Print Page - Who here is Catholic?

After uvakat's recent thread http://armedpolitesociety.com/viewtopic.php?id=2030 and MaterDei's http://armedpolitesociety.com/viewtopic.php?id=2074 I'm curious. Who here is Catholic?

cos

I was raised Catholic. Then I decided that I wanted no part of organized religion. I pray when I want, how I want, etc.

I was raised Baptist and my wife is Catholic. We don't do church so much primarily because I believe churches are the spawn of satan but I guess my own religion, Gregism, doesn't count so I don't know what I am.

Greg

My mother is a practicing Catholic and my father was raised Catholic.

Recovering Catholic here...

Anther recovering Catholic. Along with my sisters and my girlfriend as well. Although we were all raised Catholic, as we grew older we felt that there were some serious problems with the Catholic church. The molestation/abuse cover up was the frosting on the cake. I often wondered how many of our donations over the years went to secretly settle lawsuits.

Quote

The molestation/abuse cover up was the frosting on the cake.

+1

I spent the first 1/2 of my freshman year in HS at an all boy school run by monks or "Brothers" . Knowing what I know now and thinking of certain instances back then makes me shudder. Thankfully, we moved away...

After that came the all girl high school with nuns that was just recently allowing boys to attend. That was better! Wink

Not Catholic, but as close as one can come in the Protestant world - Wisconsin Synod Lutheran!

The abuse cover up really, really bothers me. Some of my family members are still hard core Catholic. They claim that the abuse has been blown out of proportion, and that there is no greater percentage of child molesters in the Catholic church than in any other business. I gently pointed out that if that were true, we would see similar reports and frequencies of welders, stockbrokers, bartenders, mechanics, etc. being charged with abuse. I work for a major financial corporation that employs over 100,000 people. How come my fellow employees don't seem to be committing the same amount of crimes against children?

I apologize if I have offended any people who are practicing Catholics. It is not my intention to be anti Catholic, as I know many fine law abiding people who are Catholic.

Thanks for all the replies. I was just interested in who was Catholic.

I'm a practicing Catholic, active in the youth ministry at my parish. I'm currently in the process of trying to obtain an annullment.

My father is a Catholic with a newly rediscovered interest in the faith. I was raised Presbyterian like my mom (marriage compromise). Been real interesting talking with him coming as I do now from a non-denominational evangelical bent.

I figure as the son of a good Catholic I'll get a pass from the Pope if this whole Protestantism thing turns out to be a horrible mistake. Wink

I was raised Catholic, but I am not a fan of organized religion.

Was raised Catholic. Went to a Catholic school. Went to mass 4 or 5 times a week until I was in High school, then it was only once a week. Mother was late for mass once when I was 6, so she took me to the Lutheran Church across the street from our apartment. Found out from overhearing my Grandmothother that my Mom will go to hell for that, and to make matters worse, her son would probably go to Hell for that transgression as well. Kinda figured that I had enough church time banked up to cover me until I was 30. Fell away from the Church. Ended up joining the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church.

Raised a Catholic, altar boy, Catholic elementary school, would have gone to Catholic High School, but they started charging $25.00 a year tuition in '57 so I couldn't afford to go. Got married in the church. After the kids started coming, began to wonder if my donations were more important than their souls. I had to bitch to the bishop to get my son baptized in a parish other than my own. The reason; we weren't dues paying members of that parish. That was odd because I thought catholic meant universal.

Started to send the kids to bible school and found out all that was going on there was they were coloring and playing games. Hmmm
About this time, I began being a bonehead and my marriage was threatened as a result. Went to talk to the priest that had been borrowing our corvette on weekends. He was a friend, right? Well as soon as I began wondering if I was having some sort of spiritiual meltdown, he stopped coming around and even began avoiding me. Hmmmm.

Had a long talk with God one night when I was seriously considering suicide. He made it clear that was not an option. Started a spiritual quest that continues to this day (25 years or so). Checked out Mormonism, some oriental stuff and finally started to actually read the Bible. Had a conversation with another priest, a charismatic priest; they spoke in tongues at his Masses. I was confiding that I thought I was finally starting to "get it" and was wondering about being baptized as an adult. I felt I needed to do this as an adult as I felt I needed to humble myself in front of people who knew me and some who didn't, just to declare myself. He basically threw me out of his office. Said I was an Anabaptist. Evidently he didn't think G-d loved me enough to consider my reasoning. Hmmmmm.

