Dear Pope Francis, End the Religious Ritual that Devalues Human Life

Dear Pope Francis,

Every single day before communion, millions of Christians verbally declare one of the most destructive phrases in human history. On Sunday, it’s tens of millions if not a half billion of the over one billion Catholic Christians worldwide—and not without repercussions.

In the Bible, a Centurion soldier relates, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof...” (Matthew 8:8) before recounting the inner workings of the blindness of patriarchal hierarchies and slavery that exists to this day.

Applying religious context, what’s important for Christians to note is that the soldier uttered the phrase pre-salvation. An unsaved (ignorant) man sharing his feelings and a religion demanding a billion saved Christians repeat the phrase daily post-salvation are entirely two different matters.

Dialogue and constructs that perpetuate “I am not worthy” are the root of all evil. It is divisiveness personified. By believing we are not worthy, we open the door for the mistreatment of ourselves and the mistreatment of others as we seek to assuage the psychological pain the false belief imparts.

The guilt of unworthiness calls for us to judge ourselves and to judge others just as harshly. We cower within power-over structures or worse; we attempt to control others in our imagined superiority. The insanity continues as inferiority complexes pursue power and wealth as outward substitutes for what Jesus, Buddha, and many other saints and sages have said can only come from within.

Tacking on “but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” is not enough. Jesus did say the Word. Yet, Christianity along with many other religions, continue to shove a dagger of inequality into the hearts of those the religious community is supposed to be serving. Where is the healing?

Daily we see the emotional pain of inner self-hatred projected into the world through acts of violence. This behavior originates from feeling disconnected, powerless, and undervalued. A false belief in unworthiness contributes to drug and alcohol abuse and deviant behavior. Many continue to leave religion as they seek more positive and supportive environments elsewhere.

It’s really a sustainability issue. Negative reinforcement is not the answer to dwindling faith. The renewal of hope and joyful living are found by reconnecting with the goodness within one another, our bountiful Earth and all of Creation, which is God. The sooner we speak of our goodness; the sooner we can truly unify as a people. Then faith isn’t even required—we become the living Word.

It’s time for a mass healing. I implore you to call for an end to the religious ritual of the declaration of unworthiness. As children of God, we are equally worthy—even the “ignorant.” I think deep down in your heart; you know this to be true. Lead the way and others will follow.

Healed, we can finally turn in service to one another instead of exploitation as so many already have. Then maybe, just maybe, we can all work together cooperatively to create a peaceful and harmonious world.

That’s what love would do.

Eternally,

Christine Horner

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Christine Horner is the author of What Is God? Rolling Back the Veil, nominated for the 2014 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. A healed ex-Catholic, her religion is Love. Horner’s next non-fiction book is The Power of Unity Consciousness.

A person recognizes their negative behavior and realizing that they are responsible for their own actions, makes amends, seeks to change undesirable behavior, having nothing to do with any Deity.

Since when, LUD?

Religious whackadoos always quoting the bible because they don't have an original thought in their head

I hit your profile by mistake. Sorry if that offended you.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dear-pope-francis-end-the-religious-ritual-that-devalues_us_5787c4e4e4b0e7c8734f96f9?ref=yfp

Thought this would generate some good dialog.

What say ye?

Peace

Who here thinks he or she is worthy to enter Heaven by his or her own merits? Nobody is, and that's why the Roman centurion said that he wasn't worthy to have Jesus enter unti his roof at Matthew 8:8, and that is why Catholics say "Lord, I am not worthy to have You enter unti my roof, but only say the word and I shall be healed" in the Mass, right before Communion.

We really can't begin the work of reforming our lives without first recognizing that we are sinners.

So what are you, Duchessa, perfect in every way?

Duchessa, my point was that people, even the best among us, sin....

Plaster of Paris? We ask God for forgiveness, through His representative the priest. The statues are there as visual aids for prayer only.

Plaster of Paris? We ask God for forgiveness, through His representative the priest. The statues are there as visual aids for prayer only.

Once upon a time three Catholics went to Confession. "Who forgave you your sins?" someone asked all three.

"God did," the first Catholic answered.

"Jesus did," the second one answered.

"The priest did," answered the third.

Who was correct? All three were! Jesus is God Incarnate so both God and Jesus forgave the sins, and the human priest is God's representative.

Plaster of Paris? We ask God for forgiveness, through His representative the priest. The statues are there as visual aids for prayer only.



The question is why does an all powerful,all knowing magician/god need a human representative ?

The answer is he would not, it's a scam fostered by the church, it is a racket.

If God had no human representatives, those who were looking for excuses not to believe in Him would say, why doesn't God have any representatives?

Those who wish to reject God will find their excuses for doing so. If they only knew the blessings they are squandering.

If you reject God's representatives, i.e. Jesus Christ and the clergy of the Catholic Church, you have rejected God.

10:1.3 Divine personality is not self-centered; self-distribution and sharing of personality characterize divine freewill selfhood.

What does that mean?