Thursday, August 20, 2009

Why am I Catholic?


Mind, feeling, or experience? All of the above, really.
Over the years, I've become familiar with every religion from Anabaptist to Zoroastrian. Some are appealing. Some aren't. I just couldn't feel intellectually honest in any of them, except two. Catholic or atheist. For me those are the only viable options. Those are the only two that, to me, make any real sense and present coherent explanations.
There's the beauty of the Church, of course, but all the pretty feelings that stirs aren't enough to have much of a hold. The only feelings that come into the picture are, first, the unexplainable feeling that what the Church says is true, even when it seems hard to accept. For me, the real leap of faith comes in believing in any God. The second feeling really has to be handled under the third category.
Experience? That's the real clincher, but it's a feeling and a mental impression, as well. Every time I walk into a Catholic or Orthodox church, there's something there; something strong and good and sometimes overwhelming that I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. I've never experienced it anywhere else, so I can only wax theological and attribute it to the Real Presence of God.

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