DearOldDad

I was raised Catholic. In eighth grade, I was listening to the Nun in Catechism class, when she brought up the terrible condition currently (1948) of missionaries in China, through persecution.

I had read one of my Father's books, "Captain From Castile," which was about the Spanish Inquisition; so I asked how the current condition compared with the Spanish Inquisition under Torquemada.

She responded by pointing her finger at me, and saying "I'll see you after class, don't ask any more questions for now."

After class she called the Bishop of Seattle, and made an appointment for him to lead my understanding. I was not allowed in Catechism class until that appointment was kept.

The Bishop questioned me and concluded I was not a threat, but was simply wanting to know how two remotely connected events were related.

At the end of the session, I asked for permission to read my bible at home, because we were about to move into the country, North East of Seattle, where I would not have opportunity to pursue my interest in bible scripture.

He approved because I had suggested an interest in serving in the priesthood. He saw in me no threat.

To this day, I am no threat. I do however, weep for my brothers and sisters who do not know scriptures, but only Catechism. How do I inform, how do I teach, without giving affront to those who strongly believed in a system I now knew to be untrue?

To this day, when I post a bible truth, I am sorry to have to be the one to tell others of some error or misunderstanding in their belief system.

Do I let it go?

I have been a Gospel preacher for over sixty years, and still have not resolved that issue.

I love people. I hate to hurt them, especially over issues of Faith and Understanding. But how to avoid it still troubles me.

I do not think I am smarter than they, and I do not think they are worse sinners than I, Yet both are accusations I receive after pointing out some error of faith or practice.

It has been occasionally suggested I just post truth, and let the consequences fall or rise where they will. But when I see the hurt it sometimes brings, it causes me to pause, sometimes to the point of abandoning my earlier goal. And that troubles me. But, as the title "Profile" suggests,  that is who I am.