Diluting the faith

I thought this was an interesting reflection on a certain trend that exists for importing non-Catholic elements into the living of Catholic life.

Whilst one can see that other religions have elements of truth that might enrich our understanding and living of our own Catholic faith - there is a subtle difference between making such a recognition and simply importing something into our Catholic life that does not belong there. A careful discernment is needed, to judge what is compatible with Catholic faith and what is not, and then to see the truth that is genuinely illuminated by the encounter with the other religion.

As I write this, I am thinking about the role played by water in different religions. Jewish and Muslim faiths include ritual washings, and a practice of "cleanliness" in readiness for prayer. The Christian faith does have something of the same idea - making the sign of the Cross with holy water as we enter the Church. For Christians, this washing is a sign of the washing away of sin through baptism. What I can see, though, is that reflecting on the role of washing in the other religions leads me to a richer and deeper understanding of the Christian practice - and the relating of it to a Sacrament that really does cleanse us from sin.

The danger, though, could be that we simply see it as being just the same as in the other religions - and our living of our faith is reduced as a result.