponded to what they would accept. Ironically, they themselves in their rejection of some teachings and acceptance of others have basically done the same thing the “protestant reformers” chose to do in leaving the Catholic Church for predominantly the same reasons. The most significant difference being the separated Catholics of this last 50 years did not establish their own faith, but joined others who founded a belief system based on their individual opinions starting around 1517 CE with thousands of new denominations established throughout the last 500 years to today.
Now, can we be honest with ourselves? follow link to continue reading...
What it comes down to is this; we freely abandoned God and growth in our faith choosing to pursue that path of liberalism which seemed to offer the greatest degree of self gratification with the least interference and effort. Eventually, for many that became an “at all cost” endeavor with convenience and the nourishing of our pride being our priorities while suffering varied degrees of diminished respect for others and our own self respect, and finally, rejection of morality for varied conveniences. Our philosophy became; “it doesn’t matter how you practice your faith or what church you go to” or “it’s all good with God as long as you feel you are doing the right thing”.
Today what many of us from the formation of this society are increasingly coming to realize is not only did we not know what or why our faith taught what it did, but in that ignorance we also neglected to provide our children the Christian education, faith and morality they should have received while we as parents were responsible to teach them. Now that we seek to learn and come to know, we learn what we didn't know appropriately. Our now adult children have no true knowledge of their faith. Some question whether Jesus is God incarnate or a mere prophet Himself. Others refer to philosophy to justify their doubts or disbelief. Philosophy when used with common sense justifies the existence of God and the Messiah but when distorted offers excuses for many things including justifying its own errors when it fails, but what it can not do is provide reasonable explanation of its own existence in man without God.
Our children are now the adult influence in society, the heart of our culture, and unfortunately the inheritors of our liberalism and ignorance of what Catholicism truly teaches and why. They inherited our attitude that “the Catholic Church teaches…” rather than realizing it is Christ who taught and the Catholic Church by Him has been commissioned to carry on His teachings. It is His own institution Scripturally and historically recorded, established and commanded by Him as the High Priest to provide that teaching so that all man MAY (not will) be saved. If they are condemned they condemn themselves. Most do not know who the Apostolic Fathers or the Early Church Fathers are. They do not realize the origin of the Bible or that every Bible regardless of the version of "interpretation", came from the Catholic Bible and has but one accurate interpretation. They do not know what the Didache or the Latin Vulgate is. They see the Old Testament and the New Testament as two seperate entities and do not realize the Old Testament and the New Testament are interrelated as one account of God's relationship with man. They do not know what they oppose and how beautifully and magnificently fulfilling their life would be if they learned the truth.
To be posted soon...
Part Two - our Children, today's adults
Unbridling of Liberalism
During the 1960s and 1970s, those of us brought up in Catholic families who were then in our adolescent years should be very familiar with the variety of social influences being introduced at that time. As early teens and those barely considered of “legal age”, based on our interests and lack of true maturity we had many directions to choose from in the infancy of our soon approaching independent lives. What with the shallow concept most of us possessed from our growing years of Catholic teachings, we were still at a very impressionable age, although no one could tell us that. At the same time, we were presented socially with the choice to continue with God and the practice, learning and continued growth of our faith or follow the undeniably enticing if not infectious liberal attributes of the “sexual revolution” and the “peace, drugs, and rock and roll” philosophy.
So how did our generation turn out? The statistical averages for these last 50+ years show 50% to 70% of all baptized Catholics in the United States do not practice their faith because they claim they did not “agree” with all the “Church teachings”. A small percentage converted to another more liberal protestant faith that better corresponded to what they would accept. Ironically, they themselves in their rejection of some teachings and acceptance of others have basically done the same thing the “protestant reformers” chose to do in leaving the Catholic Church for predominantly the same reasons. The most significant difference being the separated Catholics of this last 50 years did not establish their own faith, but joined others who founded a belief system based on their individual opinions starting around 1517 CE with thousands of new denominations established throughout the last 500 years to today.
Now, can we be honest with ourselves? follow link to continue reading...
What it comes down to is this; we freely abandoned God and growth in our faith choosing to pursue that path of liberalism which seemed to offer the greatest degree of self gratification with the least interference and effort. Eventually, for many that became an “at all cost” endeavor with convenience and the nourishing of our pride being our priorities while suffering varied degrees of diminished respect for others and our own self respect, and finally, rejection of morality for varied conveniences. Our philosophy became; “it doesn’t matter how you practice your faith or what church you go to” or “it’s all good with God as long as you feel you are doing the right thing”.
Today what many of us from the formation of this society are increasingly coming to realize is not only did we not know what or why our faith taught what it did, but in that ignorance we also neglected to provide our children the Christian education, faith and morality they should have received while we as parents were responsible to teach them. Now that we seek to learn and come to know, we learn what we didn't know appropriately. Our now adult children have no true knowledge of their faith. Some question whether Jesus is God incarnate or a mere prophet Himself. Others refer to philosophy to justify their doubts or disbelief. Philosophy when used with common sense justifies the existence of God and the Messiah but when distorted offers excuses for many things including justifying its own errors when it fails, but what it can not do is provide reasonable explanation of its own existence in man without God.
Our children are now the adult influence in society, the heart of our culture, and unfortunately the inheritors of our liberalism and ignorance of what Catholicism truly teaches and why. They inherited our attitude that “the Catholic Church teaches…” rather than realizing it is Christ who taught and the Catholic Church by Him has been commissioned to carry on His teachings. It is His own institution Scripturally and historically recorded, established and commanded by Him as the High Priest to provide that teaching so that all man MAY (not will) be saved. If they are condemned they condemn themselves. Most do not know who the Apostolic Fathers or the Early Church Fathers are. They do not realize the origin of the Bible or that every Bible regardless of the version of "interpretation", came from the Catholic Bible and has but one accurate interpretation. They do not know what the Didache or the Latin Vulgate is. They see the Old Testament and the New Testament as two seperate entities and do not realize the Old Testament and the New Testament are interrelated as one account of God's relationship with man. They do not know what they oppose and how beautifully and magnificently fulfilling their life would be if they learned the truth.
To be posted soon...
Part Two - our Children, today's adults
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