I Thought You Were Catholic.

 Dear Daddy,

Everybody is really excited that you are going to be in school to be a pastor. But I heard your friend say something about you being a Catholic. What does that mean? Does it mean you can't be a pastor?

Your Son

 Dear Son,

Yes, I am considered a Catholic but that just means I am a part of the bigger Christian picture. Catholics are just one of many denominations, or groups, of people that believe Jesus was the son of God and God all at once, otherwise known as Christians.

Each denomination has slightly different traditions and interpretations of what the Bible means or how Jesus is to be honored and worshiped. For example, Roman Catholics do not allow their priests (pastors) to be married. See? Even among the Catholic tradition there is division. These divisions typically come from man-made issues rather than any real issues of faith.

I can be a pastor but I cannot be a Roman Catholic priest and I am okay with that. I enjoy many of the Catholic traditions and rituals but those are not what make me a Christian. Belief in Jesus as the son of God and that His death and subsequent resurrection paid price of death for my sins is what makes me a Christian. Regardless of individual denominational structure, all it takes to be a Christian is to believe that you have been saved by grace through faith. Anyone who tells you otherwise is missing the point of the mission of Christ and why He died on a cross.





Your Father