God

Money issues regarding the Catholic Church have been mentioned, so I thought I would address them.

I find it odd where our society sometimes puts value. We are willing to pay $8 for a movie, and $10 or more for candy and pop corn and pop, yet many of the non-religious don't complain about movie prices and over-priced candy with the same zeal that they complain about OTHER people putting 5 or even (holy-cow) 10 dollars in a collection basket at a church that they don't even go to. Ironic, don't you think.

The fact is, the church needs money to survive; any institution does. And, when you don't charge for your services, you have to ask for donations. It's just that simple.

Now I often hear other whining about the Catholic Church and the way it spends money on buildings, art, etc.

Well guess what, most of the donators, like myself, find these things of value. We like it. And it should be of no suprise that most of the complainers aren't even a part of that church, and don't donate to it anyways.

Some important things to note: Catholic Clergy takes a vow of poverty. Priests make what is considered poverty level income, with no hopes for getting a raise. Priests are not in the same category as these televangalists who drive around in Merceded-Benz Limo's.

Another point: I've been to mass before where I didn't like the homily. I went to one recently, at a different church where the priest had said that volunteer work is something of great value. Then he did something of little value, which was he proceeded to read all of the positions open for volunteer work at the parish, and their discriptions. That was the homily....I had to listen to 20 minutes of THAT!

But, guess what? That was only 1 Sunday folks. And that was only 1 priest. That should hardly be used as a method to judge an entire organization or way of thinking.

So, if you were at 1 or 2 homilies where you disagreed, join the club with every other Catholic out there. If you didn't like how one priest presented the idea of "donating," then you could have gone to another parish, or just come back to the same parish the next Sunday, where the subject would have changed. Now, if your trying to purpose that you have been to countless Catholic Masses, and the entire subject of "almost" every one was "donate, donate, donate," then I would purpose that not only are you wrong in your perception, but that this is your narrow view, and your narrow opinion that your trying to pass off to this thread as fact. Sorry to be so harsh, and I don't know for sure if that is what some of you are saying. I can only make this conclusion, however, based on the fact that the experience of being asked for excessive donations doesn't coincide with that of countless other Catholics I know.

One final thing....Being generous is a Catholic value, but requiring donations of exessive value, or hoaxing people into giving, of donating beyond ones means is NOT a Catholic value. That is another thing that you won't find in the Churches teachings.

:asian:

I must get back to work now. A lot of good points on this thread, and I unfortunatily do not have the time to address every single one. If you have a question for me, however, please post it and I will try to get back to it as soon as I can.

:)
 
Someone mentioned the 9 Satanic Statements(NOT Commandments) and to that I give you a thumbs up. I like them.
 
Originally posted by TLH3rdDan
ok back another thing that i noticed everyone seemed to skip right over without even a mention was a post about the satanic commandments... what are your thoughts on them?

Yeah I noticed that too my guess is many people are afriad they agree with them lololol
 
Tithing: Tithing is not a Catholic church practice, as tithing has a very specific definition that is not satisfied by regular churchgoer donations. Tithing is an absolute requirement that 10% of your income be given to your church. There are other religions that have this requirement, but RC isn't one of them. I think, and I'm sure others could verify this, that the Mormon church does this, as does the Jehovah's Witness sect. There are others, I'm sure.

Cult vs. Religion: A cult is just a religion that hasn't grown up yet. The only difference is really one of scale.

Historical references to Jesus: There are none that are independent of scripture. There is one reference in a set of writings by the ancient historian, Josephus, but most scholars agree that the reference was most likely inserted by "pious" monks. Obviously, the subject is still debated. Other than that, only the bible exists. Thus, it isn't historically supported that Jesus existed and performed miracles as described in the Bible.

Personally, I'm sure that SOMEONE started it all, but the mythology surrounding him basically grew in the telling. One thing I find very interesting, and telling, is that the myth of Jesus basically mirrors similar messianic cults of the time and earlier. Mythraism is a good example, where the lead figure of Mythra was born of a virgin, sacrificed, and rose from the dead. Mythraism had it's heyday a century or two prior to the inception of Christianity, and was popular among the Roman legions. There are others, as well, and some of them were quite well-known.
 
