@Catholics - Leaving/left the Church?

[NBAfan]

No and the news about the Pope are lies.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Because their Faith is the One True Faith. The word Christian suggests that there are different denominations, and that they are just one of different, albeit equal, sub-religions.

I had never thought of that. That actually does make sense from a very bigoted perspective. So far, all those who have rejected the "Christian" label have been fairly closeminded from all I've seen: one Mormon friend of mine who rejected the label said kindly(or as kind as an insult can be) that I was guilty of immorality by being gay, and that all my spiritual beliefs were fake. Or, on the latter case, he said he wanted to say it, but he didn't because it would upset me, "calling something fake."

The other, a Catholic friend of mine, pretty much derides any militant religious behavior as "Christian"; he said that being one of the types who say God cured their drug addictions and thus encourage others to go to Church as well are doing a "Christian thing." He then once stated that that kind of faith-pushing is only evident in Christians and not Catholics. ...Needless to say, I flipped out and gave him countless examples of the fact that the Church is not pure(it isn't exactly hard with 2000+ years of history!), yet, like a good religious slave, he denied it or something like that. I can't remember.

He also denies the fact he's not religious (he's only "religious" simply because of his family values), despite all the evidence I present that he doesn't give two craps about religion; I never see him praying, going to Church, or even following basic Catholic rules. The only religious things he's ever done have been because his family forced him to do it; he's going to force his daughter(soon to be borne by my cousin) to be baptised, go to the basic ceremonies, and then says the child can choose their religion... obviously, he does it only because it's what his religious family would want. In the same vein, he was going to break up with my cousin about a year ago because she got in a fight with his sister.

People like this make me want to go militant atheist in my encounters with them and tear their faith full of bulletholes; why should I respect them if they shall not respect me? Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you is a Christian tenet... and I'll be happy to deliver the second part if one presses me too hard.

I've never met a Catholic person who would not call him/her-self Christian...

I guess we Americans have the bulk of these people...

 

[Chieftess]

Peter (head of the apostles) denied. Thomas doubted. Judas betrayed. Who ever said the Church was supposed to be perfect, or that being a religious in the church means you're suddenly without fault?

 

[classical_hero]

Peter was never the head of the church. The first leader of the church was James and Paul rebuked Peter at the Jerusalem counsel.

 

[Yared]

No and the news about the Pope are lies.

Interesting. Do you think the Pope is infallible?

 

[Chieftess]

Peter was never the head of the church. The first leader of the church was James and Paul rebuked Peter at the Jerusalem counsel.

It was Jesus who told Peter to "Feed my lambs" (an administrative role over the lambs, or other apostles/priests). Jesus also said, "You are Peter," (Peter means rock in Greek) "and on this Rock (Peter), I will build my church".

 

[Phrossack]

I quit some time ago, but that's because I became atheist. Never liked religion at all anyway.

 

[NBAfan]

Peter (head of the apostles) denied. Thomas doubted. Judas betrayed. Who ever said the Church was supposed to be perfect, or that being a religious in the church means you're suddenly without fault?

I agree.

Peter was never the head of the church. The first leader of the church was James and Paul rebuked Peter at the Jerusalem counsel.

This is wrong, James and Paul disagreed with Peter about whenever the non jewish converts should follow the Mosaic Law. Peter saw that there was no need to after that.

Interesting. Do you think the Pope is infallible?

The Pope is infallible when he preaches about doctrine to the whole Church. Other wise he is fallible.
Now the stories going around about Pope Benedict are groundless.

It was Jesus who told Peter to "Feed my lambs" (an administrative role over the lambs, or other apostles/priests). Jesus also said, "You are Peter," (Peter means rock in Greek) "and on this Rock (Peter), I will build my church".

Chieftess is right.

I left the church many years ago, before the child rape scandals became public. In part because of other things I felt church doctrine were wrong about.

Interesting, what made you leave?

 

[mechaerik]

I'm a Catholic, and so I remain. Am I especially pious? No, but I adhere to traditions and do attend church now and again.

 

[civ_king]

I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church

@NBAfan
The news is vastly taking things out of context and putting quite a bit of spin on it
Actually the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at least being intimately connected to divine revelation
In Aramaic they used the terms Cephas in both instances

 

[naterator]

Baptized Catholic but never attended church as a kid, not even holidays. Never really believed, never considered myself religious, so i didn't vote. Although technically i guess i left the church, but since i never consented to baptism i don't consider myself as having ever been a member to begin with.

 

[Traitorfish]

Keep in mind Catholics are also diverse group, because there are people who when I ask why they're Catholic, their "proof" is: "I'm baptised." And I'm all: "... "

Strictly speaking, they're correct, although Confirmation is required to be a "full" Catholic. At that point, the Church will claim you to your grave, regardless of what you yourself think. As Dara O'Briain put it, Catholicism is the stickiest, most adhesive religion there is. It's probably also worth noting that in certain countries, Catholicism is often connected to a particular ethnic or cultural identity, and so carries more meaning that religious adherence. In Scotland, for example, "Catholic" is almost synonymous with the Irish-Scots minority, to which I myself belong (although it covers, of course, the Italian and Polish minorities, who, at this point, are all thoroughly joined at the hip, even as they dissolve).

