Cafeteria Catholics?

[ford family]

We believe that the Bible was about faith, not science. However, I do believe that the 10 commandments are literally true. "Thou shall not Kill" is "Thou shall not kill"

But wasn't the original meaning "Thou shall not murder"?

ford family

 

[JennyMominRI]

But wasn't the original meaning "Thou shall not murder"?

ford family

The Torah says Murder.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

Wow, I've never heard of the term Cafeteria Catholic but I'm glad I know about it because that is 100% what I am! I have several problems with the Catholic Church:
their stand on gay marriage (I'm just very for it for reasons that I don't have time to explain here), their stand on divorce [when my mom's aunt got divorced they told the kid's Godparents to take them away and not associate with their 'sinning' parents any further (which of course they didn't do)], and the inability of women to be part of the clergy. I also don't go to chuch every Sunday, just Christmas and Easter [and the rare occasions like marriage, funerals, and religious milestones for my family (baptism, first communion, etc.)] because I feel like if God is everywhere, you can worship in your time. I get sick of going to church and seeing people fixing their hair and picking at their finger nails (mind you, this is obviously not everyone but a vast and ever growning percentage). I hate how those types of people feel that they are then superior to me because they go to church every week but then couldn't tell me one thing that was said. I once told someone "Tell me five things that you did for someone in the past 2 or 3 weeks that would be nice and approved of by God. I guarantee that that tast would be easier than explaining to me the significance of the past two masses that you have attended." I just think that it is much more efficient and personal for me to pray on my own. I'm proud to call myself a Cafeteria Catholic!

ETA: I forgot about the Lent thing. I don't believe in it really. There is no way, imo, that right before Jesus died on the cross he said "In the 40 days before Easter (not including Sundays of course) you shall not do one thing that you give up. You will not eat meat on Fridays, Good Friday, or Ash Wed." I hate those kind of things that are "Church rules". I suppose I am pretty hypocritical in this sense because I do give something up every year because my great-grandmother believes in it and we are in Florida every year visiting her around Easter time. So, for her sake, I do practice the Lent tradition because I believe that that was the real point that Jesus was making, to be nice, loving, compassionate, and respectful for those around us.

I will now step down from my soap box to let you carry on with your tread.

 

[mickeyfan2]

But wasn't the original meaning "Thou shall not murder"?

ford family

Yes it is "Thou shall not murder". You can kill somebody in self defense, but one can never willingly take anothers life.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

I've never had a priest endorse a specific candidate or party. There was some discussion in NJ over Archbishop Myers saying he could not in good conscience give communion to then Governor McGreevey because McGreevey had expressly stated his support for abortion. McGreevey simply didn't attend Masses that the Bishop celebrated.
The problem I have with the Bishops is that if they are going to deny communion for politicians who are pro-abortion, then they should also deny it to those who vote for or publicly support the death penalty. I have this thing about consistency.

Our priest generally just says be informed of the candidates views and then vote your conscience.

 

[Pigeon]

Women will never be priests simply because this was Jesus' way. Jesus did the first ordaining of a group of men - no women. Ordination is a sacrament, and to be valid it must have the proper matter. You can't have beer and pizza at the Eucharist, and you can't have a woman priest.

Of course, the inconsistancy here is that Jesus most certainly did select married men to be his among his apostles, if that's what you want to consider "ordaining." So, we can't ordain women because the original 12 apostles were all men. We can't ordain married men because... well, because the church might lose some financial holdings.

 

[Marie17]

Of course, the inconsistancy here is that Jesus most certainly did select married men to be his among his apostles, if that's what you want to consider "ordaining." So, we can't ordain women because the original 12 apostles were all men. We can't ordain married men because... well, because the church might lose some financial holdings.

There is no inconsistency here - Jesus chose men (not women).

I never said there could not be married priests! What I said was that you need to have a dispensation for married priests in the western rite.

If Jesus had wanted women he could have chosen women - might I remind you that his most faithful follower was his mother, Mary (Mother of God).

 

[goofygirl]

If Jesus had wanted women he could have chosen women

What about Mary Magdalene? Wasn't she a follower of him?

 

[NikiM20]

ETA: I forgot about the Lent thing. I don't believe in it really. There is no way, imo, that right before Jesus died on the cross he said "In the 40 days before Easter (not including Sundays of course) you shall not do one thing that you give up. You will not eat meat on Fridays, Good Friday, or Ash Wed." I hate those kind of things that are "Church rules". I suppose I am pretty hypocritical in this sense because I do give something up every year because my great-grandmother believes in it and we are in Florida every year visiting her around Easter time. So, for her sake, I do practice the Lent tradition because I believe that that was the real point that Jesus was making, to be nice, loving, compassionate, and respectful for those around us.

I will now step down from my soap box to let you carry on with your tread.

