We're Catholics, Not Prudes!

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I saw the title of the thread posted as a comment in another thread. Can you guys help me understand what this means?

I was raised as an Evangelical. In my experience, folks who pursue a closer walk with the Lord tend towards greater modesty.

Is this different with Catholics?

I attend a Traditional Latin Mass and mostly everyone dresses modestly and are very discriminating about what they watch on TV, what they read etc.

Does this comment also refer to drinking, smoking and partying?

I would love to know what it means for a Catholic to not be a prude and if that has always been the case.

Thanks.
 
How about PMing the person who wrote that. I have a hunch it is sort of a personal definition.

That being said, I do not consider myself a prude. For me that means being very judgemental of others if they deviate from the rigidity of my own values/behavior. I do have some areas of rigidity! For example, I have a hard time with people who do not keep up with the news to some extent, or who do not sample various points of view in order to form better judgements.

However, I drink, party when I can,enjoy TV, often the instructional channels, but I love old movies 30’s and 40’s. They were so simple. I read a wide range of books, articles, magazines, newspapers. I am online a lot. Not all of this material is spiritual or religious as I like mysteries and am a real fan of Georgette Heyer. I like her character development.

I don’t smoke anymore except electronic ones, and those I am cutting down on by cutting the nicotine dosage by adding a 0 mg. fluid when I load my own cartridges.

i try to be nonjudgemental and love everyone, but I slip from time to time. As long as I can confine my judgements to my own behavior, I’m satisfied. I tend to a kind of scrupulousity, but try to fight it off.

Thats is about it for me.
 
Prude is somewhat of a relative phrase. To some people, anyone who wouldn’t want their thirteen-year-old daughter laying out in front of men wearing only a string bikini, oil, and her personality is a prude. Other people accuse those who are against the use of pornography of being prudes. Some people erroneously think that the Catholic Church teaches that all sex is sinful and disgusting, which is clearly and evidently not the case. Perhaps the thread you read is talking about that?
 
Allegra said:
Prude is somewhat of a relative phrase. To some people, anyone who wouldn’t want their thirteen-year-old daughter laying out in front of men wearing only a string bikini, oil, and her personality is a prude. Other people accuse those who are against the use of pornography of being prudes. Some people erroneously think that the Catholic Church teaches that all sex is sinful and disgusting, which is clearly and evidently not the case. Perhaps the thread you read is talking about that?
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I remember Protestants criticising Catholics for going to the pub directly from Mass like that was some sort of problem
 
Jimmygill88 said:
I remember Protestants criticising Catholics for going to the pub directly from Mass like that was some sort of problem
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Because patronizing a business on Sunday is contibuting to the sin of working on the Lord’s day?
 
It can often be a point of distinction versus other Christian ecclesial communities in which the consumption of alcohol, or dancing, or pornography is expressly forbidden by elders and pastors alike, whereas in Catholicism we take a more nuanced approach, with the attitude of “everything is good in moderation” (with the exception of pornography and other things) and you will often see Catholics who enjoy the pleasures of life, partying and indulging in a rich, if not sinful, lifestyle.

The Church’s balanced teaching in this regard has a long and storied history, and I am particularly fond of the Dominican-Albigensian chapter in that history. The Albigensians were a sect preaching extreme asceticism, based on a dualistic philosophy that saw the world and the flesh as absolutely evil and corrupting. It was imperative to focus only on spiritual things, lest we lose the fight to our base desires. On the contrary, the Dominicans preached against this heresy, that human nature is inherently good, that God created the world, and put humans in it intending us to enjoy pleasure and material things, as far as they lasted, and as far as they did not distract us from the ultimate goal of personal holiness and enjoying the Beatific Vision in Heaven.

So I would contend that Catholics, especially the most orthodox Catholics possible, are definitely not prudes, rather, we like to enjoy the world and ourselves, as God intended. We can encourage pleasure and still be “in the world, not of the world.”
 
Allegra said:
Because patronizing a business on Sunday is contibuting to the sin of working on the Lord’s day?
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Possibly but they REALLY don’t get Catholics if they imagine we are tea total sabatarians
 
Allegra said:
Because patronizing a business on Sunday is contibuting to the sin of working on the Lord’s day?
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It is not always a sin to work on the Lord’s day, but there is a whole other discussion about this elsewhere, and that is not the subject of this thread.

We are Catholics, not Puritans. We do not see the world and mankind as inherently evil, thus we are free to enjoy the legitimate pleasures of life in moderation. A prude is one who cannot do this, IMO. He sees sin and evil in many innocent things. He has an over exaggerated and rigid sense of right and wrong. That is how I would define a prude. The Catholic Church does not teach “prudism”.
 
