RealityStrikes
Member
- Dec 7, 2010
- 101
- 6
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Are there different views? I had an uncomfortable conversation at a funeral yesterday with a friend who left the Catholic church about a year ago and joined a Presbyterian Church. No biggie, except her mother got upset and they haven't spoken since.
She belongs to a Bible Study group and they told her that the rift between her mother and her, was "all part of God's plan". I told her that's rubbish, and she needs to make amends with her mom who is all alone. She said everything is predestined and she cannot change the course of events. Being the outspoken person that I am I told her "maybe it was God's plan that we met in this church on this day and I was sent to tell her that her Bible friends were giving her bad advice". She said she'd have to think about that one.
Is this a precept of the Presbyterian church? Is it part of Christian thinking? Forgive me for my ignorance. I was raised Catholic.
Well to be totally honest with you, her mom is unfortunately the problem and not the Presbyterian Church. She acts as though her daughter has disowned God all together. which she hasn't. The whole idea is to gain a relationship with God. Not debating which denomination is better. And her mom should understand that leaving the catholic church doesn't mean leaving God himself. So in a sense her mom is being selfish and thinking about her own feelings towards the situation.
I would also disagree with the rift being part of God's plan. God doesn't cause chaos and break up families, the devil does.
I agree the mother was in the wrong, but both Presbyterians and Roman Catholics have the same Christ. Jesus taught that 'being right' did not trump 'doing right' and he taught that when we are wronged we should be willing to turn the other cheek in an effort to encourage the other to get it right. That is not at all the same thing as tolerating the abuse others will intentionally heap on us or inviting them to abuse/harm us, but it means give them a second chance to get it right.
The daughter is the one who has been wronged. But she magnifies the wrong by being stiff necked and requiring her mother to make the first move. If the daughter makes an honest effort to repair the situation regardless of who is at fault, and the mother rejects it, then the daughter has at least done all she can realistically do and may have to decide to get on with her life sans mom. That would be a real shame though.
Agreed. And this is the reason why her mom should have an understanding. The God of the Catholic Church is the same God of the Presbyterian Church. Putting your loyalty towards the church before God himself, isn't helping to resolve this problem.