Beliefs vs Opinions

"I believe in one God..." does that sound familiar? As Catholics, the beliefs of our faith are very important to us. So important in fact that we profess them on a regular basis (every week in fact when we recite the creed at Mass). Beliefs are a good thing to hold on to, and we should profess our beliefs loudly and proudly. However, can we tell the difference between what is a true belief and what is merely an opinion? 

We all have opinions. Some people love pineapple on pizza, others find it disgusting. Some of us think coffee is essential for survival, yet others do not drink coffee. Having opinions is not a bad thing by any means. As humans, it is only natural that we have preferences. We also often find ourselves sharing our opinions with others. In today’s world, it is easier than ever to share what we think (also, not necessarily a bad thing). However, most people are rarely objective, and way too often people can confuse either their own or others’ opinions as facts. For example, a co-worker could say they are speaking the truth, but they get their information from a clearly biased news source. Is that really the truth or just an opinion? If anyone had any sense they would clearly realize it is an opinion. 

This issue does not exist only in the secular world. Many Catholics are guilty of professing their opinions as beliefs. Even more dangerous is when they profess mere opinions as the teaching of the Catholic Church. Some may even go so far as to use scriptural references taken out of context to back up their claim. One area where this can be rampant involves marriage and family life. People out there truly believe it is a sin for a couple to not have a large family (this includes believing it is a sin to practice natural family planning or NFP) or for women to have careers outside the home. However, family size and careers are very personal decisions that ultimately are between the couple and God. Some of the holiest families were not large (see the Holy Family for reference). Today, plenty of couples do not have children for various reasons, but does that mean they cannot be fruitful in other ways or are living in a way displeasing to God? Some women need or choose to work outside the home (if you think that’s wrong, then do not ever say you love St. Zelie Martin because she had her own business that her husband actually joined and supported her in). If you find someone else's choices do not work for you, that is absolutely okay as we are all called differently. However, that does not mean the way they choose to live goes against the Church.

Another argument that is loud in Catholic circles today is TLM (Traditional Latin Mass) vs NO (Novus Ordo). Is there anything inherently wrong with either form of the Mass? No. Are both forms legitimate? Overall, yes (unless it’s a complete abomination like a clown Mass from the 1970’s). Is it okay to prefer one form over the other? Perfectly acceptable. Is it okay to say that one of them is sinful or “not a real Mass”? Absolutely not, yet that is happening far too often. What do Catholics have to gain by talking down on a form of the Mass? Do they think their form of the Mass is “holier”? In plenty of instances, it seems that people feel that way. Notice the use of the word feel, that is subjective opinion, not objective fact. However, the facts of the faith are that plenty of forms of Mass are legitimate. Whether we attend a Novus Ordo Mass in the Roman Rite, a Traditional Latin Mass, or even an Eastern Rite liturgy, we have fulfilled our obligation. Those are the beliefs of the Church. Yet, far too many individuals are so arrogant and conceited that they believe the only legitimate Mass is the one they like, and they will preach to anyone who will listen about why all other forms are wrong. Some will even go so far as to refuse to attend Mass if their preferred form is not available. In turn, whether they like it or not, they are committing a mortal sin.

Another subject of great debate is how we receive communion in Mass. Some are adamant that the only way is to receive kneeling and on the tongue. According to these folks, it is disrespectful and/or irreverent to do otherwise. Is there anything wrong with receiving the Eucharist kneeling or on the tongue? Absolutely not. Is it more reverent? That is debatable. According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), “The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing" (GIRM 160). Should communicants be denied the Eucharist because they are kneeling? That is forbidden, “Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel" (GIRM 160). The GIRM goes on to say, “When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant" (GIRM 160). The Magisterium has spoken and settled this debate quite some time ago. At this point, it is just a matter of preference. Like with many other things, we cannot preach our preferences as the rules of the Catholic Church. If we do, we are in danger of breaking the eighth commandment and frankly just showing ignorance or stupidity.

Catholics even try to put out beliefs that go beyond our practice of our faith. Some individuals will attempt to govern what we do for leisure as “the Church does not approve of this”. Now, plenty of things in the entertainment industry are questionable, and we should be discerning about what we engage with. However, if we find something that we do not agree with, we do not have the authority to cite the Church as a reason for why people should not engage with it. The Church has rarely outright condemned a piece of media. Plenty of individuals will say that reading a certain book or watching a certain movie is a sin for reasons such as “it contains magic” or “they’re supposed to be demons”. Now, we do have to reject true witchcraft as Catholics, we also have to be prudent when dealing with the subject matter of demons, but that does not mean that every fantasy world is an avenue toward sin. Similarly, we do not have the authority to ban all Catholics from media that contains foul language or violence. Can we make those rules for the people under our responsibility in our own home? Absolutely. Can we advise a friend why they may not want to watch a certain movie or TV show? Of course, but they still get to make their own decisions. The rules in our home do not get to be applied to the entire Church.

How can we discern the difference between honest to goodness beliefs or just a singular individual’s opinion? That takes a lot of rational thinking. First and foremost, we must have a solid foundation and formation of our faith. This is an ongoing process that will not end until we reach Heaven. We must recognize this and continue to learn the faith in its entirety rather than take things out of context to justify our opinions as factual. Beyond our faith, we must also be rooted in what is objectively factual. Only true facts can inform our innermost beliefs.

Now, not all beliefs are completely objective. Some beliefs are deeply personal based on our own experiences and personality. I (Beth) believe a cat is the best pet for me because I have spent much of my life having a pet cat and find them to be very comforting creatures. I believe I would not do well owning a dog because they can be very needy and loud, which would easily frustrate me. Does that mean I believe nobody should own a dog? Absolutely not. Some people thrive with a pet dog because their personality and experiences are different from my own. While I have grown up with cats, others have grown up with dogs (like Stephen). While I find dogs to be needy and loud, others are not bothered by the way dogs behave, and that is okay. We have no way to prove if cats or dogs are “better” because that is truly subjective. However, when we have these personal beliefs that are subjective in nature, we should not try to project them onto others (for instance, if I said “everybody should get a cat”, my beliefs would be misaligned).

We all have beliefs. We all have opinions. They are all part of our intellects and are what make us human. However, we must be careful not to confuse the two. Professing opinions as beliefs can be a very dangerous thing, especially concerning matters of the faith. Likewise, we should not diminish our true beliefs to be mere opinions or allow others to make them such. To accomplish these things, we must stay rooted in what is factual and objective and keep subjective thoughts in their proper place. By doing this, we can live a life of truth, which is what we all strive to do as Christian disciples.