09.25.07
interesting story……
This is a different type of story - and it is not a first person account. But I decided to put it up because I think it illustrates well the type of problem that can arise with organized religion - whose rules largely come from Man and may or may not have anything to do with actual human goodness or anything any type of god who might be up there actually would want. MPJ
I would be honored for you to post my true story and let your viewers
decide for themselves if they wish to support the catholic church.
michael Teply Chico, Ca.
Let me tell you a little about my mom. My mom was raised a catholic. She was very religious. She belonged to assumption parish in Omaha Ne..She married my dad who had been divorced. Father Gas and monsignor Barta ,the two priests that ran assumption parish found out that my mom had married a divorced man. They then excommunicated my mom from the church condemning her to hell for eternity. I was very religious and begged my mom to divorced my dad thus saving her from eternal damnation. She refused saying she loved my dad. Ok , this is where it gets strange. The catholic church does not recognize divorce [Matthew ch.5 #32] this is punishable by going to hell. The priests told my mom that if she continued going to church, minus communion, and giving her normal donation the marriage could be blessed if my dads ex-wife died before my mom died. As long as my dads first wife was not alive he was not married any more. In essence my moms future depended on the death of her husbands first wife. My mom would burn in hell for eternity if she died while my dads first wife was still alive because the church felt she was committing adultery having sex with a married man because the catholic church did not recognize divorce. This all ends well. My dads first wife died and my moms marriage was able to be blessed by the church thus saving her from the eternal fires of hell.
I was young and brain washed and at the time it all made senseto me and my mom who was also brain washed. She went to her grave knowing she would now go to heaven because of the death of another person. Response from MPJ: Yes, this is a perfect example of the type of RULE that would be made up by MAN in the name of god. I would certainly be disappointed to learn that there really was a god up there who could make up (or tolerate) such a flawed rule. Sorry your family had to experience controversy and confusion of that sort in the name of what they believed at the time.
Comment from MPJ: Seeing the flaws in this type of religion and moving away from it most likely does represent a move from Stage two beliefs to Stage three beliefs. You can see this man thinking “Who needs a church like that?” Hopefully by now, this man has found - or better yet, continues to seek - an answer that brings him more peace.
Judy Beckman said,
October 10, 2007 at 5:35 pm
We don’t have to put God in the Catholic Church box. Many terrible, inhumane things have been done in the name of religion. My wish is for you to experience God in your life. He is there. He loves and cares for all of us.
Personally, I am upset at the hurt churches have inflicted upon many people. It angers me that the church is causing people to lose faith. My late husband and I were hurt by the church, but that does not cause me to reject God. I can’t get through life without God–He carries me through all of life’s hurts.
I wrote a book called WHAT PRICE PRIESTHOOD and invite you to read and be blessed by this book. It is a short, captivating reading of 95 pages that can be obtained for $10 or less on Amazon.com or through the publisher, XLibris, www.xlibris.com/WhatPricePriesthood.html or by calling 1-888-795-4274×479. WHEN THE CHURCH FAILS, GOD PREVAILS.
MPJ said,
October 23, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Michael Teply responded:
What a bunch of crap. god didn’t fail me because he doesn’t exist. At
least the priests and the church exist so I can at least blame
someone. If god really existed why would he continue to hide and make
the universe look like it has no created structure. Just to fool us?
Every thing the church has claimed has been disproved so why
would anyone believe that what they say about jesus is true. It’s
like they say don’t believe us about anything we’ve said in the
past but we’re not lying about the jesus thing.
I believe Judy is a good person and I hope and “pray” someday she’ll
realize that she is waisting her life on a story that some clergy
parasites are still preaching.
Judy Beckman said,
October 26, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Michael,
I appreciate your comments because you helped me understand something about churchgoers. By the way, I appreciate you saying you believe I am a good person even though you disagree vehemently with my viewpoint. It is a giant step forward to learn to disagree with kindness, not malice, in our hearts.
I am glad that your mother died in peace despite the church. I believe God provides a way to Him regardless of man-made rules. No, God does not hide from me. I have a vital, ongoing personal relationship with Him. I communicate with Him in prayer, and He communicates with me in a still small voice and by many small and large miracles. My first book, WHAT PRICE PRIESTHOOD, is about miracles in the midst of adversity in my husband’s life. I could write a second book about the horror story of my life, and miracles that carry me through to this day. Like I say in my article “Good-Bye Catholic Box - Hello True Spirituality” I truly believe that without my faith in God, I wouldn’t have made it. Life is too hard. I would have given up. Why blame God? The same problems caused by man would have been there whether or not I chose to exercise my spirituality. We are all spiritual beings longing for a fulfilled, happy life in this world corrupted by man.
I just took an Amtrak ride through the mountains, canyons, sand dunes, desert, hills through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California, all God’s creation. What beautiful, awe-inspiring structure of God’s handiwork! Man had nothing to do with this creation, but man’s work corrupts the environment.
I welcome your comments to my article just recently posted.