Can I love God any way I see fit?

[Maryann_C]

I am starting this so as not to hijack the 'what brings non-Catholics to CAF ? 'thread.

The question comes from a statement that was made:

*"that is sad and not what its supposed to be about because God made us free people and not robots and along with freedom is to be able to love God how we feel loving and worshiping God works for us and we didn’t really ought to be blocking out others if they have a different way of loving God as God gave us the capacity to be free. Free to Serve and we can be so enhanced by each other rather than told we are wrong by others "
*

To which I replied:

*“So if I think that I can freely love and worship God by helping the poor but I do this by freely choosing to take from the rich what is not mine to take because that ‘works for me’ would I really be loving and worshiping God? Like it or not God made us free to choose right from wrong not free to choose how we worship and love Him. Jesus is clear on this.” *

Am I wrong? Are we free to worship God any way we want because what works for me may not work for you but it is OK with God?

 

[SaintPatrick333]

The reason Christ works is because He created order. Without Him there is only chaos. You were absolutely correct in your response to the op. Christ calls us to His Holy Communion, He calls us to His Holy Church. He calls each of us in our own way true enough. But He calls us to a very specific lifestyle. Your friend seems to be slipping into the new age heretical beliefs where everything is permitted so long as it makes you feel good. Dangerous thinking if you ask me

 

[Maryann_C]

He calls us to a very specific lifestyle. Your friend seems to be slipping into the new age heretical beliefs where everything is permitted so long as it makes you feel good. Dangerous thinking if you ask me

Thanks your last is what I was thinking. Not my friend…sister in Christ sure…but a non- catholic on CAF on a different thread that I did not wish to hijack.

 

[cessnawag]

Jesus( god’s word made flesh) came to earth in part to start a church. That church is the Catholic church. He appointed Peter as the first pope, and gave him the “keys to heaven” and established the sacraments. Jesus showed us how to worship and walk with god. A person does have free will to say no to all this, but I’m going to do my best to say yes to what Jesus instructed.

 

[Catholic80]

I am starting this so as not to hijack the 'what brings non-Catholics to CAF ? 'thread.

The question comes from a statement that was made:

*"that is sad and not what its supposed to be about because God made us free people and not robots and along with freedom is to be able to love God how we feel loving and worshiping God works for us and we didn’t really ought to be blocking out others if they have a different way of loving God as God gave us the capacity to be free. Free to Serve and we can be so enhanced by each other rather than told we are wrong by others "
*

To which I replied:

*“So if I think that I can freely love and worship God by helping the poor but I do this by freely choosing to take from the rich what is not mine to take because that ‘works for me’ would I really be loving and worshiping God? Like it or not God made us free to choose right from wrong not free to choose how we worship and love Him. Jesus is clear on this.” *

Am I wrong? Are we free to worship God any way we want because what works for me may not work for you but it is OK with God?

Well, stealing from the rich would be a sin, and therefore, it would be the antithesis of love. So, you would be giving to the poor out of pride, not love, because it is rooted in sin.

But, to bring up a point about your topic question, we are all called to love God in a unique way. Someone once told me that each of us will have a special way of loving God in Heaven (and now) that is just between God and us. No one else will have access to it.

God wants us to be happy here, and if we follow our hearts, we will be happy. For instance, some people love working with kids, so they love God by helping/teaching/caring for kids. Some people love God by being an advocate for issues such as Pro-life, or anti-human trafficking. Some people love God by caring for the elderly. The list goes on. All of it comes from the heart and is selfless.

 

[Maryann_C]

Well, stealing from the rich would be a sin, and therefore, it would be the antithesis of love. So, you would be giving to the poor out of pride, not love, because it is rooted in sin.

But, to bring up a point about your topic question, we are all called to love God in a unique way. Someone once told me that each of us will have a special way of loving God in Heaven (and now) that is just between God and us. No one else will have access to it.

God wants us to be happy here, and if we follow our hearts, we will be happy. For instance, some people love working with kids, so they love God by helping/teaching/caring for kids. Some people love God by being an advocate for issues such as Pro-life, or anti-human trafficking. Some people love God by caring for the elderly. The list goes on. All of it comes from the heart and is selfless.

Welcome by the way and thanks for posting here. I agree with your first point but your second two have me wondering what your source is because it is not a teaching that I have ever come across.
Specifically , now where have I seen that Jesus told us that we all have a unique way to love God and that it will be just between me and Him- I do however know from Church teaching ,as is seen in Holy scripture also, that we are all parts of one body and the head can not say to the hand that I do not need you and as Paul teaches that we all have different gifts from the spirit but they are not for our gain personally they are for the building up of the Church.

There are many people who follow their hearts and are happy in their adultery but they are most certainly not loving God. IMHO this is not a time for simplistic feel good statements. There is a line or truth in the sand.