Would you consider being a nun/priest?

sideswipepee

So I came across this in a local parish newsletter the other day:

Looking for your path? Monastic Weekend 21st to 23rd September Come and see!
Carmelites Tallow Single Women (aged 22-38) discerning a vocation to religious life. St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery, Tallow, Co. Waterford

chances are I wouldn't meet a lot of the perequisites to become a nun... (and also the fact Im 21) though I do like to help people out in any way I can (granted you can still do that without wearing a load of heavy underskirts and the white coif/cap).
And it's most likely I'll just carry on like the majority of people and so on and so forth. I guess when I was younger I found Nano Nagle to be an unreal urusline nen educating kids and helping the sick and needy in Cork city after school.

Would you ever consider it or would you be automatically turned off by a life of vocation? Know anybody who does lead this sort of life?
(leaving the church scandals aside what do you think of them?)

Ambient Occlusion

Well, I have the crisp packets...

KKkitty

I'd be a crap nun. I'd always break the habit

Colmustard

A sexy nun for a fancy dress maybe.

Fromthetrees

Would you consider being a nun/priest?

If you mean in the context of dressing up as one than yes.

If you mean actually became one than no.

sideswipepee

Great, guess I could use the crisp packets to do origami, or burn them out of boredom. Though it would be great craic if it was anything like sister act :pac:

My name is URL

Not much different to becoming a soldier imo. To hell with vocations.. just do your time and blow it all on weeknights.

celticcrash

Our local priest is called Father Peter O File.

philologos

Not a Roman Catholic, but going into ministry has been something on my mind on and off over the past few years.

Shenshen

I wouldn't consider it for the following reasons :

I do not see poverty as something to aspire to.
I do not think that blind obedience is something to aspire to.
I like sex. A lot. With different people. And I don't find not having sex anything to aspire to, either.

And last but probably most important : I don't believe in god, and dislike organised religion.
I would consider becoming a prostitute before considering becoming a nun.
But to each their own.

JohnMearsheimer

My best friend did 4 years in the seminary and left. He found it too restrictive for him. He told me once he got given out to for getting on really well with a girl that was in one of his classes in Maynooth. He was told not to sit next to her again. He would have made a good priest but I think he found the institution of the church to be still in the dark ages. He still has his faith though. Personally, the priesthood wouldn't be for me.

IM0

*popcorn*

Bipolar Joe

Shenshen wrote: »

I wouldn't consider it for the following reasons :

I do not see poverty as something to aspire to.
I do not think that blind obedience is something to aspire to.
I like sex. A lot. With different people. And I don't find not having sex anything to aspire to, either.

And last but probably most important : I don't believe in god, and dislike organised religion.
I would consider becoming a prostitute before considering becoming a nun.
But to each their own.

What do you think of un/disorganised religion?

ruthloss

No, I was educated in an all girls school run by nuns.

Teyla Emmagan

Sadly I will be doing my toenails that weekend and unable to attend.

sweeney1971

Always thought you had to be a Virgin to be a Nun?

Shenshen

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

What do you think of un/disorganised religion?

As I said, to each their own.

I went to a secondary school run by a convent. They were Mary Ward sisters, and very liberal by Catholic standards. I did appreciate their openness and the emphasis they put on personal choices, but I also know that this constantly put them into very hot water with the Catholic authorities. I always wondered why they bothered, and not went ahead and ditched the Catholic label. They could have done the same and so much more without that millstone around their necks.

As for religion in general, I personally have no need for it. My life works fine without, I never experienced the "there as to be more to it" moment that many religious people will tell you about.
But I do realise that there are people who have a need for a "bigger purpose" explanation, so for these people religion does serve a purpose.

Kylo Ren

Absolutely.

Helping out the community, reaching out to the children, giving mass, reaching out to the children.

shopaholic01

No way, even if I was religious I would find it to be a lonely and restricted life. I find that people respond better to lay people now when they are in roles traditionally associated with religious orders.

SuperInfinity

No, and frankly, I think there's something not completely right about someone who swears to be celibate forever. The other stuff I can sorta respect as a belief system without buying into it myself.

BillyMitchel

Colmustard wrote: »

A sexy nun for a fancy dress maybe.

Photos or GTFO

jill_valentine

No. Just... no.

Lando Griffin

Would probably have considered it years ago when people were taught to respect and fear priests but now with the white collar crime and all the other stuff have lost alot of fear and respect in the neighbourhood would not consider it.

