No Catholic God

This was originally posted in my Thought for Sunday, November 17, 2013.  This particular Thought for Sunday has garnered 4 times more page views than any other Thought for Sunday since I began writing them months ago.  5th highest of all 148 posts to date!  The reason for the interest is unknown to me.  If it received all the views within days of posting it would still be an anomaly, but this post is still getting numerous hits several weeks later. I thought it prudent, due to the suspected interest, to take it out of this category and give it a title for its own post.  If anyone has a thought as to why this post is so popular, I would be interested in hearing from you.  Enjoy!

"And I believe in God, not in a Catholic God, there is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, His incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being."  --  Pope Francis

"...there is no Catholic God, there is God..."  Finally, the leader of the Christian faith puts it out there.  There is no Catholic God.  There is not Protestant, Methodist, Mormon, or God of Islam, there is God.  If you are looking for a different God, good luck with that.  There is only one God.  There are many names for God, but it is the same God.  Many religions see God in a different light, use their definition of God as an excuse to do evil in God's name, but it is the same God, and we are all the children of the one God.

Belief in God is really a moot point.  God exists whether we believe or not.  God always was, is now, and forever shall be.  Our belief is welcomed but not required.  God will abide regardless.  But, to what end does damning someone for non belief achieve?   How does killing the non-believers advance the glory of God?  It doesn't, and every civilized religion understands this.  Two of the central tenets of Islam are freedom of religion and protection of non-Muslims, the same tenets professed by all Abrahamic religions.  Isn't that interesting?

Christians need to remember that Christ was a Jew.  Muslims need to remember that Muhammad (pbuh), had two Jewish wives.  The Jews need to remember that Abraham was not just an integral part of their faith, but has roots in several others.  Yet, we constantly find ourselves in a bar fight, everyone with their guns drawn, every one with a bead on a different target, waiting for the phone to ring and make an itchy trigger finger flinch.  To what end?

By everyone's Holy Scripture it obviously wasn't in God's plan, even though everyone easily reinterprets God's word to excuse their right to wage holy war on their brother.  My Christian friends are not exempt from culpability in this mess.  The proof is in the pudding, as they say.  If you don't believe me, ask some of your devout Christian friends what their view of Islam is.  Where to start?  Well, I got an earful from a Baptist.  Now, does this reflect poorly on all Baptists?  Of course not, but it is interesting that any Christian interprets the bible to justify their feelings.  Of course, the Catholics would be immune because they can unload at confession, do some penance, and start all over for another week of sin and debauchery.  Hey Catholics!  Have you read my posts on the new Pope?  Your days of feeling like you have special dispensation may be numbered.

If you do nothing else today for God, think on the fact that we are all part of the same universe, and all of us are children of the same God.  Even the atheist is a child of the Lord, whether they believe it or not is immaterial, except to them.  All children are innocent until they are taught not to be.  Isn't that sad?  Like a Pit Bull, they are mean spirited because they are trained to be that way.

Go out today and love your neighbor and do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.  What a concept.

God bless you and keep you all as we enter this holiday season.

My prayer:

"If I have to die, Lord, let someone be holding my hand.  Allow me to see one last smile, a caring, friendly face to be with me at the end.  And, if I find myself not among other men, Lord, I beg you forgive me my trespasses, and comfort me as I come to you in all humility, knowing I am a sinner and expecting no quarter.  But, if you allow me only one wish for myself, Lord, please don't let me die alone."