Thursday, June 2, 2011

Too Judgemental?

I am finding that the more conservative I become, the more frustrated I become with liberal Catholic ideology. What I mean by 'liberal Catholic ideology' is people/groups like Catholic 4 Choice, Catholics who do not follow the church's teaching on contraception, abortion, who go to Mass dressed in short-shorts and flip-flops, what I consider to be really big issues, because I find these to be the basics. Believing that life starts at conception and modesty are integral to the foundation of Catholic Morality, at least in my opinion.

This past week it has come out that the Vatican has reaffirmed the Catholic Church's stance on the issue of the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa. About a year or so ago the Pope made comments that the media took out of context and the secular world thought that the church would change her stance on condoms and contraceptives. The church instead stuck firm to her guns and said that condoms are not the best thing in preventing the spread of AIDS, abstinence is, and all of the AIDS clinics in Africa (The Catholic church is the #1 provider of AIDS care in Africa, BTW) will not provide condoms to their patients.
It was thought that the condom would be the magic thing that prevents the spread of AIDS. They are being handed out like candy, literally, and it has done nothing to prevent the spread of the disease. So, the magic cure is not so magic after all.
But opponents of this position basically say that people are going to have sex, and protected sex is better than unprotected sex, right? Why don't people hold themselves to a higher standard? Even if you have sex with a condom it is not 100% affective. I don't know about you, but I do NOT want to take that chance when it comes to AIDS. Not having sex or being celibate within a married relationship is the only thing that is 100% guaranteed to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted AIDS.
Almost every time I read an article I also read the comments that people leave behind. It frustrates me and makes me angry when people say that church is immoral or behind in the times. I immediately begin to villianize these people even though I know that is wrong.

Only God knows the hearts of people. Even if their view is misguided does not make them a bad person. I don't know why I find myself judging these people when I should be praying for them. I am asking God to give me patience and not judge the hearts of others.

2 comments:

  1. You don't know why you find yourself judging people, while saying things like "Even if their view is misguided...."?
    Not just judgemental, but arrogent too.

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  2. Correcting someone is not arrogance. The Catholic Church is either right or wrong on Her teachings, there is no in between. Their views are misguided and there is nothing arrogant in me stating so.

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