The Changing Face of Catholicism

[Anonymous]

"This is your soul" said the portly Priest as he drew a circle on the board and filled it in "It is full of the Holy Spirit".
"This," he continued "Is the soul of everyone who isn't Catholic".
I was maybe eight and this was a special Sunday school offered by my church, and one of the little girls who took everything to heart raised her hand.
"Does this mean that everyone who isn't Catholic will go to hell" she asked.
"Yes," said the Priest.
I rolled my eyes. I had had enough already. I wasn't going to believe that my friends of other faiths were going to hell. I just didn't buy it.
The Priest, who knew I hated church and didn't want to be there, caught my eye roll and began yet another chastisement of me, which I again ignored.
I had already had a go round with this Priest about the Book of Job. I asked why the devil would bet with God when he already knew God knows all? Why would a merciful God kill Job's wife and family to settle some sort of ego battle? How on EARTH did this story illustrate God's goodness?
I asked him and he told me, in so many words, to shut up and not to question him.
That wasn't in my nature.
As the years wore on, I was dragged to church. I hated it. I was forced into CCD. I hated it. And finally, it came time for Confirmation.
My parents, who were really just Catholics to please both sets of my grandparents (my parents are both different religions now) , were hell bent (pardon the pun) on making me get confirmed. I said I would on the condition that I was allowed to quit and never go back after I did it. They agreed but gave me the wink that meant "You'll come back". I doubted it.
As part of Confirmation prep, we had to do community service. Part of ours was to clean up a nearby Catholic HS's football stadium after a game ( a move which, I am sure, made it unnecessary for the church to pay custodians for a day). A friend and I started horsing around and the SAME Priest called us in.
He sat there and smugly stared at us with crossed arms and said " I have got news for you. At this point I am just about to say your confirmation is off".
This was too much for me. I looked at him and said " I have got news for YOU! You won't cancel my confirmation because my grandparents shovel money into this Parish. Let's not play games."
I was confirmed the next week.
So, so many things about the faith don't make sense to me, but I sometimes wish I had just had a better Priest.
I have seen too many things from all religions to really believe in any of them, but I do feel that for the vast majority of people religion can be an incredible positive even if the members don't really buy the story. Almost all convey good morals ( when they aren't twisted by fanatics), provide a sense of unity, and give people something to believe in even if I truly believe that even the most fervent adherents actually have their doubts.
I will say though, that much of the church doesn't seem to be as Puritanical as when I was young and, in my opinion, that's a really good thing!

[Anonymous]

good for you. I didn't figure out what a crock it was until 13.
As far as I know, no Pope has still come out and said you can get into heaven without believing in Jesus. That just can't be correct.

[Anonymous]

The parking lot of the Catholic church near me is jammed to over-flowing on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday. The rest of the year not so much.

People just gotta get their religious fix a couple of times a year to feel in good standing with God I guess. And then it's back to our true religion, American secular consumerism.

[Anonymous]

If any religion says "you must do X" - and that "X" always leads to the direct benefit of another person (in any way), then that's you're sign it's a man-made. No god needs a middle man. The middle man made it all up, for their direct gain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"This is your soul" said the portly Priest as he drew a circle on the board and filled it in "It is full of the Holy Spirit".
"This," he continued "Is the soul of everyone who isn't Catholic".
I was maybe eight and this was a special Sunday school offered by my church, and one of the little girls who took everything to heart raised her hand.
"Does this mean that everyone who isn't Catholic will go to hell" she asked.
"Yes," said the Priest.
I rolled my eyes. I had had enough already. I wasn't going to believe that my friends of other faiths were going to hell. I just didn't buy it.
The Priest, who knew I hated church and didn't want to be there, caught my eye roll and began yet another chastisement of me, which I again ignored.
I had already had a go round with this Priest about the Book of Job. I asked why the devil would bet with God when he already knew God knows all? Why would a merciful God kill Job's wife and family to settle some sort of ego battle? How on EARTH did this story illustrate God's goodness?
I asked him and he told me, in so many words, to shut up and not to question him.
That wasn't in my nature.
As the years wore on, I was dragged to church. I hated it. I was forced into CCD. I hated it. And finally, it came time for Confirmation.
My parents, who were really just Catholics to please both sets of my grandparents (my parents are both different religions now) , were hell bent (pardon the pun) on making me get confirmed. I said I would on the condition that I was allowed to quit and never go back after I did it. They agreed but gave me the wink that meant "You'll come back". I doubted it.
As part of Confirmation prep, we had to do community service. Part of ours was to clean up a nearby Catholic HS's football stadium after a game ( a move which, I am sure, made it unnecessary for the church to pay custodians for a day). A friend and I started horsing around and the SAME Priest called us in.
He sat there and smugly stared at us with crossed arms and said " I have got news for you. At this point I am just about to say your confirmation is off".
This was too much for me. I looked at him and said " I have got news for YOU! You won't cancel my confirmation because my grandparents shovel money into this Parish. Let's not play games."
I was confirmed the next week.
So, so many things about the faith don't make sense to me, but I sometimes wish I had just had a better Priest.
I have seen too many things from all religions to really believe in any of them, but I do feel that for the vast majority of people religion can be an incredible positive even if the members don't really buy the story. Almost all convey good morals ( when they aren't twisted by fanatics), provide a sense of unity, and give people something to believe in even if I truly believe that even the most fervent adherents actually have their doubts.
I will say though, that much of the church doesn't seem to be as Puritanical as when I was young and, in my opinion, that's a really good thing!

These seem to be a frequent talking points from atheists.

