My sister's husband and their girls are Catholics, Dotty's aunty and Dotty's mums cousin were Godfather and Godmother and so was my daughter SnoWhite. The other 2 Godparents are Catholics but SnoWhite is not and I do not have any problem with this. I believe SnoWhite will make a good Godparent, she will encourage Dotty all that she can to follow the ways of the families chosen religion and be there spiritually for Dotty. I believe that SnoWhite will encourage Dotty to go to church, receive her first communion and confirmation and all other necessary things until Dotty is an adult and can make decisions for herself.
My mother's family were high church of England and my father's mother was a Methodist but we did not grow up attending church. As a child I chose to go to an Apostolic Sunday school, though I was christened in St Peter's church in Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan. Even though we did not attend church my mother felt it important that children were christened so if they died they went to heaven.
My spiritual life has taken many twists and turns and now I am supportive of all the religions that people belong to as I believe that they are important coping mechanisms.
At present my life seems to be heavily involved with the Catholic church due to the fact that Belle's husband and family are Catholics, Anastasia's boyfriend and family are Catholic, SnoWhite's friend and his family are Catholics .
From the time I was 14 until I was about 40 I attended a church which had a tenet that said it was important to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. This church believed it was the one and only true church(as do a lot of religions) but the above tenet says that this church believes that all mankind have the right to worship how, where or what they may. I am still searching, whilst trying to lead a good life. My conscience or my mind has not yet found one religion or truth that it can believe in yet so the jury is out. So in the meantime I am trying to live a morally and ethically good life on my journey. I think I would be content with a belief in God. When I think of my loss of faith and belief I always think of this poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
- I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
- My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
- For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
- I love thee to the level of everyday's
- Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
- I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
- I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
- I love thee with the passion put to use
- In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
- I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
- With my lost saints!---I love thee with the breath,
- Smiles, tears, of all my life!---and, if God choose,
- I shall but love thee better after death.
4 comments:
I was brought up staunchly C of E and can remember being very influenced by Bible stories as a kid. When you're a child they're just as real as any story - and you can accept them without the millstone of politics. Now though as an adult I've found I've inevitably drifted away from organized religion and like you now prefer to follow my own way and think that everyone should be allowed to do the same. I'm not against anyone's faith but I am against organized religions as I think they do more harm than good. Faith is a personal spiritual journey and one's own experiences of it cannot be shared in the true sense of the world or transferred to groups of people en masse. So says I!
You always take time to comment on my page and I haven't had as much time to check out others pages, but since I did read this I feel I should say thanks for reading my page. I am, as you know, one of those belonging to the church whose tenent, or belief, is that man should worship how, where or what they may. That's true. We totally believe that, and I have respect for everyone's believe out there even if it differs from my own. I can say that it is a very personal thing between you and God and finding out the truth. In answer to your question a couple of weeks ago...I've never been to conference in Salt lake even though I live so close right now. I haven't always lived as close and babysitters are hard to come by but just watching it on TV is an amazing experience...have you ever watched it on TV or the internet? I hope that you find what you are looking for and find peace. Much love, Alicia
The pictures of the baby and your girls were lovely. Baptisms are such a special event. I am a Roman Catholic, a cradle Catholic. I did not take my faith seriously until well into adulthood. I grew up during a time when there wasn't a lot of good authentic Catholic Religious education out there. I'm doing my best to catch up on the knowledge of my faith.. works well while I am in the process of teaching my children. There's so much to know, but it's all summed up in Jesus' command to love others as He loved us. Life can be pretty simple following that rule.
What you say about Jesus' command to love others as He loved us is so true and one I think of often as a guide to my life.I have a friend who was brought up in a Catholic orphanage where there was a lot of abuse and whilst this has influenced my view to individuals I still am able to see this as the acts of individuals. In fact I am quite friendly with one of the nuns who worked at the orphanage in the 60's as a youngster. Life is all about individual responsibility.
As I grew up I was greatly influenced by Catholicism and saw much beauty in the practice of religion.I walked in off the street to a service in the Basilica in Valencia and I felt that I had been transported back hundreds of years in time. Yes the church may have been filled with icons but there was no worship of them, you felt that the statues and pictures inspired . The sights, smells and sounds were definitely an inspiration to the senses.
I envy people who still have faith.
Post a Comment