Misconceptions

For the next two weeks, my Fresh Catholic podcast episodes are on the "Misconceptions" of the Catholic faith. I am fortunate to have Deacon Don Huntley (my friend, co-worker, former RCIA teacher and Officiant at my wedding) address the top 10 common misconceptions that have been either going on for almost always...or more recent ones. They are very thought provoking episodes!

So I have been really thinking about how many of these have just been kind of going on and on for years. Why is that? Why are people not accepting the explanation when given? I feel it's because they don't want to know the real truth. I believe people have always been trying to look for the worst things with Christians in general, but especially Catholics, because they want to find something wrong. They want to knock them down. I guess they can't seem to imagine that something could be good and beautiful. They would rather drag the church and its people through the mud.

Now, I'm not saying that the Catholic church doesn't have problems or skeletons in their closet. I mean, the church is run by flawed humans to be sure, but I'm talking about people seemingly refusing to understand the church's stance or teachings. Seemingly refusing to find the good and beautiful parts of Catholicism and the good, loving, hard working, selfless people involved in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

And we don't only do this with the church. We also do this with people. If someone seems to have a lot going for them or thriving in their life, most people get a jealous or envious streak about that person. They immediately judge them, make up a story about them in their head, don't want to actually get to know them and then, ultimately have misconceptions about them. More dragging through the mud.

Why do people do this? Why are they so insecure? Why can't they learn more about the reasons the Catholic church does what they do? Why won't they listen to reason when things are explained to them? Why can't they get to know people before making a judgement about them? My personal view is that people want to bring down the good, true and beautiful so that they feel good about themselves while they're sitting in a mud puddle. Instead of rising to a higher and more positive existence, they would rather pull others down with them into the abyss.

It's not too late for them though! They could turn things around! They could get out of the dirty mud, wash up and come listen, learn and understand about all the goodness of Christ's church and His people! Their lives would change for the better in the most incredible ways!