And I've never heard this "Catholic, not Christian" thing before. In my experience, the argument is about who the real Christians are. I suppose, in the American case, it may be a Well-Sod-You-Too reaction to the traditional tendency among certain forms of Protestantism, particularly in the United States, to associate "Christianity" with Protestantism to the exclusion of Catholicism.

Anyway, yeah, I'm in the set that bailed years ago, because it's just silly.

 

[NBAfan]

I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church

@NBAfan
The news is vastly taking things out of context and putting quite a bit of spin on it
Actually the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at least being intimately connected to divine revelation
In Aramaic they used the terms Cephas in both instances

I forgot morals. Anyway you have a good explanation.

Baptized Catholic but never attended church as a kid, not even holidays. Never really believed, never considered myself religious, so i didn't vote. Although technically i guess i left the church, but since i never consented to baptism i don't consider myself as having ever been a member to begin with.

No, you are a fallen away member.

 

[Karalysia]

So these guys are infalliable?

Sergius III (897, 904-911)

Take Stephen VI and put about ten extra inches of penis on him, and you get Sergius III. The only man badass enough to be forcibly removed from the office and to take it back, his seven-year reign left the landscape littered with corpses and papal bastards.

Stephen was first elected in 897, but Rome clearly wasn't ready. Perhaps the nut-check chair's hole was too small. Whatever the reason, he was expelled by force and excommunicated by various factions of player-hater. While Sergius sat at home and stewed, the papacy was fought over by some guys who were actually pretty badass in their own right.

Realizing that what was needed was stability through the accumulation of dead bodies, the gangstas running things in Rome invited Sergius back to his rightful throne. The new and former pope embarked on a program of governance that combined the best aspects of the first 100 days Franklin Roosevelt's presidency and the end of The Godfather. Sergius:

Had his predecessor, the Antipope Christopher, strangled in prison.
Had his predecessor's predecessor, Leo V, strangled in prison.
Set about impregnating a prominent Roman noblewoman with the future Pope John XI.
Completed the legacy of his mentor Stephen VI by re-digging up poor old Formosus, trying his dead ass again, and beheading him.

Alexander VI (1492-1503)

Alexander VI blazed the trail for Biggie Smalls, Kingpin and Jabba the Hutt as obese badasses who didn't let their man-boobs and tendency to sweat while they ate stop them from amassing a huge fortune, slaughtering their enemies, and getting sweatily busy with the ladies.

Any story you've ever heard about crooked popes started with this guy. He bought the papacy with four mule loads of silver. He nailed Rome's most eligible bachelorettes. He made his 17-year-old bastard son an archbishop. He started wars, poisoned cardinals and took their money, and probably ate live frogs while feeding people to the Rancor

His greatest accomplishment--as a host if not as a pope--was the Banquet of Chestnuts held in 1501. This sounds nice enough until you learn that the chestnuts were merely a pretext to have a pack of naked hookers crawling around the ground collecting them. But that wasn't the evening's only nut-related activity. Trained observers were present to keep track of the total number and quality of the party-goers' ejaculations. That's exactly the kind of information you need when a bishopric comes open.

Alexander's death was followed by further hijinks. His ham-stuffed corpse couldn't fit in the coffin and began belching sulfur. His successor forbade anyone from saying prayers for his lardy soul. Finally, almost 400 years later, he was reborn as Aleister Crowley (at least that's what he said), who shocked the world by ... taking a lot of drugs and drawing naked pictures of himself.

 

[naterator]

No, you are a fallen away member.

No, sorry, i'm not. I understand that forced induction is a great tactic for an organization that loves to claim how huge it's numbers are, but i am (was) no more catholic than people who have had posthumous proxy baptism ceremonies are mormon, or jesus was a muslim.

 

[NBAfan]

So these guys are infalliable?

What are you smoking?

No, sorry, i'm not. I understand that forced induction is a great tactic for an organization that loves to claim how huge it's numbers are, but i am (was) no more catholic than people who have had posthumous proxy baptism ceremonies are mormon, or jesus was a muslim.

If you were baptized you are a member. The turth hurts.

 

[Karalysia]

What are you smoking?

I want what those Popes are smoking.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

Remember people: God made those priests rape children just to test your faith ! Stay strong ! Giving up will mean that you are weak willed !

 

[Traitorfish]

If you were baptized you are a member according to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church.

Fixed, for the sake of perspective.

 

[Winner]

If you were baptized you are a member. The turth hurts.

Not really. But it nicely shows that the Church doesn't really care - not even about your faith in God, for that matter - so long as it can claim supremacy over you as a person.

How immensely pathetic...