C
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Guest
I am part of a Catholic group and on the one hand, I am very happy to have finally found a bunch of Catholics who welcome me with open arms. On the other hand, I feel a pressure to become like them and I am really not comfortable with some of their ideas.
The hostest of the group (it is in her home) started telling me about 'Jane’s testimony and how she had breast cancer six years ago and it went away.
The first thing I said is ‘I don’t think we should be talking about Jane when she was not in the room’ The host thanked me for my question and they told me that she knows Jane very well and when Jane ‘gives her testimony’ she tells people that and Jane would not mind. The hostest then said ‘If Jane tells me something in confidence, I don’t repeat it’.
As much as I understand the hostest point, I still disagree with it. Jane (who I have met) has never given her testimony in front of me. For all I know, if Jane sees me in the room during her testimony, she might skip over the cancer part because she does not want me to know about it
Also, I believe in treating others the way I would like to be treated. I do NOT like people talking about me when I am not in the room (even if I told every body in the room my personal stuff and no one is learning anything new) so I don’t feel I should be listening to Jane’s business when she is not in the room.
Also, I feel a certain pressure to be like them. I feel since most people there don’t mind discussing their health issues, I am obligated to feel the same way about my health issues and no one will respect my wish for privacy.
And not to mention the fact, I do not see the big miracle of being cured of breast cancer when there is almost a 75% survival rate. I have a problem on how they use such a strong word as ‘testimony’ when speaking about how their their prayers over things like quitting smoking and other things that a lot of Non-Christians manage to do every day.
I also think the the most basic part of being a Catholic is to respect God’s will. If for some reason God choose to take a woman with cancer, as painful as it is for us who remain to loose her, we need to accept God’s will. Why is being cured of breast cancer all of a sudden a ‘testimony’ when we know both options are God’s will?
I also am starting to feel like they are on a power trip and talking to me like I am a child when they tell me about all these testimonies. I feel like they are insunuating that I don’t realise God helps people. One day he hostest was all excited ‘Cathy is coming over and she has such a great testimony. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it’. Cathy came into the room, talked for about 5 minutes about the serious headaches she use to suffer, said she no longer suffers from headaches and then spent the next 25 mintues talking about forgiveness. I don’t see a ‘testinomy’ in that.
I am torn because I have very few people in my life let alone Catholics. But I am starting to resent the way they push the testimony thing and don’t respect my opinion. The sad truth of the manner is, I suspect that if I was to speak up and talk in a power trip way like they do and push my ideas, they would love me all the more and consider me really part of the gang. It seems to be the accepted behaviour in the group. I would feel like a horrible christian arguing with the hostest when she is kind enough to welcome me into her home.
So, can other’s let me know how they feel about testimonies
Thanks
CM
The hostest of the group (it is in her home) started telling me about 'Jane’s testimony and how she had breast cancer six years ago and it went away.
The first thing I said is ‘I don’t think we should be talking about Jane when she was not in the room’ The host thanked me for my question and they told me that she knows Jane very well and when Jane ‘gives her testimony’ she tells people that and Jane would not mind. The hostest then said ‘If Jane tells me something in confidence, I don’t repeat it’.
As much as I understand the hostest point, I still disagree with it. Jane (who I have met) has never given her testimony in front of me. For all I know, if Jane sees me in the room during her testimony, she might skip over the cancer part because she does not want me to know about it
Also, I believe in treating others the way I would like to be treated. I do NOT like people talking about me when I am not in the room (even if I told every body in the room my personal stuff and no one is learning anything new) so I don’t feel I should be listening to Jane’s business when she is not in the room.
Also, I feel a certain pressure to be like them. I feel since most people there don’t mind discussing their health issues, I am obligated to feel the same way about my health issues and no one will respect my wish for privacy.
And not to mention the fact, I do not see the big miracle of being cured of breast cancer when there is almost a 75% survival rate. I have a problem on how they use such a strong word as ‘testimony’ when speaking about how their their prayers over things like quitting smoking and other things that a lot of Non-Christians manage to do every day.
I also think the the most basic part of being a Catholic is to respect God’s will. If for some reason God choose to take a woman with cancer, as painful as it is for us who remain to loose her, we need to accept God’s will. Why is being cured of breast cancer all of a sudden a ‘testimony’ when we know both options are God’s will?
I also am starting to feel like they are on a power trip and talking to me like I am a child when they tell me about all these testimonies. I feel like they are insunuating that I don’t realise God helps people. One day he hostest was all excited ‘Cathy is coming over and she has such a great testimony. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it’. Cathy came into the room, talked for about 5 minutes about the serious headaches she use to suffer, said she no longer suffers from headaches and then spent the next 25 mintues talking about forgiveness. I don’t see a ‘testinomy’ in that.
I am torn because I have very few people in my life let alone Catholics. But I am starting to resent the way they push the testimony thing and don’t respect my opinion. The sad truth of the manner is, I suspect that if I was to speak up and talk in a power trip way like they do and push my ideas, they would love me all the more and consider me really part of the gang. It seems to be the accepted behaviour in the group. I would feel like a horrible christian arguing with the hostest when she is kind enough to welcome me into her home.
So, can other’s let me know how they feel about testimonies
Thanks
CM