Obligation: Bondage or Blessing?

I have a list of 10 words that every responsible person believes. These words are melded into Catholic doctrine and yet sadly these words cause many non-Catholic Christians to shutter.

These 10 words placed in a non-religious setting are most likely part of your core beliefs or values. Put in a religious setting, it seems to dramatically change the game. We will discuss just one today.

#1 Obligation:

Webster’s Definition:

The action of obligating oneself to a course of action as by a promise or vow. Something such as a formal contract, a promise, or the demands of conscience or custom that obligates one to a course of action something one is bound to do. Example: duty, responsibility countries in which military service is an obligation.

Catholic doctrine:

Because there is a miscalculation of the following verse; “whom the son sets free is free indeed”, many do not like the potential infringement on our time, expectations or person. To do what the church says to do is considered by many as law, bondage or merely futile religious exercises.

Can you imagine being told by the average Pastor of an evangelical church that you are obligated to come to church every Sunday along with 8 unique holy days, confess your sins to the pastor and help support the needy, the poor and the church? That would make a present day Exodus like the people of God coming out of Egypt. Next Sunday's attendance would be hurtin’ for certain.

Questions to consider:

• Do children have expectations (obligations) in a home? If not, those are lousy parents.

• Do employers have expectations (obligations) for employees regarding the job that produces the paycheck? If not, that is a lousy and inefficient company.

• Do husbands and wives have expectations (obligations) of each other to keep the relationship in harmony, just and balanced? If not, that marriage is lousy.

• Do subordinates in the military have expectations (obligations) to their superiors which involve absolute obedience? If not, chaos occurs and lives are lost.

Sometimes we need to just look at the state of natural reason to better see and understand doctrine that has previously produced incorrect and immediate negative reactions.