To be honest with you I do not believe that there is a Religious left. Nor do I believe there is a Religious right. I believe that we are either following the edicts of the faith we align ourselves with, or we are not. I do believe that the further to the political left/progressive we live our lives, the increasingly secular we become.
Why do so many publicly disclaim a dogmatic aspect of their faith? And why then, do we still go to service on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday and participate fully? I wonder if attending service helps us to wash away the life we live during the week. Our faith is in direct response to how we believe that God, Spirit, or Higher Power has been revealed to us. And yet somehow we also believe that the way our organized religions’ express that faith is not in accordance to that same revelation. It has been said that our faith, or the faith, is not here for our convenience. I would say that this is quite true. It is, however, also true that we follow this faith, freely. There is no coercion from this God, spirituality, or Higher Power. There is no government forcing us to follow the edicts of any particular faith. I think that it is true that we, as “the flesh is weak”, (Matt, 26; 41b) have that weakness to follow our faith to its fullest convenience. And in the process we push our spiritual lives to the side.
It is also true that we as a people of God, have the natural instinct to question almost everything. But questioning is very different than living our lives in direct conflict to our faith. Questioning can bring us closer to our faith. It causes us to study, to dig deeper into how these edicts were developed. Expressing our thoughts in writing is an especially fine way to reach an increased understanding of our faith.
I think that peer pressure also plays a role in how we live our faith. I would suppose that many a young man and woman have had their lives ruined because of the pressure they were not able to withstand from their peers. And of course this holds true to adults as well. If the truth be told, the more we accept a secular stance in our lives the further we distance ourselves from our God, Spirit, or Higher Power. And the further we get from God, our spiritual center, the more influenced we can become by the secular movement.
How many of us present ourselves in our place of worship in the same manner that we do in our place of business or recreation? I will use two examples to illustrate my point. I am not writing this in judgment, but only as a contemplative tool. 1) To the best of my knowledge none of the major faiths or religions, supports the action of abortion. Depending on the poll you choose, the vast percentage of Americans state that they identify with one of these major Religions, Faiths, or Spirituality’s, and yet about half of the population supports pro-choice. Why? These two realities most definitely seem to be opposed to one and another. And it most certainly divides a faith between those that live their faith as fully as possible and those that live their lives inconsistent with their faith.
2) When you are home with family or alone, do you say your prayers of thanks and praise before your meals? I would think that great a majority of the populace does. Now, how do you compare that to giving thanks and praise when you are at a restaurant? I know that when I go out I see very few groups of friends and/or family taking the time to give thanks in their faith tradition. Why? Is it because many of us feel uncomfortable or embarrassed to make a sign of the cross or hold hands in public? For me, I find that a quick, quiet prayer before meals goes unnoticed by the vast majority. And I can attest that I have never had anyone make a terse comment about my public yet quiet outward display of faith. I also must admit that I feel good about presenting myself and my faith in this manner.
Ask yourself this; where are you in your spiritual life? Do you live full time in your faith; are you a part-timer? Or are you a full time secular? What is the extent of your faith? Is it the hour or two you spend at service, while the rest of the week is “what feels good”? I don’t have the answer for anyone except me, and you have the answer for you.
Scripture is from the NABRE
By David E.Gonzales
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