Salvation Is An Adventure

Yep, you read it correctly! Jesus is irrelevant. The Catholic Church, too, is irrelevant. We, as a people, have become enlightened and no longer need the restrictive rules and guidelines set forth by Christ and the Church. The Church is run by a bunch of old curmudgeons. That's right, I said curmudgeons. They have no right to tell me what to do or how to live my life! Their rules are outdated and arbitrary.

This is how I started my high school youth group meeting the other day. It certainly got their attention (got yours too!). I was pointing out the way many people feel about the Catholic Church and religion in general. It's a shame that so many people feel this way.

I believe that many people have this bad attitude towards Christianity and religion because they feel it restricts their freedom. They feel that the teachings of Christ and the Church is too restrictive and that they need to change their rules (or eliminate them) in an effort to be more "inclusive" and respectful of others who feel differently.

What they fail to see, is that Christ and the Church calls us to a life of discipline, not to restrict us or exclude us, but to lead us to a life of happiness. Christ doesn't want us to be disciplined for His sake, but for ours. Lack of discipline leads to slavery. I used the example of an alcoholic in my youth group meeting. No one wakes up in the morning and says "I want to be an alcoholic!" But, through a lack of discipline in their alcohol consumption, alcoholics eventually become addicted to it and slaves to it. You can take that same analogy and apply it to any vice--money, sex, drugs, etc. Without rules--without discipline--there is no freedom.

The Catholic Church is not irrelevant. The rules in place are there for a reason. The Church calls us to a life of discipline to free us from the bonds of sin. The more I come to understand the things the Catholic Church teaches the more I see that living a life of discipline is an important aspect in our faith journey. Now, if only I could be more disciplined...