Crossed The Tiber

An Evangelical Converts to Catholicism

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Location: Pennsylvania, United States

I was born into the Catholic faith. At 14, I was "born again" and found Jesus personally but lost His Church. After thirty years as an evangelical protestant, I have come full circle to find that He has been there all the time, in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I wish others to find the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith as I have found.

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Catholic Church Is Not Attractive

As Pope Benedict was heading to the British Isles he was asked if he thinks the Catholic Church needs to change to be more attractive to an increasingly secular British culture.
This is what he said:

“A Church that seeks to be particularly attractive is already on the wrong path.”


I appreciate these words of the holy father as he states very clearly what Jesus had told the disciples. You will be hated for my name sake and persecuted. The church that seeks to become more attractive to present itself in a "new and different" light to be more acceptable to the changing society is not what Jesus had in mind. The early church was cursed and persecuted and thought to be cannabalistic because of its strange and counter-culture beliefs. The early church fathers didn't change their theology or practices to fit into the secular culture of the Roman world. The modern Catholic Church continues to be maligned because of its counter-culture beliefs and practices such as anti-abortion, anti-contraception and hetero-sexual marriage.
I think of the seeker-friendly churches and the mega-churches in our country that have done everything they can to emulate the high-octane, American entertainment industry in an effort to make their churches more "attractive."
I'm sorry but I don't want to go to an "attractive" church.

As GK Chesterton has said: "I don't want to go to a church that changes with the culture. I want a Church that changes the culture."

He also said :
The Catholic Church is the only thing which saves a man
from the degrading slavery of being a child of his age."

6 Comments:

Blogger CD2000 said...

Indeed true...

Thanks.

September 18, 2010 1:20 AM  
Blogger Shirley said...

I love our Pope!

September 18, 2010 11:16 AM  
Anonymous macon church said...

great post

September 18, 2010 2:33 PM  
Blogger Magister Christianus said...

I agree with Shirley. This is well said. Interestingly, it coincides with the devotion I just published at http://online-devotions.blogspot.com/2010/09/september-19-2-timothy-312.html.

September 19, 2010 9:11 AM  
Blogger Joyful Catholic said...

Absolutely "spot on!"

September 22, 2010 6:46 AM  
Blogger kkollwitz said...

Trying to be attractive practically guarantees that you'll make compromises that will make you unattractive.

September 26, 2010 11:48 PM  

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