Religion has no place at gym - Opinions
I don't know where you stand in your faith, or how upset you can get with the misperceptions the media and other people at large hear and then spit back out into the world. Perhaps I could excuse it if I were right there to correct them, but it just creates problems when televised or printed media continue the idea that Catholics are not Christian.
Quite frankly, I do not understand why others would assume that we are not Christians. I know and love and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I declare that He died on the Cross for me, embodying all of mine and all of your sins. Yet, they have the nerve to make a grave assumption based on the fact that the Catholic Mass is ritualized? Or because we have strict requirements for our priests?
Somebody skipped thier high school European History class that discussed Luther and Calvin in the 1500s. Maybe I could excuse it if you were uneducated, but the article is written by a fellow USC student, my peer and contemporary. It is a little disappointing.
Can you offer any other explanations for why people say that we are not Christians, because I am drawing a blank.
But I am definitely writing a letter to the editor regarding this, setting it straight: Catholics are Christians. I'll post it below in italics for you.
The letter:
There is an important error in Angela Meyer’s article (Feb. 22) concerning Christian songs being played in the USC gym due to the SCycling instructor’s request.
The Catholic Church is the true church of Christ founded on the apostles over 2000 years ago. The term “Christian” has had a variety of meanings and interpretations in our day and age, and unfortunately, many people as a result have become confused over "Terms." One basic essential Biblical point is that the term "Christian" applies to those who believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and that He is the only Son of the one true God, and died on the Cross for their sins. However, only focusing on that aspect is not doing justice to the term "Christian." The Catholic Church has had an over 2000 year history in the whole of Christendom, but to boldly state that Catholics are not Christians is not only ignorant, but unfounded to say the least. The mistake is made in either looking at erroneous historical facts, or not looking at Christianity as a whole throughout the 2000 years of its existence.
I just never expected the Daily Trojan to perpetuate a misconception that many Catholics are trying to put behind themselves and be considered Christian.
[Me]
Sociology, Psychology
Jonathan Dumlao
San Jose
6 comments:
I read the article. I don't react as strongly as you do. I can see where you would be offended by the article. However, to categorize Catholics as separate from Christians was not the point of the article. It was something presented as background detail. In my Catholic opinion, it reflected the author's ignorance. I think Mormons would object to not being listed as Christians as well.
Note also the author's reference to the "God of her choosing," as if we all do not have the same God. She further gives away her ignorance.
How much of pop music is offensive to Christians and people of other religions? Some pop music advocates sexual immorality and violence that is offensive to many.
It would have been a different matter if it were a Christian stating that Catholics were not Christian. I have Christian neighbors that say this to me all the time. They are not even aware they are being offensive.
Believe it or not, I have some sympathies with the author of the article. I think she is reacting the way she is because, the proselyization efforts of some Christians is obnoxious, arrogant and disrespectful of others. But in the situation she describes, I think she is overreacting. She has a raw nerve over this.
What I really wonder is now that the class has gotten this publicity what the attendance will be like next week? Packed? (LOL)
- just call me the old prude!
To checkout some cool Catholic music, I invite you to check out a guy named Father Stan Fortuna.
Here's the home page for Fr. Stan Fortuna:
http://www.francescoproductions.com/
It is great that you are writing the Trojan to correct ignorance of the author. You go! Megan! :-)
I think we Catholics have to be more vocally Christ centered. Then the world will know that Catholics are Christians too!
I know the context of the article that Meyers wrote is not what I reacted to, but rather her assertation that Catholics are not Christians. That made me angry. I am often confused on how to reply when someone asks me my religion. I want to say that I am a Christian, but I am also Catholic. There is no way to divide the two.
I claim to believe in the Trinity, have one baptism of water, the other of "fire"; I believe Christ Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and so forth. I could end up writing the Profession of Faith here.
That is the essence of Christianity, it is also that of Catholicism. I resent a misinformed division of the two.
(responding to Megan's previous comment).
I do empathize with your anger.
I think that when people ask you or I what our religion is, we should say Catholic. Because Catholics are Christians. And it is more precise.
Did the Trojan print your letter?
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