Because I am very vocal at times, speaking out against several dogmatic policies of the Roman Catholic Church that I know and believe to be incorrect and misleading for others, I have been often asked by priests and Catholic parishioners as well as non-Catholic people that I evangelize to, a very interesting and important question.
Why do I still attend church with the Catholic Church if I disagree with the Church’s dogmatic teachings and policies?
This is a fair and important question to be asked, and a question that definitely requires me addressing as straight-forward and honestly as I possibly can.
The answer comes with several specific points.
Firstly but not importantly, I was brought up Catholic because that is what my parents, my mom especially wanted for me, but it was not my choice to be a Catholic.
Secondly yet still not important to anything, I fell in love with the beautiful music of the Catholic Church and became a devoted choir singer.
Thirdly, and this point is extremely important, I believe I am exactly where Almighty God desires me to be.
Lastly, John the Baptist preached to sinners, Jew and Gentile alike. He had no reason to preach to the pious, the righteous.
Jesus to preached to the sinners, Jew or Gentile for the righteous lived as God desired.
I say this because, as we all know, it is easy to “Preach to the choir” as the saying goes. In other words, if I attended let’s say a Baptist Church, or an Anglican Church, the lessons God’s Holy Spirit asks me to teach would be like preaching to the choir. The people would readily accept and believe that which I have to say or teach. But on the other hand, my Catholic brethren need to know that not always is the priest correct in his teachings from the pulpit and not always is the Roman Catholic Church right in its dogmatic policies and teachings, and when they err, someone like me is ready and willing to speak out against the wrong teachings.
But, God needs someone who is not afraid to speak up and disagree with the Catholic dogma and explain God’s points of view, in order to correct the wrongful dogmatic teachings that the Catholic Church brain-washes the congregation with.
For example: This past Sunday the Homily delivered by the pastor of the church I attended was that “Purgatory” was a real place and that it was essential because when you died, if you still had sins that had not been forgiven by Jesus, even though your destination would still be heaven, you needed some stop-over place to be cleansed from whatever the sin was.
In other words faithful belief and acceptance of Jesus teachings in JOHN: 3: 16-18; and JOHN: 8: 15, and JOHN: 5:24 and JOHN: 14:6; is not sufficient to ensure one’s salvation. When the service was ended, I immediately went to the priest to discuss this, as I believed his homily to be a false teaching and to inform him that I totally disagreed with him. I even gave him the above mentioned biblically scriptural quotes to backup my stand. This priest actually tried to get me to believe that those scriptures were not enough, in other words Jesus was wrong.
John the Baptist who declared the arrival of the Messiah cried out to repent. His voice was so loud and his messages against sinning were so strong he was beheaded by Herod who feared him and his words.
Jesus often spoke out against the wrongful teachings from the high priest and the Pharisees. One such time when the Pharisees accused him of healing on the “Sabbath” Jesus asks, if a child were to fall into a well on the “Sabbath” would they just leave the child there because it was the “Sabbath” or would they not do everything to get the child out.
Another time when asked why Jesus apostles did not properly according to Jewish tradition prepare their food before eating it, Jesus tells the Pharisees that it is not what one might put into one’s mouth that is a danger to someone’s soul but what one spews out of their mouth that is harmful.
Jesus had no difficulty in correcting wrongful teachings. That is what God the Father expected of him.
I believe that my Father God has placed me where he needs me to be, to carry out his will by trying to teach and correct wrongful Roman Catholic dogmatic teachings and policies. Someone has to be willing to stand up for God and set things straight.
Granted I cannot force people to see things God’s way, but if I standby and do and say nothing, then I become a part of the problem rather than an alternative solution.