Churchgoers pray before gilded shrines at Igreja da Trindade in Porto. Having gone to Catholic school for fourteen years and being generally detached from organized religion, it’s amazing to see what a stronghold one’s faith can have on a life. For these people, this is their mediation. Devoted, with heavy heads bowed slightly, not a single stir disrupted their stance.
Having gone to Catholic School, I am similarly detached about organized religion. But at the same time, I agree that the devotion, especially in other countries, is intriguing.
P.S. I really like your blog, both substantively and in terms of presentment.
Religion is made by humans. Actually Christianity is not a religion. Religion mean men trying to reach God. But in Christianity God is reaching men through Jesus Christ.
Roman Catholics, like anyone else, need to trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins and not the Catholic sacraments, not the words of the priest, not the pope, not Mary, not the saints, not penance, not indulgences, not the rosary, etc. Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
I couldn’t agree more that religion is created by man. But I stand by my belief that Catholicism is, indeed, organized religion. I believe people can take their faith to a spiritual level separating oneself from the material elements by following the edict you mention or similar ones like it. Personally, I believe faith, religion, devotion, call it what you will, is all in the eye of the beholder… I just tend to veer away from it based on life experience.
Hello from Russia!
Can I quote a post in your blog with the link to you?