I agree with you 100% on this

I am a Catholic who lives by the Bible...not by rules made by man. I dont go to confession, I eat meat on Fridays, I dont pray the rosary,DH even had a vasectomy . I belive that I should live by God's word alone, I do however go to Mass every Sunday...I especially like the fact that they have a more contemporary Mass now with newer, better music. To me that makes my worship experience better. I praise God how I feel comfortable

 

[ptrbryant]

A little off topic, but it never ceases to surprise me that so many people get on a soapbox about how awful it is that the Catholic Church doesn't ordain women as priests...usually people who don't regularly go to a Catholic Church. Do these people also vocally criticize Buddhists, the Russian/Eastern Orthodox or Orthodox Jews for not having women monks, priests or rabbis?

Sometimes, judging things by the current and ever-shifting culture can be very provincial. I believe we are called to be in this world, but not of the world.

Karla B.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

A little off topic, but it never ceases to surprise me that so many people get on a soapbox about how awful it is that the Catholic Church doesn't ordain women as priests...usually people who don't regularly go to a Catholic Church. Do these people also vocally criticize Buddhists, the Russian/Eastern Orthodox or Orthodox Jews for not having women monks, priests or rabbis?

Sometimes, judging things by the current and ever-shifting culture can be very provincial. I believe we are called to be in this world, but not of the world.

Karla B.

See, that does bother me, too. I had not known that to be a true fact and if I had I would have probably included it, eventhough we're not in discussion about those religions. I have a problem with that no matter what the religion.

 

[ptrbryant]

See, that does bother me, too. I had not known that to be a true fact and if I had I would have probably included it, eventhough we're not in discussion about those religions. I have a problem with that no matter what the religion.

Thank you for being consistent! It drives me crazy to hear especially pseudo-Buddhist yoga devotees rant about how patriarchal the Catholic Church is and never question the fact that there will never be a female Dali Lama!

Karla B.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

Thank you for being consistent! It drives me crazy to hear especially pseudo-Buddhist yoga devotees rant about how patriarchal the Catholic Church is and never question the fact that there will never be a female Dali Lama!

Karla B.

Thank you for educating me further. I had no idea that that same "issue" was present in other religions. I would think that it would be pretty darn hypocritical to say that it bothers you in one religion but say that you couldn't care less about it in others! Sure you may not be as effected by it but then again I'm not affected by people misusing good and well but it still bothers me!

 

[dwheatl]

The Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation is one that's straight from the Bible. Jesus himself tells his apostles (the first bishops/priests), prior to his Ascension, that whatever sins of others they loose [forgive] on earth will be forgiven in Heaven; whatever sins they do not forgive, will not be forgiven in Heaven. Of course, the Church's interpretation is that it is God alone, working through the priests, who have this power.

Karla B.

In the early church, any Christian could confess to any other Christian and be forgiven. It got to be a problem when the ones hearing the confession blabbed it to others. Hence, the switch to priest only for the sacrament, and the priest's duty to keep what they hear to themselves. Because of this, if my sin is against my husband, a friend or colleague, I usually confess to them and ask forgiveness, rather than to a priest. But if it's a juicy sin (like I really commit those anymore) then it's off to the priest.

 

[dwheatl]

The whole Terry Shaivo thing blew up around that time and I got so sick of hearing about it at Mass that I got kind of turned off again to mass.

You know what tore my heart out about that? People who called themselves Christians, and then acted like there's no afterlife. If, as the church teaches, we are here to love and serve God and then we will be with Him in the hereafter, why would you trap a woman's spirit in a body that is no longer capable of loving or serving God (she couldn't think, pray, etc) when you could stop the artificial means of keeping her body alive and let her return to our Maker?

I coulda given Jeb Bush a swift kick to the patootie!

 

[Marie17]

What about Mary Magdalene? Wasn't she a follower of him?

Yes Mary Magdalene was a women. She was a follower of Jesus - just not a priest. The Catholic Church has lots of followers (both male and female) but only men are priests.

 

[Marie17]

I agree with you 100% on this

I am a Catholic who lives by the Bible...not by rules made by man. I dont go to confession, I eat meat on Fridays, I dont pray the rosary,DH even had a vasectomy . I belive that I should live by God's word alone, I do however go to Mass every Sunday...I especially like the fact that they have a more contemporary Mass now with newer, better music. To me that makes my worship experience better. I praise God how I feel comfortable

So I guess you are sola scriptura?

 

[cardaway]

What about Mary Magdalene? Wasn't she a follower of him?

She was his wife. Didn't you see the DaVinci code?

 

[dwheatl]

I've never had a priest endorse a specific candidate or party. There was some discussion in NJ over Archbishop Myers saying he could not in good conscience give communion to then Governor McGreevey because McGreevey had expressly stated his support for abortion. McGreevey simply didn't attend Masses that the Bishop celebrated.
The problem I have with the Bishops is that if they are going to deny communion for politicians who are pro-abortion, then they should also deny it to those who vote for or publicly support the death penalty. I have this thing about consistency.

There are bishops who deny Communion to politicians who are pro-choice, but give it to politicians who have CARRIED OUT the death penalty. Rare are the politicians who perform abortions (I can't think of any) but there are plenty of Catholic governors who send prisoners to their death. It really p's me o.

 

[dwheatl]

She was his wife. Didn't you see the DaVinci code?