- Oct 31, 2008
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In what ways would you say you're outwardly distinguished from the secular world around us? I was thinking about this a lot over the weekend after I went to confession and how I feel like you wouldn't know I'm Catholic unless you asked me. I've always been that way about faith. My rationale is I don't want to force my faith down people's throats, and I don't, but I feel like I've used that as a shield to hide behind. An excuse to not make more outward expressions of my faith. I'm also a massive introvert so that doesn't help either.
But I thought about my how some of my habits have actually gotten worse since becoming Catholic, particularly foul language. But also I've completely stopped reading the bible, I've gotten more permissive in my standards for music and entertainment... Subconsciously I think I always had this warped idea that because Catholics are so well-developed theologically and we have the fullness of the faith held in the Church then we automatically have good boundaries and are safe from the dangers of secularism because we recognize the boundaries (i.e. "this music from Marilyn Manson is entertaining and I'm ok to listen to it because I know the truth about what he's singing about and I'm on the right side of things").
But I digress.
It got me wondering more about how often we all make excuses to hide our faith and try to disguise it behind virtue and politeness like we don't want to bother people or look sanctimonious. I mean, I don't know but I think it's possible both of these propositions to be true: A) It would be good if people could tell I was Catholic just walking down the street, and B) I don't have to be a jerk about it.
Anybody else wrestle with this tension? Any advice?
But I thought about my how some of my habits have actually gotten worse since becoming Catholic, particularly foul language. But also I've completely stopped reading the bible, I've gotten more permissive in my standards for music and entertainment... Subconsciously I think I always had this warped idea that because Catholics are so well-developed theologically and we have the fullness of the faith held in the Church then we automatically have good boundaries and are safe from the dangers of secularism because we recognize the boundaries (i.e. "this music from Marilyn Manson is entertaining and I'm ok to listen to it because I know the truth about what he's singing about and I'm on the right side of things").
But I digress.
It got me wondering more about how often we all make excuses to hide our faith and try to disguise it behind virtue and politeness like we don't want to bother people or look sanctimonious. I mean, I don't know but I think it's possible both of these propositions to be true: A) It would be good if people could tell I was Catholic just walking down the street, and B) I don't have to be a jerk about it.
Anybody else wrestle with this tension? Any advice?