Cafeteria Catholics?

[ford family]

I don't know Eeyore's religious preference.

Neither do I but I believe Don Quixote was Catholic!
Sorry.

ford family

 

[Marie17]

... at least it has rewarded me with a tremendous mental picture of the Pope running toward a cliff. People are shouting at him to stop but he has got his hands firmly over his ears, his eyes are shut tight and he is singing "Lalalala..I can't hear you...lalalala" Great image.

I am starting to think you already had that image in your head even before you started looking at this thread.

 

[Marie17]

Neither do I but I believe Don Quixote was Catholic!

I always thought that it was character in a book.

 

[MrsKreamer]

I mean Christians in general get bashed around here a lot.

Catholics seem to get the brunt of it though...

 

[VirtuallyMe]

Wow- spent my day reading this entire thread... and wondering if I should post to the orignal poster's points or just ignore it all and move on... but nah- I'll go with the original posters questions about being a "Cafeteria Catholic"

I like that term and I think many fit into that catagory- and I also think that all religions have their own cafeterias as well- which for me is a good thing- Religion is of man- and man isn't always "right". Faith is of God and that is the difference.

I am a craddle Catholic- born to a family of multi-generational Roman Catholics- I attended Catholic School from Kindergarten to 11th grade (didn't go to my final year of high school). My children (all but one) are baptised Catholic- I was married in the Catholic church and my husband is a very devout craddle Catholic- who would probably be offended by the term Cafeteria Catholic- I did not get confirmed with the rest of my classmates in my Catholic High School- it was fully my decision and I had some unanswered questions and some personal doubts at the time- and I had too much respect for my Religion to carry out with a sacrement based on the fact that "all my friends were doing it" I didn't have the pressures from my family - both my parents have since left the Catholic Church and would probably be best labeled as "non-practicing Catholics"- and had been when I was still in school- my mother has even experimented in some of the "new age" religions and she has her own conflicts with the Catholic Church that are soley because of intereactions with a few.

I know one previous poster pointed out the difference between Church Doctrine- this is the basic tenets and beliefs of the Catholic Church and includes those things professed in the Apostle's Creed- which is how I can state that I am a Catholic because I can stand and state that I believe in what is said when I say the Apostle's Creed. And the Church Laws- which have changed over the years and will again- although I highly doubt we will have the dramatic changes brought about by Vatican II I do see changes occurring from time to time- and region to region. Those Church Laws are the things that I see most people who consider themselves "Cafeteria Catholics" have issues with- which would lead to the choosing a variety of offerings.

I did finally confirm a few years back as an adult- using the RCIA program at my parish church- which was lead by one of our married Catholic Priests in our area- we have two- one who is a bit older and has a son who is college aged and another who is only in his 50's and has two children who are between the ages of my 2nd and 3rd child... And although I thought some of my classes would be a waste of time- given my rather extensive Catholic up-bringing I really enjoyed them and learned a great deal about my own religion- partially by looking at it from an adult perspective and partially from having those in the room who had not been raised as Catholics.

My husband who really has approached the Religion with more Faith than I did- often wonders how I can share the same beliefs at times- I was the kid in kindergarten who questioned everything they told me about religion. The nuns at the school I attended loved to have chats with me- and not in a bad way- see I was in elementary school at that wonderful time when we still had an abundance of nuns and many of mine were very forward thinking young women. I'm sure my family situation had a lot to do with it- but I was frequently invited to spend weekends at the convent- something very few were ever offered- and no nothing evil happened. I was able to see the other side of the nuns in a relaxed (not school) enviroment and I'd spend the weekends setting up the church and singing at the masses with the nuns. At the next school I attended (my mom pulled me from one Catholic school to another over a conflict with the church- they refused to use funds raised from the PTO carnival to give pay raises to the teachers)- the nuns for the most part were much older and many had taught my mom when she was a girl- and my mom was apparently somewhat of a challenge in school and apparently they saw a little of her in me with some of my questioning. In high school I was able to take one of the best classes I ever took- it was a comparitive religion class- it was in a Catholic school so we compared other Religions to Catholicism- it was really neat to learn of the Pagen origins for many of our Catholic customs. A few years later another class taught by a history professor at my HS was History of Catholicism- and this teacher didn't hold back- despite getting a few angry phone calls from parents of our classmates- But she taught us the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in the Roman Catholic past- a very interesting course and one I know many other Catholic schools did not offer.

The Bible in the Catholic Religion -at least from my perspective- was never taught with literal interpretation. My husband hates when I use the term Catholic Mythology- but it was what Jesus did too- he told stories to get his point across to those around him- using what worked best for those people in that area at the time he was there. The meaning carries over even if the story line doesn't today. Memorization of bible passages was never a big deal in the Catholic Religion- I remember having to memorize the 10 conmandments, the beatitudes, names of the apostles... but as far as being able to quote a specific line from the bible- No- but could I tell you what the meaning or interpretation for the story was- yes- and we spent many classes throughout my Catholic Education reading a bible story and then relating it to a current issue in our own lives- which really helped to bring home meaning to it all.

