Not speaking up

[luvthelight]

recently my parents, grandparents, and uncle were involved in a religious discussion in the next room and my uncle, and nonbeliever, was speaking about how 'things the church does, like claiming the pope to be infalliable dont really help skeptics like himself,". i am feeling tremendous guilt for not speaking up and explaining that we do not believe that the pope is infalliable ALL the time. arghhh. i tried explaining the issue to my mother, and asked her to let me know if such an issue came up again, and told her i felt guilt for not speaking up, she said i worry way too much. is what i did like a major sin? or just a missed opportunity that i should avoid in the future? thanks for your help!

 

[YinYangMom]

Trust in the Lord in all things.

If you were meant to have spoken up the Holy Spirit would have worked through you.

There are times I am stunned to say the things I do to defend the faith. I honestly don’t think about it, or plan it. I certainly don’t intend to be one who speaks up like that, and yet there I am speaking or writing words expressing views I really didn’t know I had.

You were in a separate room at the time of the discussion. It would have been rude of you to have stepped in, particularly when your parents and other elders were there to represent the Faith to your uncle.

 

[Steven_Merten]

luvthelight:

recently my parents, grandparents, and uncle were involved in a religious discussion in the next room and my uncle, and nonbeliever, was speaking about how 'things the church does, like claiming the pope to be infalliable dont really help skeptics like himself,". i am feeling tremendous guilt for not speaking up and explaining that we do not believe that the pope is infalliable ALL the time. arghhh. i tried explaining the issue to my mother, and asked her to let me know if such an issue came up again, and told her i felt guilt for not speaking up, she said i worry way too much. is what i did like a major sin? or just a missed opportunity that i should avoid in the future? thanks for your help!

Hello luvthelight,

I vote “you worry way too much” with your mother. I am a cradle Catholic. I go to Mass every Sunday. I read Catholic materials all the time. Even I do not know what are “infallible” statements. Do you? Some Catholics say there are only two infallible statments: 1 that the Pope can speak infallibly. 2: Mary’s imaculate conception (or something like that). Some Catholics say that it is all papal encyclicals. I know that there have been many posters on catholic.com challenging the Pope to give us a list of all the infallible statements but no Pope or Church leader has stepped up to the challenge. Don’t you think that if the Church had a list of statements as infallible as the biblical word of God it should be as widely availiable to all as the bible is? Your uncle has a case. I agree that you should not worry so much.

 

[luvthelight]

thank you so much for your speedy replies, i definitly feel a sigh of relief. i believe everyone must be right though, i do worry too much. thanks again!

 

[felra]

You may also consider that your guilt, though not indicative of having sinned, is a a flag that you were operating more out of timidity. If you decide this, and this is a pattern for you (to not speak up when the situation would call for this), then I would see this as a area that God wants you to change. He may very well be wanting you to develop the opposite trait of being timid, which is boldness.

“For God did not give us a spirit of **timidity **but a spiritof power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

“Since we have such a hope, we are very** bold**,” (2 Cor.3:12)

 

[Sorbetto]

I have been in your position and have felt that I was not prepared enough in my learning to defend the Church (I will be attending RCIA in the fall), on top of my being a shy person to begin with. I always felt a bit guilty, too. I came to two conclusions -

1. I should do my best to learn more, and God will help me to discern when I am ready to speak up appropriately.
2. When I do speak up, He will be with me… I will be speaking in light of the Truth, and therefore, no matter their reactions, it will be fine!