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It's Only a Matter of Time...

Ridicule is the first and last argument of a fool. ~Charles Simmons

Over the years, I've endured the insensitive and ignorant jabs and jokes about Catholicism at work. Based on comments made at every opportunity, you'd think each and every Catholic priest is a pedophile and the Church corrupt to its core. I used to get offended and defensive, but now I surprise myself with the range of emotions I feel when the religious bashing occurs. Depending on the comment, these emotions range from surprise, amusement, and indifference.

It is surprising how nescient people are of the Christian faith.  They only look at the surface of truth and do not explore the basis of how it is arrived at.  Catholic principles are based on a long tradition which continues to grow and evolve because our faith is alive...not stagnant. This is not to say that things change as society deems fit, but that the same truth, never conflicting with itself, is more fully understood, explained, and practiced. 

For example, in response to a Christian truth,  I often hear, "Show me where that appears in the Bible?"  In the Protestant viewpoint, this may be a valid question, but in the Catholic perspective...it is not. Any seriously practicing Catholic knows that our faith has always held both scripture and oral traditional as equally valid and revered.  It really makes sense...in reading the New Testament, you can easily see that the epistles are responses to crises in the Church that have sprung up after the apostles and their successors have moved on to other areas to spread the Gospel. These spiritual leaders remained in communities for years to teach the faith, and it would have been impractical to have written each and every tenant of the faith down on paper.  Oral Tradition has a long-standing, recognized authority in the Church. At any rate, the answer to this question is another question: "Where in the Bible does it say that scripture ALONE is the only authority?"  Often the response is Timothy 3:16-17, but those verses say that ALL scripture is useful ... But ALL does not mean ONLY.

It is ever appropriate to laugh at ignorant religious comments?  Sometimes it can encourage more of the same because laughter can signify agreement and validity to statements uttered by another. However, in my case, I am often amused at the ridiculous ramblings of those who just want to offend or shock because they have a negative predisposition towards Christianity, Catholicism in particular.  I've learned that this type of person is not interested in honest debate, but takes every opportunity that arises to made a snide comment about religion or faith. Laughing it off, refusing to respond to the bate is the best course of action with this type of person. Believe me, they know I'm not laughing with them.

I have seen so many people make fools of themselves to impress others.  Ex-lovers who try to make the person who dumped them jealous. It never works, the person dumped them for a reason. They are not going to get jealous over obvious, over-the-top efforts to make them so.  The dumpee just looks pathetic as they try to overcome the indifference of the one they are trying to impress.  Indifference is a powerful tool. It says, "You or what you are saying is so unimportant, I don't even pay attention."  This is the tactic I use with the obstinate who are only looking for a fight. Why bother engaging in a debate that quickly leads to arguments or more opportunity for offense?  A person like this will go out of their way to offend when you challenge something they say or do.  In this case, I do what I have been taught, outwardly ignore them and inwardly pray for their conversion and God's forgiveness of their offense.

I know it's difficult to keep one's feelings in check when confronted with insensitive remarks and attacks, but God gives us the strength to persevere through love, knowledge, and prayer.  In reality, it's not important what the ungodly think of us. What is important is that we stand firm in faith and pray for the conversion and forgiveness of our enemies.  Even adversity such as this is a blessing because it affords us the opportunity to grow in spiritual strength. It sparks renewal of purpose.  Only through challenges can we remain strong and not fall into complacency.  Enemies of God may seem to have the upper hand at times, but in reality, they are reduced only to tools God uses to keep us close to Him.  God has already won; it's only a matter of time before everybody knows it.

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