Losing your religion? (364)

You haven't answered my questions... and I'm simply tired at this point. Deferring further response til the morrow.

Well Gibs,

I am Catholic and I believe in the words of the Bible. Why would I even imagine saying that I don't believe in Jesus?

Lorraine.

I'm not suggesting you should. I'm saying that if you didn't believe in Jesus you wouldn't be a Catholic even if you believed in everything else. You aren't free to pick and choose which parts you believe.

They're going to end up following what one of them tells them aren't they. Regardless who tells them it's ok or not ok they're going to be doing it based on what someone else is telling them is acceptable. As in BLINDLY.

You pick and choose little bits of what I post to question while ignoring answering anything I pose to you.

Questions questions questions, all questions. No one has piss all to say other than second guessing my posts since like the second page.

Truely Gibs,

I wrote a whole lot more in my last comment. However, it didn't get printed.

Lorraine.

I think that the monitors censured what I wrote.

Regards,

Lorraine.

If it's too 'wild' for the forums feel free to mail it to me if it's relevant and you want me to know what you said.

Many Catholics do not follow or believe in the "company line" down the straight and narrow. I am Catholic and happy to be so. I don't agree with the Vatican's stand on birth control, women not being able to be ordained, or, womens unequal status within the Roman Church. I am no less a Catholic in God's eyes. I stay because I hope the church will one day change it's veiws on these issues. The man-made part of the church disagrees with me...to bad. Many Catholics share my opinion on these particular issues. Any large institution has archaic and unfair policies. (Im digressing a bit here, Im very passionate about these issues...sorry). How can fair discourse and change occur if no one stands up? To do that, we stay and speak out.

We are not all sheep, blindly following the guy with the pointy hat in Rome. I follow the "other" church...the one that lives inside me. I DO disagree with many things in the bible. It's a guidebook on how to live a good life...written by men who interpreted the word of God as they saw it. The bible's authors were bound by their own frailties, fears, and political circustances of their times. The Catholic faith does NOT focus on the bible. Catholics focus on the 4 Gospels and the writings of St. Paul. You will rarely see bible study classes in any Catholic church. Anyone that takes the bible literally is out of touch with reality, in my opinion. Most Catholic priests and theologans will tell you that.

Gib...have you spent time actually in the Catholic church? Have you read the Catechism? Have you been to a Mass lately, even as an outside observer? I would suggest visiting the Catholic church as it is in the present. What I get from your comments in this particular post, is that your stereotypes are showing. It is obvious to me by your comments in this post that you have not had first-hand experience or knowledge of the Catholic Faith...not recently at least. Im not offended by your comments, I am surprised by the generalized nature of them though. Surprised in the sense that you seem to be an articulate and educated man. You don't strike me as one who would make uninformed comments about any subject.

Don't worry bud...Im not trying to convert you, or see it "my" way. I would suggest though that you investigate yourself, experientially.


Rene

Well said there Rene, now my 2 cents worth as I missed all of this last night:

Gibs,
Let me get this straight…my neighbour (hypothetically) is a staunch Catholic and adheres to all its’ tenets and practices blindly his faith. I, on the other hand, take issue and disagree with numerous laws of the Catholic Religion. My neighbour, while going through the motions blindly and with little thought is then perceived as a Catholic whereas I, who’s faith may be considered stronger, in that I give thought to my relationship with God, am not.

Practicing of faith does not need to be an “all or nothing” proposition as you seem to interpret it. As Jonquille noted, there will always be those Priests that would agree with you and demand full adherence to the Catholic faith. Somewhere around the corner though, will be another that has more liberal views and will accept you.

I interpret the quotation from the beginning of this thread as asking if it is possible to reach a state of awareness of oneself, God and both together. How is this state then to be defined or measured? As such it is both intangible and personal and therefore, no one but oneself can answer the question.

Having said that though, the statement and it’s implications appear subjective causing dichotomy…