Became a born again Christian about 20 years ago as a result. It is amazing how much one's life opens up and resiliancy is gained along with an understanding that the world does not revolve around me. Really, it doesn't. I discovered that giving really is better than getting and that the more one gives and trusts, the more one is able to see the richness of whatever life provides, even in the midst of sorrow or disappointment or pain or loss or even in blessing. I found you could talk to G-d all of the time, in the strangest places and times. He seems to always find time to listen, even when I don't think so. I found that being a Christian was not about going to a building. It is about living your life after a fashion that causes you to smile and wonder why you never thought about things like that before. It calls you up against yourself a lot. A guy called me once to thank me for sending a bit of money every month to Youth for Christ. Wanted to invite me to a dinner. I said no, that the little bit I was doing was penance for being such an idiot and laughing at the YFC kids when I was in high school. A free dinner didn't factor into my feelings about my behavior.

Of course I remain an opinionated boring sort, as one can't do much about his genes and beliefs in what really constitutes freedom. I am involved in the rough and tumble of local politics and I just read an e mail that was sent to a group of folks outlining what a complete A**h*** I am and part of the political good ole boy network. That e mail completely confirmed my philosopy of life. "As one goes through life 10% of whoever you meet will be an A**h***. Now you can choose to live your life controlled by that 10% or realize that 90% are not. But, to stay humble, one needs to remember that you will be on someone's 10% list." Well let's just say I'm humbled. As for the good ole boys, I've been spending a lot of time being a burr under their saddles and I stand accused of being one of them. Sigh.....

Anywho, I'm a Christian who's come to understand that as the body is made up of many diverse and complicated parts, many of which do not seem to complement each other, so is the Christian world. We may not seem to complement each other but we do, at the end of the day, make the body work at the direction of the head. So, I'm not too worried about what building one bends his knee, or if it bends in a building at all, only that, it seems to me, to be important that the knee bends daily in some fashion.

I also have a great deal of respect for those who believe in other ways than I do, for it is my belief that the roadmap to G-d has many pathways, and that He has many mansions and many sheep. I think those sheep follow many roads that lead to a common Landlord. I believe Jesus can be found in various and sundry ways along various and sundry pathways. With G-d, all things are possible. I am convinced that I have the Truth of the matter and will stand or fall on that. But I believe that each person is an island and will have to decide about a matter of faith or lack of same by using whatever gift one has for that purpose all by his or her self.

I believe I hijacked this thread sufficiently long enough. My apologies to tangent/cosine.

Was Catholic when I was younger. The more I learned about God and all the more I got away from the scripted Catholic way of worship. I know talk to the Lord on a one on one basis and worship him in my own way. As for where I do it, a Pentacostal church would be my preference.

An Epoiscopalian who married a Catholic. Close enough?

Quote from: thebaldguy

The abuse cover up really, really bothers me. Some of my family members are still hard core Catholic. They claim that the abuse has been blown out of proportion, and that there is no greater percentage of child molesters in the Catholic church than in any other business.

That may be so, but if the Catholic church claims to be God's church, then there should be zero percent molestation by clergy. Period. I realize humans are flawed, and bad things happen, but to say "oh, well the Catholic church doesn't molest more children than the local Vons" isn't a very good defense.

Quote from: grampster

Raised a Catholic, altar boy, Catholic elementary school, would have gone to Catholic High School, but they started charging $25.00 a year tuition in '57 so I couldn't afford to go. Got married in the church. After the kids started coming, began to wonder if my donations were more important than their souls. I had to bitch to the bishop to get my son baptized in a parish other than my own. The reason; we weren't dues paying members of that parish. That was odd because I thought catholic meant universal.

Started to send the kids to bible school and found out all that was going on there was they were coloring and playing games. Hmmm
About this time, I began being a bonehead and my marriage was threatened as a result. Went to talk to the priest that had been borrowing our corvette on weekends. He was a friend, right? Well as soon as I began wondering if I was having some sort of spiritiual meltdown, he stopped coming around and even began avoiding me. Hmmmm.

