Why I'm Catholic

Think for yourself of large scale community with a serious intent that is not church-based. You will find it hard to make much headway. Churches have virtual ownership of weddings and funerals and they like it that way. It's their way of remaining the constant driving power behind society whether they deserve it or not.

Birds of a feather do indeed tend to flock together, but I don't think there is anything particularly good about this. The whole in-group/out-group structure of society is one of its biggest problems. It tends to magnify differences out of all proportion to relevance and make mountainous divisions out of molehill disagreements.

 

Mass media does that much better than do communities of like minds.

 

It's good for creating sociopaths.

 

You're thinking of this from a top-down control perspective. Does the church do anything that isn't asked for, sought, and expected by people. The church is made up of people, and when people have a wedding, the Pope doesn't tell them they have to get married in the Church, they simply go to the church to get married. There is no power play here.

 

Yeah, that was a pretty drunken sort of paranoid statement. Churches hold the society power on community because they are the ones who get things done. It's called charity, a word as deadly as a cross to a vampire for those who deride religion.

 

I was (this was year 5) . so was my brother. it was the norm back then.

personally, I think to be confirmed in a faith one should be an adult.

but even there, a lot of adults are not really sure what it means anyway.

I think the patron saint I chose was appropriate for who I am, and I have over the last few days been thinking about that, but I think thats more coincidence than anything else.

There is a lot I value in catholicism, but I think it is important to recognise that there are a lot of different beliefs that we can follow to help us become better people, and we can just as easily misuse religion on the way. there are certainly believers - including some catholics - who are anything but christian in their attitudes.

One thing I think is worth thinking about is the role of the sacrament of confession. I think this reinforces for catholics the recognition that being a good christian (or human being as the case may be) is a work in progress. I think some other believers don't see this so clearly.

 

Pensacola-Tallahassee? That's where I was confirmed! Which parish?

 

As a Christian and a pastor I much perfer loving each other to uncivil disagreement~!
RevA

 

You're being naive. You don't think (for example) that "passing the plate" carries significant social pressure? Why do people dress up to go to church other than to parade their righteous conformity before others? (There are casual churches, but not many.) As far as people expecting church, or what churches do, this could be entirely a matter of habit. Had there never been any churches, would people expect them? I don't think so...but you would disagree since you probably think there is some sort of magic force that instructed people about your religion.

 

You do realize that every person on this site has Godlike access to every post you have ever made. It would be all too easy to show example after example of you being uncivil.

 

Your viewpoint is eclectic. Churches need money to survive and they don't make off like bandits like many are fond of believing. Just as you're fond of judging someone's heart and intentions when you don't know anything about them. When people dress nicely for church, it's because they want to look their best when entering the Lord's house. Certainly nothing that Christians do to look nice even remotely compares to what Levitical priests had to do, with their anal litany of ceremonial cleansings, before entering the presence of God. You see pride where pride does not exist. Are you the type of hypocrit that gets offended when others judge YOU?

 

No such thing, IMO.

That is indeed one of the blessings of that Sacrament!

 

You are not suggesting I have been uncivil, are you?

 

Rather not say.

 

So...another reason that I'm Catholic is that it is one of the few Churches that Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, is present in the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

 

I agree. Except I would modify that there is only one Church that has a valid Eucharist. The Catholic and Orthodox church split over a dispute in 1054 AD, but we're both still descended from the same tradition and unbroken chain of apostolic succession. Because Jesus gave his authority to the apostles and through them to the lineage of bishops through the centuries, only those bishops connected to the apostles by this lineage can preside over a valid sacrifice. Only through them does the miracle of transubstantiation take place where simple elements become the literal body and blood of our Lord. I don't mean to correct you, but just to clarify this point. Several synods, but one Body, one Church, and one fellowship of communion. All others are dim copies.

 

I respect their desire to be viewed as different, but yes--One Body, several churches, all with valid apostolic succession. I believe Catholic and Orthodox are umbrella terms for many rites within the Churches. Thanks for the clarification.
http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm

 

Now I'm confused. I always thought there's only one church.

http://youtu.be/CYUJ4LEgCj4

 

There is One Body, but Christendom is severely fractured. All validly Baptized Christians are part of the Body of Christ, but not all members of the Body of Christ belong to the Church Jesus instituted. Some ecclesial communities are Apostolic and validly Apostolic through the Sacrament of Holy orders, but have broken with the Unity of the One Church we are called to maintain.

 

WRONG !!!!!wrong!!!!!!!! freakin!!!! WRONG YOU ...YOU (I have so many names to choose from!) &#8230;<<<<HA HA HA AHHHHH !!! <<<just in case you do not know it that was a joke <<<<<<<<

NEWSFLASH; I SAID I PREFER civil loving discussion. However if I say black some minion will say white just because they hate religion God the USA the south they hate guns preachers etc. I invite you to show me ONE post where I started the poo. Yes I defend myself but I PREFER normal discussion. The haters here do not allow me that.

RevA

 

I am also a british citizen and a Catholic who lives in N.Ireland. I find it laughable that you can make accusations toward Catholicism, when Protestants behaved in a manner which is every bit just as bad or even worse in Britain and Ireland. Catholics used to have to worship in secret, priests were executed. People were forced to renounce their faith under the threat of death many executed for not doing so. There was plenty of discrimination in N.Ireland here against Catholics up until the late 70's early 80's and there is still much resentment on both sides here yet. However a Catholic can still not be a monarch in Britain, nor can they be prime minister. So I think no one should try and blame anyone else for wrong doings as both so called Catholic and Protestants have committed atrocious acts. What people do does not detract from the faith in which they belong. If a police officer behaved badly you would not say the police force is wrong and there should be no police force. Nor would you say the laws they enforce should be done away with.

 

You look at everything one-sided. king Henry the 8th, wanted a divorce, he was not granted one by the Church so he decided to take control of the Church in England. It was in every way the same as the Catholic Church except it no longer recognised the authority of the Pope. However look at all the schism in the Christain faith in Britain now. Look how much different the anglican Church is different from the Catholic Church now. There is inner fighting within it's ranks regarding homosexuality, gay ministers, and women bishops, contraception, etc, etc. There is absolutely no unity each person has their own perspective and are still part of the anglican church some are more orthodox and some more liberal, yet all still claim they belong to the one church. The same situation applies to the Church of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

 

So where do you get your authority from?.
Are you, your own Pope?. If sounds right to you then you believe it, please elaborate and explain your position.

 

Felicity has not behaved in a bad manner. She has put forward her arguments and in no way has been offensive to anyone. If you truly are an evangalist I would expect you to behave better. For I know there are genuine evangalists who are truly seeking open discussion and open to hear another persons perspective. We are all Christians and though we may disagree with one another if we truly seek the salvation of one another then we should treat each other with respect, even if at times that can be hard.

 

Many of these controversies can be seen in the Catholic Church as well. There is little difference. You are certainly aware of the division within the Catholic Church, the spirited disagreements that are constantly in the news. That is a necessary result of a sincere exploration of god, and it is seen everywhere. Nuns are disciplined by the Holy See, but the disagreement is still there and it is not going away.