Reply #71: Quahog, [View All]

[Dorian Gray]

That was a beautiful post!

As for your love for, despite your constant struggle with, the Catholic faith, I understand what you mean. Everyday I struggle. I also don't know what to make of people who believe that faith is easy. For me, it takes constant prayer, thought, and reflection. Questions of theology are not simple. And it takes a lot of prayer and study to determine my beliefs as of now.

As for the poster who began this thread, I have to agree with Cheswick and some of the other posters who are disheartened by the originators purpose. There are many people here who gave beautiful testaments to various faiths, and that is followed by words whose intentions serve just to TRY to make people feel stupid.

Sadly, you can not make me feel stupid for my faith, for I have spent the last ten years reading theological arguments for and against Christianity. I've read writers who are much more intelligent than myself. St. Augustine, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Terese of Liseux. St. Theresa of Avila. C.S. Lewis. Henry Nyguen. Peter Kreft.

I accept that people may not want to believe, and I would never infringe on their rights or their desire not to be bothered with religious belief. But, I also find it condescending and terrible when someone dismisses faith in God or gods as "falling for a fairy tale." It is much more than that. Here is a website with people of varying degrees of liberal leanings, and many of us are very intelligent. A belief in a deity does not mean their thoughts are irrational. And it's dangerous to assume that it does. The only result of that type of prejudice will be to alienate a good number of people whose political thoughts match your own ideology.