Am I a perfect Catholic- noway- not sure if one really exists. Due to an allergy to wheat and an issue of not using alternative breads I can no longer receive communion- although if I remind the priest ahead of mass he will make sure that one of the offerings of the blood is not contaminated with the body - this isn't always the case- so I generally walk up with my arms crossed like the young children do before they have first communion. I do not attend mass every week- and can offer any number of excuses for that- but they are all me-ish and I recognize that. I do recognize lent (I'm in South Louisiana- even the public schools here don't serve meat on Fridays during lent)- and each year give up something or do something new during that time. I don't miss Christmas and Easter mass even when they don't always fit into my parent's holiday schedules- and I take my role as a Godmother (and husband's as Godfather) seriously and we drag our nieces and nephews to church with us if their parents are opting out. I have one sister who has decided to switch from a non-practicing Catholic to a non-practicing Episcopal and the other is definitely a Cafeteria Catholic. My in-laws are a Cafeteria and a Devout who will say a Novena for you at the drop of a hat if needed.

There are so many things you can complain about in the Catholic Church- some are bigger issues that are more global- others are problems with individual priests/bishops who seek a little too much control over parishoners- but thier is also a lot of good out there and much of that was pointed out.

About politics in the Catholic Church- I've often had Priests discuss political issues and the church's view point- and we have been encouraged to vote according to the churches beliefs but never has one canidate been singled out above the rest.

I think my biggest attraction to the Catholic Church is Mary- perhaps it was from attending Catholic Schools with Mary as a focus- but she is the strongest pull and when I find myself questioning my faith or life in general it is to her example I turn- and that is something that isn't found to the same extent in other churches. And the Hail Mary comes to my lips at times of stress and at time of relief and joy.

Where am I going with all this- I don't know- I suppose this is just some of the thoughts I came up with after reading a few of the points posted here. And that there are two parts to each religion like I stated in the beginning of my post- the Faith part that is what we hold onto and all believe as Catholics and the "Man" part- this is the rules and regulations that keep the REligion going- that gets some going to church (in the case of the long ago practice of adopting the "pagen" customs as Catholic) and pushes some away- That sets up guidelines for the day to day practice of our faith- that at one time encouraged women to have their heads covered and had the mass spoken only in latin and forbid meat on Fridays- to the current practices that do allow a married priest, that allow girls to be alterservers (almost said alterboys) and so forth. Will we one day see women in the priesthood? the jury is still out- it isn't something I strongly feel about because it wasn't ever anything I felt a pull to do...

Thanks to the original poster- this was a very thought provoking thread and I enjoyed reading all the opinions in it.

 

[Disney Doll]

The important part was the message, not the source but then the Roman Catholic Church has always put form over substance, appearance over content.

This thread is grinding to its inevitable impasse but at least it has rewarded me with a tremendous mental picture of the Pope running toward a cliff. People are shouting at him to stop but he has got his hands firmly over his ears, his eyes are shut tight and he is singing "Lalalala..I can't hear you...lalalala" Great image.

ford family

What message is there in a self-help psychology book? What you referenced as a source was a book author's opinion essentially, with no more or less worth than your or my opinion. If there is a message, it is because the reader chooses to see one. You were asked for a source to support a statement you had made. You were not asked to give us a message. Their is no substance or content in the author's opinion, which you is what you provided as your source. Sources mean facts, not messages or opinions. If I qoute the Bible to you to support one of my statements, would you consider that a source..that is based in fact, not opinion?

The thread ground to its inevtiable impasse about 4 pages ago. People believe or they don't and neither is going to change the others' mind, no matter how many pop psychology books or Biblical texts are quoted.

I guess we'll figure out who was right when we die. Hopefully that won't be for a long time!

 

[Fitswimmer]

I had a long period about 10 years ago where I seriously considered leaving the Church because I had issues with the teachings about women priests, homosexuality and birth control. I spent a LOT of time reading and praying about whether I could stay in good conscience or if I should go. It never occured to me to stay in the Church if I did not agree with the teachings. Nor would it occur to me to condemn anyone for choosing to leave because they could not remain in good conscience. I guess what I don't understand is why people who object so strongly to the teachings of the Church remain within it. I have friends that have left and gone to the Lutheran or Episcopal churches, and others that don't attend any Church at all. I don't condemn them for their choices and they don't condemn me for mine.
I don't think there is such a thing as more Catholic or less Catholic. I was either going to be Catholic or I wasn't.

 

[Disney Doll]

Virtually Me, your post makes a lot of sense to me, and in many ways, our "cradle Catholic" experiences have been similar.

I feel fortunate to be able to separate the God part from the Human part.

 

[Marie17]

I guess what I don't understand is why people who object so strongly to the teachings of the Church remain within it. I have friends that have left and gone to the Lutheran or Episcopal churches, and others that don't attend any Church at all. I don't condemn them for their choices and they don't condemn me for mine.
I don't think there is such a thing as more Catholic or less Catholic. I was either going to be Catholic or I wasn't.

Exactly.