Comment below

Hey, check out what some random guy from the states commented on the post below. I'm feeling short on patience today cuz I didn't get enough sleep last night (which I assure you had NOTHING to do with talking to Erin until 3:30 last night) so I replied instead of letting him or her stew in their own.

I find it interesting that, especially in my experience on the internet, that a lot of atheists proseletyz more than the fundamentalists do, but they're even meaner about it.

So for the day, here's my secrets to being a Catholic and standing up for your belief.

#1 Know why you do what you do and why you believe what you believe. If you don't know, ask, if you don't like the answer, ask more. Every tradition we have is a tool to approach God and build a stronger relationship.

#2 Have support. Have friends who are Catholic and other denominations. Have friends who aren't but are respectful and open about faith. Have relationships with people who know more than you or have access to the answers.

#3 Know your history. Our church has a very long history, and its colourful. We've done awesome things, and we've done shameful things. Know where our ancestors lost the path so it doesn't happen again, and look at where they found it again so you know what to look for. Also, we are built on certain cultures. The Catholic Church was built in a small area of the world and our tradition reflects that. It's good stuff to know. It's also good to know about other faiths and spiritual practices. Some of them can be valuable to add to your own spirituality when you put them in a Christian context.

#4 Be bold. When you are faced with doubt, pray, trust, and ask others. I've had many dark nights of doubt when I was ready to throw in the towel, but with patience (and sometimes without), I was always blessed with reassurance.

#5 Don't try to force your belief on others. Share it with your actions, and use words when you need to (St. Francis said something along the same lines). Just be a loving, open, caring person of Christ. Don't judge, but do challenge.

Anyway, I have a feeling there might be more comments cuz people like whoever this one is tend to be tenacious in showing others their wrongness, and like to push their superiority.