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KATE'S
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The Real Me … or why I should look like "Elle" instead of 'ell?...  Does it make me a BAD Catholic to not believe in the resurrection of this body? Am I a heretic if I find it objectionable to be the bodily me for all eternity? Because I have doubts about bodily resurrection does that make me a sinner? That I don't think the Church has all the answers on this one or Scripture does either? Is it a core belief? It's a Creedal statement so its pretty core isn't it? If the Church can't be wrong on matters of faith and morals does this fit? If the Church doesn't know one way or the other, why say it does? I don't think it does know. Not KNOW know. Not really. In this Take, after reading Libby's questions on where we will spend eternity etc. I've decided to explain why I have an Avatar that looks like Elle McPherson. Something I planned to do at a later stage but brought forward to now. Also to ask the questions myself. To start let me tell you the only thing Elle and I have in common is that we are female. I probably come up to her navel! Which is probably a perfect "innie" to boot! As Catholics we say we do NOT believe in re-incarnation but we do don't we? We believe that we will be incarnated "again" in the bodies that we already have now, on the day of "judgement." Those of us who are judged worthy to spend eternity with God in eternal bliss will do so. Those of us who are deemed unworthy will spend eternity with Satan in eternal misery. In these bodies? Eternal misery I can believe but eternal bliss? We believe we will walk around "bodily" for ever and ever, Amen. Sorry guys and gals I can't buy that. In actual fact I OBJECT. One lifetime, in this less than perfect body is enough Thank you God. Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed the life I've had but there are some bodily issues that you could have done a better job of IMO. So do we believe it or not? The Resurrection of the body? Of course those who hold to the "Orthodox" view of Catholicism would say of course they believe it. Why? Because the Church, tradition and Scripture tells us to. We will be raised up even though our bodies have been cremated, ashes scattered to the four winds even…some of them (ashes) might be in China! The atoms of our body will be parts of trees, insects, animals, rain, ocean, some of them in Russia maybe…atoms of carbon and water distributed throughout the cosmos. Is God going to "recollect" them all and make it just the way it is now? My body that is? I have asked Catholic priests straight out do YOU believe this? And they have answered YES. I'm sorry I find it hard to buy this concept. Now I do realise that God's ways are not our ways. I understand that God could do this if God wanted to. Any being that can create a planet let alone a universe, let alone a multitude of universes and all the complicated creations in it, can of course do something so simple. I have a problem with this idea of eternity. I have "questions" about it. I've lived a lifetime in this body…well part of a lifetime…at least a half and probably, going by statistics, more than a half. This body is so limited. For a start it's only 5ft 2. I can't reach the top shelf in my kitchen cupboards, the pantry or the supermarket shelves for crying out loud. (That's why I married a very tall man, among other attributes he had) This body tires easily. Am I going to get to sleep in eternity? Picture this: I'm looking at God in the beatific vision and God says "Sorry am I keeping you awake?" as I yawn? If I have a "human" body then surely I will have to sleep. Oh and I'm clumsy, really clumsy, trip over my own feet, clumsy. I'll also have to eat and excrete waste in this human body won't I? The brain that goes with this body isn't the brightest light on the tree either. But it is the "nature" of the human body that, that's just the way it works isn't it? As for the rest of you there you'll be spending eternity listening to me sing "This little light of mine". Does that sound like heaven? You'd all be wishing for the other place…or maybe that's where I'm going so the people there will know where they are, because guess what? I can't sing a note either. Tone deaf. Not only would the song be "annoying" it would be out of tune to top it off. Will God change these bodily faults? Will we all be perfect specimens? If so then it won't be my "human" body any more will it? And not only that, it will be BORING! The bodily aches and pains will be gone, "The tears will be wiped away" but the bodily pleasures would also have to go, surely. If I'm walking around in this body (will it be a young me or the older decrepit me?) assuming (hoping) I'm one of those judged worthy of being 'with' God of course, will I know that other people are suffering in another place? How could I be happy? That's not me! Wouldn't resemble me in the slightest. If I DON'T know about those others, I'd be okay, but then I won't have all the answers we are supposed to have, and I can't imagine knowing something like that and being happy about it. I'd be forever nagging God that those people deserve God's unlimited Mercy, which the Church, tradition and Scripture tell us God has! It's all too confusing honestly. I do believe in an after-life of some description, beyond my imagination, more likely a spiritual existence of the Me of now being perfected and all it is meant and has the potential to be…all loving for a start…which as much as I try I can not attain in this life. Probably one of the reasons for which, is this stupid body! Why do I believe there is something "after"? Because I have known great love and I have loved greatly and that sort of thing can't just end. There is no sense to that either. Live life, love, be loved and then ?nothing? Can't believe that either. But as for THIS body, uh uh! If it's got to be a body it should be one of my choice. Elle gets to be Elle here and now why should she get to be Elle then too? Not fair God! Call in the umpires!!! So, don't spread it around ok, but I'm trying to trick God. When I get there, and God puts me back in bodily form, if that's what God does, and I know I'm taking a Pascal's wager here, "just in case" you know, the Church is right, I want God to think mine was Elle's. So the Elle Avatar explanation is simple really isn't it?
I told you this brain was limited! And NO you don't get to see a picture of the "real" me. Brian, don't even think about it! So what do you think happens after you die? Do you believe the Creedal
statement as it is or are you, too, a heretic, or do you have questions
about what you'll be doing in umpteen million years time? Do you think
the Church has the answers or even adequate answers? Are you willing to
spend eternity with me singing? KateD Photo
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KateD
is another of the original gang from the CathNews discussion board which
became a close-knit international cyber community. She continues to tease
us with her Elle avatar and so we continue the tradition in this new forum.
Kate lives on the central coast of NSW and has had an active involvement
in RCIA and liturgical endeavours at parish and diocesan level.