Lately I feel as though I have been faced with a lot of prejudice and misconception.
People are scared of things they are unfamiliar with.
A few months ago I told my friend I was going to become Catholic and they said "You know that Catholics pray to Mary right? Its like a cult"
That is something I thought long and hard about and I realized yes Catholics pray to Mary; but she doesn't realize WHY they pray to Mary! Alex and I read together at night and we are reading this book that Stephanie gave me about Catholics and how they entered Catholicism. I am so glad that I am reading it with Alex because he fills in the blanks of areas that I don't understand. I didn't know what a protestant was! (and I was one for years! haha) The more I read this book the more being Catholic makes sense.
Jess is going to laugh at this, but my favorite topic in all the world might be prejudice. Give me a drink and I will go on for 20 minutes about how I don't understand prejudice. People are scared of things they are unfamiliar with. Again I say this because I think this is true to so many topics. When I first began UMES I wouldn't say that I was prejudice in a mean way but I was prejudice in certain senses. I wouldn't even say it was my fault that I was prejudice because it is just how I was brought up. My parent's don't have friends of other races and in highschool I really didn't either (except Amanda).
So there I was a freshman at a historically black college that I just went to because I was an underachiever and didn't really figure on graduating anyway. I think the first three years felt like day and night to me. "Those students were black therefore they had worse grades than myself, funky hair, and a different fashion sense." Now five years later I can honestly say God planted me at this HBU (historically black university) to show me that everybody is different (in a good way), everyone is valuable (in every sense), and everybody has a different personality and something different to bring to the table. Thank the Lord for diversity. If I learned nothing else at college let it be known that I have a true appreciation for other people and what is in their heart and who they are, not what color their skin is.
I can really relate to this. Not so much with the historically black college but the Catholic tid bit. It's funny because when I was younger people would tell me about my own faith and I would believe them and I would look down on how I was raised. And honestly I think it's what you were saying, unfamiliar. Yes, I grew up with it but it was unfamiliar to everyone else so I guess it was me trying to fit in or something. Now that I've become my own person and have learned a lot more about Catholicism I've learned to enjoy it like you have. I can remember when we were younger you saying you wanted to go to church with us and I would tell you you could go for me. I'm glad I grew out of that and now can appreciate my faith. People wouldn't believe the things people say to a Catholics face! My dad has some crazy stories. Although, I think the world has really changed since back then but it still happens just not as extreme probably. It's a cruel world.
ReplyDeleteI could prob talk with you about prejudice for a while as well. I honestly think some people (like myself when I was younger) just go with the crowd.
man you should read this book im reading. its a whole bunch of stories about people becoming catholic and the first story is about these protestant missionaries who went to guatemala to save and convert the catholics. they thought catholics were worse than atheists! and in the end i guess they become catholic. i haven't finished that part yet haha
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad your reading that book! Isn't it great?
ReplyDeleteIt made me understand soooo much.
There is Catechism of the Catholic Church somewhere in one of the houses, or Alex may have his. It shows the historical documentation and the Biblical references of why we believe the way we do.
I have never experienced predjudice ever before until I became a Catholic. My Capital 'C' Christian friends constantly make comments about it. "Oh you can drink now that your Catholic" and many other stupid things.
I don't drink anymore now that I'm a Catholic, as a matter of fact I probably drink less than I did when I was younger.
Anyway, one thing is for sure, you need to call Father Porter and make an appt. with him so he can put your wedding on his calendar. The Catholics don't do anything spur of the moment so you need to make a reservation 1 year in advance, and then you will need to Call Mary Liembach her dad owns the Somerset Camp Ground (the whole place is filled with Catholics) and get registered for RCIA which is adult conversion classes. They are once a week in the evenings, and they are really easy, but you will learn so much about your faith, and old and new, and you will have such an appreciation for it that your life will truly change
I love your new layout it is much easier on my old eyes!
Love Ya!