Being Catholic is making me mean?

[supertubos]

I have been Catholic my whole life, but only within the last year, since I finished the RCIA course for my confirmation have I been really practicising my faith.

However, since this amazing change in my life I have noticed some changes that I am not so happy with. It seems I have become more judgemental.

1. When watching TV I get offended so much more, there are only a few shows I’ll actually watch now.
2. I seem to have lost my sense of humor, I get annoyed at rude jokes as I now understand that they are wrong
3. I used to be so much more accepting of other peoples beliefs and opinions and now I am so much less tolerant.

I don’t think people have started noticing the difference yet, but I have. I know Jesus taught us not to be judgemental, but it is so hard to be accepting when these things are against our faith… and there are so many things!

I can’t be the only person who has this problem. Any advice of how I can handle this are greatly appreciated!

Balance, balance, balance is what is needed.
You cannot be as them but you must be with them. Simple as doves and smart as snakes, said the Lord Jesus.
90% of TV programs are dirt, even if you are not a christian.
As for dirty jokes, frankly, I do not appreciate because they are dirty but because they are not fun. they deal with a few square centimeters of the human body and go on and on and on on the same tone.
Take it easy, dont stress. slowly you will learn to be friendlyly firm and firmly friend. It is a question of time.
cheers,

 

[Aboveallbereal]

I do feel like I am being mean, in the sense that I am not being nice, I am having thoughts when I see or hear these things that are definately not nice… I am being intolerant and judemental. I am English, and mean is a common word here, perhaps I should have chosen I different word.

The fact that I may have to not watch television is crazy! Is our world so full of sin that we can’t watch tv?

I am afraid that if I listen to incorrect teachings, or watch sinful material, that it will weaken me somehow and make me more susceptable to sin! I find that once I sin, it is so easy to do it again, I think it is the same for being influenced by sin.

Thank you for the reading suggestion, I will definately read that!

You touch on something which is and will be an issue for all serious minded Christians in the years to come. England is an extreme but to an extent, a great extent, we all now live in what are de facto post Christian secular humanist national cultures where Christian mores, where they are in conflict with secular humanist norms, are at best ignored and at worst vilified.

Against this background it is possible to retreat to a kind of shrill admonishment. it is necessary but by no means easy not to. Living in this reality will not be easy and will see constant temptation tooverly “harrumph”.

 

[Bluegoat]

It’s easy to become judgmental of people. I think the post which quoted The Screwtape Letters was spot on - it is very easy for Satan to start to twist our faith into something it isn’t supposed to be.

It is ok, and in fact good, to have a clear idea when things are spiritually unhealthy, for you or others… OTOH, we are generally not called on to make judgments of other people. Sometimes we are: priests to their flock, parents to children, close friends perhaps. These are people we know fairly well, are in a position to help, and often have some sort of authority over. These things go together too - how can you judge a person who you don’t know much about? What is the point if you cannot give that person advice or succor?

There may be times when we have to decide that a person or place or tv show is no good for us, that it is going to lead us astray. But that is to some extent individual, and it is about our own weakness rather than another person. In the case of tv, there may be other reasons to avoid shows that are essentially negative as well.

Some of the greatest saints have been people who don’t seem to see others sins. Not because they are blind or stupid, but because they themselves are so holy that all they see is the imprint of Christ shining through. They treat people accordingly, and it is such saints that enable others to see Christ in themselves. It is these people rather than those that judge that bring people to God who were wandering lost. That is something to consider when we find ourselves judging those who we do not have any authority over (and even with those we do.)

 

[karow]

I can’t be the only person who has this problem. Any advice of how I can handle this are greatly appreciated!

You have a choice: you can go through life looking for sin, offense, and people/situations to condem, or you can look for the good whenever and where ever you can. Choose the former and you’ll end up a bitter misanthrope; choose the latter and you’ll have a more joy-filled, peaceful life.

Another thing to consider: people tend to bring out self-same characteristics in those around them. Bitter misanthropes bring out the bitter misanthrope in others. Genuinely happy people bring out that trait in the other people in their lives.