Red Hand

shopaholic01 wrote: »

No way, even if I was religious I would find it to be a lonely and restricted life. I find that people respond better to lay people now when they are in roles traditionally associated with religious orders.

Oh yeahhhh!!!!:P

No, don't believe in God and the celibate thing is right odd in my opinion.

krudler

Yes just to troll the congregations.

"and now please rise for a reading of a letter from Harry Potter to the Malfoys."

making airplane noises feeding people communion, spiking the church wine with vodka, wildly flailing the incense around. and finishing mass with "may the force be with you"

GarIT

sideswipepee wrote: »

(leaving the church scandals aside what do you think of them?)

That just sounds so stupid to me. Leaving the Holocaust scandals aside what do you think of the Nazi party?

Fromthetrees

GarIT wrote: »

That just sounds so stupid to me. Leaving the Holocaust scandals aside what do you think of the Nazi party?

They had dapper uniforms and their marching abilities were impeccable?
Can't really think of anything else...

KKkitty

I'd be a priest actually. Look at the benefits. A new car almost every year, a big house, housekeepers, my local church takes in over a thousand euro a week between in church collections and envelopes, a few holidays a year and spouting sanctimonious bs from the pulpit almost every day.

1ZRed

HahahahahahahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahaha




So in sort, no.

philologos

KKkitty wrote: »

I'd be a priest actually. Look at the benefits. A new car almost every year, a big house, housekeepers, my local church takes in over a thousand euro a week between in church collections and envelopes, a few holidays a year and spouting sanctimonious bs from the pulpit almost every day.

Just curious as to what you mean by sanctimonious BS? - For the record, I agree that more money that goes to churches should be used more wisely. I.E - To further the Gospel.

Is there anything in particular, or is it the fundamental truth of the Christian Gospel itself which is largely as follows:
1) God created the world, and in His loving rule He gave us standards to live the best we can in His creation.

2) Man fell into sin and rejected God's rightful rule, instead glorifying themselves rather than the one who made them. As a result for rejecting God's rightful rule in His creation, all are liable to judgement, as all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.

3) God in His loving mercy, sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to take the penalty that we all deserved on our behalf by dying in our place on the cross.

As a result we have two options:
4) Repent and believe in the Gospel. If we accept that Jesus stood in our place on the cross, paid the penalty for our sin in full, and if we turn our lives around so that we live for God rather than for our own selfishness, we can be forgiven and receive eternal life.

5) We can reject God's standards, God's mercy and God's loving rule, and take the penalty we deserve ourselves. That is eternal condemnation and separation from God.

Do you think that message is sanctimonious? If so I'd be interested to hear.

Littlehorny

50 years ago it was a status symbol to have a priest in the family, in 2012 Ireland a young man wanting to be a priest would be looked upon as bit of a weirdo tbh, with all that has gone on what young person would want to join up.

GarIT

Fromthetrees wrote: »

They had dapper uniforms and their marching abilities were impeccable?
Can't really think of anything else...

What I meant was you cant ask for an opinion on a group and then say except the most notable thing about them.

Kivaro

philologos wrote: »

1) God created the world ......

No, he didn't.

We are not three-year-olds and most of us do not believe in fairy stories.

OneArt

I'd like to spend some time in a Buddhist monastery some time during my life. But I couldn't do it permanently.

SuperInfinity

Kivaro wrote: »

No, he didn't.

We are not three-year-olds and most of us do not believe in fairy stories.

Factually speaking though, the people who believe in god aren't three year olds in general either.

Napper Hawkins

SuperInfinity wrote: »

Factually speaking though, the people who believe in god aren't three year olds in general either.

That's the depressing part.

ArtSmart

Shenshen wrote: »

I wouldn't consider it for the following reasons :

I do not see poverty as something to aspire to.
I do not think that blind obedience is something to aspire to.
I like sex. A lot. With different people. And I don't find not having sex anything to aspire to, either.

And last but probably most important : I don't believe in god, and dislike organised religion.
I would consider becoming a prostitute before considering becoming a nun.
But to each their own.

So a/ what you sayin? and

b/ what's your phone number? lol.


re the Op, I have to admit, one should never enter into a religious life unless one has experienced sex, frequently.

the universe wants to procreate, nothing else.

you gotta know that experience first.

otherwise it's a false decision, imo.

KKkitty

philologos wrote: »

KKkitty wrote: »

I'd be a priest actually. Look at the benefits. A new car almost every year, a big house, housekeepers, my local church takes in over a thousand euro a week between in church collections and envelopes, a few holidays a year and spouting sanctimonious bs from the pulpit almost every day.

