I was born and bred a Roman Catholic. Baptized in less than six month after birth I realized at a very young age what path I was made to follow. Oh, I have tried other religions, even studied Islam but my heart always returned to my initial faith.
Several things have changed since my own inception into the doctrine. For example, it has been decreed that unbaptized babies will not langour in purgatory. From the Latin "limbus," for hem or edge, limbo refers to a "state of natural happiness" outside heaven, a destination for the souls of babies who were not baptized and certain virtuous people, such as faithful Jews who lived before the time of Christ.• In the fifth century, St. Augustine declared that all unbaptized babies went to hell upon death. By the Middle Ages, the idea was softened to suggest a less-severe fate, limbo.• Never part of formal doctrine because it does not appear in Scripture, limbo was removed from the Catholic Catechism 15 years ago.
Now, ever since I was a wee child I never thought babies should end up there....though I believe in original sin...I did adhere to the belief which stated innocent souls should perish in abject limbo from past transgressions .
I do not believe removing this concept from the church's teachings should lesson its spirit of forgiveness but rather to indoctrinate a child into the faith. I know I know...some might say that let the child choose his or her own path when they understand right from wrong. But trust me, I would much rather steer a child down this path then let it fail about wondering where to find its higher purpose, teachings and religious insight....down the road when the child is more aware let them decide. But my hopes, as one raised in this faith...would be for my own child to remain a Catholic.
Then I wonder about the fate of Mary Magdalene...was she a prostitute or not....or was she the victim of a male-dominated era of faith where such a powerful woman would have been stamped out from the history books of religious dogma?????? Now that I shall tackle some other day.
Several things have changed since my own inception into the doctrine. For example, it has been decreed that unbaptized babies will not langour in purgatory. From the Latin "limbus," for hem or edge, limbo refers to a "state of natural happiness" outside heaven, a destination for the souls of babies who were not baptized and certain virtuous people, such as faithful Jews who lived before the time of Christ.• In the fifth century, St. Augustine declared that all unbaptized babies went to hell upon death. By the Middle Ages, the idea was softened to suggest a less-severe fate, limbo.• Never part of formal doctrine because it does not appear in Scripture, limbo was removed from the Catholic Catechism 15 years ago.
Now, ever since I was a wee child I never thought babies should end up there....though I believe in original sin...I did adhere to the belief which stated innocent souls should perish in abject limbo from past transgressions .
I do not believe removing this concept from the church's teachings should lesson its spirit of forgiveness but rather to indoctrinate a child into the faith. I know I know...some might say that let the child choose his or her own path when they understand right from wrong. But trust me, I would much rather steer a child down this path then let it fail about wondering where to find its higher purpose, teachings and religious insight....down the road when the child is more aware let them decide. But my hopes, as one raised in this faith...would be for my own child to remain a Catholic.
Then I wonder about the fate of Mary Magdalene...was she a prostitute or not....or was she the victim of a male-dominated era of faith where such a powerful woman would have been stamped out from the history books of religious dogma?????? Now that I shall tackle some other day.
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