A recent Patheos blogger called us Catholics to write a post on why we remain Catholic in the midst of certain scandles (sex-abuse cover-ups, same-sex marriage etc). This is my blog post, also my first post for a while. If you wish to join in, use the hashtag #WhyRemainCatholic
We live in a fast-paced, post-modern, secular and increasingly godless world. A vast majority of the west have no faith; others have a selfish-faith, only believing in things appropriate to their lives, denying teachings that make them appear less well-intentioned.
Many would get up and leave the Christian faith altogether, unable to reconcile their lives with church-teachings. Of all the different faiths in the world and their denominations, why do I remain Catholic? It would be easier for me to leave the Church in favour of a modern one, or do what countless others have done in the past few centuries and create my own church with views and teachings agreeable to me and my state in life. Not long after I rediscovered God, that was one of my new, zealous ideas! A decade on, I’m still there! Guess I simply became lazy; Perhaps not.
I could write page after page of reasons I choose to stay, for there are many! The history, beauty and language; Liturgy, teachings, availability of Catholic Churches; Our Lady, the Saints, Popes and Martyrs. All these form part of the reason I stay. Regarding the teachings, not all of them I like. Many of them make it hard to go about life as I would like. However, being a Christian - particularly a Catholic - was never meant to be easy. The world isn't easy.
As my life leads on, I find certain stumbling blocks: saying no to drugs, homosexual-sex, contraception. At certain times I have been in complete opposition to Catholic teachings on these and other ideas that the secular world embrace. As Catholics, however, we are a pilgrim people, living in exile in the world, until we attain glory in Heaven, forever. As pilgrims, we are constantly learning, living that which we have learnt and evolving into better versions of ourselves.
Ultimately, the reason I stay is “The Truth” and the Catholic faith is the only faith that has the ultimate truth, created by Truth-Himself, Jesus Christ.
As people, we change. God is the one and same He has always been. My life will change a great number of ways in my time, but the truth will never change. The Catholic Church, her teachings and traditions are the same as they were 2,000 years ago. Its not just one of many churches or a conservative denomination. It is THE Church, founded by Christ Himself. Can God ever be wrong? In this post-modern world, many think He is always wrong. I place my trust and faith in Him, the successors of St. Peter. All other churches were found by the created, usually in direct opposition to God’s teachings. How can a man form his own truths in opposition to God’s truth? He can’t do that and succeed.
As I said earlier, I could write page after page, perhaps even a book with my reasons for staying with the faith, but to put it succinctly, truth is why I stay. Whilst I may not understand certain teachings, when I find I am living in opposition to what my faith teaches - after much reading, thought and of course, prayer - the ultimate truth wins and I adapt my life accordingly.
Just as Our Lord says, we must die to ourselves in order to live eternally with Him. Amen!
