Your immediate reaction... If any please

[faithfully]

Thanks for the story… I did not know the details to it.

Funny story around that however. My FIL went through Mexico, and happened on the site there.

Actually this is where he is quite gracious about the Catholic faith, and I MUST give props!!!

He stopped there, and picked up some medals of Our Lady for our children. Then was telling us about them on the phone.

I said, "oh how nice, they don’t have any medals of Mary.

And he says “no, it’s Our Lady of Guadalupe”…

And I say, “I know… that’s the Virgin Mary…”

“No,” He says… “it’s someone different, but she’s really important down here…”

And then I say… “Hmmmm… Ok!”

Oh, My… I’m in a much better mood now… LOL!

 

[Anna1345]

I was going to make a poll… but I see too many options for your answer… It will be obvious, generally, by your status, if you’re Catholic, or something else… I wonder if that has an impact on your reaction.

Scenario:

You attend a wedding. You know the bride very well. She is of no faith. She identifies with nothing in the Christian reaml. She believes that there is some higher power. She is of tribal like heritage. She can get into that sort of thing. But it’s nothing that she practices. She has not investigated any religion at all, nor cares to from all that you can gather. She is not an atheist. She has planned the entire wedding. And from what you gather. The groom had (nor wanted) little (name removed by moderator)ut.

The groom you sort of know. You KNOW that he is technically Catholic. However, in HIS words, the only thing he agrees with the Catholic church on is that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry. Everything else is of no concern to him. So, no, he is not practicing in anyway. Nor has he taken on any other religion. To the best of your knowledge. He was previously married, civically, and to your knowledge there has been no annullment.

After you are seated for the wedding, in a hotel, you look up to see a man dressed as if he’s a priest. Black slacks, shirt, and a white collar. You KNOW he’s not Catholic, as you’re NOT in a Catholic church…

The wedding begins, and every other word is GOD… JESUS… Lots of bible readings and verses. The Lord’s Prayer. (The bride and her family seemingly the only people that don’t know it) It’s quite religious.

So, I ask you, am I weird for thinking it’s odd for a couple that I know fairly well, who eliminates God from their life on lets say 99% of everything they do… to have a preacher of some unknown (to me anyway) denomination, give a very religious ceremony over one of the most important days of their lives.

And I wonder, do I think it’s odd because I woudn’t select a person who doesn’t represent me or my life choices to officiate my one and only wedding? And am I projecting my personal ideals???

I’m curious if you think it’s odd. Why or why not? I’ll tell you why I ask later…

My Immediate reaction?? YES!!! That is SUPER ODD!!! But maybe a good thing and all is not lost on them yet?? I mean they know marriage is a huge thing. They had to make a conscious choice to bring God into it, so maybe they are hoping for a piece of “protection” or guidance and maybe this is their way or trying to bring Faith and God into their marriage??? I think I would only be offended by that if I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that they did it as a mockery of some sort. Other then that? It’s NEVER a bad idea to bring God into the picture – especially when we are wavering. The reality is that we never know what’s truly in someone’s heart.

 

[faithfully]

My Immediate reaction?? YES!!! That is SUPER ODD!!! But maybe a good thing and all is not lost on them yet?? I mean they know marriage is a huge thing. They had to make a conscious choice to bring God into it, so maybe they are hoping for a piece of “protection” or guidance and maybe this is their way or trying to bring Faith and God into their marriage??? I think I would only be offended by that if I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that they did it as a mockery of some sort. Other then that? It’s NEVER a bad idea to bring God into the picture – especially when we are wavering. The reality is that we never know what’s truly in someone’s heart.

Oh, I don’t think it was done in any way shape or form as a mockery… just suprising…not offended in the least…

 

[Anna1345]

Oh, I don’t think it was done in any way shape or form as a mockery… just suprising…not offended in the least…

Oh I wasn’t implying it was, I was just saying IF that had been the reason, THEN I would be offended. But I never think it’s odd to invite God into important parts of my life…

 

[Joseph_L_Varga]

LOL, Faithfully, that was funny! Good that nobody told your FIL, that the nice Lady who’s so important down there in Mexico (but she is not the Virgin Mary ) was totally steering the local folks to the Catholic Church and to the local Catholic Bishop! That’s one more extremely important implication of the Guadalupe story, and I’m sure it would make your FIL at least a bit uneasy. That the Lady sent the Aztec Indian Juan Diego to the Catholic Bishop Zumarraga (she didn’t send him to Luther, Calvin, or Henry the VIII ), asking the Bishop to build a Catholic chapel on Tepeyac Hill, so that the Aztecs could go and pray there for the Lady’s intercession in their various daily troubles, in a Catholic church! And the Aztecs got the message, and converted to the Catholic faith in droves! This apparition is not simply about God’s and the Mysterious Lady’s love for her Native American children, but it also amounts to a very direct endorsement of the Catholic Church and its visible hierarchical structure (local Bishop) as well.

