This weekend, I tuned into a Pints with Aquinas episode featuring a debate on the Catholic-Orthodox Papacy. The discussion was interesting, and you can watch it here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IMTszXjhEI). It got me thinking about how people discuss the faith and how we try to express the meanings behind certain events in the church. I noticed that people can get compelled to lean into their beliefs and make a discussion difficult. It is difficult if someone gets too adamant about their topic and could seem attacking rather than trying to understand each side’s viewpoint. It doesn’t have to be an attack on the other’s belief to try and get a point across.

I find discussing faith difficult in a public setting. Especially, if a debate would ensue because I don’t feel knowledgeable enough to provide adequate information or rebuttal. At work, I’ve had a few encounters where I’ve ended up discussing my faith with others, and they have been more of an exchange of how we believe. I believe it would be inappropriate to push for a more in-depth religious conversation in such a professional setting. I’ve always held the view that it’s their choice to believe or not. I’m not someone that is going to change their mind. I think the best I can do is pray for those lost and hope that they can find God.

The biggest issue it seems that many have with the Catholic faith is that there have been a ton of scandals. It is true, but my question to them would be: is there any organization you know of that is 100% good/pure? I would find it very hard to believe that all organizations don’t have similar issues, but they haven’t come to light like the Catholic church because of how big it is. Also, all priests, nuns, and parishioners are human and can feel tempted by the devil to sin. No one person is perfect, and we believe that we hope that these things don’t take place. These instances should bring us closer together to help find ways to fix or stop things from happening rather than just placing blame. It should come to light rather than something that continues to hide from sight. One should never allow one nefarious actor to shake the faith in the church or our Lord and instead be the start of being proactive in the church to change it for the better.

Another confusion is that a church I know of had a music coordinator for 30-something years. It was revealed that the music coordinator was in a same-sex marriage. Having found out, the church and the diocese decided to terminate his employment. Some parishioners/community members found this out and started to attack the church’s decision. It would result in adverse publicity on social media platforms and negative reviews on Google. I believe a lot of the rhetoric is blinded by what happened and what they have heard. I think his being in a leadership position in the church but not following faith teachings makes him disqualified for that role as someone who should be a role model for the church’s teachings. Many people also discussed how banning him from the church is against God’s will. The source of confusion seems to stem from a misunderstanding. There’s no evidence to suggest that his termination from the music coordinator role precluded him from attending mass. The statement from the diocese stated he would be welcome to participate in mass, but employment is an entire other discussion.

These are just some topics that can come up when discussing the faith. With the many different questions that can come up in a discussion, not everyone will have the answer to every scenario. It would be hard for us to be all-knowing and convincing to be able to change someone’s belief. People can tend to get one side of the story and stick to it even though pertinent facts could be presented to contradict it. But if they are unwilling to be open to new ideas there is almost nothing we can do. That’s why I believe it’s best to try and at least pray for others so that truth may find them and all of us.