I think a lot of times people do get worked up and upset and that comes across, but other times people are saying “That’s wrong, the Church teaches that that is wrong…” because they’re worried about someone committing a gravely sinful act. And sometimes I imagine there’s some overlap in the two, with people getting upset that others are advocating for or justifying actions that the Church has always taught are seriously sinful.
Sometimes it can help to remember that people are telling you something is wrong because they are actually really worried for your soul if you continue in an action that the is sinful.
I’m a convert who started as a Southern Baptist, went through an agnostic phase, then a Buddhist phase, then another agnostic/communist phase before finding my way home to the Church. I was really, really good at justifying just about any action with “well it isn’t hurting anyone so…” and viewing happiness, as the world defines it, as the ultimate goal of existence. But it felt really empty, and it’s why after searching and studying I realized that the Church had the answers to so many of the questions that I’d been asking for years.
Asking questions is a good. Seeking truth is good. I found that prayer was hugely important in discovering the answers however, as not all of them made me feel warm and squishy, and some were rather uncomfortable to begin to understand, much less accept. Praying the rosary, for me, was a key part in the process, along with reading a lot (here, and books by Fulton Sheen and Peter Kreeft were both good places to start).
But I think it does help me, when things get heated around here, to remember that often those who are upset may be upset because they’re worried about the souls of those they’re debating and feel that the stakes in these situations are high and this might be the one chance to reach out someone and help them.
Prayers for you as you continue to seek the truth and ask hard questions to understand more about your faith!
