WHO IS YOUR
GOD?
There is still a minority of young people that are still active in a church, and I associate myself with this group. But, one might ask how I could stand by my church after all the problems, all the scandals and all the hate. I am very much aware of the shortcomings of the Roman Catholic Church. Numerous cases of child abuse and the discrimination of the LGBT community are issues I am particularly concerned with. Yet, there is still a reason for me to be a part of my church and this reason is quite simple: I value positive actions over negative ones. I grew up in a religious family and we attended church every Sunday, where I was an altar server for quite some time. This experience is something I have never regretted. I made many good friends during that time and even met my first girlfriend there. Even now I am still involved in activities with the local Catholic youth group. We have done several social projects helping people in need and aside from the voluntary work, the group’s company is simply great fun. In addition, there is a great number of societal benefits along with the personal enjoyment I derive from it. It brings aesthetic pleasure to the community, as Catholic churches are beautiful landmarks that embellish our towns and attract tourists. They also contribute to culture by, for instance, organising different kinds of concerts. Even more importantly, my church provides social services such as helping families in need, immigrants having trouble integrating or the homeless. Furthermore, the Catholic Church supports various charity projects all over the world. As Pope Francis said: “A Church without charity does not exist”. When we set aside its activities, the church is first and foremost based on ideology. You could ask why I should believe in something as inconceivable and incredible as the Bible. I am not arguing anyone should, because I do not believe in everything it says either. Creationism is rather hard to take seriously and so is the “fact” that Mother Mary was a virgin. Regardless of the aforementioned, the main message the Bible carries is to love. Love is the most important thing in life, ranging from love shared in a romantic relationship to the common statement: “You shall love your neighbour as thyself”. This little phrase is the Second Commandment and it represents an attitude that everyone should try to adopt.
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