An Issue of Authority

For many years I denied the authority of the Catholic Church. I had my degrees in theology and thought I knew what Catholics taught, and since I disagreed with what (I mistakenly thought) they believed, I felt justified in saying that the Church was wrong and so she had no authority to teach theology.

Interestingly, I look back on those arguments that I used against the Church and now I know, not only that they were incorrect, but also that they were not what I thought they were. Understand, I was not so much arguing against the Church, as I was trying to justify myself. It was done more out a desire that the Church be wrong and that I be right. I was trying to protect myself and make myself feel good about what I believed, and so the Church "had to" be wrong because I "had to" be right.

It was not until years later that I realized I was resisting the Church because I did not want to admit that I was wrong. No one wants to admit that he is wrong, but when we are more concerned with being right than with finding out what the truth is, we always end up giving up logical thought. We may think that we are being logical, but what we are really doing is justifying anything and everything that protects our pride. I know; I have been there, and I have seen many others fall into this same trap.

Let us be sensitive in how we deal with those who resist the truth. They really do believe that they are pursuing what is good and right (at least most of them do). Most of them are not aware of how they have blinded themselves to the truth. Yet, once we can help people to see deeper than their own "wishful thinking" and get them to admit that God really has given authority to His Church, then they will be able to humble themselves and admit that they are not their own authority, but must submit to their Almighty Creator.