Had a long talk with God one night when I was seriously considering suicide. He made it clear that was not an option. Started a spiritual quest that continues to this day (25 years or so). Checked out Mormonism, some oriental stuff and finally started to actually read the Bible. Had a conversation with another priest, a charismatic priest; they spoke in tongues at his Masses. I was confiding that I thought I was finally starting to "get it" and was wondering about being baptized as an adult. I felt I needed to do this as an adult as I felt I needed to humble myself in front of people who knew me and some who didn't, just to declare myself. He basically threw me out of his office. Said I was an Anabaptist. Evidently he didn't think G-d loved me enough to consider my reasoning. Hmmmmm.

Became a born again Christian about 20 years ago as a result. It is amazing how much one's life opens up and resiliancy is gained along with an understanding that the world does not revolve around me. Really, it doesn't. I discovered that giving really is better than getting and that the more one gives and trusts, the more one is able to see the richness of whatever life provides, even in the midst of sorrow or disappointment or pain or loss or even in blessing. I found you could talk to G-d all of the time, in the strangest places and times. He seems to always find time to listen, even when I don't think so. I found that being a Christian was not about going to a building. It is about living your life after a fashion that causes you to smile and wonder why you never thought about things like that before. It calls you up against yourself a lot. A guy called me once to thank me for sending a bit of money every month to Youth for Christ. Wanted to invite me to a dinner. I said no, that the little bit I was doing was penance for being such an idiot and laughing at the YFC kids when I was in high school. A free dinner didn't factor into my feelings about my behavior.

Of course I remain an opinionated boring sort, as one can't do much about his genes and beliefs in what really constitutes freedom. I am involved in the rough and tumble of local politics and I just read an e mail that was sent to a group of folks outlining what a complete A**h*** I am and part of the political good ole boy network. That e mail completely confirmed my philosopy of life. "As one goes through life 10% of whoever you meet will be an A**h***. Now you can choose to live your life controlled by that 10% or realize that 90% are not. But, to stay humble, one needs to remember that you will be on someone's 10% list." Well let's just say I'm humbled. As for the good ole boys, I've been spending a lot of time being a burr under their saddles and I stand accused of being one of them. Sigh.....

Anywho, I'm a Christian who's come to understand that as the body is made up of many diverse and complicated parts, many of which do not seem to complement each other, so is the Christian world. We may not seem to complement each other but we do, at the end of the day, make the body work at the direction of the head. So, I'm not too worried about what building one bends his knee, or if it bends in a building at all, only that, it seems to me, to be important that the knee bends daily in some fashion.

I also have a great deal of respect for those who believe in other ways than I do, for it is my belief that the roadmap to G-d has many pathways, and that He has many mansions and many sheep. I think those sheep follow many roads that lead to a common Landlord. I believe Jesus can be found in various and sundry ways along various and sundry pathways. With G-d, all things are possible. I am convinced that I have the Truth of the matter and will stand or fall on that. But I believe that each person is an island and will have to decide about a matter of faith or lack of same by using whatever gift one has for that purpose all by his or her self.

I believe I hijacked this thread sufficiently long enough. My apologies to tangent/cosine.

No, I'm glad to hear your story, grampster. I may not agree with everything you believe, or with all your logic regarding Christianity, but I will gladly defend your freedom, liberty, and free will to make these choices the best way that you believe and see fit.

Quote from: dasmi

Quote from: thebaldguy

The abuse cover up really, really bothers me. Some of my family members are still hard core Catholic. They claim that the abuse has been blown out of proportion, and that there is no greater percentage of child molesters in the Catholic church than in any other business.

That may be so, but if the Catholic church claims to be God's church, then there should be zero percent molestation by clergy. Period. I realize humans are flawed, and bad things happen, but to say "oh, well the Catholic church doesn't molest more children than the local Vons" isn't a very good defense.

I agree that saying ' "oh, well the Catholic church doesn't molest more children than the local Vons" isn't a very good defense.'

However, Christ Himself came to earth with mercy and love for mankind, and taught that mercy and love to those who would listen. Humans are flawed, (and need Christ's mercy) and there may be molestation of children by the clergy which is gravely wrong, but the actions of members of the Church should not turn one away from researching and/or consider joining the Catholic Church. The Church consists of the people as Christ intends them to be. The Church does not consist only if the people behave with perfect holiness.

Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: cosine on December 16, 2005, 07:22:59 PM