Originally posted by 80sU2isBest:
I'm sorry you don't take comfort in being in agreement in prayer with people.
I never said that. I said that perhaps "we" don't. Meaning that not all Christians find comfort in prayer with
only other Christians.
You said "we" do not, then said you said you are Catholic. Are you saying that Catholics don't find comfort in praying together? I hope that's not what you're saying, because that's not true.
I don't need to "pray together" to find comfort. Not all Catholics do, just as not all Christians do. I can pray in church, as part of a congregation, or I can pray by myself. I don't find one any more comforting than the other. It's my personal choice, and there are others like me. Particularly the ones who don't even attend church. Nobody said that collective effervescence is the only way to become comforted.
I will ask you this; as a Catholic, where do you get the idea that there are many roads to salvation? I must say I've never heard that preached in a Catholic church. It's certainly not in the Bible. Christ say He is the only way to eternal life. If you are a Christian, how can you reconcile believing that there are many roads to Salvation with the fact that the founder and head of your religion, Christ Himself, said that He is the only way?
Have you ever read any of the books written by Deepak Chopra?
I find him to be fascinating, eloquent, and thought provoking.
I'll try to explain to the best of my abilities, though I'm not always the most clear person.
A few days after 9/11, my mother was watching Larry King (whom we usually avoid like the black plague, but that's a whole other matter
), and he had representatives of different faiths on. He had a Catholic priest, a Christian minister (I'm not sure what denomination he was), and Imam, a Rabbi, and Deepak Chopra.
While the rest of the men were interrupting each other and arguing about the path to heaven, Chopra was avoiding religious talk in favour of spirituality. He said that he didn't believe that only one group of people will be saved. And that if you live an honourable life, then why get penalized for not having the right religious affiliation? With all that happened, this made the most sense to me. My mother, and grandmother, both extremely devout Catholics (pray up to 5 rosaries a day, keep the traditional friday fast and so on) also said this was what made most sense to them.
I know what Jesus said in the Bible. I went to Catholic schools my entire life, up to University, where I took some comparative religion courses. I am very familiar with the Biblical verses you've provided. I guess the best thing I can say is that I'd like to think the God I believe in is merciful and not vengeful. The reverend on King's show said "Our God is a very jealous God, and if you don't believe in him, and accept Jesus, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God." I found this to be very disturbing. I think God is omnipotent and not jealous. I think he loved all humanity so much he gave up his only Son. And I choose to believe that all of us can be saved, can be liberated. Whether you be a Christian in the south of the US, or a Sikh in the north of India. So long as you're a good person.
Those are my views. Maybe they oppose yours, but that's what makes this world an interesting place.