This is Part 3 of a 7 part series called “Hacking Catholicism”.
Prior articles in the Hacking Catholicism series:
Hacking Catholicism: Part 1 – Introduction
Hacking Catholicism Part 2 – God Is A Programmer And A Lover
Don’t Do It All On Your Own
Before I started working in the field of Cyber Security I was a Software Developer. One of the first things you learn in software development is to utilize code libraries. For example, in most Java programs you have something like this at the top of your code:
import java.io*;
import java.util.*;
These are libraries of code that are being imported into your code so that you don’t have to rebuild functions that already exist. For example, if you want to read a file you can’t just tell Java to “read this file please”. You have to tell it exactly how to read a file. However, if you import a library that already has a function that reads files for you than you can simply reuse that function. Programming would be long, tedious, inefficient and ineffective without using libraries.
WordPress is a code library for websites and it is AMAZING. It allows people who normally would be unable to design, create and maintain a website to do so with ease and for FREE. You don’t have to be an expert web designer to use WordPress. You just have to:
- Know where to go to get it
- Figure out how to apply it for your needs
- Put some work into maintaining it
The Catholic Church is very much like a code library.
Know Where To Go To Get It
God instituted a Church that would be visible (Luke 11:33) so that people didn’t have to figure everything out on their own. The Catholic Church has two thousand years of experience in delivering Christ to the people of the world. There are churches all over the world who are under the leadership of the Catholic Church. These churches have the same Scripture readings (there are some exceptions) everyday at Mass. They say the same prayers and share in the same Eucharist. The leadership of the Church is highly visible and the Church is well known for things like The Sign of the Cross, Priest’s collars and robes, Nun’s habits and beautiful church buildings. This is all makes it easier to know where one can go to “get Christ”.
Figure Out How To Apply It For Your Needs
It’s not enough to just have the information. That information needs to be applied correctly. When programming, functions need to be invoked according to their requirements. For example, anyone can purchase a copy of the Bible and read it. The Bible is the inspired word of God and it is a very important part of spiritual development. However, there are millions of people who read the Bible and disagree about what it means. This is why we have different sects of Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant) and many different sects of Protestantism (Methodist, Lutheran… etc). This means some people are applying Scripture incorrectly.
It takes some time to figure out how all the pieces fit together. The Catholic Church serves this function through its leadership and through authoritative teachings like the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The catechism explains the Church’s teachings and explains the meaning of certain Scripture passages and their implications. Think about the Bible as the US Constitution and the Church as the Supreme Court. You wouldn’t want laws without a court to interpret and apply them. I realize this may not be the best example since the Supreme Court makes crazy decisions sometimes but the Church is protected from error by God (Matthew 16:18).
Put Some Work Into Maintaining It
Putting the pieces together doesn’t solve all your problems for the rest of your life. The Catholic Church doesn’t live out your faith life for you and WordPress doesn’t update your blog every day to make sure your readers have fresh content. You have to work to maintain your website and you have to work to maintain your faith. This means going to Mass service each Sunday (at least), praying, reading, learning, and giving of yourself to your neighbor (service).
A Long History Of Code
Since the Catholic Church has been around for two thousand years you can imagine that it has been building its library for a while. There are tons of Saints in Church history with amazing stories of love and sacrifice. These stories serve as a model and witness for us. They give us hope and inspire us to be greater servants of God. Many brilliant people have written beautiful poems and tackled the toughest questions. We don’t have to come up with all the answers ourselves and we don’t have to reinvent Christianity. The Church, like a code library, is a resource for us. Here are some of my favorite resources:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body
[Great for questions and issues regarding sexuality, marriage, lust, pornography, contraception…etc]
What is the Theology of the BodyChristopher West – Renowned Theology of the Body Author and SpeakerTheTheologyOfTheBody.com
EWTN – Eternal Word Television Network
New Advents List of Early Church Fathers Writings
St. Augustine’s ConfessionsIgnatius of AntiochPolycarpHistorical Church Councils
And, of course, ThirstingforTruth.com.
This is just a tiny sample of what is available for those wanting to learn more about the Catholic faith. There is an ocean of material on virtually any subject or question of faith. However, there is also a great deal of misinformation and confusing material that can lead others astray. This is where demons and their exploits come into play…
Hacking Catholicism: Part 1 – Introduction
Hacking Catholicism Part 2 – God Is A Programmer And A Lover
Hacking Catholicism Part 3: The Catholic Church As A Code Library [You Are Here]
Hacking Catholicism Part 4: Demon Crackers And Their Exploits
Hacking Catholicism Part 5: Saints and Priests – Certified Ethical Hackers
Hacking Catholicism Part 6: Gaining Root Access To The Faith
Hacking Catholicism Part 7: Where To Go From Root
(If the article is not a link yet it is not yet completed. Check back for updates)
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook
Have Questions Or Comments? Participate In The Discussion Below