A little background… when I was a baby I was baptized as a Catholic, when I was 2, I was re-baptized and I am technically a born again Christian who was raised Catholic. In all honesty and I mean this with no disrespect, I’m not sure if I even know what being born again Christian means?
Growing up with my grandparents I was raised Catholic, therefore I know a lot more about the Catholic faith. The older I got the more distance I put between myself and the church. I don’t know if anyone else has felt this way, and I mean this in no disrespect, again these are my observations and thoughts. It always felt wrong, going to church one day out of the week and seeing these same people at their best behavior on Sundays and the rest of the week… questionable. I’m not saying this is EVERYONE, but some. It’s very unfortunate to think of the people in your parish as hypocrites, but that’s exactly what they were. Some of the people closest to me, the ones I’m supposed to look up to, have done some unGodly things…
My uncle is a pastor, both my grandmothers are very religious so there are a couple people who kept my belief in the faith(s). As I got older I stopped going to church, I would pray silently. The older I got the less I prayed. With everything that’s happened in my life, to me and the people I love, I don’t know. I guess I just felt …abandoned, disappointed…?
This doesn’t mean I don’t respect those who practice faith. In all honesty I actually like learning about all the different types. I respect those who have not faltered in their faith and sometimes I wish I was as strong as them. My group of friends and even my family, they all practice different faiths and that’s one of the things I love about us. Regardless of our faiths or lack thereof we all get along.
The only thing I would change is if we are at a family/friends party and if only the minority of the group practice a particular faith to not “force” the faith onto others. It would be different if majority practiced, I get that, we can pray prior to eating and those who do not practice do not need to partake. Although if 4 out of 30 for example then I feel like they can pray in silence or solo. My coworkers do it all the time, right before we eat and if we are talking they will just let me know and say, “Just a moment, I need to pray” and I respect that. What I can’t respect is when people force others to do things they normally do not…
Although I may not practice a particular faith, I do believe in a higher entity. I’m not sure what, but I know there’s a higher being out there. I have faith or at least hope that someone is out there who looks after us.
Any who I started typing this because of a death viewing last night and questions I had during the prayer and I’ve completely gone off tangent and will have to save the rest for another post…
Khaye's Khronicles 