The beauty of disagreement
I have to say that for me, the most exciting thing about this blog is that it is interreligious and somewhat intercultural. I find discussions with people who think and believe very differently than I do to be the most interesting and enlightening discussions I have. I have so much to learn from them; they say things that I have never considered before and challenge me to explain or rethink my own beliefs. I have to find and answer to why we don’t believe that, or at least why I don’t.
When I have a religious discussion with someone whose faith is very different from my own, there isn’t an expectation or a pressure to come to an agreement. I can easily say, “Of course we disagree on this. I’m Catholic, and we see things differently.” This is very freeing. I am free to simply listen and try to understand their position. When I find something in their faith that seems useful, or perhaps even Revelatory, I am free to borrow it, to appropriate it into my own religious world picture; of course in doing that I have to reinterpret it.
When I have a discussion with others who are religiously close to me–for instance, when I speak with other Roman Catholics–there is a tacit expectation that we agree on every point. While we do agree on the major points, it is impossible to agree on every single issue. As we come to these disagreements, a tension creeps into the conversation–”Am I right, or are you?” We feel threatened by the disagreements, defensive of our own hard-won insights. This is the death knell of learning.
So I look forward to the discussions to come, especially to the disagreements. We have so much to share, there is so much we can learn from each other.
Scott Steinkerchner in charge of the worldwide internet development efforts of his religious congregation, the Dominicans, and is an adjunct professor of interreligious theology at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. He has a Ph.D. in theology from Boston College with a specialization in inter-religious dialogue, and is a Catholic priest. 
Father Steinkerchner,
I am not Catholic, but I can honestly say that there are many things about the Catholic religion that I admire, such as accountability, the formality of the church requiring obedience and repentance before excepting communion, and a host of other traditions. In fact, I look forward to Father Corapi’s teachings on ETWN every Saturday and whenever I can catch at other times.
I am however a Christian who follows Christ and lives a holy life now. Father Corapi and I have much in common. We were both very much part of the world and came out of it by the grace of God. I belong to a Non-Denominational church.
I have come across many Catholics and a close friend in particular who feels that the Catholic Church does not allow a Catholic to read the bible independently. I find that this person knows very little about the stories and lessons disclosed in the Holy Bible for our benefit.
This person does not even attempt to lead a Holy life, much intentional lack of self control and mortal sin in his life. The danger I feel for this person is that he in all sincerity feels that he will receive salvation if he were to die in this state of his life.
He says, he realizes that he is living a life of sin, but as long as he repents before he dies, or even on his death bed that he will just have to spend some time in purgatory, but he will receive salvation (Heaven).
I must confess that nothing I have learned from other Catholics about purgatory or other sources has caused me to believe in such a place. I have heard Father Corapi speak about it but not explain it in detail as he has with the Hell Mary which, now I understand, where once it made no sense to me. Now I can very much appreciate this about the Catholic religion.
Again my friend’s belief as he states:
He says, he realizes that he is living a life of sin, but as long as he repents before he dies, or even on his death bed that he will just have to spend some time in purgatory, but he will receive salvation (Heaven). He says that he is sure of it, that he will go to Heaven under this circumstance.
Could you explain if this thinking is correct or incorrect according to the Catholic Church?
I have come into many Catholics who hold this same belief.
Dear D. Walker,
This comment is so excellent, and your question so important, that I am going to write a whole post on it. Thank you.