Pray! : Catholic Teaching is radical

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Catholic Teaching is radical

Someone said:
Yes, conservative doesn't seem like the right word to me, either. Upholding the faith is not very conservative, as our faith is not very conservative. I'm not sure why we would call someone who upholds the faith conservative. I worry what the word you might have for those who don't defend the faith might be.

I consider myself a conservative Catholic. Although I'm sure that the world considers all Catholic Teaching radical.

Conservative is from the root "conserve". That is, to maintain. Jesus was not conservative because He did not come to maintain the status quo. He came to fulfill the established religion and establish a new religion. This is so "radical" that God, His Father, had prescribed death as the penalty for this action.

Deuteronomy 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. 5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death;

But, every Christian thereafter sought to pass down the Faith of Jesus Christ without deviation. Therefore they sought to conserve the truth which Jesus deposited with the Church.

Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Catholic Teaching is radically different from the teaching of the world.

1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

It will always be so. A conservative Catholic is one who maintains and passes down this Faith which is so radically different than that which the surrounding world will accept:

Romans 12:
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.