DO WE NEED THE EUCHARIST OR THE CHURCH? by Mark and Louise Zwick [page 1 of 3]
Potential volunteers call Casa Juan Diego to see if there is any group
not connected with religion that gives hospitality to immigrants and refugees. Some would like to join in the work, but are uncomfortable with religion. Our answer to this question is no.
Needless to say, these applicants are very disappointed, since religion is not held in high repute today. Popular Distinction There is a popular distinction between spirituality and religion. Religion is stereotyped as negative and rigid, having to do -*with rituals,
externals, restrictive rules and doctrine. Spirituality is something else,
they say. Why bother with the institutional church is the question-- the church
is considered too conservative and oppressive by some. Church members are
accused of being hypocrites and of not living out the faith by others. And
some feel the church is too liberal. Recent studies indicate that many baby boomers look for meaning outside formal religion. They see religion as irrelevant. In fact, 85% of the baby boomers believe that you can be a good Christian, very spiritual, without going to church.
Spirituality Spirituality is essential. Heaven knows we need saints, people who are
trying to do something with their lives, trying to follow Jesus, no matter
the price. What goes on in people's minds, hearts and souls is very important. What
kind of spirituality they have will impact many people and the whole world. There are a large number of popular types of spirituality today, many
also popular with Catholics, searching outside the Catholic tradition to
enrich their faith. "Spirituality" may be based more on personal experience, individual
interpretation, sometimes narcissism and emotion, rather than a belief in
the church as the body of Christ or the People of God called together to
live as Jesus did and to contribute to the common good. Often, some of the
best traditions of the church and the Gospel have not been explored. An
example being the whole of Western mysticism being ignored. Or some limited
sections of the Scriptures may be selected; sometimes the hard sayings of
the Gospel are omitted. And sometimes the most important values in a person's life come not from the teachings of the faith, but from what is politically correct or even what is convenient. Creating own gods People have developed such an awful image and concept of God that you
would have to be some kind of nut to have anything to do with their God
or religion. Once you have relegated God and religion to the minor leagues, permission
is given to worship more important things, such as one's own freedom, pleasure,
material possessions or politics. A spirituality that can live with this
kind of permission will flourish. It seems, to us, that it is most helpful to have principles, guidelines, truths and role models if we are to find the Way, the Truth and the Life, if we are to have the strength and the grace to be able to follow the call of Jesus. Pro Choice vs. the Call of the Gospel Having free will makes everyone in a sense a pro choice person--in the
general sense--in favor of making responsible choices. The term pro choice has been misunderstood or is a misnomer. With all
the emphasis on freedom of choice today, the term pro choice, as popularly
used, has nothing to do with selecting the good, but simply means an abortion. But being pro choice is not such a great value if we make the wrong choices. Overemphasis on choice can be a shibboleth obfuscating the morality of
choice. The real question, the real choice is, shall we choose--or refuse--the
call of Jesus and the Gospels. Everything follows from that. Narcissism may become the new cult of many Americans if we let free choice
be interpreted as the choice to do anything we darn please. Contemplating one's navel may be OK, but it is a poor way to contribute to the common good. The world needs us! We have reached the point where people now stand in front of their full-length mirrors and say to themselves, "I am who I am."  |
