Friend speaks about "My Catholicism"

[Sirach2]

Sirach -
Quite right…I have not watched the video and was not aware of these things you mention.
That said I need to simply revert to my original advice…in post number 11…**That they need to ask if they are acting out of Christian love toward one another. **

Peace
James

 

[CuriousAlan]

I have not “fluffed” up my post. She indeed does rage. A few days ago, I went out to lunch with some friends and she was there. One of my friends mentioned that has decided to read documents from Vatican II, and the girl, my friend in need of prayer, flung her fork down, got up, and stormed out of the restaurant, causing us all to get stares at and the waiter asking if we were okay.

My girlfriend got ahold of her that evening, and the girl said that she does not like mention of the structured Church rules, documents, decrees, etc because she feels “bound” by them and she wants to believe how she wants to believe.

About Voris, I don’t agree with his bashing of the OF. The OF can be very beautiful if celebrated with reverence and respect, like Cardinal Burke. The Monsignor at my parish, the one the girl hates, has commented that Burke is an example of how every clergyman should be.

 

[kozlosap]

Never in my wildest imagination would I show anyone a Michael Voris video if I was trying to get them to see my point of view.

 

[CB_Catholic]

My friend of many years constantly bickers with me about religion. I am a traditionalist Catholic and she is one of those New Age rationalists who misinterpret Vat.II like crazy. I tried to get her to watch Michael Voris’s Church Militant.TV on the “Church of Nice”

She would refuse and refuse constantly and blabbered that some modernist church that removed their kneelers and doesn’t even have a crucifix “suits her faith better”. She speaks as if all is happy go lucky and all are right and none are wrong and people may create their own form of beliefs.

She also tries to put social justice issues on the same level of intrinsic evils, which is wrong and liberal.

What can I do to get my friend to stop being the rationalist new age “Catholic”

I don’t know why you think you can or have the right to control your friend. From reading all the posts about her, it sounds as if she is rebelling against what she perceives to be too much control and not enough freedom in religion. For you to try to “get (her) to stop being the rationalist new age Catholic” is just reinforcing that. You do not have the right to try to stop her from thinking as she does. You can only present your point of view thoughtfully. What she does with it is her business. Jesus never forced anyone to believe in Him.

Also, the name-calling has got to stop. It poisons your thinking about your friend. You need to think of her as a human being made in the image and likeness of God whom Jesus loves as much as he does you and who deserves your respect. Stop calling her “new age”, “rationalist” “liberal”, etc. Once you change your attitude about her, you may see a difference in the relationship.

Thirdly, she has some things right. Social Justice issues can be intrinsic evils. Abortion is a social justice issue, for example. Before you condemn the whole concept, think about it. Try to acknowledge anything that is good in her point of view.

And lastly—I used to listen to Michael Voris. I have a collection of his CD’s, which I am about to trash. Fr. Robert Barron presents a much more complete and balanced picture of Catholicism and it is presented with an obvious love of the Church and Jesus Christ. He has a website :

wordonfire.org/#

God bless you. It might be a good idea to stop talking about religion with her for a while.