Protestants: What is the oddest thing about Catholicism?

[mercygate]

so are you saying that you were struck with the wrong-ness of artificial birth control while you were a Protestant? Or were you a fallen away Catholic or waht?

thanks…

I had never been Catholic. It just “hit” me: THIS is WRONG. It was a God-given intuition, which I did not fully figure out rationally until after I had become Catholic (past the age of childbearing) and somebody told me the Catholic position on birth control was “absurd.” I plunged into the issue up to my elbows and learned WHY this teaching was so right, so cogent.

I can testify that the day we stopped contracepting was a wonderful turning point in our marriage. But it is also kind of miraculous that DH was TOTALLY on board with this!

 

[distracted]

One day, I realized that had I simply been able to accept Catholic teaching, and to question it with an open mind in order to learn what the Church REALLY teaches and WHY, I would have been much closer to reality and to Our Lord.

It is really sad tha a lot of people could say about the same thing… The Catholic church’s one big fault in my opinion, is that it doesn’t teach even its OWN members the Faith very well, or at all… Maybe this wasn’t true before Vatican II but it is certainly the case now… I think part of the reason, here in America, is that Catholiics are still discriminated against… & it’s getting worse … and so even people who are otherwise 'proud" of being Catholic, well, they just don’t go around talking about it, to say the least… so this kind of mentality even affects our priests, who are supposed to be teachers of the faith… I don’t know… but i do know that if i had been catechized, i would have had a completely different life… wouldn’t have made so many mistakes… Of course, one reason my life “crashed” was that for a long time (again, due to being un-catechized), i actually believed the OSAS nonsense… I didn’t know any better…
I am thankful i found my way out of that… Actually, God snatched me out of it… and i am not exaggerating…

 

[mercygate]

It is really sad tha a lot of people could say about the same thing… The Catholic church’s one big fault in my opinion, is that it doesn’t teach even its OWN members the Faith very well, or at all… Maybe this wasn’t true before Vatican II but it is certainly the case now… I think part of the reason, here in America, is that Catholiics are still discriminated against… & it’s getting worse … and so even people who are otherwise 'proud" of being Catholic, well, they just don’t go around talking about it, to say the least… so this kind of mentality even affects our priests, who are supposed to be teachers of the faith… I don’t know… but i do know that if i had been catechized, i would have had a completely different life… wouldn’t have made so many mistakes… Of course, one reason my life “crashed” was that for a long time (again, due to being un-catechized), i actually believed the OSAS nonsense… I didn’t know any better…
I am thankful i found my way out of that… Actually, God snatched me out of it… and i am not exaggerating…

Adult catechesis is perhaps the most pressing need in the Church today.

I used to grouse about how ignorant Catholics were about their faith. Grouse, grouse, grouse. Then, one Sunday at Mass, the Lord said to me, “Mercy: when are you going to stop grumbling about the problem and start becoming part of the solution?” That day, the DRE got up in the ambo after Mass and begged for CCD teachers. Um. “Here I am, Lord. Take me.”

I teach Scripture to the sixth grade. You would LOVE my class!

 

[chewchoo]

It is really sad tha a lot of people could say about the same thing… The Catholic church’s one big fault in my opinion, is that it doesn’t teach even its OWN members the Faith very well, or at all… Maybe this wasn’t true before Vatican II but it is certainly the case now… I think part of the reason, here in America, is that Catholiics are still discriminated against… & it’s getting worse … and so even people who are otherwise 'proud" of being Catholic, well, they just don’t go around talking about it, to say the least… so this kind of mentality even affects our priests, who are supposed to be teachers of the faith… I don’t know… but i do know that if i had been catechized, i would have had a completely different life… wouldn’t have made so many mistakes… Of course, one reason my life “crashed” was that for a long time (again, due to being un-catechized), i actually believed the OSAS nonsense… I didn’t know any better…
I am thankful i found my way out of that… Actually, God snatched me out of it… and i am not exaggerating…

Adult catechesis is perhaps the most pressing need in the Church today.

I used to grouse about how ignorant Catholics were about their faith. Grouse, grouse, grouse. Then, one Sunday at Mass, the Lord said to me, “Mercy: when are you going to stop grumbling about the problem and start becoming part of the solution?” That day, the DRE got up in the ambo after Mass and begged for CCD teachers. Um. “Here I am, Lord. Take me.”

