Good article on witness on internet. More homework. *sigh*

Status
Not open for further replies.

Michie

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Feb 5, 2002
165,267
55,105
Woods
✟4,567,527.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Lately... I've been bad at this. Stress IRL & then letting some that drive me nuts get to me. Something to work on I suppose. I guess I don't have it.

The World Is Watching

It was only a few years ago
that I began exploring Christianity after a life of atheism. I'll never forget the time I was up late at night, feeling lost and slightly depressed as I searched around the Internet for arguments in favor of God's existence, and I stumbled across a series of heated debates between atheists and Christians. I eagerly followed their back-and-forth comments well into the night, and witnessing this debate would end up marking a turning point in my life. It was one of the events that kick-started the conversion process that would eventually lead me to the Catholic Church.

Though the Christians (most of whom identified themselves as Catholics) made important, excellent arguments in defense of their faith, that's not what left me scratching my head for weeks to come. What struck me then, which I still remember to this day, is the way the Christians conducted themselves. I've long since forgotten the details of those discussions, but I'll never forget the Christians' seemingly superhuman abilities to make their points with kindness and humility, even in the face of frustrating misunderstandings and personal insults that would drive most people over the edge.

It's not that the atheists were so bad -- they were just acting the way people typically act in heated online debates about controversial issues -- but that the Christians were so extraordinarily loving and calm. They clearly had something that the rest of us didn't; and whatever it was, I wanted some of it. Reading their words was like stumbling across an oasis of reason and peace on the Internet, and I immediately began seeking out sites run by Christians.

Continued- http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4319&Itemid=48
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrJim

Fantine

Dona Quixote
Supporter
Jun 11, 2005
37,016
13,034
✟1,073,197.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Democrat
That was a powerful testimony.

And while I agree with her on the style of disagreement, I don't think that disagreement is bad in any Church.

If there isn't any disagreement, you don't have a Church, you have a cult. Whenever free speech is suppressed, whenever people are excommunicated or 'shunned' (as in the LDS Church) a Church is in danger of becoming a cult.

I embrace different opinions. With 1.6 billion Catholics or so, if we didn't have at least a billion different opinions there would be something wrong with us. I believe that everyone, even those on the far right and far left fringes, make the Church the vibrant organization it is today. It's that push and pull, that tug of war between the fringes, that helps it reach its equilibrium.

Personally, if I visited a religious forum where there were no respectful disagreements, I would be completely freaked out and would run for cover. Pod people can't have living faith.

So thanks to all the spirited Catholics here--you're letting visitors know that our Church is headquartered in Vatican City, not Stepford.
 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.