Shelter Amidst the Corn
Soon, we were transferred to Illinois and I was blessed to become part of a wonderful Catholic group of homeschoolers. Believe it or not, there were only nine families and 54 children! These wonderful women sheltered me and nurtured me, and helped me to learn things like the Rosary, and what the difference was between Sanctifying Grace and Actual Grace, and what Redemptive Suffering was. I learned about Saints and Sister Faustina and Christ’s Divine Mercy, and about Saint Therese of LiSieux, and Bernadette and Lourdes and Fatima and the little children (whose names still escape me). I didn’t really believe in any of those things but was glad they took joy in them and happy that I didn’t have to and could still be a Good Catholic. I have lovely memories of the three years we lived there and had much growth in understanding Catholic culture and what it could be. And I was safe.
The only attack I had to face in my Faith was from the Protestant homeschool group, of which I was a member. Two of us from the Catholic group were also part of the non-Catholic group and after being part of this non-denominational group for nearly two years, we were kicked out. They made a change in their by-laws that forced everyone to sign a Statement of Faith, which included a clause on Sola Scriptura. That was my first real challenge as a Catholic and my first introduction to Catholic apologetics. Fortunately, my friend was well-versed in our Faith and I was happy to sit on the sidelines and watch her attempts to try to help these sincere but misguided folks understand what the Catholic Church really teaches about the Bible and why we couldn’t sign the Statement. Of course I had no clue before this came up that there was this MAJOR difference between how Catholics and Protestants view the Bible. And I never did tell anyone that I had already signed the Statement of Faith, when it was voluntary!
She begged them not to implement this new change, for we would have to leave. What a mess! The entire homeschool group voted to disband because emotions were so high. The more liberal Christians (Methodists, Episcopalians and the like), couldn’t imagine why the more fundamental Christians (Baptists and Evangelicals and the like), found it necessary to push the point. And push us out. The whole group fell apart and many had no where to go. Fortunately for the two of us, we had our Catholic group to fall back on. But the Fundamentalists would rise again and they started a new and improved homeschool group that kept Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons and New Agers out and lumped Catholics with those who might sully their children. It was my first taste of true anti-Catholicism and I was sickened because it touched my very roots. I couldn’t believe that the very people who I came from, who shared my Protestant history, would treat us with such a lack of charity.
There was safety with my friends in the Corn Belt of Illinois and I am ever grateful that I had them to turn to.
The only attack I had to face in my Faith was from the Protestant homeschool group, of which I was a member. Two of us from the Catholic group were also part of the non-Catholic group and after being part of this non-denominational group for nearly two years, we were kicked out. They made a change in their by-laws that forced everyone to sign a Statement of Faith, which included a clause on Sola Scriptura. That was my first real challenge as a Catholic and my first introduction to Catholic apologetics. Fortunately, my friend was well-versed in our Faith and I was happy to sit on the sidelines and watch her attempts to try to help these sincere but misguided folks understand what the Catholic Church really teaches about the Bible and why we couldn’t sign the Statement. Of course I had no clue before this came up that there was this MAJOR difference between how Catholics and Protestants view the Bible. And I never did tell anyone that I had already signed the Statement of Faith, when it was voluntary!
She begged them not to implement this new change, for we would have to leave. What a mess! The entire homeschool group voted to disband because emotions were so high. The more liberal Christians (Methodists, Episcopalians and the like), couldn’t imagine why the more fundamental Christians (Baptists and Evangelicals and the like), found it necessary to push the point. And push us out. The whole group fell apart and many had no where to go. Fortunately for the two of us, we had our Catholic group to fall back on. But the Fundamentalists would rise again and they started a new and improved homeschool group that kept Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons and New Agers out and lumped Catholics with those who might sully their children. It was my first taste of true anti-Catholicism and I was sickened because it touched my very roots. I couldn’t believe that the very people who I came from, who shared my Protestant history, would treat us with such a lack of charity.
There was safety with my friends in the Corn Belt of Illinois and I am ever grateful that I had them to turn to.
posted by Dixie @ 1:42 PM
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