Faith was never Intended to Separate the People from Each Other…thanks to Pope Francis for this reminder

Faith was Never Intended

To Separate the People from Each Other

…thanks to Pope Francis for this reminder

By Apolinario Villalobos

I am mustering a great courage in coming up with this share. I was challenged by a comment from an obviously heretic on one of my blogs in another site where he said: “you did fine, but I hope religion is out of it”. My blog was about random act of kindness, not about religion, so I was surprised why he came up with such an uncalled for comment. For coming up with such statement, I am forced to express that, for me, kindness can never be separated from religion or faith for that matter. Although, such act could be unconsciously manifested, it cannot be denied that it is still founded on faith that has been developed in our heart since birth. Religious affinity came only later on, with some having been imposed days after birth, while the rest have been left to be chosen later when the child becomes old enough to understand what faith is all about.

As there is no “highest” earthly authority on religion, man is left at the mercy of the different “churches” that compete with each other in attracting “flocks” to their folds. They employ interesting ways to best explain how man came to be and how he can be happy forever. Science- based groups even aver that the passages in the Old Testament about unearthly manifestation of powers were made by extra-terrestials, and which they consider as the first missionaries on earth. Unfortunately, they could not explain how these “missionaries” could give the “chosen people” an order to annihilate the so-called “gentiles”, when Godliness is supposed to be about goodness.

Today, the Universal Roman Catholic church has a popular pope… the people’s pope, Francis, who unabashedly admitted wrongdoings among his ministers, while at the same time, untiringly calls for love and compassion. In the eyes of other churches, pope Francis may not be the highest earthly religious authority, but for those who do not need a Bible or a Koran to understand and feel that there is God, his call for unconditional love and compassion is the most believable that a missionary can utter, a call that is clearly tinged with utmost faith.

If man will only focus his faith towards the One whose intention was never to create animosities on earth, instead of keeping an eye on what his neighbors are doing, the pope could have perhaps, been just calling on every one to sing praises, instead of sounding off reminders to everyone to love one another.

My simple understanding is that, there is only one kind of faith…and those who feel otherwise, must have in their heart, what I call “arrogance”. These are those who trace their ancestry to the apes or the fish…without thinking that these so-called “ancestors” still owe their existence to “someone”… leaving us with one question, as to who is that “someone”. Also, if man came into being by chance, “who” caused this chance, or better, if it is a “force”, “what” or “who” is that “force”? Clearly, the groups differing in claims point to one common insufficiently explained object, so that there is no reason for bickering. At the end, each one is left to his own faith…and the one who manifests the best through action becomes the most convincing.