Disclaimer: I am aware that many of my friends do not fall into this out of malice, and that does not apply to most people I know. Still, if I offend someone by saying something that's not true, and when you talk about religion that is almost inevitable - I apologize. If you can relate to, well, there's nothing I can do.
I always go to Mass on Sundays at 6 pm or 12 of 
noon, since I have at least 10 years. If I can not go a little early, or on Saturdays at 6 if I know that I can not go. And if I can not assure me apologize to God, even though I know que Él me entiende. Y me he bautizado, hecho la Primera Comunión y confirmado. Sólo me falta el matrimonio.
Dos cosas me intrigan de lo anterior. Uno, que hay gente que no me lo cree. ¿Es por mi personalidad? ¿Que de verdad no parezco un tipo religioso? ¿Qué me estás queriendo decir?
Dos, es que sé que no es por mi personalidad. Por alguna razón, una vez que hacemos nuestra Primera Comunión, la religión se convierte en algo casual o incluso intrusivo en nuestra vida. Las únicas veces que nos acordamos de nuestra condición de católicos es (a) un funeral; (b) un matrimonio; (c) un bautizo; (d) la Primera Comunión de un hijo o sobrino; (e) Graduation Mass, (f) a notice particularly algid , (g) a joke that might offend the Catholic and that's fun, or (h) Pope Benedict XVI opens his mouth to say a few things with which you disagree. For the rest, going to church is out of the question, the nuns are a nightmare, do not believe in priests and good, nor talk about Easter.
I'm not judging anyone, because if there is something I think is a huge gift of God is freedom of choice, even if the case were wrong. If someone chooses that Sundays are for rest lying on his bed after a hard week as hell, so be it, that something worked. Ditto for the possibility of fun for a week of work, if you leave the crowd, of course.
Also, there must be clear on one thing: for every PowerPoint presentation that weighs 800MB, has a MIDI music pavosísima and closes with "Send this to 50 people for God to enter a little in their lives," is a confused Christian (or ten determined) who refuses to open. We have not reached the end of the Jehovah's Witnesses to get the word of God preached a weekend at seven in the morning or loudly in the boulevard of Chacaíto (and for what it's worth, your hard work has to admire) intrusive as to what, but almost.
Why think that?
When do we compare to religion as a nuisance?
Part of it may come in the eternal hope that we do not want to be judged. Yet for all that is liberal in comparison with Catholicism, Judaism, Buddhism and particularly Islam, there is much that our beloved religion says we do not see well. A virgin until marriage? Who ever heard of such a thing? How many times have you had thoughts of "impure"? "Honor the holidays? Yes, as it relates to travel, instead of respecting the days you have to go to church, maybe. And how many have coveted neighbor's wife (or man, no pendejas are made), or committed adultery? Thankfully, that of "thou shalt not steal" and "kill" not taken seriously (does it?) And that of "honor thy father and thy mother" is widespread. (Is it more, you'll remember the Ten Commandments ?
party also may be that many consider the commandments something against human nature. We are essentially beings in need of sex. We are not pure beings. Do not want to be monks or priests, or nuns. No, we free ourselves from time to time. We are, in essence, reasoning animals. And I mean no offense to anyone eye. How do I resist the temptation of sex? As we showed in Jim Carrey Liar Liar , how to survive in this society without telling lies? If no one will know, and we found a stack of bills on the floor, why not let us be? It is better to say that the Bible was written in a much simpler time than today, where the world has become more demanding and the pressure to conform is overwhelming.
That's another part: the world has become such that talking about religion or particularly religious has become the equivalent of a pariah. I remember stories of a girl he met in a house of some friends and suggested to read the Bible. Yes, unfortunately they laughed in his face. In many families know that a daughter wants to be a nun or a priest son is preferable to declare themselves gay, but not by much. (Something we do not agree, by the way. Not a bit.) Maybe it's because being religious is tantamount to being conservative ...
I believe that everyone should have their own vision of religion and assume it as such an honest and sincere. You have to be clear that for some reason the Church condemns masturbation , does not support divorce (with which I agree) and look down the promiscuity and premarital sex (or they are going to discuss Benedict XVI the best way to prevent AIDS is simply not having sex? The condom is still essential if you're going to have sex anyway, so use it, but the abstention can not contradict). And if you look the world in which we are, what might have something wrong with conservatism?
A mother sleeps with the child to keep him from leaving the house. A man impregnates his daughter's sake. Thousands are more concerned with money than anything else. (Is not there one of those commandments says "thou shalt love God above all things?) The prostitution industry is in full swing, and do not even count the pornography. Child I mean. A life is not worth the same as the value for some time, guys, we are aware of that. And better not talk about the violence they are exposed (and I mean the television or video games, I know you can not blame the state of the world, not be assholes, I mean it we see in the news daily, especially those who live here in Venezuela). It is, as my good friend Oswaldo an incredible loss of values. Thank God we still shocked when we found out, almost as much as I may have offended some of you with this letter.
And I think the Church is not free of guilt. I forgive my parents, my family and the priests of which I am friend, and in particular God. But something went wrong in the church, if we reached this point in our history. Perhaps we have been treated too much like children, instead of reasoning as adults. Perhaps the Dark was too long and we're still resentful. Others see hypocrisy in the church. There are too many tele-evangelists in the world, "Stop Suffering", which seem to take advantage of the weakness of people to achieve realero. Some people simply do not trust the priests. Either way, the Catholic Church is losing audience to evangelicals, or simply people who do not go. And honestly? That seems sad.
Having a religion is to believe that there is something better than what we can aspire. It's having someone you trust more than yourself (take that, Jorge Bucay). Is to have a basis on which to base your life, or shape your thinking. Who would you rather follow Gandhi or Kurt Cobain? Courtney Love, or Mother Teresa? And watch: FOLLOW. Do not imitate. Imitating
is trying to do the same as them, do his own actions. Follow is to consider his thought, and in a similar situation, act on what they would do. Is not the same and spelled the same. One requires much dedication, the other less. One can follow many such examples. (My case? Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Jesus Christ and my father. Not in that order.)
Think. When was the last time you went to church? What do you even read even a bit of the Bible? And why that's rays so bad? Why a church when a moment and you read the reflections of St. Paul? I believe there is nothing wrong with reading, know the doctrine and decide what you can serve to guide you. Find out what the Continental Evangelizing Mission . Y enters into a conversation about religion with people you trust or want. Or start one here, to this humble blogger.
course, do not expect many of you do anything even similar. And that's fine, as I said, honesty first. But as I read once, a weak faith needs exercise. And talk is always good exercise. May God bless.
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