Any practising catholics here? (and do you follow the rules?)

Dudess

I'm in my late 20s and I've noticed in the past couple of years that a number of people in my age group have started to attend mass again - seemingly having gotten over the rebelling against religion phase so integral to their teens/early twenties.
The reason - generally they've decided to reconnect with their spiritual side. People my age group are also getting married, and all the ones I know tend to opt for a church wedding. Those who have kids are choosing to have them baptised as catholics (I know two girls who married men who are members of the Church of Ireland, yet their children were still baptised as catholic).

So... I guess this means loads more kids, shunning their friends who are gay, maybe protesting against divorce and abortion and, in the event that they can't have kids, refusing to go down the IVF route.
And as for those who are not married - no more sex til their wedding night.

Doesn't it?

Doubt it.

Why this hypocrisy? Sure, reconnect with your spiritual side - that's great. Embrace the teachings of christianity - even better. But opting for the catholic faith and attending catholic mass - isn't this just laziness? What about attending ecumenical services, unitarian services. Aren't there non-denominational christian services that focus on Christ's teachings rather than being petty sects?
I find it pretty repugnant that people who use contraception, have sex before marriage and have gay friends (surely they should be even more supportive of their gay friends by not having anything to do with an organisation that condemns homosexuality as evil) are re-embracing religion by opting for catholicism. Rules are rules.

I'm not a practising catholic.

Karoma

Irish Catholicism has long been a pick'n'mix religion. You've just noticed your friends reaching an age where they have to make grown-up decisions, and they have chosen the old, easy route - it's lipservice. It is nothing new.

Dudess

True it's nothing new. But all of what you said is exactly what galls me. I think it becomes more and more hypocritical with each new generation. At least 30 years ago, our parents genuinely were religious (maybe that was fear more than anything).

Karoma

Have you questioned any of your friends?

GhostInTheRuins

Dudess wrote:

I find it pretty repugnant that people who use contraception, have sex before marriage and have gay friends (surely they should be even more supportive of their gay friends by not having anything to do with an organisation that condemns homosexuality as evil) are re-embracing religion by opting for catholicism. Rules are rules.

Do you find it repugnant because you are a die hard catholic and disapprove of those actions in general or because of their hypocrisy? Just curious, I presume it's the latter.

Dudess

No, they're mostly just acquaintances - apart from one friend. She's willing to admit that she's selecting the bits she wants. On the other hand, she doesn't see herself as that religious - she's not in mass every Sunday.
D.T. Jesus: it's the latter.

Tha Gopher

I never rebelled against religion. I just couldnt be bothered going to mass on a Sunday getting the congregation drunk off my breath alone from the night before. In fairness, unless you have good personal reason hating the church is one of the most conformist, saddest things I can think of.

Plug

Im suposed to be a catholic, i don't believe in that kind of crap tbh.

I only did my comformation for the money not the holy spirit, cule!

Mossy Monk

I am not really one for fiction.

Stephen

Mossy Monk wrote:

I am not really one for fiction.

QFT.

That was especially for you ThaGopher

Ruu_Old

I think like a lot of us, we were given the choice to continue on with it or make our own minds up when we were about 10-12 year olds. It just wasn't for me.

lemansky

I just don't care. I only ever went because I had to. Once I started having a choice I gave it up. It was never for me.

Dirk Gently

I've yet to meet a genuine catholic. Most of these D.I.Y. catholics I know wouldn't know too much about their own religion, or any religion for that matter and just have a vague sense of belonging to this club, whether through nationality or because they want to believe in a God and catholics believe in God so therefore they must be catholic.

I find it hard to believe that the vast majority of young people with access to education are not atheists or at least wolly agnostics, if they just thought about it for a few minutes. Like Mr Tayto says, there's always one but really, how many "catholics" are aware of their religions teachings and actually believe it? I've always had a soft spot for buddists but I see that as more of a personal lifestyle choice for the person rathar than a religion. Regarding Catholism, I just can't understand if genuine new recruits are getting involved.

Tha Gopher

Stephen wrote:

QFT.

