by Father Terrence P. Ryan, CSP
September 5, 2014

Religion can be a medication for bad feelings. I have found it to be a wonderful medication, but it took me a while to figure out why it worked for me. Many people leave religion because they are not feeling better. They feel worse. Many people don’t mind a path that is a bit demanding and challenging if they are given some tools. Many people are not lazy or looking for an easier softer way. Religion stumbles when it delivers shame, guilt, condemnation, boredom and rules that make no common sense. In many ways people take up their cross every day, and a lot more than the preacher in the pulpit.  What people want to know is how taking up the cross can be uplifting and lead to wholeness and holiness.