1. Defend your favorite politician or public figure for doing the same thing you criticized their opponents for.
2. NEVER let your children associate with anyone that you don't totally match up with in religion, ethnicity, economic background and opinions about modern culture.
3. Make major life decisions based on "end times" scenarios.
4. Ask a pregnant woman to offer up her labor for a special intention.
5. Assume a childless couple is deliberately avoiding pregnancy and lecture them on the evils of birth control.
6. Assume that you can do no wrong provided that you attend Daily mass, wear your scapular and say the Rosary every day.
7. Assume that other people who do the above mentioned things are infallible.
8. Insist that Science has no bearing whatsoever on how we understand the book of Genesis.
9. If you homeschool your children, let people know that "your children don't need to be rocket scientists" and that "they're better off doing nothing at home than going to public school."
10. Give religious books you've never read to fallen-away Catholics as an evangelization tool.
11. Be more Catholic than the Pope.
12. At church, glare at people who have noisy children or who aren't "properly" dressed.
13. Superstitiously believe that every little coincidence relating to a possible decision is a sign from God - and be sure to share these "signs" when explaining your decision to others.
14. Forward all the chain letters, urban legends and dire warnings that come into your e-mail box.
15. Be sure to ignore Christ's teachings in the Gospels - especially "Love your neighbor as yourself."
5 comments:
I failed the test. I'm a hypocrite, and I always fail to love my neighbor as I should.
I guess I'm turning away people from the faith every day.
I'm trying to be more perfect, but its very hard.
We all fail often - I'm no exception. But I think there's a difference between ignoring the Gospel message and not living it as well as we would hope (and trying to do better).
I've just been getting hit hard lately with how much these sorts of things can affect our friends and relatives.
I also think that our struggles to live up to the Gospel message should help us to develop humility and charity toward those who do not see eye to eye with us on everything.
So true. And humility is what is needed with me, for sure. I am sure that often people don't mean to offend us, and just as often I don't mean to offend others, but I know I do, ignorantly, perhaps even daily.
I've heard people say, "I'd become a Christian if I could ever meet one" or substitute "Catholic." Every one of us fails, as do those who say things like this, but some are kinder than others.
This is one reason I love Gilbert Chesterton so much. He was so kind in all his ways, so humble, yet so right and able to express himself in ways that were gentle, yet he was able to extol the truth. I wish I could be more like him.
I know what you mean with you post, it just sounded like you'd have to be perfect to live up to it. I know I am so far from perfect that it seemed rather impossible...
Great post! It is so hard to follow Christ perfectly. Thank God for His forgiveness and love.
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