Buffet Catholicism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

transubstantiation is one thing I do believe in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

transubstantiation is one thing I do believe in

Well then the Catholic church is definitely for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

transubstantiation is one thing I do believe in

Ummm....If you believe God actually reaches down and through divine intervention converts wafers to the "body of Christ" and wine to the "blood of Christ," why do you then assume that a lesser miracle like just getting verbal direction from God when the Pope speaks ex officio isn't happening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

transubstantiation is one thing I do believe in

Ummm....If you believe God actually reaches down and through divine intervention converts wafers to the "body of Christ" and wine to the "blood of Christ," why do you then assume that a lesser miracle like just getting verbal direction from God when the Pope speaks ex officio isn't happening?

all part of being a cafeteria catholic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

Transubstantiation is THE central teaching of the Catholic church.

Really, if you don't believe in that you should not be a Catholic and should join a different faith tradition.

Even the liberal churches and clergy will tell you this.

[Anonymous]

This might not be a popular opinion, but I think that Catholicism is what it is; although it is often treated as such, the teachings are not a buffet. Now this isn't to say at all that Catholics cannot doubt, question or struggle with things. Didn't Thomas? Didn't even Peter? I think it would be a very rare thing to find someone who hasn't. It's all part of the journey. One good thing is that the Church is universal, so OP attending mass is wonderful and welcome; the only restrictions are on receiving the Eucharist, which is the deepest of the Holy Sacraments.

Have you considered posing this question to someone with a very deep knowledge of Catholicism? There are a lot of great resources including call-in radio shows like Open Line on Catholic radio where you can call in and get answers from apologists, priests, etc. It might be worth a shot just to get a different perspective.

Best of luck in your journey and kudos to you for being supportive of your son. He's lucky to have such an open, caring mother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

Transubstantiation is THE central teaching of the Catholic church.

Really, if you don't believe in that you should not be a Catholic and should join a different faith tradition.

Even the liberal churches and clergy will tell you this.

get the message, Cafeteria Catholics? Some people want you OUT

[Anonymous]

Whomever is posting that the Catholic church is MAKING you believe in all of the tenants is outrageous and is probably the Catholic hater.

As for this Episcopalian pp, come on. You think it's Catholic light? At least that is what I got from your post. A person with kids who recently joined the Episcopalian church recently said "You Catholics think Good Friday is only for you! I am over the Catholic Mafia!"

Really?!?!?! Good Friday is for CHRISTIANS.

This same person has children who were recently admitted at a well known school in the area. This person has never been baptized, has never gone to church, obviously does not know the significance of Good Friday. This person is very happy that the children have been admitted to said school and cannot wait to "dig (his/her) hand into their deep pockets." A true quote.

A true Christian? Look out parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

Transubstantiation is THE central teaching of the Catholic church.

Really, if you don't believe in that you should not be a Catholic and should join a different faith tradition.

Even the liberal churches and clergy will tell you this.

get the message, Cafeteria Catholics? Some people want you OUT

Please don't be so silly.

But really, being a Catholic who does not believe in the most central doctrine of the entire faith, does not make an iota of sense.

It would be like being a Democrat who is pro-life, against gay marriage and anti-black. Or a Baptist who says that they just go for the comfort of fire and brimstone, but have no belief whatsoever in all that Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior" business. Or being Islamic and saying that you really believe Mohammed is not the prophet and just made all that stuff up.

Transubstantiation is unequivocally the single most important part of being Catholic. Liberal Catholics, conservative Catholics, and every single stripe of Catholic in between know this.

You are not going to find a parish anywhere on this planet that gives a wink/nod to this belief. You just aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This might not be a popular opinion, but I think that Catholicism is what it is; although it is often treated as such, the teachings are not a buffet. Now this isn't to say at all that Catholics cannot doubt, question or struggle with things. Didn't Thomas? Didn't even Peter? I think it would be a very rare thing to find someone who hasn't. It's all part of the journey. One good thing is that the Church is universal, so OP attending mass is wonderful and welcome; the only restrictions are on receiving the Eucharist, which is the deepest of the Holy Sacraments.

Have you considered posing this question to someone with a very deep knowledge of Catholicism? There are a lot of great resources including call-in radio shows like Open Line on Catholic radio where you can call in and get answers from apologists, priests, etc. It might be worth a shot just to get a different perspective.

Best of luck in your journey and kudos to you for being supportive of your son. He's lucky to have such an open, caring mother.

Of course Catholics doubt and struggle with the beliefs -- they're so incredibly wacky - especially in modern times, when we know something about science. And Thomas and Peter were struggling 2,000 years ago when people believed in magic.

As for a mother being supportive of her son -- he has no idea what's in store for him in the Catholic church. He made an innocent kid's inquiry, and if Mom responds by taking him to a Catholic church he's going to be faced with a bloody Jesus hanging on a cross and the scientifically impossible concept of transubstantiation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Episcopal church -- it's Catholicism without the crap.

You can find a "tolerant" Catholic church, but they still have to pay lip service to the very strict rules and beliefs (transubstantiation anyone?) that still apply.

And if you actually join you'll be paying into the legal defense funds for pedophile priests.

Also consider a unitarian church -- no smells and bells, no feigning belief, but good people and good human values.

Transubstantiation is THE central teaching of the Catholic church.

Really, if you don't believe in that you should not be a Catholic and should join a different faith tradition.

Even the liberal churches and clergy will tell you this.

get the message, Cafeteria Catholics? Some people want you OUT

Please don't be so silly.

But really, being a Catholic who does not believe in the most central doctrine of the entire faith, does not make an iota of sense.

It would be like being a Democrat who is pro-life, against gay marriage and anti-black. Or a Baptist who says that they just go for the comfort of fire and brimstone, but have no belief whatsoever in all that Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior" business. Or being Islamic and saying that you really believe Mohammed is not the prophet and just made all that stuff up.

Transubstantiation is unequivocally the single most important part of being Catholic. Liberal Catholics, conservative Catholics, and every single stripe of Catholic in between know this.

You are not going to find a parish anywhere on this planet that gives a wink/nod to this belief. You just aren't.

Maybe the priests don't, but I bet a lot of the parishioners wink and nod to themselves when receiving communion.

[Anonymous]

Stop being so smug and learn to respect someone other than yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop being so smug and learn to respect someone other than yourself.

+1. Who gets this much satisfaction about tearing down religious beliefs? Who has the time and inclination to park themselves on the religion board and swat down every brand of faith? Someone has deep, deep issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop being so smug and learn to respect someone other than yourself.

What's smug or disrespectful about pointing out that some church-going Catholics don't believe in transubstantiation or that Catholic churches feature a large crucified Christ in the center of the altar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop being so smug and learn to respect someone other than yourself.

+1. Who gets this much satisfaction about tearing down religious beliefs? Who has the time and inclination to park themselves on the religion board and swat down every brand of faith? Someone has deep, deep issues.

religious beliefs rely on faith, not facts. People lose their faith for many reasons - and some retain their faith irrespective of the many doubts they have about how the beliefs of their religion don't square with reality.

If you find your religious beliefs being "torn down" by commentary here, perhaps your faith is not strong enough and you should work on it. Or perhaps the logic and reality testing you use in the rest of your life is starting to strengthen in light of some of what you've read here -- and you find it disconcerting.