That was especially for you ThaGopher

Do not EVER direct the letters "QFT" in my direction, even if you are agreeing with a post I made.:rolleyes: QFT is like a written form of teh gheyness.

mehg, ive no problem with it full stop. They have had little to no control over our lives since the late 70s. Let people believe what they want to (mind you i had a looksie in the Christianity forum, someone was claiming the wife had spoken word conversations with God)

Eh......okey doke Eamon......

Dudess

Yep, I think a tiny part of me wants there to be some higher power looking after us all (although scratch that "all" - look at the sh*t going on around the world) but apart from that, I'm pretty much an atheist.

I suppose "agnostic" would be the best way to describe me.

estebancambias

Yes I consider myself to be a true Catholic, but I also have my own views on religion, which do not detail the image of a catholic per se.

People who say there is no God, are under the impression they are insightful and deep thinking but in truth they are too shallow to even comtemplate the existence of something higher out there.

The NEW western world hates Christianity....FACT!!! It's blind hatred, and I will be making a vid on youtube about this soon.

ceidefields

The one thing I find very sad about the Catholic religion is the inability to be self-critical. There's only one holy church, it's our way or the highway sort of thing. No room for internal dialog or debate at all.

And honestly, what experiences do any priests have that are relevant to life today?

The whole religion just seems destined for the dustbin to me.

Dirk Gently

estebancambias wrote:

The NEW western world hates Christianity....FACT!!! It's blind hatred, and I will be making a vid on youtube about this soon.

oh noes ...... A youtube video :eek:
That will teach em.

Dudess

estebancambias wrote:

Yes I consider myself to be a true Catholic, but I also have my own views on religion, which do not detail the image of a catholic per se.

A catholic or a christian? Y'see, there's a difference. If you're not married and having sex, using contraception, aren't opposed to divorce, abortion, have no problem with homosexuality - all or some of the above, well then you're not actually a true catholic are you? Whether or not you have your own views on what constitutes that.

The NEW western world hates Christianity....FACT!!! It's blind hatred

Could you elaborate on that statement now? I certainly have no problem with Christianity - in fact I have great time for the teachings of Christ (who I do believe existed - a person, not some divine entity). It's basically: be nice to each other.

estebancambias

Ceidefeilds good points, however your point that the Catholic religion has the inability to be self-critical can be applied to any religion or non-believers for that matter.

the_syco

Dudess wrote:

I find it pretty repugnant that people who use contraception, have sex before marriage and have gay friends (surely they should be even more supportive of their gay friends by not having anything to do with an organisation that condemns homosexuality as evil) are re-embracing religion by opting for catholicism. Rules are rules.

I'm not a practising catholic.

There's being a Catholic, and then there's following rules laid out by people who think its ok to **** a child.

estebancambias wrote:

The NEW western world hates Christianity....FACT!!!

I think you mean the East...

Stephen

estebancambias wrote:

The NEW western world hates Christianity....FACT!!! It's blind hatred, and I will be making a vid on youtube about this soon.

I don't hate christianity. I just don't believe in it. The same goes for islam, judaism, hinduism, scientology and <insert religion here>. Believe in whatever you like, it doesn't bother me. I only have a problem with religions when their followers try to force their beliefs and rules upon others, such as good old catholic Ireland with its illegal contraception in the past, creationist nutters trying to teach their stories as science in America, muslims going apeshít and burning Danish embassies and the like over a few stupid cartoons, etcetera. The list goes on.

Tha Gopher

the_syco wrote:

There's being a Catholic, and then there's following rules laid out by people who think its ok to **** a child.


.

That is somewhat of an overstatement and you know full well it is. Its like saying that because that child molester in England got off today with a ridicilious community sentence that Gordon Browns government is pro paedo. Mistakes and irresponsible descisions happened, but that blanket comment is a load of arse.

Dudess

the_syco wrote:

There's being a Catholic, and then there's following rules laid out by people who think its ok to **** a child

How are they two separate things? Surely "being a catholic" IS "following rules laid out by people who think it's ok to **** a child". Those "rules" are catholic doctrine (although not all of those who enforce them think it's ok to **** a child).

rusalka

Dudess wrote:

If you're not married and having sex, using contraception, aren't opposed to divorce, abortion, have no problem with homosexuality - all or some of the above, well then you're not actually a true catholic are you?

