On Conversion and Whoopie Pies

On Conversion and Whoopie Pies

Over the course of several years, I have experienced a conversion in both some of my political ideals and my religious views.  And I also have resumed my pursuit of a bakery/cafe. 

Still a left-leaning, no.  A God leaning liberal.  I have become somewhat passionate about pro-life issues, where a few years ago, I avoided them like the Ebola virus.  My passion includes all aspects of life...physician assisted suicide, abortion, and death penalty.  I have come, after years of prayer and study, that all life is sacred.  That all life is subject to Natural Law and deserves to exist from conception to natural death.  

My ideas of what being open-minded has also changed quite a bit.  The idea that everything is ok, as long as it effects no one else has taken an interesting new twist for me.  There is one truth, everyone doesn't have a different truth that is so subjective as to be non-existent.  Again, I blame this on my active prayer life and maturing in God.  

I have in this time, gained a new respect for my God given talent in the culinary realm.  I am a gifted cook/baker.  I have finally come to own that fact.  Using this blog as a showcase for that talent is something I look forward to.  

So, in a nutshell; I'm back and ready to shake or stir things up a bit.  Welcome and hold on to your hat!

Pamphlets

I have been a Catholic my entire life and until the last two election cycles, have never received voter information.  I find it a bit disturbing that I have a hierarchy who thinks it's acceptable to tell me what to vote for and what to lobby against.

Over the last couple of weeks, there have been pamphlets in the pews from the Colorado Catholic Conference stating that I need to "Protect Traditional Marriage".  I am to vote no on Civil Union Legislation.  And if I fail to vote in this way I am somehow failing to protect women and children.

I fail to see how civil union legislation passing endangers women and children.  I'd love for someone to explain this to me.  These people of the Colorado Catholic Conference had better come up with a more compelling reason for me to vote or not vote for something than silly scare tactics.


Don't get me wrong, I support my church's stand on most issues and follow all the doctrinal issues with fidelity.  But telling me what to vote for and not to vote for is not one of those things that they have jurisdiction over.

I am a citizen of the United States.  And as a citizen of this country I am guaranteed the right to vote as I see fit.  As long as I cultivate a good conscience and vote using that conscience, the church has no right to tell me how to vote. 

Of all the ills plaguing society and all the issues that work against women and children, civil unions is at the bottom of this list.  When am I going to start seeing pamphlets addressing poverty and domestic violence lining the pews of my church?

Sin

On a forum where I post, the question of sin has come up.  What is sin?  Is sin not sin if you don't believe it?

 My perspective is as a Catholic.  As a fairly well informed Catholic. 

I do not believe sin to be subjective or ever changing depending on the circumstance.  Sin is sin.  If you steal you steal.  If you fool around on your husband you fooled around on your husband.  What I do think changes is the level at which we will be judged for those sins.

The mom who steals because her children are hungry, has stolen, there is no disputing that fact.  The person who screwed around on their spouse, has broken his/her sacramental vows.  No doubt.  The sin is still a sin.  It is there, it never changes.  There is no degrees to the sin.  It just is.  It just exists.

What does change in this scenario at the end of our early existence, I believe, is God's mercy.  God alone sees the big picture attached to our sin.  The sin is stealing, but He sees the intent and the motivation behind the scenes.  Is this a single mom stealing to feed her kids, is it an angry young man taking stereos from cars to sell for partying because he has no direction in life, through a lifetime of neglect and abuse.  Only God will know this. 

I think we are going to be judged on the level of our understanding and experience.  At least I have great hope that God is going to take that track.  If he loves us individually, each of us, since before we were born, I cannot imagine that that great mercy and love isn't going to extend to the end of our lives too...

I'm counting on it