Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: finnerty@sal-sun79.usc.edu (Brian Finnerty) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Opus Dei Message-ID: Date: 22 Oct 90 06:30:07 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Lines: 29 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In his discussion of the Roman Catholic lay organization Opus Dei, Alex Macalalad writes: >Personally, I have problems with their fanaticism and their idea of >obedience. I also wish that they would spend less energy trying to >recruit people, and more energy on social work, like working with >the poor or teaching. (Basically, I wish that they were more like the >Jesuits. :-) I am a member of Opus Dei, and I can tell you that if anyone in Opus Dei ever tried to tell me to change professions, whether it be to go into teaching or any other career, I would leave Opus Dei immediately. Members of Opus Dei are laymen, they do NOT take a vow of obedience, and they enjoy the exact same freedom in their political, financial, or professional affairs as enjoyed by all other Catholics. Not only teachers and social workers, but also clerks, engineers, homemakers, plumbers and everybody else are all called to sanctity. Opus Dei's primary focus is to give people the spiritual and ascetical assistance they need so that they can live a Christian life in whatever circumstances they find themselves. Prayer and a commitment to live the Christian virtues come first, and after that, everything else will follow. When I lived in New York, I spent some time with other members of Opus Dei giving catechism lessons in the South Bronx. This summer I volunteered my Saturday mornings in another Opus Dei program teaching math to hispanic kids in the slums of East Los Angeles. Brian Finnerty