Just curious as to what you mean by sanctimonious BS? - For the record, I agree that more money that goes to churches should be used more wisely. I.E - To further the Gospel.

Is there anything in particular, or is it the fundamental truth of the Christian Gospel itself which is largely as follows:
1) God created the world, and in His loving rule He gave us standards to live the best we can in His creation.

2) Man fell into sin and rejected God's rightful rule, instead glorifying themselves rather than the one who made them. As a result for rejecting God's rightful rule in His creation, all are liable to judgement, as all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.

3) God in His loving mercy, sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to take the penalty that we all deserved on our behalf by dying in our place on the cross.

As a result we have two options:
4) Repent and believe in the Gospel. If we accept that Jesus stood in our place on the cross, paid the penalty for our sin in full, and if we turn our lives around so that we live for God rather than for our own selfishness, we can be forgiven and receive eternal life.

5) We can reject God's standards, God's mercy and God's loving rule, and take the penalty we deserve ourselves. That is eternal condemnation and separation from God.

Do you think that message is sanctimonious? If so I'd be interested to hear.

It is sanctimonious. The 10 commandments comes to mind. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife yet it was totally acceptable in their warped minds to covet their parishioners kids. Thou shalt not steal yet they stole from parishioners daily cos my OH's mother said years ago the priest would call out names of parishioners and how much they gave towards the parish weekly and if your family hadn't contributed anything you were made feel ashamed. Not technically stealing I know but a form of blackmail of sorts. I know we can take some of the bibles' teachings and apply them to present day situations but the majority of it is archaic and outdated. God did not create the universe imo. More of a fan of the big bang theory myself. I do not dispute that Jesus did not exist however. To me he did but the bible was like a JCB and made made mountains out of molehills as regards the type of person he was. He was an ordinary man who obviously lived an extraordinary life.

Rayne Wooney

Yes I'd like to become a priest and tell people the world is flat, the whole universe revolves around the earth, God created all living things, discredit a few scientists.. I might even become Pope, I will be know as Borgio the 69th, and I'll have a few wives and children. So in short. No.

newmug

Yes, I've often thought about becoming a priest. When I was younger, it was definately a possibility. I think the main thing that put me off was the thought that I wouldn't be good enough. All the priests I know are damn fine people, real leaders, the type of people who organise big events just by bullsh1tting eg Bono, Bob Geldoff etc. Thats just not me. That plus I'd never be able to practice what I preach (fap fap fap!)

philologos

KKkitty wrote: »

It is sanctimonious. The 10 commandments comes to mind. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife yet it was totally acceptable in their warped minds to covet their parishioners kids. Thou shalt not steal yet they stole from parishioners daily cos my OH's mother said years ago the priest would call out names of parishioners and how much they gave towards the parish weekly and if your family hadn't contributed anything you were made feel ashamed. Not technically stealing I know but a form of blackmail of sorts. I know we can take some of the bibles' teachings and apply them to present day situations but the majority of it is archaic and outdated. God did not create the universe imo. More of a fan of the big bang theory myself. I do not dispute that Jesus did not exist however. To me he did but the bible was like a JCB and made made mountains out of molehills as regards the type of person he was. He was an ordinary man who obviously lived an extraordinary life.

OK - I'm not going to defend child abuse. Just to say. As a Christian I can see very clearly that that is a wretched thing to do. Hypocrisy was and is rife in Irish Catholicism, and can be present in other churches. (I'm an evangelical Christian by the by)

However, I don't think that it is an argument against the Bible, or what Jesus said and did.

"more a fan of the big bang theory", what makes you think that Christians can't believe in the big bang?

"God did not create the universe" - What did then? (If you say you don't know, how can you in the next that God doesn't exist?)

What do you find "archaic, and outdated" about what Jesus said in the Bible?

nozzferrahhtoo

^ Jesus may have been morally ahead of his time but he was behind ours. His opinions on everything from slavery to homosexuality are either out dated or unknown.

While we do not know the reasons for why the universe exists or how it came to be, this does not give you license to roll in any unsubstantiated notion you want and act like it is credible solely because you thought it up.

CruelCoin

No.

I enjoy sex waaaaaay too much.

Also, the whole "cosmic jewish magical zombie" thing never appealed to me.

Mind you, some of the nicest people i have ever met have been priests.

