Multiple Insights Wanted

[TylerWS]

This quote was taken from an episode of CSI, a crime show on CBS. A priest has just told a man that even though the man left the Church, he still suffers like a Catholic. The priest follows up with this statement:

• “When anyone else finds a burnt out light bulb, they replace it, but when a Catholic finds one, they stand in the dark and wonder ‘What did I do wrong?’”

Does anyone care to discuss this saying? I think opinions from both Catholics and Protestants would be insightful.

 

[shannon_e]

TylerWS:

This quote was taken from an episode of CSI, a crime show on CBS. A priest has just told a man that even though the man left the Church, he still suffers like a Catholic. The priest follows up with this statement:

• “When anyone else finds a burnt out light bulb, they replace it, but when a Catholic finds one, they stand in the dark and wonder ‘What did I do wrong?’”

Does anyone care to discuss this saying? I think opinions from both Catholics and Protestants would be insightful.

It perfectly represents a Catholic who suffers from scrupulosity. Briefly defined, someone who’s scrupulous is someone who sees sin in their own behavior where there is none, and isn’t able to accept the mercy and forgiveness of God. They aren’t able to get past their uber-guilt.

It is way that the secular culture pigeon-holes christians.

I find an earlier sentence very interesting: A priest has just told a man that even though the man left the Church, he still suffers like a Catholic
It could be a compliment in the right crowd . The Church teaches that while suffering isn’t good-- it does and can bring out grace and has redemptive value. God transforms our suffering into something good.

Peace.

 

[Pug]

Catholic spiritual writers are perfectly clear that if you do a sin, do NOT get all upset (in fact, that could be a red flag warning of having too much pride). Instead, they tell you to confess it and go on serenely.

The description sounds more like some parents I know, or just the general insecure type. I agree, it also sounds like the scrupulous.

 

[redeemed1]

catholicconcerns.com/False.html

 

[mercygate]

catholicconcerns.com/False.html

Huh?

 

[moira]

TylerWS:

This quote was taken from an episode of CSI, a crime show on CBS. A priest has just told a man that even though the man left the Church, he still suffers like a Catholic. The priest follows up with this statement:

• “When anyone else finds a burnt out light bulb, they replace it, but when a Catholic finds one, they stand in the dark and wonder ‘What did I do wrong?’”

Does anyone care to discuss this saying? I think opinions from both Catholics and Protestants would be insightful.

I just saw this episode last night. The priest tried to convince Grissom that he’d arrested the wrong man. Grissom finally realized the priest was right and went back to the church to talk to him.
I think the statement is just the old Catholic guilt thing. I once saw a movie, Mass Appeal with Jack Lemmon, where a character said, “Catholics don’t have a corner on guilt, they just invented it.”

 

[space_ghost]

TylerWS:

This quote was taken from an episode of CSI, a crime show on CBS. A priest has just told a man that even though the man left the Church, he still suffers like a Catholic. The priest follows up with this statement:

• “When anyone else finds a burnt out light bulb, they replace it, but when a Catholic finds one, they stand in the dark and wonder ‘What did I do wrong?’”

Does anyone care to discuss this saying? I think opinions from both Catholics and Protestants would be insightful.

a throw-back to the old guilt trips most of us used to beat ourselves up with… but we didn’t give birth to it… ever seen a jewish mother guilt the heck out of her children for not doing what she thought they should do… weather right or wrong, she uses every opportunity to persuade or manipulate (for want of a better word) their actions…

 

[Dr.Colossus]

“When anyone else finds a burnt out light bulb, they replace it, but when a Catholic finds one, they stand in the dark and wonder ‘What did I do wrong?’”

So how many Catholics does it take to change a lightbulb? Just kidding. This statement just looks like a standard misconception of “Catholic Guilt”. Because the Church rightly defines things as sinful, while the rest of the world simply pretends sin does not exist, many people believe that Catholics are terribly depressed. What they don’t understand, however, is the joy that accompanies the forgiveness of sin.

 

[YinYangMom]

Dr. Colossus:

So how many Catholics does it take to change a lightbulb? Just kidding. This statement just looks like a standard misconception of “Catholic Guilt”. Because the Church rightly defines things as sinful, while the rest of the world simply pretends sin does not exist, many people believe that Catholics are terribly depressed. What they don’t understand, however, is the joy that accompanies the forgiveness of sin.

Well my first take on it…given that I didn’t see the episode so the little clip provided is really out of context…is more about the guy leaving the Church but still suffering as a Catholic — my first thought was for my siblings who have switched to other religions – when their day of judgement comes I figure God will judge them as Catholics first - and suffer the consequences of knowingly rejecting the faith - as opposed to people who were never Catholic to begin with.