Emmmmm....why not, then? Would you say an employee who pilfers stationery or takes 10 minutes longer than he should at lunchtime is any less an employee?

Likewise just because you are Catholic does not in any way negate the fact that as a human being you are imperfect (in the eyes of the church, anyway!;) ) and in having imperfect judgement, will more than likely make decisions which will cause you to sin (again, in the eyes of the church....), but it doesn't make you any less Catholic.

It makes you a sinful Catholic, but still a Catholic in the truest sense of the word. Obviously those who follow the Catholic faith will (or should, anyway!) aspire to follow the rules, but sure we're all only human, and should they fall - isn't that what confession's for? Just wipe the slate clean, and off you go again!

To paraphrase a quote - "The old JC's got nothin' on me!" :rolleyes:

I'm reminded of the scene in Nuns on the Run when Robbie Coltrane's character is explaining Catholicism to Eric Idle's, and tells him (her!) that we have to sin in order to be forgiven, and get into heaven, and that's why Catholicism suits so many people - they're selling afterlife insurance!

Tha Gopher

Enough of this. Im converting to Islam (an offshoot of Islam that several Wu Tang members are into, it allows for drinking, smoking weed and random women, as long as you change your name to a half ghetto half Arab name like Shakwon Allah Supreme or something )

estebancambias

Lol.

Look people blame religion saying it's the root of all evil. Come on that is just wrong, with religion mixed with people thinking for themselves it should and would lead to a better world.
I really don't care what religion you persue, or even if you don't, but religion should be seen as the teacher, no matter what. You can doubt, you can say Religion is merely a fabrication by man to feel good for themselves, but there should be laws which prohibit people from saying comments like ''this guy jesus supposably', 'allah is a dick' and stuff along those lines.

ejmaztec

estebancambias wrote:

Lol.

Look people blame religion saying it's the root of all evil. Come on that is just wrong, with religion mixed with people thinking for themselves it should and would lead to a better world.
I really don't care what religion you persue, or even if you don't, but religion should be seen as the teacher, no matter what. You can doubt, you can say Religion is merely a fabrication by man to feel good for themselves, but there should be laws which prohibit people from saying comments like ''this guy jesus supposably', 'allah is a dick' and stuff along those lines.

Surely, if you are allowed to say that religion is a fabrication, isn't that the same as calling all believers dicks? What would you suggest happens to the perpetrators?

jester77

Although I'm a Catholic (I suppose that's because of my parents faith) I could never understand the concept, it's more far fetched than Santa Claus. Unfortunately there seem to be a lot of gullible people out there who fall for this type of thing and what's sad is that there is no one around like when you were a kid to tell you that there is no such thing as Santa

Turkilton

I told them we shouldn't give women the vote

David Michael

Dudess wrote:

I'm in my late 20s and I've noticed in the past couple of years that a number of people in my age group have started to attend mass again - seemingly having gotten over the rebelling against religion phase so integral to their teens/early twenties.
The reason - generally they've decided to reconnect with their spiritual side. People my age group are also getting married, and all the ones I know tend to opt for a church wedding. Those who have kids are choosing to have them baptised as catholics (I know two girls who married men who are members of the Church of Ireland, yet their children were still baptised as catholic).

So... I guess this means loads more kids, shunning their friends who are gay, maybe protesting against divorce and abortion and, in the event that they can't have kids, refusing to go down the IVF route.
And as for those who are not married - no more sex til their wedding night.

Doesn't it?

Doubt it.

Why this hypocrisy? Sure, reconnect with your spiritual side - that's great. Embrace the teachings of christianity - even better. But opting for the catholic faith and attending catholic mass - isn't this just laziness? What about attending ecumenical services, unitarian services. Aren't there non-denominational christian services that focus on Christ's teachings rather than being petty sects?
I find it pretty repugnant that people who use contraception, have sex before marriage and have gay friends (surely they should be even more supportive of their gay friends by not having anything to do with an organisation that condemns homosexuality as evil) are re-embracing religion by opting for catholicism. Rules are rules.

I'm not a practising catholic.

Welcome to getting older.

Deal with it.