I read in another forum where someone mentioned that Jesus was the first clone baby. lol

Kind of funny, if you think about it. Virgin birth = implanted embryo. "The Father and I are One" = clone!
 
Originally posted by Shinobi
Someone mentioned the 9 Satanic Statements(NOT Commandments) and to that I give you a thumbs up. I like them.

Then you'l really like these

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth

by Anton Szandor LaVey




1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.

3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.

4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.

5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.

6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.

7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

9. Do not harm little children.

10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.

11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.
 
Originally posted by nightingale8472
Tithing is absolutely a catholic practice. they call it "sacrificial giving" now. I remember sitting in church and hearing the deacon or person reading the announcements ask people to donate twenty percent of their income to the church. I've heard it at several different catholic parishes.
20%? No chance in hell in getting that! Good luck I say! :D Unless you are the Scientologists :mad: That is a cult and it milks its innocent members dry!

and to answer someone else's question:

I rejected christianity because every denomination of christianity puts a priest or minister up on a stage preaching, telling me what to do and how to do it as if he has some kind of direct telephone to heaven that I don't have. These people are just as clueless as I am.
Some preachers are worthless. But not all. You know what they say about overgeneralization.

I rejected christianity because it is based on something that is scientifically impossible: rising from the dead. you just flat out can't do that...and since god created the laws of science and physics and chemistry, it doesn't make any sense to me that he would wave a magic wand and make an exception just this once.
How does that compare to Wiccam (sp?)? Is Wiccam (sp) scientifically proven? BTW, don't you think your practice might jeopadize your plan to be a teacher, if I remember correctly reading somewhere that you want to teach?
my theories are:
1. he wasn't actually dead, only in a coma, which kinda tosses the whole "rising from the dead" thing out the window.

2. reports of the rising were greatly exaggerated.

The problem is in the burden of proof. Although there were many historical records that say that Jesus of Nazareth did exist, there are none (save the bible) that record any of his activities after his crucifixion (someone tell me if I spelled that right, please). This doesn't make sense, because if he was someone who was seen by thousands of people, it would have been recorded somewhere other than in the gospels.
Paul mentioned a book that discuss that.
The bible is an interesting book, and it has many good lessons. However, I have doubts of its historical accuracy...with regards to the old testament: you had thousands of years of oral tradition before anything was written down...ever played a game of telephone? and the new testament: the gospels weren't written as chronicles as things happened...they were written many years after the death of Jesus. All our memories get a little fuzzy when we look back on something that happened more than ten years ago... and the story of the birth of Jesus and the conception and all that (in one of the gospels, don't remember which one)...this was written by one of the apostles, but according to the story itself, the writer wasn't there. He must have heard it from someone else (not denying the possiblilty that it could be accurate, just bringing up the possibility that it may not be).
I value the New T for its teaching on values and ideas such as fraternal love and unconditional forgiveness. I don't see how anyone can object to the teaching of kindness, compassionate, universal love and stewardship of the earth and its beings.

The points I see for christianity:

when taken as it is meant to be, it has a good moral code, and many of the followers mean well.
That is fine.
history says Jesus existed.

The points I see against christianity:

Rising from the dead defies science.
There is records of Jesus' existance, but not his miracles.
The gospels contradict each other in more than one area.

My problem with christianity is that there is no source other than the bible that gives credit to the bible as truth. The bible says it is the word of god. however, anybody can say that, and people who are trying to become religious leaders often do. I need some other sources here, historical records that don't have a vested interest in promoting christianity.

Just because lots of people believe something doesn't make it correct...remember, lots of people believed the world was flat. [/B]
No one will deny the contradictions in the Bible. The Old Testament is little more than a recorded history of the Jews as told by the elders then.

I think you can go only as far to assert that what is in the Bible is inspired by God, although I admit that cut a loop hole just as big for other charlatans to claim the same.


To borrow Jeet Kune Do concept of getting rid off the useless stuff but retaining the useful stuff, we can cast aside the ambiguity and contradiction and still retain the good teaching of Jesus, ie to be a good and decent human being, to be kind to each other, to "shepherd the weak through the valley of the darkness", to be "truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.."
 
