Questions of Faith, Part II

While the discussion on Druidism continues below (see the comments), our next guest blogger, Mark, gives us a look at his unique take on Catholicism.

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What faith do you espouse?
Catholicism

Who was the founder of your faith? When did he/she live?
Jesus of Nazareth is the inspiration for the
original church, but to say that he is the sole
founder may or may not be wholey accurate. It might
be better to say that it is the memory of Jesus that
founded the Roman Catholic Church.

What are the sacred texts of your faith?
The Hebrew scriptures and the "new testament" which
includes the gopsels, acts, and the letters; commonly known as the Bible.

What is the central teaching of your faith?
Of my own faith the central teaching is love. God
is love. And to love as God loves is to love without
conditions.

How does your faith define sin?
Separation from God (or love) by the influence of
fear. Once again this is my own perspective.

What are the major sins, and how is
one absolved?
There are specific "cardinal" sins, but only the
person who commits a sin can truely judge how majorly
that sin affects their life. And it is only them that
can reconcile or re-connect with God.

Roughly how many adherents does your faith have?
I am sure that "on the books" somewhere that there
is an exact number, but I could safely guess somewhere
over a hundred. (and I certain don't know them all)

What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is
there a heaven, and how do you get there?
There is always some sort of class on it but it is
never very concrete. The closest definition that I
have received is that heaven is either now...here, or
nowhere. In other words, heaven is right now if you
choose to experience it.

What are the practices of your faith? (Daily,
weekly, etc.)
Daily personal prayer, the rosary, comtemplative
prayer (christian meditation) and weekly mass. Weekly
mass is the only major weekly obligation, however, and
the other areas of persoanl prayer are determined by
tradition and personal preference.

How is your faith organized? Are there priests and
bishops and archbishops, (oh my!) etc.?
It is extremely structured with the Pope at the
top and your local pastor at the grassroots.

Are there regular services available to you
locally? If so, where?
Yes, St. Paul's Newman Center is my choice.

How did you come to be a believer?
Life, loss, pain, joy, fear, and love in my
personal experience has shaped the path and life that I lead.

What do you wish others knew about your faith?I wish that others knew what real catholics are
like, not what the pope pushing, bigoted, and
super-traditional Catholics show to the world. The
word catholic means universal, liberal, and sensitive.
And that is the backbone of my faith.

Peace, love, and all good things...
Mark

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