Yes it’s common for people to go through periods of doubt, I don’t think anyone would deny that. But thanks to Pew, we know the vast majority of people who go to services—and even the majority of people who don’t go to services—actually do want “to get closer to God.” https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1201343.page

[Anonymous]

Is OP 80? I don’t know any Catholic priest in America that was saying non Catholics go to hell in a post Vatican 2 world.

In my mind, the face of Catholicism is now getting MORE rigid and conservative in America with the SSPX folks and all the crazy Trump voters who have lost the thread and are willing to trade abortion bans for decency and Christian love for thy neighbor.

My parents grew up in pretty conservative pre-Vatican 2 years but were then active in the post Vatican 2 reforms in their local church/diocese. My dad was a republican for almost his entire life but no longer recognizes the Republican Party of hateful science deniers. But majority of American Catholics are currently voting that way. This, to me, is the most striking evidence that the Church in America is not doing a good job of preaching to Good News to its flock. It’s pretty depressing.

[Anonymous]

This site should just be called Catholic Bashers Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"This is your soul" said the portly Priest as he drew a circle on the board and filled it in "It is full of the Holy Spirit".
"This," he continued "Is the soul of everyone who isn't Catholic".
I was maybe eight and this was a special Sunday school offered by my church, and one of the little girls who took everything to heart raised her hand.
"Does this mean that everyone who isn't Catholic will go to hell" she asked.
"Yes," said the Priest.
I rolled my eyes. I had had enough already. I wasn't going to believe that my friends of other faiths were going to hell. I just didn't buy it.
The Priest, who knew I hated church and didn't want to be there, caught my eye roll and began yet another chastisement of me, which I again ignored.
I had already had a go round with this Priest about the Book of Job. I asked why the devil would bet with God when he already knew God knows all? Why would a merciful God kill Job's wife and family to settle some sort of ego battle? How on EARTH did this story illustrate God's goodness?
I asked him and he told me, in so many words, to shut up and not to question him.
That wasn't in my nature.
As the years wore on, I was dragged to church. I hated it. I was forced into CCD. I hated it. And finally, it came time for Confirmation.
My parents, who were really just Catholics to please both sets of my grandparents (my parents are both different religions now) , were hell bent (pardon the pun) on making me get confirmed. I said I would on the condition that I was allowed to quit and never go back after I did it. They agreed but gave me the wink that meant "You'll come back". I doubted it.
As part of Confirmation prep, we had to do community service. Part of ours was to clean up a nearby Catholic HS's football stadium after a game ( a move which, I am sure, made it unnecessary for the church to pay custodians for a day). A friend and I started horsing around and the SAME Priest called us in.
He sat there and smugly stared at us with crossed arms and said " I have got news for you. At this point I am just about to say your confirmation is off".
This was too much for me. I looked at him and said " I have got news for YOU! You won't cancel my confirmation because my grandparents shovel money into this Parish. Let's not play games."
I was confirmed the next week.
So, so many things about the faith don't make sense to me, but I sometimes wish I had just had a better Priest.
I have seen too many things from all religions to really believe in any of them, but I do feel that for the vast majority of people religion can be an incredible positive even if the members don't really buy the story. Almost all convey good morals ( when they aren't twisted by fanatics), provide a sense of unity, and give people something to believe in even if I truly believe that even the most fervent adherents actually have their doubts.
I will say though, that much of the church doesn't seem to be as Puritanical as when I was young and, in my opinion, that's a really good thing!

These seem to be a frequent talking points from atheists.

Yes it’s common for people to go through periods of doubt, I don’t think anyone would deny that. But thanks to Pew, we know the vast majority of people who go to services—and even the majority of people who don’t go to services—actually do want “to get closer to God.” https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1201343.page

They say that, sure. But plenty of American Catholic women have had abortions. You know that's a cardinal sin, right? We believe in the part of the church's doctrines we want to believe inand ignore the rest. This is what's meant by "Catholic light."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This site should just be called Catholic Bashers Anonymous.

well if the truth fits, wear it.
If not, rebut it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This site should just be called Catholic Bashers Anonymous.

It's telling that most of the bashers self identify as former Catholics. They know of what they speak.

[Anonymous]

The guy told you everyone not Catholic would go to hell? Sorry you had a dunce teaching you, because that isn’t the official teaching of the church. Having a dunce teach you religious studies doesn’t invalidate the other important teachings and rubrics of the Roman Catholic Church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This site should just be called Catholic Bashers Anonymous.

op is still enmeshed in childhood and can’t move on. Op still thinks, talks, and concerns themselves with religion 24/7/365.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:good for you. I didn't figure out what a crock it was until 13.
As far as I know, no Pope has still come out and said you can get into heaven without believing in Jesus. That just can't be correct.

How old are you now? Why have you decided religion is a crock but still hang out in a religious forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:good for you. I didn't figure out what a crock it was until 13.
As far as I know, no Pope has still come out and said you can get into heaven without believing in Jesus. That just can't be correct.

Pope Benedict XVI did, and so did Pope John Paul II. One should also try to judge a religion, at least in part, by what it has bothered to write down: its catechisms, creeds, and confessions.
Catechism 847:
847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337

I'm not Roman Catholic, but I try not to judge religions by their most ignorant and backward priests and adherents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:good for you. I didn't figure out what a crock it was until 13.
As far as I know, no Pope has still come out and said you can get into heaven without believing in Jesus. That just can't be correct.

Pope Benedict XVI did, and so did Pope John Paul II. One should also try to judge a religion, at least in part, by what it has bothered to write down: its catechisms, creeds, and confessions.
Catechism 847:
847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337

I'm not Roman Catholic, but I try not to judge religions by their most ignorant and backward priests and adherents.

See: that was limited to people who don't know Christ. Like tribes in the Amazon and such. AFIK none of the Popes have come out and said anyone of a different religion can get into heaven. Very very discriminatory