Catholics understand: Knowledge can be dangerous! St. Paul tells us that in 1 Cor. 8, 1-7 and 11-13.
“Brothers and sisters: Knowledge inflates with pride, . . .”
We know how proud we are of ourselves when we learn something new! St. Paul says we should focus on this, instead:
“but love builds up.”
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He goes on to explain: “If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by Him.”
Only then may we be “built up”!
As a Catholic, St. Paul knew that it was all right to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols.
“So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols: we know that there is no idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth (there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist.”
St. Paul is clear. Some people do not know that! But, their souls are precious to God and may come closer to Him.
“But not all have this knowledge. There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols, their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.”
The person who ignores their feelings drives them away from Jesus!
“Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died. When you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences, weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ.”
St. Paul concludes:
“Therefore, if food (my superior knowledge) causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin”.
Love of neighbors drove St. Paul to become a vegetarian!
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Every Catholic knows! We receive The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ when we receive Catholic Communion. An odd fact! No Catholic can be a vegetarian.
But, there are times when we must appear to be.
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