I like the different points of view and attitudes that people of other religions have to offer. Is that bad?

[iwannabesomeone]

Hello, as a Catholic I think it would be great if all people would become Catholics. However, I’ve noticed that I really enjoy being around people of different backgrounds and different religions who have other points of view and ways of looking at life. How is this reconcilable? I should mention that I also enjoy being around other Catholics who come from different places or have different ideas than I do. Anyway, if the world would all become Catholic, would we be missing out on some perspectives that other religions have that might be good for humanity? Just musing on the topic. What do you think?

 

[prodigalson12]

I hang out with a pretty wide variety of people, not a lot of Catholics though since I just don’t know very many locally and I suppose it has to do with how I only recently moved into the area, so will give the latter time. You will find we are a very diverse bunch, eventually all of the things you come across, be it, within good standing, do eventually get covered within the Catholic believing individual. I wouldn’t feel like you are being left out of something if it ends up with only Catholics you hang out with.

Be careful though, we all are impressionable, and if you are hanging out with those of other beliefs, eventually some of that likely will rub off on you, so you want to use a lot of discernment.

 

[ljubim]

I sort of know what you mean. I like learning a bunch of new things, and religions are one of them. For instance I’d like to one day go and talk to the preacher/pastor/rabbi whomever of a bunch of different churches just to have that kind of understanding, and mutual respect I guess. Jesus did say, If they’re not against us, they’re for us. So take what they have to say with a pinch of salt (or whatever that expression is:shrug

 

[Secret_Square]

I’ve had this thought myself – that although strictly speaking, we should want everyone in the world to be Catholic, the world would be a lot more “boring” if that happened!

One helpful thought to remember is that being Catholic does NOT necessarily or automatically mean being a Latin Rite Catholic. The vast majority of Catholics in the U.S. know only the Latin Rite, and are not aware that there are more than 20 other rites with their own style of liturgy, their own calendar of saints and feast days, their own language and other traditions, and their own hierarchy.

Recently the Pope opened the door to Anglicans who want to come into union with the Church but still retain their beautiful traditions and liturgy.

I suppose it would be possible, at least in theory, for the Catholic Church to have different rites that retained all the good features and traditions of other religions that were not in conflict with Catholic teaching. Converted Jews could pray in Hebrew; converted Muslims could pray in Arabic; converted Hindus or Buddhists could pray in Hindi or whatever their native language was. There could be a Lutheran Rite, or a Baptist Rite, or a Pentecostal/Charismatic Rite that allowed converts to retain those styles of worship AND have the benefit of recieving Christ Himself in the Eucharist.

 

[prodigalson12]

I’ve had this thought myself – that although strictly speaking, we should want everyone in the world to be Catholic, the world would be a lot more “boring” if that happened!

One helpful thought to remember is that being Catholic does NOT necessarily or automatically mean being a Latin Rite Catholic. The vast majority of Catholics in the U.S. know only the Latin Rite, and are not aware that there are more than 20 other rites with their own style of liturgy, their own calendar of saints and feast days, their own language and other traditions, and their own hierarchy.

Recently the Pope opened the door to Anglicans who want to come into union with the Church but still retain their beautiful traditions and liturgy.

I suppose it would be possible, at least in theory, for the Catholic Church to have different rites that retained all the good features and traditions of other religions that were not in conflict with Catholic teaching. Converted Jews could pray in Hebrew; converted Muslims could pray in Arabic; converted Hindus or Buddhists could pray in Hindi or whatever their native language was. There could be a Lutheran Rite, or a Baptist Rite, or a Pentecostal/Charismatic Rite that allowed converts to retain those styles of worship AND have the benefit of recieving Christ Himself in the Eucharist.

You know what, that’s not bad, but you will want to add something into it that eventually leads us towards unity and not needing rites at all and it’s just one church and form of worship don’t you think?

 

[Secret_Square]

You know what, that’s not bad, but you will want to add something into it that eventually leads us towards unity and not needing rites at all and it’s just one church and form of worship don’t you think?

Well, “Catholic” by definition means “universal” – for everyone – NOT limited to a single culture, race, or nationality. I don’t think Christian unity necessarily requires “one form of worship” in the sense that every church and every Mass have to look and sound and feel EXACTLY the same. God created people to be different, and they aren’t all going to approach Him in the same way. A pastor in a typical suburban parish and a missionary in a remote African village may offer the same Mass on the same day, but the look, sound, and atmosphere of each will be completely different.

 

[prodigalson12]

You know what, that’s not bad, but you will want to add something into it that eventually leads us towards unity and not needing rites at all and it’s just one church and form of worship don’t you think?

Well, “Catholic” by definition means “universal” – for everyone – NOT limited to a single culture, race, or nationality. I don’t think Christian unity necessarily requires “one form of worship” in the sense that every church and every Mass have to look and sound and feel EXACTLY the same. God created people to be different, and they aren’t all going to approach Him in the same way. A pastor in a typical suburban parish and a missionary in a remote African village may offer the same Mass on the same day, but the look, sound, and atmosphere of each will be completely different.

it’s more about, we follow what God desires for us within formal worship, what happens after wards is unique to the people that receive it, so plenty of diveristy, it’s just getting to the fine tuned picture of him best in a universal manner, that’s all. Each church, same starting point, different ending and each retain their own identity, just as us unique individuals retain our own unique identity and we are loved for that from God. That we still are born of the same genetic code, yet end up so vastly different from each other.