I teach Scripture to the sixth grade. You would LOVE my class!

in reading stories about the saints thruout catholic history, poor catechesis has been a problem right along. many saints were reformers and worked hard to bring people back to the church. while i’m not saying it isn’t a problem today and that we shouldn’t worry about it… but for some reason it is a permanent part of the church. is it part of the plan? are we all just so lazy? why is it a perpetual problem???

 

[mercygate]

in reading stories about the saints thruout catholic history, poor catechesis has been a problem right along. many saints were reformers and worked hard to bring people back to the church. while i’m not saying it isn’t a problem today and that we shouldn’t worry about it… but for some reason it is a permanent part of the church. is it part of the plan? are we all just so lazy? why is it a perpetual problem???

It’s a perpetual problem because over a couple of thousand years the Church has bumped into so many questions, challenges, political situations, and all around LIFE that in addition to the truth of salvation, which is “simple” we have all the ramifications and nuances that come from figuring stuff out. If nobody ran around saying, “If you died today, do you know for SURE you would go to Heaven?” or "Show me in the BIBLE where it says . . . " then we wouldn’t have to catechize to such a level of readiness.

 

[chewchoo]

It’s a perpetual problem because over a couple of thousand years the Church has bumped into so many questions, challenges, political situations, and all around LIFE that in addition to the truth of salvation, which is “simple” we have all the ramifications and nuances that come from figuring stuff out. If nobody ran around saying, “If you died today, do you know for SURE you would go to Heaven?” or "Show me in the BIBLE where it says . . . " then we wouldn’t have to catechize to such a level of readiness.

ah, heresies and schisms and reformations and personality conflicts to name a few

 

[lostsheepindeed]

… How they consider birth control sinning…

… Contraception is not abortion. It is to prevent an embryo from forming/being developed…

Actually, contraception CAN be considered abortion. Birth control, especially using birth control pills, is not 100% effective. A woman taking birth control pills isn’t guaranteed that her egg(s) will not be released. Birth control pills alter the woman’s hormones so that the eggs will not be released. It is not effective all the time, and sometimes the egg(s) does get released. Should the woman ovulate and sperm is there and capable of fertilizing the egg, then you have an embryo. Ta da! Conception! However, because the woman took birth control pills, even though the pill doesn’t keep her from ovulating, the uterus is a hostile environment for the embryo. So this embryo cannot implant due to the hostile environment in the uterus brought about by the birth control pills. So you see, the embryo will be aborted and the woman would be none the wiser as to what just happened.

When the Catholic Church said that birth control is a sin, she cannot be wrong as she is guided by the Holy Spirit. Way back when the Catholic Church said that birth control is a sin, it was not really understood as to how birth control pills actually worked. It was until later that scientists found out how they worked in more detail. So you see, if the Catholic Church went along with what the Protestant Churches did and declare that birth control is “ok”, then how can the Catholic Church take that back? The answer is that you can’t, as since the Catholic Church is supposed to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

I hope I’m explaining this correctly, but that’s just the way I see it.

 

[mercygate]

Actually, contraception CAN be considered abortion. Birth control, especially using birth control pills, is not 100% effective. A woman taking birth control pills isn’t guaranteed that her egg(s) will not be released. Birth control pills alter the woman’s hormones so that the eggs will not be released. It is not effective all the time, and sometimes the egg(s) does get released. Should the woman ovulate and sperm is there and capable of fertilizing the egg, then you have an embryo. Ta da! Conception! However, because the woman took birth control pills, even though the pill doesn’t keep her from ovulating, the uterus is a hostile environment for the embryo. So this embryo cannot implant due to the hostile environment in the uterus brought about by the birth control pills. So you see, the embryo will be aborted and the woman would be none the wiser as to what just happened.

When the Catholic Church said that birth control is a sin, she cannot be wrong as she is guided by the Holy Spirit. Way back when the Catholic Church said that birth control is a sin, it was not really understood as to how birth control pills actually worked. It was until later that scientists found out how they worked in more detail. So you see, if the Catholic Church went along with what the Protestant Churches did and declare that birth control is “ok”, then how can the Catholic Church take that back? The answer is that you can’t, as since the Catholic Church is supposed to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

I hope I’m explaining this correctly, but that’s just the way I see it.

Well, you’re a day late and a dollar short on this turbulent and emotionally charged thread. It really is NOT a good idea to jump in when you haven’t read through all the posts.

That said, the Church is NOT against birth control. The Church is against contraception. Not a subtle difference once you figure it out.

 

[tbuley]

Vatican two.