We all of us get one chance to go through this life. How you chose to that is up to you.

 

[kildare]

*I am living in Rome in AD200 and have just recently rediscovered my catholic faith

However, since this amazing change in my life I have noticed some changes that I am not so happy with. It seems I have become more judgemental.

1. When watching gladiatorial fights and in the arena I get offended so much more, there are only a few shows I’ll actually watch now.
2. I seem to have lost my sense of humor, I get annoyed at anti-christian jokes as I now understand that they are wrong
3. I used to be so much more accepting of other peoples beliefs and opinions, including ideas of the divinity of the Emperor, the correctness of slavery and crucifixion and now I am so much less tolerant.*

*I am living in Germany in 1938 and have just recently rediscovered my catholic faith

However, since this amazing change in my life I have noticed some changes that I am not so happy with. It seems I have become more judgemental.

1. When watching films or newsreels in the local cinema I get offended so much more, there are only a few shows I’ll actually watch now.
2. I seem to have lost my sense of humor, I get annoyed at racist jokes as I now understand that they are wrong
3. I used to be so much more accepting of other peoples beliefs and opinions, including ideas of mass extermination, racial purity and initiating a global war and now I am so much less tolerant.*

 

[Ruth_Catherine]

I have been Catholic my whole life, but only within the last year, since I finished the RCIA course for my confirmation have I been really practicising my faith.

However, since this amazing change in my life I have noticed some changes that I am not so happy with. It seems I have become more judgemental.

1. When watching TV I get offended so much more, there are only a few shows I’ll actually watch now.
2. I seem to have lost my sense of humor, I get annoyed at rude jokes as I now understand that they are wrong
3. I used to be so much more accepting of other peoples beliefs and opinions and now I am so much less tolerant.

I don’t think people have started noticing the difference yet, but I have. I know Jesus taught us not to be judgemental, but it is so hard to be accepting when these things are against our faith… and there are so many things!

I can’t be the only person who has this problem. Any advice of how I can handle this are greatly appreciated!

I understand what you are going through. I was told once a long time ago that when we come into relationship with God and filled with the Holy Spirit, you begin to like the things that God likes and dislike the things that God dislikes. So maybe this it what is going on.
I think of it as the spirit in me connected with God being rubbed the wrong way. You just recently have been confirmed, so the Holy Spirit is perfecting in you what he began at baptism. You are now part of the Church Militant and we are in a spiritual battle.

As far as tv I change channels or (and I do this alot) I mute commercials or things on shows I don’t want to hear. I, also watch alot of DVDs instead. Alot of the older shows aren’t as bad as today. Today there are many ways to watch something else. There are even channels on the internet. Watching television you are like a sitting duck because you never know when something rude or crude is going to pop out at you and then you wish you hadn’t heard or seen it.

I don’t like rude jokes. Those are harder to get away from. I probably don’t have the best advice but sometimes I just smile and nod. If there are more people in a room other than myself I might leave the room or change the subject. As a woman I am constantly shocked how crude of jokes other women can tell in mixed company or how a man will tell a woman a crude joke. This I mostly notice where I work. In those instances I just keep busy at my job.

There are many things that will insult you as you become aware of what Our Lord dislikes. It is hard to hear his name used disrespectfully, to see women dressed immodest, to see such sin and evil speech on television or in the workplace and sometimes from people who claim to be Christians.

What is bad is when we aren’t bothered by it, when we are so desensitized it doesn’t bother us anymore. That is what is so sad. I’ve learned I have to pray alot more and like someone else said find the good in the world, look for the good in the world and trust that God is in control and will win in the end. Seeing and realizing the evil in the world helps us remember how much we need to pray the rosary and novenas and grow closer to Our Lord for our protection and refuge. He tells us to pray that we do not enter into temptation and to deliver us from evil and I believe we need to do that and then trust.

Another thing that helps me is to memorize Bible verses that remind me of God’s control and protection whenever I am bothered by the things in this world that go against God’s way.

I should add one more thing, doing good works is a good way to overcome the works of the devil.