While we were in South Carolina visiting my family it was very frustrating for me. It has taken me sometime to figure out how to write about this without saying something that might hurt a family member or friend from there that might read this blog. I had even thought about not writing about this, because I don’t think it had anything about me being non-binary. This situation most likely had to do with the fact that it would be my wife and me going with my parents.
So we always have gone to church with my paren when we visit them, however this time when we mentioned that we wanted going to go to church my farther said, “you need to go to church with your sister”. I asked, ”why”? His response was he preaches the commandments and the sacraments. These beliefs are as follows. Which by the way my farther couldn’t tell me what they were. I had to google it to find what they were. I found them on a website www.learnreligions.com
Commandments of the Church
There are several types of commandments—rules defining ethical behavior—that are included in Catholic dogma. The two major commandments of the Catholic religion are that believers must love God and keep his commandments. The Ten Commandments are the Jewish laws recorded in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy:
I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
In addition, there are six chief commandments of the Catholic church. A Catholic adhering to the laws of the church must:
Attend Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
Fast and abstain on appointed days.
Confess sins once a year.
Receive Holy Communion at Easter.
Contribute to the support of the church.
Observe the laws of the church concerning marriage.
Sacraments The seven sacraments are ways in which bishops or priests intercede with or bring grace from God to ordinary people. These are the rites of baptism; confirmation; first Eucharist; penance or reconciliation; anointing of the sick; holy orders for ordained ministers (bishops, priests, and deacons); and marriage. Prayer is an important aspect of Catholic life and there are five types of prayer performed by Catholics: blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. Prayers may be directed to God or to the saints, either individually or as a litany. The main tenets of the Catholic religion are that 1) God is universal and loves everyone; 2) Jesus Christ came to save all the people; 3) not formally belonging to the Catholic church is objectively sinful, and 4) no one who is sinful makes it into heaven.
So after reading them I totally understand why he didn’t want us to go. He was protecting us. However, I did ask him at the time is Monsignor gonna talk to me or something, because I was hurt that I couldn’t go worship with my parents. It wasn’t about going to Catholic Mass, because I haven’t been a Catholic for years, because of the above beliefs. I So we went to church with my sister. My parents said it would be more accepting of us. In my mind I was thinking ok we will wait and see.
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