Catholic Identity – Understanding Needs to Occur Prior to Our Agreeing or Disagreeing
In session 18 I was struck by a comment made by Rosemarie. These are not her words but the gist of what she said in our conversation about women priests. She remarked that the all male priesthood is a part of our Catholic Identity. On the other hand in our conversation about relationships with women as we think it exists in Muslim countries. Michael said that if they [Muslims among others] experienced their wife as a partner, they could realize the value of this and it could change them.
I am not asking you to agree or disagree with either of these statements or even if they are correct. The point is that it is possible to think of our Catholic identity as being marked by an all male priesthood. But would we ever think that the relationship of Muslim men and women is also a part of their identity. Individual and social identity is a very powerful force in our life. Here are a couple of questions to ponder in each case. Do these two cases have a history? The answer is obvious, yes. Should that history continue? And is your answer the same in both cases? If it is the same, why, and perhaps more telling, if it is different, why? How do we discern our authentic identity? Rising to the level of our times is to discuss these types of questions with understanding, passion, and sympathy. What’s your take?
Biblical Quotes –
I’m not sure exactly how our group ended up discussing this but they did. Eventually we were to recognize that quoting the bible is often ambiguous, sometime down right wrong. Nonetheless, the bible is the written source of our identity as Christians.
Some background, Steve told us a couple of stories of how other cultures that take the Ten Commandments seriously deal with stealing and adultery. But, for Steve, here in theUnited Statesit’s a very different culture that tends to leave nearly all moral decisions to the individual. As part of the discussion and to bolster their opinions Steve, Michael, and Heber quoted the scriptures. I offered the reflection that it is dangerous to quote the scripture. The Jewish and Christian faiths are historical faiths. And as Christians Christ is the ultimate standard by which we are to understand the authentic development that exists within the bible. I offered two biblical quotes myself. It was only afterward that I realized I had done the very thing that the other three guys had done, quoted the bible.
Below you can read all five of the biblical quotes in the order that we heard them. What I would ask you to do is to force rank each biblical quote; 1 being the most expressive of who a Christian should be and 5 being the least expressive of who a Christian should be. Good luck.
1. Ex. 20:14 – 15 – You shall not commit adultery.You shall not steal.
2. Mt. 7:1 – “Stop judging,that you may not be judged.
3. Dt. 19:21 – Do not show pity. Life for life,eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot!
4. Gal. 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
5. Mt. 25:34 – 40 – Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’