Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Catholics who can't countenance the church because it does not bless gay marriages, your view is a bit parochial.

Remember it was not so long ago here that the idea of gay marriage seemed ludicrous. But you all expect that now that perhaps a majority of people (not really sure if it's that much) in the US embrace gay marriage the Church should follow suit--pronto. If it doesn't, it clearly hates gays.

I recently mentioned to a French business friend about a colleague and his husband, who have had a surrogate baby. He was more than surprised. It seems that in France, hardly a hotbed of social conservatism, the idea of gay marriage is strongly opposed by the majority of people.

The Catholic church should embrace something that troubles the people of Francet? As William F. Buckley once noted the French are not religious, but they are Catholic.

When the AIDS crisis was at its height in Africa, several African bishops approached the Vatican to bless polygamous marriages because it would help limit men going to prostitutes and spreading AIDS to their wives. I really wonder what the reaction of US liberal Catholics would have been to the Vatican blessing polygamous marriages.

This is a universal church that puts a premium on keeping its universality. Thus, while it doesn't move as slowly as its most conservative members, it will never move as fast as its most liberal members demand. The Church takes its own good time with change to avoid divisiveness.

If you want to be in a church that is purely American and reflects only American mores, then the Catholic Church is not for you. But if you want to be part of a religion that transcends national boundaries and crosses continents, you may wish to consider it.

This last paragraph is why I stay Catholic. For one hour each week I get to escape American culture and join the world community.

Sounds very high minded, but "world community" hardly describes the feeling of many catholic churches -- unless it's a world community not handling child molestation very well or facing up to the fact that a majority of its ever-diminishing clergy is gay. No, I'm not suggesting a connection between molestation and homosexuality, I'm suggesting two areas in which the Church is not facing up to reality. Why it isn't attracting straight men (celibacy, anyone?) and how it continues to deny its treatment of its children (e.g. puffing itself up as "transcending national boundaries," instead of showing humility.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Catholics who can't countenance the church because it does not bless gay marriages, your view is a bit parochial.

Remember it was not so long ago here that the idea of gay marriage seemed ludicrous. But you all expect that now that perhaps a majority of people (not really sure if it's that much) in the US embrace gay marriage the Church should follow suit--pronto. If it doesn't, it clearly hates gays.

I recently mentioned to a French business friend about a colleague and his husband, who have had a surrogate baby. He was more than surprised. It seems that in France, hardly a hotbed of social conservatism, the idea of gay marriage is strongly opposed by the majority of people.

The Catholic church should embrace something that troubles the people of Francet? As William F. Buckley once noted the French are not religious, but they are Catholic.

When the AIDS crisis was at its height in Africa, several African bishops approached the Vatican to bless polygamous marriages because it would help limit men going to prostitutes and spreading AIDS to their wives. I really wonder what the reaction of US liberal Catholics would have been to the Vatican blessing polygamous marriages.

This is a universal church that puts a premium on keeping its universality. Thus, while it doesn't move as slowly as its most conservative members, it will never move as fast as its most liberal members demand. The Church takes its own good time with change to avoid divisiveness.

If you want to be in a church that is purely American and reflects only American mores, then the Catholic Church is not for you. But if you want to be part of a religion that transcends national boundaries and crosses continents, you may wish to consider it.

This last paragraph is why I stay Catholic. For one hour each week I get to escape American culture and join the world community.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:too confusing
edit

Anonymous wrote:My 10 year old said she doesn't want to be ruled by any religion or any god. (She attended Catholic school through 3rd grade.)

"Why should I bother? Why can't I just live my life and be happy? Why do I need rules to show me how to live? And why are there so many religions? and different gods to worship? It's just to confusing and ridiculous."

normal 10 year old. Christianity is a relationship not a religion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are extremely common feelings. I don't think you should feel hypocritical. According to this poll, 82 percent of American Catholics don't oppose contraceptives. Pew Research Forum data (http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/19/majority-of-u-s-catholics-opinions-run-counter-to-church-on-contraception-homosexuality) finds that most American Catholics' opinions on contraception and homosexuality differ from that of the church.

There would be very few churches in operation if those people didn't go to church. You are in good company.

This is sort of the very definition of hypocrisy though isn't it? Why shouldn't OP feel like a hypocrite, her Pope keeps millions of women throughout the world in a position of not being able to control their own destinies, yet she - and apparently you, and 82% of "American catholics" find that to be BS. But hey, we'll still go and give money to this place.

Hypocrites.

These are reasons why I left the church.

I don't hate gays. I recently just lost a very good gay pal to an illness, in fact. former Catholic, too - who will go to hell for being true to himself, right?

I've taken a friend to have abortions. So both of us will go to hell, I imagine.

I was tired of donating money to an institution that 1) preaches hate and 2) protects pedophiles.

But I'm the one going to hell.

Anonymous wrote:For the Catholics who can't countenance the church because it does not bless gay marriages, your view is a bit parochial.

Remember it was not so long ago here that the idea of gay marriage seemed ludicrous. But you all expect that now that perhaps a majority of people (not really sure if it's that much) in the US embrace gay marriage the Church should follow suit--pronto. If it doesn't, it clearly hates gays.

I recently mentioned to a French business friend about a colleague and his husband, who have had a surrogate baby. He was more than surprised. It seems that in France, hardly a hotbed of social conservatism, the idea of gay marriage is strongly opposed by the majority of people.

The Catholic church should embrace something that troubles the people of Francet? As William F. Buckley once noted the French are not religious, but they are Catholic.

When the AIDS crisis was at its height in Africa, several African bishops approached the Vatican to bless polygamous marriages because it would help limit men going to prostitutes and spreading AIDS to their wives. I really wonder what the reaction of US liberal Catholics would have been to the Vatican blessing polygamous marriages.

This is a universal church that puts a premium on keeping its universality. Thus, while it doesn't move as slowly as its most conservative members, it will never move as fast as its most liberal members demand. The Church takes its own good time with change to avoid divisiveness.

If you want to be in a church that is purely American and reflects only American mores, then the Catholic Church is not for you. But if you want to be part of a religion that transcends national boundaries and crosses continents, you may wish to consider it.

Anonymous wrote:For the Catholics who can't countenance the church because it does not bless gay marriages, your view is a bit parochial.

Remember it was not so long ago here that the idea of gay marriage seemed ludicrous. But you all expect that now that perhaps a majority of people (not really sure if it's that much) in the US embrace gay marriage the Church should follow suit--pronto. If it doesn't, it clearly hates gays.

I recently mentioned to a French business friend about a colleague and his husband, who have had a surrogate baby. He was more than surprised. It seems that in France, hardly a hotbed of social conservatism, the idea of gay marriage is strongly opposed by the majority of people.

The Catholic church should embrace something that troubles the people of Francet? As William F. Buckley once noted the French are not religious, but they are Catholic.

When the AIDS crisis was at its height in Africa, several African bishops approached the Vatican to bless polygamous marriages because it would help limit men going to prostitutes and spreading AIDS to their wives. I really wonder what the reaction of US liberal Catholics would have been to the Vatican blessing polygamous marriages.

This is a universal church that puts a premium on keeping its universality. Thus, while it doesn't move as slowly as its most conservative members, it will never move as fast as its most liberal members demand. The Church takes its own good time with change to avoid divisiveness.

If you want to be in a church that is purely American and reflects only American mores, then the Catholic Church is not for you. But if you want to be part of a religion that transcends national boundaries and crosses continents, you may wish to consider it.