Then I read your threads and realized I kinda missed the mark, didn’t I? As for the guilt thing in regard to the lightbulb statement…I’m thinking…a person who just keeps changing the light bulb everytime locks himself into repetitive behavior. The person who changes the light bulb and asks why it keeps going out will often times find a way to get the lightbulb to last longer thus saving him multiple trips. I mean, the beauty of reflecting upon things is that we learn from them - hopefully enough to avoid repeating mistakes or at the very least find ways to go longer without succumbing blindly to impulse or outside circumstances.

What did the guy do wrong? He bought the wrong bulb, perhaps trying to save money…or he put the bulb in wrong to begin with…or maybe he doesn’t need the bulb at all - perhaps there’s a better way to get light into a room. The question itself is not a dumb one.

Secular society apparently misses the point about guilt and reflection.

 

[Shibboleth]

Martin Luther used to have a huge problem with guilt. He would go to confession in the morning and then beat himself up the rest of the day for sins that he forgot to confess.

The truth of the matter is is that we cannot possibly confess all of our sins. The active and living faith within us does it for us, our confession is simply an expression of that faith.

Lutherans have guilt problems also, there is healthy guilt and unhealthy guilt – we need to make sure that we do not do worse by feeling bad than what we did in the first place.

I once saw a show where a father was looking for a book to teach his child about potty training. The bookstore owner listed of book names like, “You’re Potty and You”, “The Friendly Toilet” and similar titles…

The father replied, “You don’t understand, I’m Catholic.”

The Bookkeeper retorted, “Ohhh…I have just the book - ‘That Stuff Coming Out of You is Pure Concentrated Evil and You Should be Ashamed.”

 

[Dr.Colossus]

I once saw a show where a father was looking for a book to teach his child about potty training. The bookstore owner listed of book names like, “You’re Potty and You”, “The Friendly Toilet” and similar titles…

The father replied, “You don’t understand, I’m Catholic.”

The Bookkeeper retorted, “Ohhh…I have just the book - ‘That Stuff Coming Out of You is Pure Concentrated Evil and You Should be Ashamed.”

Family Guy! I love that show. There was a lot of humor regarding the Catholic Church in it, but I never found it offensive because it was obviously caricatured.

 

[SPOKENWORD]

TylerWS:

This quote was taken from an episode of CSI, a crime show on CBS. A priest has just told a man that even though the man left the Church, he still suffers like a Catholic. Yes ,I can relate to that statement.

 

[Shiann]

Dr. Colossus:

So how many Catholics does it take to change a lightbulb? Just kidding. This statement just looks like a standard misconception of “Catholic Guilt”. Because the Church rightly defines things as sinful, while the rest of the world simply pretends sin does not exist, many people believe that Catholics are terribly depressed. What they don’t understand, however, is the joy that accompanies the forgiveness of sin.

LOL

Good Call… I agree that this is probably just a misconception made by the writers. I remember another episode where Catherine incorrectly used the term “Immaculate Conception” where “Virgin Birth” would have been the proper analogy.

I found the lightbulb comment intruiging, but I found myself thinking more about the comments by Gil that followed. How he has choosen to remain outside of organized religion. I found myself wondering how many people were watching this who were completely agreeing with him… how sad.

 

[shannon_e]

YinYangMom:

Well my first take on it…given that I didn’t see the episode so the little clip provided is really out of context…is more about the guy leaving the Church but still suffering as a Catholic — my first thought was for my siblings who have switched to other religions – when their day of judgement comes I figure God will judge them as Catholics first - and suffer the consequences of knowingly rejecting the faith - as opposed to people who were never Catholic to begin with.

Then I read your threads and realized I kinda missed the mark, didn’t I? As for the guilt thing in regard to the lightbulb statement…I’m thinking…a person who just keeps changing the light bulb everytime locks himself into repetitive behavior. The person who changes the light bulb and asks why it keeps going out will often times find a way to get the lightbulb to last longer thus saving him multiple trips. I mean, the beauty of reflecting upon things is that we learn from them - hopefully enough to avoid repeating mistakes or at the very least find ways to go longer without succumbing blindly to impulse or outside circumstances.

What did the guy do wrong? He bought the wrong bulb, perhaps trying to save money…or he put the bulb in wrong to begin with…or maybe he doesn’t need the bulb at all - perhaps there’s a better way to get light into a room. The question itself is not a dumb one.

Secular society apparently misses the point about guilt and reflection.

Interesting take on it
Peace.