I favour allowing them to marry, then we'll see ordainment shoot back up to sustainable levels. The ban on marriage is an invention of the church, and was never mentioned by jesus et al.

nozzferrahhtoo

sideswipepee wrote: »

Would you ever consider it or would you be automatically turned off by a life of vocation? Know anybody who does lead this sort of life?
(leaving the church scandals aside what do you think of them?)

I have long considered a return to academia. I have no idea what I would do if I did. Entering a seminary and training to be a priest and engaging in all the studies Biblical and otherwise that that entails is actually quite a tempting notion.

I doubt I would actually be a priest at the end of it, but the course itself is a subject that interests me and I do find myself wondering if Atheist Ireland would benefit from having a fully trained in the way of the priesthood member on it's committee.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

nozzferrahhtoo wrote: »

^ Jesus may have been morally ahead of his time but he was behind ours. His opinions on everything from slavery to homosexuality are either out dated or unknown.

While we do not know the reasons for why the universe exists or how it came to be, this does not give you license to roll in any unsubstantiated notion you want and act like it is credible solely because you thought it up.

Sorry no one knows what the thoughts of Jesus were. We take them from the teachings in a book that was written long after his death and has been changed to suit the RC Church of the time. Unfortunately the Church won't move on and change which is where the stupidity comes in. Also until the RC church starts doing something about the Pedophile priests etc and clearing out the garbage and criminals within it the Church will continue to decline

the_syco

GarIT wrote: »

That just sounds so stupid to me. Leaving the Holocaust scandals aside what do you think of the Nazi party?

Excellent roads, got people jobs (by gassing those who worked there beforehand), and they were going to boost Irish tourism by flying here so that they could have sex on top of selected tombs with the hope that the ghost of past Irish chieftains would help their children be epic leaders... :pac:

philologos wrote: »

1) God created the world, and in His loving rule He gave us standards to live the best we can in His creation.

Explain dinosaurs.

philologos wrote: »

2) Man fell into sin and rejected God's rightful rule, instead glorifying themselves rather than the one who made them. As a result for rejecting God's rightful rule in His creation, all are liable to judgement, as all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.

We made up all the Gods to explain what we didn't understand, and to blame our failures on. And then people pretended to speak for these "Gods" as it gave them unlimited power.

philologos wrote: »

3) God in His loving mercy, sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to take the penalty that we all deserved on our behalf by dying in our place on the cross.

He sends his only child down to die, and we should respect him for this? Fcuk that; this god fella you speak of should be done for child cruelty...

philologos wrote: »

As a result we have two options:
4) Repent and believe in the Gospel. If we accept that Jesus stood in our place on the cross, paid the penalty for our sin in full, and if we turn our lives around so that we live for God rather than for our own selfishness, we can be forgiven and receive eternal life.

Which Gospel? The one where your god smites and kills people left right and center making Hitler look like Mother Teresa?

philologos wrote: »

5) We can reject God's standards, God's mercy and God's loving rule, and take the penalty we deserve ourselves. That is eternal condemnation and separation from God.

What has this god done for us? Heck, you even bastardised Lucifer, put horns on huim, and called him Satan when people started to ignore ye. Yer god must be fairly useless if you need to rule by fear?

philologos wrote: »

"God did not create the universe" - What did then? (If you say you don't know, how can you in the next that God doesn't exist?)

So, lets see, as I can't explain how an atomic bomb was built, shall I say that god made it, and thus god is responsible for the deaths of millions of Japanese?

Oh, and why shouldn't the universe always just exist? You believe your god always existed, so why not the universe? Why can't the universe just always have been there, without having to be created?

philologos wrote: »

What do you find "archaic, and outdated" about what Jesus said in the Bible?

Slaves were okay in your bible.

=-=

Would probably be excommunicated if I tried to join because of all the questions I'd ask

nozzferrahhtoo

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Sorry no one knows what the thoughts of Jesus were.

Pedantic but correct, I will clarify my point. I was referring to the difference between what the Bible purports to document as having being espoused by him.... and what was not thus documented.

krudler

nozzferrahhtoo wrote: »

I have long considered a return to academia. I have no idea what I would do if I did. Entering a seminary and training to be a priest and engaging in all the studies Biblical and otherwise that that entails is actually quite a tempting notion.

I doubt I would actually be a priest at the end of it, but the course itself is a subject that interests me and I do find myself wondering if Atheist Ireland would benefit from having a fully trained in the way of the priesthood member on it's committee.

It'd be like having a Sith Lord on the Jedi council :pac: