Sunday, April 25, 2004
Keen
Fr. Levis,
I find it interesting that people write to you about their apparant loss of faith, yet they fear hell. It would seem to me, and I could be wrong about this, that as long as one fears eternal punishment, a thread of faith may yet remain. Hardened atheists that fear not God nor man, sin mortally without worrying about the consequences, for they truly believe there are no consequences. As long as one fears eternal retribution, still has the glowing embers of a faith that God exists.
Too often in our society we put our feelings ahead of true faith. I think often times what we feel is lack of faith is actually the lack of the good feelings we think should follow faith. The two things are not the same thing. Some people FEEL that they are great saints and are wretched sinners, while others that FEEL they are wretched sinners are actually great saint. Rather than worrying our supposed "lack of faith", I think a person should commit themselves to read the Sermon of the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7)and put Christ's teachings into practice for a long time, years and decades if need be. A person with true faith is obedient to Christ, regardless if they have the good FEELINGS they assume is the evidence of faith.
Something I've often struggled with, actually. Doing, not feeling, and fighting feelings with will. An excellent post at any rate, and there's more!
I find it interesting that people write to you about their apparant loss of faith, yet they fear hell. It would seem to me, and I could be wrong about this, that as long as one fears eternal punishment, a thread of faith may yet remain. Hardened atheists that fear not God nor man, sin mortally without worrying about the consequences, for they truly believe there are no consequences. As long as one fears eternal retribution, still has the glowing embers of a faith that God exists.
Too often in our society we put our feelings ahead of true faith. I think often times what we feel is lack of faith is actually the lack of the good feelings we think should follow faith. The two things are not the same thing. Some people FEEL that they are great saints and are wretched sinners, while others that FEEL they are wretched sinners are actually great saint. Rather than worrying our supposed "lack of faith", I think a person should commit themselves to read the Sermon of the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7)and put Christ's teachings into practice for a long time, years and decades if need be. A person with true faith is obedient to Christ, regardless if they have the good FEELINGS they assume is the evidence of faith.
Something I've often struggled with, actually. Doing, not feeling, and fighting feelings with will. An excellent post at any rate, and there's more!
