Isn’t pursuing religion for the sake of eternal life somewhat self-centered? Is there really any guarantee that your child will have eternal life if he/she is raised catholic, or any religion, as they could drop the religion and go on a spree of unholy actions the second they leave home? Of course that’s not guaranteed, but it seems like christian children experiment will all sorts of things the second they’re out from under their parents rule. Is everyone who is not catholic or religious falling off a cliff then? I don’t consider my non-religious friends to be doomed. Why spend life worrying and basing your decisions on heaven/hell.
Icouch: You are very typical for a person of your age. Most of us have gone through similar “turbulence” as we approached adulthood, and it’s scary. But as you face adulthood, you must understand you are responsible for yourself alone. As you realize that I would like you to draw a line that is infinite/eternal/never ending, if you could, but since you can’t, do it in your mind’s eye. Now use the same instrument you used to make that line and draw the extent of your life on this earth, whether it be 100 years or longer or shorter, but do it to scale compared to the infinite line. Now you must realize that how you spend that microscopic dot, your lifespan, will determine how you spend that infinite line, all of eternity. How you invest in your “eternal future” during your lifespan, will directly determine how you spend all of eternity. You can argue, “but I just want to have fun, do drugs, get drunk, etc.” all you want, but that’s how life is and the sooner you understand that you don’t make the rules, God does the better off you will be. You also wrote:
Here’s an excerpt from my life:…
It was only when one of my friends approached me about it and told me that it happened to a lot of people that I got the courage talk about it or think of doing anything about it. I went to confession for it (and a few other minor things). I only began to come out of my depression when my parents came to me and told me I wasn’t a bad person and that they loved me. Talking to my friends and family about what I had done helped me get on my feet. The point is that, as a catholic, I had certain things blown way out of proportion in my head, etc… that when I committed, I was too afraid to speak about because they were such horrible sins. Realizing that, in the spectrum of things, they weren’t so bad, I was able to move on, having learned my lesson… I feel like, in the end, I needed to feel redeemed myself and not by God in order to be happy and move on with life. Does salvation lie within or with God?
Icouch: You obviously have a fairly well formed conscience, which is also typical of a good kid, trying out the freedom of adulthood who makes some mistakes, and feels the need to be forgiven. Don’t be too hard on yourself, but know God loves you and is searching for you. In fact He loves you and me so much He sent His Son Jesus into the world to redeem all mankind who turns to Him. In the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of John, verses 32-40, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst. But as I have told you, you can see me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and
whoever comes to me I shall not turn away; because I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who sent me. Now the will of Him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that He has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Yes it is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on the last day.”
An excellent movie - American History X - sends a wonderful message about why self-hatred is so destructive…The Shawshank Redemption has a message that “redemption lies within”. I think that’s a wonderful message, but is it anti-christian? And what about One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest? I’d say that movie has great messages, but are they anti-christian?
Icouch, please don’t trust “Hollywood” or the examples of people making money there to provide you with the important and lifesaving messages you need to hear. Trust Jesus as he has revealed Himself through His Church. You don’t have to be perfect, and none of us are, but you only need to turn to Him and give Him your depression and your fears. The only guarantee in this life is Jesus the Christ, who is searching for you as I write this. That’s why He is called the “Good Shepherd”, He searches out those lambs of His who are wandering away and will be harmed. For starters please read the Gospel of John. In it you will learn Jesus also said, “I have come so that they, (all mankind who follow Him), may have life and have it to the full”.
Remember, the first public miracle of Jesus was to turn water into wine!