How Long a Church attende?

[lurkingdirk]

Huh. I was under the impression that you were not at all a believer... (though absolutely a Belieber).

Not a Belieber, but a believer. I merely try not to impose my beliefs on anyone else, which perhaps causes me to be overly careful about expressing my own beliefs.

 

[HappyHapyJoyJoy]

Not a Belieber, but a believer. I merely try not to impose my beliefs on anyone else, which perhaps causes me to be overly careful about expressing my own beliefs.

Hmm. Odd. I seem to recall a thread with Petra where people were talking about Cthulhu eating souls, and you denied the existence of both Cthulhu and souls. Perhaps it was someone else. I often surf and post while I'm overly tired, so it's entirely possible I'm mistaken. :dunno:

 

[lurkingdirk]

Hmm. Odd. I seem to recall a thread with Petra where people were talking about Cthulhu eating souls, and you denied the existence of both Cthulhu and souls. Perhaps it was someone else. I often surf and post while I'm overly tired, so it's entirely possible I'm mistaken. :dunno:

No, you're correct. I don't believe souls exist. The concept of a soul is a Cartesian dialectic that was a clumsy attempt to help us understand deeper concepts.

Perhaps this is a conversation better had over PM. I don't want to hijack this thread, nor do I wish to air my personal theology in this thread.

:glugglug:

 

[zeeblofowl_1969]

Not a Belieber, but a believer. I merely try not to impose my beliefs on anyone else, which perhaps causes me to be overly careful about expressing my own beliefs.

If only more would find some respect for other peoples beliefs...........

 

[Elwood70]

Perhaps this is a conversation better had over PM. I don't want to hijack this thread, nor do I wish to air my personal theology in this thread.

:glugglug:

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to lurkingdirk again.

Seriously, that's a classy move...

 

[mikexmoran]

I don't want to hijack this thread, nor do I wish to air my personal theology in this thread.

:glugglug:

I wish you would. I'm curious. It is none of my business though.

I'll give a general idea on mine while I'm finishing my cup of coffee. I'll let people shoot their arrows if they would like.

How old were you when you stopped wasting time and money at church? Twenty six thousand children will die of starvation today. Ya think god hears/answers your prayers?

I'm not sure if I ever wasted time or money at church. I've gone all my live and I'm Catholic. I'm pretty active, but I look at it as a community. I try to do my part in the community. While I don't presume to know the mind of God, I'm not a bible thumper and I will not engage in the arguments.

The outrage about the deaths of children is understandable. How many people have done something about it? Have you organized or participated in a food drive? Have you donated to a worthy cause? If you have, I think that is absolutely awesome.

In terms of being a "believer", I'm not sure. I know some people say that with contempt. I resent that. I've been in love with a believer for over 20 years, who is a remarkable person and had done some very wonderful things. It is beyond me why someone would mock her. I defy them to find something she has done other than to make the world better. I promise you, she would not mock you in return. So, this whole mocking people of faith (I was going to say it is confusing, but I"ll be honest...) strikes me as ignorance.

Now, I have attended mass most of my life and am active in my local parish. Am I a believer in all of the RC teachings? No. Never was. I find it hard to reconcile much of what is taught. I also think the institution of itself is capable or good, best seen at the community level, and has a history of evil that stems from the power that the church possesses. It is clear to me that RC Church, needs an overhaul and I'm not sure it is capable of doing that any time soon.

In terms of what I "believe", I find myself not quite being an agnostic, but close at times. My thinking makes me more of a Deist.

 

[Straight Shooter]

How old were you when you stopped wasting time and money at church? Twenty six thousand children will die of starvation today. Ya think god hears/answers your prayers?

Right on brother. I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic school for 8 years but I figured out early how full of shit this whole region thing is. While everyone today is staying away from meat and eating fish sandwiches I'm about to tear into some tacos al pastor. Lent? Haha fuck that shit

 

[sean miguel]

The Church of Santa Muerte here. We have awesome t-shirts.

 

[Straight Shooter]

The Church of Santa Muerte here. We have awesome t-shirts.

Haha even more of a joke. That and Jesus Malverde

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

I believe in God but he sure has some shitty messengers here on Earth that I choose to avoid.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-claims-shake-catholic-church-italy/98962674/

Sex orgies, prostitution, porn: Allegations shake Catholic Church in Italy

ROME (RNS) — Lurid accusations of priests involved in sex orgies, porn videos and prostitution have emerged from several parishes in Italy recently, sending shock waves all the way to the Vatican and challenging the high standards Pope Francis demands of clergy.

In the southern city of Naples, for example, a priest was recently suspended from the parish of Santa Maria degli Angeli over claims he held gay orgies and used Internet sites to recruit potential partners whom he paid for sex.

The allegations concerning the Rev. Mario D’Orlando were brought to the attention of the diocese when an anonymous letter was sent to a Naples bishop. D’Orlando denied the charges when he was summoned by the city’s archbishop, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, but is now facing a formal inquiry conducted by local church officials.

In the northern city of Padua, a 48-year-old priest, the Rev. Andrea Contin, is facing defrocking as well as judicial proceedings amid accusations he had up to 30 lovers, some of whom he took to a swingers’ resort in France.

Contin was removed from his parish of San Lazzaro after three women came forward with complaints against him in December. Bishop Claudio Cipolla of Padua cut short a visit to Latin America to deal with the scandal.

“I am incredulous and pained by the accusations,” Cipolla said at a news conference last month. “This is unacceptable behavior for a priest, a Christian and even for a man.”

One woman, who claims to have been Contin’s lover for more than three years, claimed the priest carried sex toys and bondage equipment, prostituted his lovers on wife-swapping websites and also invited other priests from the area to sex parties.

“Even if, at the end of this affair, there are no legal consequences, we have a duty by canon law to take disciplinary action,” said Cipolla.

He also revealed Pope Francis telephoned him personally at the end of January to offer his support and urge him to stay “strong.”

Since his election the pope has taken a tough line on ethical behavior in the church, though he has also recognized the reality of human imperfection and personal flaws.

In recent weeks the pontiff has spoken out many times against “temptation,” and last week he told a gathering of clergy at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome that faith could not progress without the challenge of temptation.

“Temptation is always present in our lives. Moreover, without temptation you cannot progress in faith,” he said.

Alberto Melloni, professor of church history at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, said there is nothing unusual about scandals in the priesthood.

“There is no sin that a cleric doesn’t commit. Scandals to me seem quite normal,” he said.

“And I think the illusion of stopping scandals through better selection of personnel is not very promising and has not yielded great results. ”

Francis has frequently called for a more rigorous screening process for seminarians, and he has taken direct action when scandals erupt in Italy.

A case in point: When reports of “playboy priests” surfaced in the Italian diocese of Albenga-Imperia in the northern region of Liguria in late 2014, the pope sent a special envoy to investigate claims that clerics had posted nude photos of themselves on gay websites, sexually harassed the faithful and stole church funds.

Two years later the pope replaced the leader of the diocese, Bishop Mario Oliveri.

Austen Ivereigh, commentator and author of The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, said the pope distinguished between sinfulness and corruption and was intent on “rooting out” corruption inside the church.

“The remedy for those who succumb to temptation is forgiveness and a fresh start,” Ivereigh said. “The problem is when priests turn their backs on the people, lead hidden lives and end up justifying their conduct. That’s corruption.

“And it’s only possible in the priesthood because of clericalism. That’s why the pope is so intent on rooting it out.”