Originally posted by fist of fury
Then you'l really like these

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth

by Anton Szandor LaVey

1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.

3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.

4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.

5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.

6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.

7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

9. Do not harm little children.

10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.

11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.

Kind of like the same stuff your neighborhood bowling team dreams up. :D :D
 
11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.

"Octumus Prime.....Deeeeeeeeestroy!":stoplurk:

:rofl: :lol:

Or for those of you who don't remember transformers, and would prefer Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles instead.....

"Bebop! Rocksteady! Destroy those tuuuuurtles!

:bazook: :ninja:

I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I'm such a geek. :p

By the way...read the Satanic Bible when I was young, it was to self-serving for me then, as I would imagine it would still be now.
 
You are right, I do enjoy those as well. I enjoy the writings of Mr. LaVey very much indeed.
 
For the record, one of my favorite holidays outside of Christmas is Samhain.

And...if your celibrating Imbolc in 9 days (Feb. 2nd), think of me....that's the day of my Birthday!:cheers:
 
Johnathan - Its 'Wicca' or 'Wiccan' with an N.

Regarding Mr. Lavey....interesting read...I've been thru his many books many times when I was a teen. His background was he was a carny-barker who worked the sunday mass in the tents. Every sunday he'd see these upstanding folks crying about how sorry they were for sinning, and be right back at it on monday full speed. he decided that mainstream religions were based on hypocracy and so wrtoe out what he thought was common sence stuff, combined with his flair for the circus. Hense the elaborite rituals with naked women, and upside down crosses, etc. There is a difference between being a 'Satan Worshiper' and a Lavey 'Satanist'.

For interesting issues on religious descrimination see Wrens Nest. Its unbiased in looking at how all groups are mistreated.
http://www.witchvox.com/xwrensnest.html
Its also got a number of other interesting news bits, most of which you wont see in the mainstream controled media.
 
Another point to be mentioned is the complete lack of intelegence in certain members of our appointed government.

"I do not think witchcraft is a religion, and I do not think it is in any way appropriate for the US military to promote it," President George W. Bush said in October 2000 when campaigning in the US presidential election.

Someone needs to tell DerFurer Adolph Shrub here that Wicca has been reconized by the US Military as a 'real' religion since 1978, and the now obsolete Army Chaplains Handbook has had sections concerning it since at least 1984.

In addition, the IRS has been granting 501(c)(3) IRS tax exempt status to wiccan and pagan churches since 1972.

Very interesting read here : http://www.witchvox.com/wren/wn_detail.html?id=5558
though the original article appears to be offline.


The problem with -any- religion is understanding and tollerence. We have very little for the different, and as I said before, 'religion' is used as an excuse for too many things. The violence in N. Ireland, the Israiel / Arab issues, the US 'war on terrorism', bosnia, etc.
 
Ok heres a differant question........

"If God is everywhere then why must we travel to church?"

AND

"If God is all merciful and there is a God then shouldnt he forgive you for whatever sin anyway?"

I dunno I just saw them on Tv and thought I might as well get your ideas on those......:eek:
 
Kind of like the same stuff your neighborhood bowling team dreams up.

wow now there is some wonderful judgement of someone elses beliefs... with out knowing anything about them... gee surprise surprise... of course i could say that the 10 commandments were made up the same way... but i dont... because they are in nature a nice set of basic laws just as the satanic statements are and as are the satanic rules on earth...

ps its optimus prime not octumus prime... i love the transformers... great series... im trying to collect all the figures from it but thats another thread all together lol
 
Originally posted by TLH3rdDan
wow now there is some wonderful judgement of someone elses beliefs... with out knowing anything about them... gee surprise surprise... of course i could say that the 10 commandments were made up the same way... but i dont... because they are in nature a nice set of basic laws just as the satanic statements are and as are the satanic rules on earth...

ps its optimus prime not octumus prime... i love the transformers... great series... im trying to collect all the figures from it but thats another thread all together lol

Temper Temper.........and the Dinosaur Transformers were the best! :rolleyes:
 
yeah grimlock was cool... i never did like them after they brought in the new one around the time the movie came out... and they killed optimus and megatron and all the orignal transformers... the new series armada is cool i hate the beast wars series....
 
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