Catholic?

[Gail]

A few days ago I was finished shopping and started pushing my cart to the exit door. Standing in front of me was a woman I recognized as a patron from the library I retired from. She remembered me.

She gave me a weak smile and mentioned her husband died a few months ago. From the way she talked about it, I knew she was a Fundamentalist Christian. It didn’t stop me from asking if she had received any signs that he is still around her.

She looked at me and said, “You must be Catholic. They are into ALL of those things!” I admitted I am Catholic, with a smile.

She needed to talk about him and I stayed to listen. I left her after asking her to keep an open mind about him being around. She said she would try.

I didn't know we had such a reputation. :)

[Agnez]

OH that was so nice of you...I am sure she left with a lighter heart.

BB

Agnez

[Pam]

Yep. As someone who has been firmly on both sides of that fence (Catholic Christian and Non-Catholic Christian) I can say that by comparison, the Catholic religion is very "metaphysical" and much more "magical" than the other religions.

I think it stems mostly from the belief that the spirit of God is LITERALLY in the wine and bread; and the "veneration" of saints, and the fact that we can talk to those saints that are "dead". The protestants only go far as to recognize the saints as those whom the gospels are named after, and even then they certainly don't think that we can talk to them or ask them to pray with us and for us!

I'm married to a 'cradle Catholic' and it's so odd how little he knows about the other Christian religions that are non-Catholic. He went to a Methodist service and thought they weren't "Christian" because they didn't stand up, sit down, kneel, stand up, kneel, eat a cracker, kneel etc etc. and didn't have the stations of the cross in the church!

[Jeannie]

:angel3: Gail you are a sweetheart! A chance meeting? Probably not - you both went away with something to think about.

As for me, I am a memeber of a very liberal Christian church, but there a lot of things about me that I would not bring up at church. Am I ashamed of what I do? No, I just see no reason to start trouble. There are some in the church that would not look kindly on tarot, astrology etc...
Does that make me a hypocrite? probably.:o

[Irishrose]

Jeannie, honey, you aren't a hypocrite. You are just smart.

The times are changing but not everyone is totally open to the way we think. But Gail's comments are in the right direction.

It would be wonderful if that lady was open to a sweet hello from her husband. It is a terrible feeling to think that they are gone with no hope of knowing that your loved ones still look after us.

Pam, you made me laugh. Us Methodist's are coming along though. We stand for the gospel in our church. Not sure of the others. And it's true. The only saints we talk about are in the gospel. I guess that is why we are all in different boats - but all in the same sea. Some day our boats will dock at the same shore and then it won't make any difference at all:hearts:

Blessings:candle: :candle: :candle:

[Gail]

My worst moment of being Catholic is when the little fruit fly flew into the wine as I was offering it to the first person in line. Hadn't received any instructions on what to do in that situation. :eek: That person took a sip and received a little body in the Blood of Christ. The fly was gone.:o

[kps64]

I guess being Catholic and growing up with the teachings, and given the opportunity to learn about other religions (without denegrading them) allows us to be able to grasp the knowledge other spiritual beings???

I have noticed that in my own life vs. my fundamentalist southern baptist mother in law.....