 

[mercygate]

Vatican two.

You and the world!

 

[distracted]

That day, the DRE got up in the ambo after Mass and begged for CCD teachers. Um. “Here I am, Lord. Take me.”

I teach Scripture to the sixth grade. You would LOVE my class!

I am kind of anti-social or would love to do that kind of work… It’s a long story how i got taht way… but anyway…

Why would i love your class??

I know why I would love it (because i like learning things about the Church), but is there another reasons for YOU saying this??

 

[distracted]

Actually, contraception CAN be considered abortion. .

thank you for explaining all that, even though i already knew… i am not sure many others knew… Also, do you know of any connection between birth-control use and infertility? I have known of serverl women who used bc and later tried to conceive and were not able to … I often wondered if there was a cause-effect… It seems women who do not use bc rarely have a problem conceiving…

 

[distracted]

Vatican two.

I think you are disguising yourself as Protestant…

It seems only a Catholic would say this??

 

[mercygate]

I am kind of anti-social or would love to do that kind of work… It’s a long story how i got taht way… but anyway…

Why would i love your class??

I know why I would love it (because i like learning things about the Church), but is there another reasons for YOU saying this??

Yes. If you’re well schooled in Scripture, you might not think I’m the best thing since sliced bread but most Catholics between the ages of zero and fifty don’t know squat about the Bible. Our textbook is FANTASTIC. And so am I (and you can believe me when I say that because I am running for the humility award in my parish this year). Between our textbook (the whole Bible in 28 weeks) and my training in languages, theology, and liturgy, I pull the whole mess together for the kids that makes it come alive for them.

Y’know, a 12-year-old can understand just about anything if you take the trouble to explain it to them. I don’t pitch low ball, I present the concept and then work it down until I see the lightbulbs go on in their eyes.

You should see the lighning strike when I walk them through the typology of Abraham-Christ. MAN! Is this FUN!

 

[dessert]

I am kind of anti-social or would love to do that kind of work… It’s a long story how i got taht way… but anyway…

Why would i love your class??

I know why I would love it (because i like learning things about the Church), but is there another reasons for YOU saying this??

Tell us the long story. I’ll be back later I have to make supper.

 

[tbuley]

I think you are disguising yourself as Protestant…

It seems only a Catholic would say this??

No I am a Lutheran, If you go by what people say they believe and then you see what is actually taught and practiced you will often find a disconnect.

 

[surfgirlusa_200]

I guess one odd thing for me is how many “liberal Catholics” there are. Since I always associated Catholicism with more conservative positions, particularly in regards to moral issues, it surprised me when I met a fair amount of liberal Catholics. I know there are liberal people in all denominations, but it just seems particularly odd for Catholicism.

 

[LutheranDK]

Please name the Number One thing you think is the hardest to believe about Catholicism. Thanks.

Yikes…tough call

I don’t know…I think it is:
The, what I percieve to be counter-scriptural, excessive authority that the Bishop of Rome has taken upon himself.
I think that is the thing that’s hardest to understand.

Then would follow the veneration of Mary and the saints, who I percieve to be rolemodels, very much so, but not people that can intervene on our behalf. I also think that the practise has come dangerously close to necromancy, calling upon the dead.

 

[East_and_West]

The embryo has to be born to be a “person” who is alive. Not out of sight/out of mind. Out of logic/out of mind, eh?

Actually your position is quite irrational. How does exiting the vagal canal magically make some one a person?

 

[distracted]

most Catholics between the ages of zero and fifty don’t know squat about the Bible.

I am one who knows (comparatively spekaing) quite a bit… and i have daily Mass to thank for that… plus i used to copy out the scipture readings for others… stuck at home… You really get to know the bible well doing that… I need to start doing that again…

Our textbook is FANTASTIC. And so am I (and you can believe me when I say that because I am running for the humility award in my parish this year).

Hey, if God gave you gifts, you might as well acknowledge them… it would not be humilty to deny them… it would be kinda like… lying…

Between our textbook (the whole Bible in 28 weeks) and my training in languages, theology, and liturgy, I pull the whole mess together for the kids that makes it come alive for them.

I always like to read children/youngg adult books because they are written in simple language… and i guess i am a simpleton…

You should see the lighning strike when I walk them through the typology of Abraham-Christ. MAN! Is this FUN!

Yes, it is always so fun and fulfilling to see children learn, especailly really important things like what you teach… You made me nostalgic for the days when i was teaching… (informally)…

thanks…