Do you ever get tired?

[chaunceygardner]

The simplest statements can have the deepest, most complex meanings.

What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Fully explain this comandment without using more words than God used - 7.

You are asking ordinary humans to do what Jesus didn’t do - explain that commandment in seven words. First, the commandment explains itself, and second, when Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” he responded with the story of the Good Samaritan. Very direct and to the point, but more than seven words.

I would have to agree with “Emeraldcoast” and others that we tend to complicate what Jesus actually made very simple and very clear.

 

[Robert_in_SD]

Tired of religion?

I instinctively feel that what Im feeling is wrong, but I feel close to just not bothering any more.

There is so much arguement, so much confusing information, so much that no matter how hard a certain church or belief argues a point, its still only a matter of intepretation, so much misrepresentation of the facts, so much vitriol between certain christian churchs, so much deceit and politics and immorality on all sides and much more.

Im tired. Really tired. Honestly tired and worn out with it all.

I dont know what to think or what to do next for the best anymore.

Sometimes I think why have I started RCIA. I already believe in and know God exists.

Isnt that enough?

Do you ever feel like that? Or is it just me?

If I may use an analogy… do you play golf? If you have ever walked into a large golf store, I’m sure you have seen all of the gadgets and gizmos that are designed to take strokes off your game, or increase the distance you will hit the ball, or improve accuracy. And yet the best golfers are those who play the game regularly without all these things. Even with God’s grace, it takes time, patience, and practice to be proficient at anything - including a life of Christian faith. You simply cannot jump right into something like the game of golf and instantly be a pro … even if you buy every gizmo and gadget and read every book on the subject, it takes time, patience, and practice.

If you find you are being distracted in your faith life by too much reading, and too many gadgets and gizmos, then just take time to walk with God. Spend time in prayer. Read the bible for yourself, and not to solve theological problems. Go to mass and just experience it. Don’t disect it, or analyze it. Just experience it for your own edification. Set aside the concordances, the apologetics books, the outlines, bible cheat sheets and anything else that is distracting you from the “fundamentals” of Catholic faith and get down to the basics.

What you seem to be suggesting in your post is that a life of Christian faith should come as easily as a good solid golf swing. But a good swing simply does not come so easily, nor should you expect to drive the ball 300 yards on your first outing. Patience, practice, perserverence. Work on the fundamentals. It pays off on the course, and in your faith life.

Just my two cents.

Peace,
Robert

 

[PJM]

=Guyonthestreet;5699817]Tired of religion?

I instinctively feel that what Im feeling is wrong, but I feel close to just not bothering any more.

There is so much arguement, so much confusing information, so much that no matter how hard a certain church or belief argues a point, its still only a matter of intepretation, so much misrepresentation of the facts, so much vitriol between certain christian churchs, so much deceit and politics and immorality on all sides and much more.

Im tired. Really tired. Honestly tired and worn out with it all.

I dont know what to think or what to do next for the best anymore.

Sometimes I think why have I started RCIA. I already believe in and know God exists.

Isnt that enough?

Do you ever feel like that? Or is it just me?

Knowing God is not the same as knowing what God wants and expects from each of us.

=Guyonthestreet-17]Tired of religion?

I instinctively feel that what Im feeling is wrong, but I feel close to just not bothering any more.

There is so much argument, so much confusing information, so much that no matter how hard a certain church or belief argues a point, its still only a matter of interpretation, so much misrepresentation of the facts, so much vitriol between certain Christian churches, so much deceit and politics and immorality on all sides and much more.

Im tired. Really tired. Honestly tired and worn out with it all.

I don’t know what to think or what to do next for the best anymore.

Sometimes I think why have I started RCIA. I already believe in and know God exists.

Isn’t that enough?

Do you ever feel like that? Or is it just me?

To answer your last question first. No, and I suspect that you know this?

Are you aware of how Satan works? I mean do you know that as powerful as Satan is, that he lacks the power to “make you do something?”

Satan has no control [nor does God by His masterful design] over ones “freewill.” Other wise it would not be a “FREE-will.” The way Satan works, his playground as it were is through our emotions. Your post reeks with emotion. What does that my friend tell you

Consider this also. Has not your life’s experience taught you that anything and everything that is good comes at a price? Was it easy for God to become Incarnate? Was it easy for God to be rejected, humiliated, not understood, denied, rejected? Was it easy for Jesus to agree to endure His Passion and death? Was it easy for the Father and Holy Spirit to allow Him to do so? Of course not. Why? Because GOOD always comes at a price.

There can logically only be One true Church and One true God, and One true Bible, and One true Faith. Given the fact that ONLY the Catholic Church can historically prove that it alone was Founded by God, that the Bible came through the Catholic Church, it is a reasonable conclusion that the Catholic Church is the “place of the ONES.” If for no other reason than there were no other churches no other bibles.

So either the Catholic Church is the One, or Christianity did not began until Henry the Eighth and Luther simply impossibility. And no bible existed until the King James Bible in about 1,650. Ludicrous!

If its not easy it is going about according to plan. Not our, God’s

Love and prayers,

 

[Guyonthestreet]

Thanks PJM, Robert, CG Bob and all who contributed to help.

You have.

Enormously.

Some of you have given me even more to think about

I was getting frustrated with it all, I gotta be honest, I got to keep focused on the core issues and pray more.

I know some good catholics, and they’re a great help with RCIA.

I guess maybe I just need to stop asking so many questions and focus more on prayer and listening.

 

[dzheremi]

I certainly do get tired of certain specific, never-ending arguments (e.g., filioque, papal infallibility, etc.), even though I understand why it is still important to have them. For me, it is an important struggle to remember that religion is more than any single or group of arguments, academic, historical or otherwise. It is an attempt to commune with God. It is hard to be tired of God.

 

[LilyM]

Tired? Well, being human and fallible I get tired of plenty of things at times.

Sometimes I get tired of having to wake up early every weekday morning and go and work at my job, even though I really do love the work I do and the people I work with - and even though I’ve only been there a short while.

I get tired of playing (or at least trying to play) diplomat, peacemaker and sounding-board amongst my very large and very emotional family - there’s always something going down with someone! Even though I absolutely love each and every one of them to bits and they are fantastic people who I wouldn’t change for the world.

I get tired of having to take care of my health by exercising and eating healthily and taking my vitamins and medicines - even though the benefits of doing so have been very obvious to me and even though the ‘maintenance’ I have to do health-wise is really quite minimal compared to many people.

It’s amazing how fickle the human mind is about doing the right thing - even in instances where we really want to do it, even in instances where we get very immediate and very obvious rewards for it.

I’d be more surprised if you never struggled with religion, where the rewards are neither immediate nor obvious.