Based on what you posted, your FIL really does appear as someone who believes in God. He is against the visible organizations - both against the Catholic Church, and even against his own Church that he was forced to attend as a child - but he doesn’t seem to be an atheist or God-hater. And as you say, your MIL also believes in God, although she is against Christianity. Her understanding of God might show some similarity to our understanding of God the Creator.

 

[faithfully]

Oh I wasn’t implying it was, I was just saying IF that had been the reason, THEN I would be offended. But I never think it’s odd to invite God into important parts of my life…

 

[faithfully]

(but she is not the Virgin Mary )Wait… don’t even say that jokingly… I confuse easily lately… I’m a wee tired! was totally steering the local folks to the Catholic Church and to the local Catholic Bishop! That’s one more extremely important implication of the Guadalupe story, and I’m sure it would make your FIL at least a bit uneasy. That the Lady sent the Aztec Indian Juan Diego to the Catholic Bishop Zumarraga (she didn’t send him to Luther, Calvin, or Henry the VIII ), asking the Bishop to build a Catholic chapel on Tepeyac Hill, so that the Aztecs could go and pray there for the Lady’s intercession in their various daily troubles, in a Catholic church! And the Aztecs got the message, and converted to the Catholic faith in droves! This apparition is not simply about God’s and the Mysterious Lady’s love for her Native American children, but it also amounts to a very direct endorsement of the Catholic Church and its visible hierarchical structure (local Bishop) as well. had not even put that together… granted I haven’t put much research into it either. Thanks…

 

[Joseph_L_Varga]

Wait… don’t even say that jokingly… I confuse easily lately… I’m a wee tired!

Yeah, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, not even jokingly.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Virgin Mary, for sure. When the beautiful lady, who was dressed as an Aztec queen, appeared to Juan Diego, she positively identified herself to Juan Diego as the Mother of God. And, although Bishop Zumarraga first asked Juan Diego to go back to the heavenly Lady who wanted a chapel built in her honor, and ask a sign from her, the Bishop also believed that she was the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, after he received the miraculous signs of Castilian roses in the middle of winter, and the miracle of her image appearing on Juan Diego’s tilma. The Bishop and those in his company immediately fell on their knees in front of Our Lady’s image on the tilma, and Bishop Zumarraga promptly authorized the building of a chapel in Our Lady’s honor on Tepeyac Hill, just as she requested.

 

[Joseph_L_Varga]

She is of no faith. She identifies with nothing in the Christian reaml. She believes that there is some higher power. She is of tribal like heritage. She can get into that sort of thing. But it’s nothing that she practices. She has not investigated any religion at all, nor cares to from all that you can gather. She is not an atheist.

Actually a lot of my friends are like that. They do not identify with a particular religion, they do not worship Jesus although they may regard him in high esteem as a historic person of wisdom and goodness, and yet they do believe or at least hope that there is a higher power who is “in charge” of the universe.

 

[faithfully]

Actually a lot of my friends are like that. They do not identify with a particular religion, they do not worship Jesus although they may regard him in high esteem as a historic person of wisdom and goodness, and yet they do believe or at least hope that there is a higher power who is “in charge” of the universe.

Ok… so I think my original question has been adequately addressed… Thanks to EVERYONE here… Bless you!

Now, DON’T you THINK IT’S ODD to hold Jesus in high regard and NOT believe all that is told about him.

Reason I ask… If some man, really smart, good story teller, apparently Christian, capable of some really cool magic tricks, And this is the key thing: claimed to be GOD, and you didn’t believe him… Wouldn’t you think he’s a complete lunatic??? Doesn’t your common sense tell you the man is CRAZY! If not God?

I mean at least he’s doing good with his brains, and persuasion and all… But doesn’t that place him on the nutter page like Hitler and the like… just GOOD instead of bad… I mean, don’t you wonder what Hitler COULD HAVE DONE if he didn’t choose a path of evil? Not to change this to a holocoust discussion… but since he’s generally a solid reference.

Who is the close second to Christ??? Gandhi? And how close is that???

New Thread???