The Dangers of Designer Faith

There have been many instances where I have heard people say that they do not wish to belong to a 'religious organization or Church' they then go on to say, that they are instead 'spiritual people.'

What exactly does that mean?

Is it a case of all truth is truth if it is your truth?

The people that believe themselves 'spiritual' yet do not follow God instead have made themselves 'a god'. This kind of thinking would be like being on a boat without a rudder, you will be blown in every direction except the right direction.

A designer faith is no faith at all.

This kind of designer faith allows a person to follow their 'feelings' and it is these fuzzy wuzzy feelings that have little to do with real spirituality.

We see this 'spirituality shopping' with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, who despite her great wealth and popularity, still remains unhappy and unfulfilled. We have seen Oprah embrace one New Age fad after another only to find there is no spiritual elixir that will fill the empty void within her and at the end of the day you are left alone. There is no 'secret' that can fulfill the emptiness we feel in our souls. That emptiness is there for a reason; it is there for us to reach out to God the Source of Love and of Life.

There is also the case of St. Mary's Church in Queensland which thinks it can design it's own Liturgy in total disregard of Catholic Church Doctrine. Here is their idea of The Sacrament of Baptism:

"We baptise you in the name of the creator, sustainer and liberator of life", adding "who is also father, son and spirit".

The priest then added: "That's good, nice and cool" and invited "everyone to put water on him".

No Fathers, it is not 'cool' it is 'Kool Aid.'

The Catholic Church is in no need of 'hip renegade 'priests' who think they know better than the Catholic Church and are in fact disobedient to the Magisterium.

What happens though when Priests and Religious decide that the Catholic Church and it's Teachings are no longer relevent to our present age?

We have anarchy in the Pulpit.

What happens when it's Parishioners follow these 'hip hop priests' who are in fact performing illegal masses.

We have a falling away of the Faithful.

The role of the Priesthood and Religious are to teach the Truths of the Church as revealed in Holy Doctrine and to be obedient to these very Teachings under the guidance of the Vicar of Christ in whom they are in communion. Priests are not to dissent from the Traditional Teachings of the Church which has been passed down through the generations. The role of the laity is to pray for our Priests, Religious and to learn, obey and defend the Truths of the Church as we give our allegiance to the Vicar of Christ. (Can. 273 Clerics have a special obligation to show reverence and obedience to the Supreme Pontiff and to their own Ordinary.)

To follow one's own idea of 'spirituality' is to follow into folly, for when did man become wiser than God? How can any one person think that they are all knowing and all wise, that they are in fact much smarter than God?

As for those 'priests' who choose to be disobedient to Rome, let me finish by quoting St. Augustine, 'Rome has spoken; the case is closed."

Written by Marie