Belief in God But Not the Church

Reading the title of this essay reminds me of a conversation I had with my Uncle many years ago. My Uncle was raised Roman Catholic and went to a Catholic college. He loved God and believed in Him with all of his heart and yet struggled with the idea of going to a church that didn’t seem to fit his ideal beliefs. He truly believed that God was an all- loving, all- forgiving God and couldn’t understand the practice of fasting (refraining from food for God), confessing one’s sins to a priest instead of God, why a priest had to be a male (Roman Catholic priests are only male and not female), and lastly, why would you meet the devil for a small infraction (like eating meat on Friday during lent). He wanted to be close to God but was afraid because he denounced his faith as far as his church was concerned because he wouldn’t set foot in there.

I remember telling him that he was right to believe that God is all- loving and all- forgiving and understands why he is not in a church. I also told him that God has stated in the Catholic Bible that my uncle studied for so many years…as long as he is praying and reflecting on God, you are at church. I told my uncle to step outside his house and walk into the nature around him and thank God for all the lovely things he will find out there. I told him that I truly believe that if God could make all of these small creatures like insects and plants for us as people to survive, He really is an all- loving God. And anyone who believes that will find their own way to Him, it doesn’t have to be in a church, it has to be in your heart.

I know this conversation helped my uncle so many years ago, and it even helped me to get a better understanding and even love of him and for myself and God as well. I hope and pray that this can help someone else too.