Defending Our Faith with Kindness

Catholics out there, do you have a hard time seeing others talk poorly about Mary, the saints, our beliefs and teachings? I know I do.

Many of us will try to defend our beliefs and explain why we believe certain things and yet, most of the time, we still leave the conversation misunderstood. It’s really hard, especially when it deals with something we hold so close to our hearts.

I had one experience where I was trying to explain to someone our view of Mary. I know, touchy topic! I shared so many resources and videos of priests talking about it, but I was simply name-called for my beliefs. This person called me a pagan, an idol worshipper, and a sinner going to hell. I’m not exaggerating. It was extremely hurtful and I was left in tears.

I felt so bad for trying to defend our faith that I went to confession the next day seeking forgiveness. Instead, my priest said there was nothing to be sorry about – we are called to defend our faith with kindness, wisdom and peace.

So, while we may not all share the same beliefs, we should respect one another. Instead of name-calling, listen to what the other person has to say. You still don’t have to agree with them on what they believe, but you can at least maybe learn something new. I love learning about other religions. I think it’s fascinating. That doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with what they believe, but I can still appreciate it. For example, I love Judaism. A lot of Catholicism stems from it so I love learning about it. I’m not Jewish, I’m aware of our different beliefs, but I won’t put someone who is Jewish down for their beliefs. If anything, I’d probably want to hangout with them so I can learn more from them!

My point is this – respect one another. I see so many fights going down in the comments of so many posts about religion, even on my own posts, and it’s sad that we can’t just respect one another for who we are. Yes, defend your faith. But let’s try to do so with kindness. The world needs a little kindness right now.