Comments on: Behold the Spam of God!

By: jwash

jwash — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:44:19 +0000

I appreciate the humor in this, and I can get a good chuckle out of it.

As a Christ follower seeking the truth who has been engaged in discussions with a Roman Catholic for many months, I confess to having made many mistakes similar to those lampooned here. Each time, a pure desire within me (as best as I can discern my heart) was corrupted into a sword thrust at my opponent by my own ignorance, impatience, arrogance, foolishness, and pride, and I often drew blood. My friend could rightly have doubted whether I had love for him at all. Many times I had to repent and confess my errors to my friend.

Despite much searching, he chooses to put his faith in one thing, I choose to put my faith in another.

A lot of humility is in order for all of us. When we think we have enough humility, that’s a good indication that once again, we need more.

I respect those of any faith who do what’s difficult and reach out to those they feel are missing the truth. That takes guts and makes one vulnerable. Once one is vulnerable, emotions run high and one easily makes ignorant, arrogant, foolish, and prideful statements when they feel their brave attempt has fallen on deaf ears. I’m afraid much of this ‘Godspam’ is likely from that category.

Our frustration with well-meaning people means we have a problem with pride and a lack of love. Do we think Jesus would have been frustrated at the people and institutions around him? Jesus would have received a _lot_ of Godspam on his IPhone.

How would Jesus have responded? May I strive to do the same.

Without love (and humility), we are just a clanging gong – perhaps with a fancy blog and an email address.

By: cblanch912

cblanch912 — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:32:36 +0000

I love worshipping in an opulent cathedral while knowing so many people are starving in the world. In the back of my mind, I’m positive we could eradicate world hunger by scrapping and melting down our churches and the idols they contain.

I also dig the Church’s teaching on contraception. I know their main motive for this policy is to create more members…but I really like the way everyone assumes I’m ignorant when I turn up pregnant…again.

By: If you’ve been attacked for being Catholic « Seven angels, four kids, one family

Fri, 22 May 2009 23:57:37 +0000

[...] If you’ve been attacked for being Catholic May 22, 2009 Posted by philangelus in religion, sarcasm. trackback …and I have been attacked for being Catholic, please check out Mark Shea’s hilarious “Behold: The Spam of God!” [...]

By: philothea

philothea — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:31:47 +0000

I get a lot of these too. Since I wasn’t Christian before I became Catholic, a lot of people seem to have genuine concern that I’ve never read this “Bible” thing they tell me about. In my more snarky moods, I reply and say, “It seems like you have strong faith that the Bible is the Word of God. I am impressed with your deep trust in the Catholic Church to be able to correctly choose the canon.”

By: criostoir

criostoir — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:14:17 +0000

I grew up in a variety of Protestant churches. As I became drawn to Catholicism, the #1 issue for me was “Mary Worship.” But, as I began to study the theology behind the veneration of Mary and even the writings of the early Reformers (who has quite a healthy respect for her, to say the least), I began to wonder why it was such a big deal. Thus, I wrote the following hymn of “praise” to Mary from a Protestant perspective. (I hope you take it as intended, not making fun of the blessed Virgin, but of Protestant attitudes towards her):

Protestant Praise of Mary

O, most mediocre mother!
O, somewhat meritorious [former] maid!
We hail thee, most OK, though no better than us.
Though thou wert the form from which Christ took flesh,
verily, any of us could have done it,
random choice of the Father.

Though the Ark of the Covenant was so holy
death was dealth to unworthy wielders, for it contained
the Staff of Aaron, Law of God and Bread of Heaven;
Yet thou art still of small account, and nothing special,
though the Word willed your womb be His dwelling.

Therefore, though God grew a baby in thy belly,
we dutifully ignore thee,
and chafe at those who sing thy praise.

By: jcstab143

jcstab143 — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:55:19 +0000

Ohhhh…I get it!- From the song: Behold the Lamb (spam) of God!

I’m a little slow…

Which probably answers why I haven’t left the Catholic Church yet, before I run, I try to understand.

Haven’t found anything to run away from yet that I properly understand. ;^)

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:06:02 +0000

Sheesh, all those Latin words. Nobody told me I needed to be bilingual!

Though it is a great convenience to only have church on Sunday so I can stay home on Wednesday nights.

By: goral

goral — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:07:13 +0000

We have very little of that now since the state run schools have restored faith in education, but when I went to school, I really liked it when nuns brutalized kids and messed up their minds.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:00:35 +0000

I like being a member of a Church that became apostate in the first century and managed to hang on while the true believers went underground and out of history for like 1500 or 1800 years (depending on which group of true belivers you believe).

Paul

By: Ray II

Ray II — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:44:15 +0000

A friend saw my wife and I out with the four boys at Long John Silver’s on a Friday eating fish dinners.

He asked: “Catholic?”

We joined the next day figuring it must be a group discount club of some sort.

Ray and family (cradle Catholics since 1969, well at least the old one that is)