How to explain church structure to friend?

[Nagoda]

This is will sound very strange, but here goes. A few friends of mine decided to start their own Joke Church, called The Church of the Indignant Sorath. Sorath, according to a guy called Rudolph Steiner, is a demon who is worse than satan. The Church is named after him in order to make him angry because it is against everything Sorath is and stands for. My best friend, who hates God and figures Him to be a monster (and hes read the scriptures and is disturbed by what he sees), was named the Pope of this joke Church. Myself and my close friends were named “Arch Cardinals”. No harm was intended and the whole thing is meant to be ridiculously silly (Dr. Pepper and Yoda are included as saints) and the aim of the Church is to bring peace and happiness and undertsand and toleration to all beliefs (and according to a running joke which may get serious, become a legalized church that gets tax exempt status). Well, long story short, after realizing that I couldn’t support a group that would support (although i can certainly tolerate and understand beliefs opposite of my own) beliefs that are opposed to my own, i decided to “resign” from my postion as “Grand High Exalted Footstool”. But then I was meditating in mass tonight on this and hey turns out the Lord decides to have a word with me and tell me Hes offended. I asked him why and even though he understands the whole thing is silly, he considers it a mockery of a structure of a church which he created as sacred. It shouldnt be turned on its head and turned into something ridiculous based on something so good. My best friend the “Pope”, can’t see how God is offended by all of this. All he does he says is try to tolerate people and wear funny costumes and wear sunglasses. How is that offensive to God he asks me? I try to explain but my best friend just says iy isnt worth his time… I still haven’t been granted “leave” by the “Pope” yet. I’m not sure how to get across God’s point of view to my friend, even though ym friends are just being silly. Can anyone help me out here?

 

[tnbella7]

Okay, not dealing with the whole creating a faux religion based on a demon more awful than Satan, I’ll try to actually answer your question.

To get your friend to see that it is offensive to you and something you value, you would need to find something he values/respects and use that as a model. ex. If he loved the tv show Lost and you based a faux religion of that show essentially mocking it, maybe he would see how creating a farce of something he values, undermines its value. Does that make sense? (Choosing a tv show probably isn’t the best example, but it’s the only one I could come up with just sitting here.)

Also, just to take the “ick” factor out of it, couldn’t you all base it on Star Wars or something like that? Why the hierarchy of the Catholic Church? Was it just the biggest target? I do think you need to reconsider some of your friendships. Or offer to bring them to church. And always pray for them. Although you probably already do that.

 

[Nagoda]

funny my friend is a huge lost fan

um i think they chose the sorath because they dont actually endorse sorath… they hate him. its named after him in order to make him angry.

as for the catholic structure… it was probably the most convenient and the fact that my friend has a twisted view of life and morality probably made it amusing to them to name him “Pope”. As for why a big scary monster… they just like big scary monsters, its one of their things. And bringing them to church wont work. they know catholic beielf quite well and reject it. i still pray for them though.