Maria S. Goodman :
I've thought about it more, and when non-Catholics see Catholics doing some type of physical gesture, they automatically call it idolatry or say we're worshipping. But after giving it more thought, a lot of what Catholics do is actually basic human behavior in the way we naturally show honor, respect, love, or remembrance toward one another. We kneel, bow, kiss things that are meaningful to us, carry pictures of people we love, visit graves, keep objects that remind us of someone, and show respect through physical gestures all the time. Somehow, nobody automatically calls those things worship. So why is that same basic logic suddenly not applied when Catholics do it? A physical gesture doesn't automatically equal worship. The intention and meaning behind the gesture matter. Yet sometimes it seems like that distinction is understood perfectly well in everyday life, but then completely ignored when someone wants to use the same behavior as an argument against Catholicism.
2026-08-21 19:56:29