A branch from this thread:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=634924&page=4
So then seeing things from this angle… what is wrong with authority? What is wrong with those who have been trusted with our care correcting us when we go astray?
Ideas CAN hurt. If we think the wrong things, if we foster unhealthy ideas about God and His church that could potentially damage us spiritually quite a bit AND it can make us targets for the ‘false shepherds’ that Jesus warns us about in Scripture. The Church knows this and so she corrects us when we fall into error.
I agree with your statements. You’re on to something here.
Part of the attraction for me when in the initial tugs of my conversion to the Catholic faith was the strong emphasis on both faith AND reason. This Church wanted me to think. I could have gone to a single pentecostal meeting somewhere and fallen on my face in front of a preacher, and in one second accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. I wouldn’t, and don’t doubt the validity of such conversions, so don’t take this wrongly. But that wasn’t for me. That’s not how the Lord God wired me up. (and I believe that every atom in my body was assembled by my God in the womb of my mother, and that includes the synapses in my brain.) The Church propounds some rich, heady ideas for one to get their mind around, and then, (gasp), encourages us to do just that. When I turn my head from where I am sitting I can see no less than 15 books which I am routinely reading, studying, praying about, meditating on etc. The Church said, “we hold these as self evident truths, and they are here for you, so that you may have eternal life with the Lord”. I went hungrily through our parish RCIA. Before I even entered RCIA, I had already had my Damascus road experience of conversion. I had already fallen from my horse and was struck blind. I knew that I must follow Jesus Christ as a disciple to regain my sight. I took this on faith. I had discernment meetings at least 4 times with the RCIA staff who questioned me about my faith journey, and asked me if I was ready to take the next step. I was. I crawled, with eyes wide open, studying, praying, and inching forward until I found myself at that beautiful Easter Vigil, eyes full of tears, professing my most deeply and heartfelt “I do” to questions I was being asked by my Priest. My eyes and ears opened even farther. Sealed with oil by the Holy Spirit. Accepted once and forever into the faith of the Saints whom I loved. The faith of Evangelists who wrote the Gospels of our Lord Jesus; and let’s not forget, the faith of Saints Thomas Aquinas and Augustine who so eloquently explained her philosophies and loving guided into the very foundation of Christian thought and experience without fear. The faith of the great Popes, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict the XVI, who call us deeper and deeper into Catholic thinking, philosophy and theology. Never shying away from reason, but asking us to look deeper. To use our intellect to it’s capacity to understand what the Church teaches. I have a special devotion in my studies to Pope Benedict XVI/Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Perhaps the greatest mind of the 20th century, (certainly of the 21st). Always prodding us, and the Bishops to think. Think, pray, fast, and give alms. The Church does, and will make perfect sense. You’re brought all the deeper the MORE you engage your intellect. Not the less.
Anyway, it has been clear to me from the very beginning that this is NOT the Church for turning your mind on autopilot, accepting a lot of Dogma, and just shrugging your shoulders, and saying “whatever you say”. It CAN be, and that would be safe and fine, because she happens to be right. The Church is the keeper of the truth of Jesus Christ until He returns. The Church has no fear of it’s followers studying the teachings as deeply as they are intellectually able. The more you study. The more you know. The more you are made certain of the truth. You can fearlessly delve into the teachings of the Church without fear of finding something wrong.
It’s like in the Gospel of John, when Jesus taught His followers about himself being real food and drink, and that they would need to gnaw his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. They turned away and many didn’t follow Him anymore. Not because they didn’t believe Him, for He was truth incarnate. It was because it was a “hard teaching”. They “couldn’t handle the truth”, (to quote Jack Nicholson). But the 12 stayed, and their reasoning for staying was best summed up, (as usual), by our dear St. Peter, who asked, “To whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life”. So it is with mother Church. As you delve deep, you’re bound to find some of the truth startling, and certainly difficult, but if you’ve been approaching your studies with the proper attitude of prayer, you’ll also know with faith AND reason, that it is so. And you’ll ask yourself…to whom shall we go. The Church alone keeps those truths of Jesus alive for us in visible form on earth. You’re in the right place, no matter how driven by intellect and reason you are. We then just need to pray for faith to accept truth and reason, and so be fuller Christians.
Yours in Christ,
Steven
Initially it was not reason that drew me to the Catholic Church if I’m being honest. I had a genuine conversion experience, complete with the Holy Spirit knocking me around and making me weep for mercy. Haha. But after I listened to the Spirit and joined this wonderful Church I started to learn and grow in ways I never have before. It’s truly amazing and I am in love with the Catholic Church.