The difference between a Cathedral and a Basilica
Catholic Comedy: My Protestant Fire Insurance
Photo by Aaron Clinard on Unsplash
Who doesn’t like to laugh? I love to find humor in things because laughing does amazing things for our health and life. One thing I like to tell others is about the day, as a Protestant, I “met Jesus”.
I grew up in a household where my mother went to a small, country, Methodist Church and my father only stepped through the church doors for my brother’s wedding. My mother, on the other hand, seemed to only go to church for an image and because in the “Bible belt” of the south it was expected. If one wanted to succeed in something, then one better be attending church with the individuals that could make that happen.
My mother made me go to church each Sunday because it looked good for her. I thought Jesus was only a story in a book. I went with my grandmother (who was a very devoted Christian) and my mother one day to a revival at that little church. The preacher spent the entire sermon talking about hell, the fire and brimstone and suffering of hell. As a 10-year-old, the thought of spending an hour, much less eternity, burning in hell scared me. I “walked the aisle and said a prayer” when the pastor told us if we wanted to be “saved” and spend eternity in heaven away from the suffering hell then we needed to come forward to the front and pray with him. So, I stepped out of the aisle and went to pray with him.
I didn’t know the significance of it, but my only thought was “so do I get fire insurance?” I believed that the “prayer”, as a kid, gave me some kind of fire insurance from suffering in that eternal fire of damnation. My grandmother came up to me afterward, grabbed me by both shoulders, and was so excited. She kept saying “you’re saved”. “You received Jesus. You’re saved”. I kept thinking “saved from what? Saved from fire?”
So, the “walk an aisle and say a prayer” became my “fire insurance” for most of my life. The only question I still had was “don’t I get some kind of paper that shows the devil I have fire insurance.”
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About the Author
Amelia Monroe Carlson graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. Being raised as a Methodist during her early years, it was not until she entered college where she began to take her faith seriously. She was baptized as a Southern Baptist in Muscle Shoals, AL and began immediately serving in international missions and in the church.
During college, she became the Co-founder of an International Ministry, where she spent time traveling and speaking to church groups and in large conferences. She authored a Bible study and traveled abroad on mission work. She sat on the Mid-South Interfaith Conferences in Mississippi, where she defended the faith and discussed beliefs with leaders of various religions.
After a business trip to Washington D.C., where she was introduced to a former Baptist who converted to the Catholic Church, she was placed on a journey to enter into the Catholic Church.
Amelia is a military wife and currently residents with her husband and daughter in Tennessee. She is a nine time award winning journalist, receiving press awards for various categories including investigative journalism, best news coverage, and best single feature. It is her desire to help Catholics, particularly Cradle Catholics, see the beauty in their faith which converts see and appreciate the fullness of truth which the Church has held and guarded throughout history. It is her desire all Catholics fall as much in love with Jesus as she is, and love the Church to a greater capacity than they could imagine.
Amelia taught PRE for 4-6 grade at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bolivar, Tennessee from 2014-2016. She served as Youth Director at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Somerville, Tennessee in 2017-2018. She now teaches 7th grade (1st year Confirmation) PRE class at St. Philip. She's also a writer and frequent podcast guest on Our Warpath.
She has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Francis de Sales, St. Padre Pio and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
To contact Amelia for speaking inquiries at conferences, retreats, or parishes contact her via social media on Facebook (Amelia Monroe Carlson), Twitter (@2_catholic ) or send a text to: (731)518-6923.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliamcarlson
Twitter: @2_catholic (Catholic ministry account)
Twitter personal account: @ameliamcarlson