Allegra said:
Because patronizing a business on Sunday is contibuting to the sin of working on the Lord’s day?
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I’m guessing it has more to do with alcohol than Sunday. That said, you’ll have to document where the Church teaches that running a restaurant or place of common accommodation on. Sunday is a sin. Because if that’s true, I’ve been to a whole lot of Communion Breakfasts that are damning all the attendees there.
 
I would note that prudence is a virtue and that is where we get the term “prude”. Unfortunately some people use it in a derogatory manner. My former best friend was always calling me a “prude”. I did not like that.
 
Ohana said:
How about PMing the person who wrote that. I have a hunch it is sort of a personal definition.
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Because this is not the first time I have heard similar comments, and his comment captures the sentiment I have questions about.

Secondly, I want more than one person’s opinion.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
I’m guessing it has more to do with alcohol than Sunday. That said, you’ll have to document where the Church teaches that running a restaurant or place of common accommodation on. Sunday is a sin. Because if that’s true, I’ve been to a whole lot of Communion Breakfasts that are damning all the attendees there.
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Yeah. Alcohol is the issue, because Protestants do go out to eat after Church.
 
Elizium23 said:
It can often be a point of distinction versus other Christian ecclesial communities in which the consumption of alcohol, or dancing, or pornography is expressly forbidden by elders and pastors alike, whereas in Catholicism we take a more nuanced approach, with the attitude of “everything is good in moderation” (with the exception of pornography and other things) and you will often see Catholics who enjoy the pleasures of life, partying and indulging in a rich, if not sinful, lifestyle.

The Church’s balanced teaching in this regard has a long and storied history, and I am particularly fond of the Dominican-Albigensian chapter in that history. The Albigensians were a sect preaching extreme asceticism, based on a dualistic philosophy that saw the world and the flesh as absolutely evil and corrupting. It was imperative to focus only on spiritual things, lest we lose the fight to our base desires. On the contrary, the Dominicans preached against this heresy, that human nature is inherently good, that God created the world, and put humans in it intending us to enjoy pleasure and material things, as far as they lasted, and as far as they did not distract us from the ultimate goal of personal holiness and enjoying the Beatific Vision in Heaven.

So I would contend that Catholics, especially the most orthodox Catholics possible, are definitely not prudes, rather, we like to enjoy the world and ourselves, as God intended. We can encourage pleasure and still be “in the world, not of the world.”
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This makes a lot of sense.

I noticed that some Catholics go out to drink on a major feast day in celebration. It takes getting used to, but I think I do like the balanced view.
 
Elizium23 said:
It can often be a point of distinction versus other Christian ecclesial communities in which the consumption of alcohol, or dancing, or pornography is expressly forbidden by elders and pastors alike, whereas in Catholicism we take a more nuanced approach, with the attitude of “everything is good in moderation” (with the exception of pornography and other things) and you will often see Catholics who enjoy the pleasures of life, partying and indulging in a rich, if not sinful, lifestyle.

The Church’s balanced teaching in this regard has a long and storied history, and I am particularly fond of the Dominican-Albigensian chapter in that history. The Albigensians were a sect preaching extreme asceticism, based on a dualistic philosophy that saw the world and the flesh as absolutely evil and corrupting. It was imperative to focus only on spiritual things, lest we lose the fight to our base desires. On the contrary, the Dominicans preached against this heresy, that human nature is inherently good, that God created the world, and put humans in it intending us to enjoy pleasure and material things, as far as they lasted, and as far as they did not distract us from the ultimate goal of personal holiness and enjoying the Beatific Vision in Heaven.

So I would contend that Catholics, especially the most orthodox Catholics possible, are definitely not prudes, rather, we like to enjoy the world and ourselves, as God intended. We can encourage pleasure and still be “in the world, not of the world.”
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We can have a spot of fun, without going over the wall, in short 😛

Op, I know what you mean…it seems that some people are prude (regardless of Catholicity or not) in writing, but they don’t mean it that we. It’s only how we’re interpreting it. Though I don’t know, I don’t find we’re prude!
 
 
There’s a difference in sensibilities. The fruits of the earth are to be enjoyed a gifts from God. Enjoyed but not abused certainly, but enjoyed and not avoided!
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
I’m guessing it has more to do with alcohol than Sunday. That said, you’ll have to document where the Church teaches that running a restaurant or place of common accommodation on. Sunday is a sin. Because if that’s true, I’ve been to a whole lot of Communion Breakfasts that are damning all the attendees there.
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If drinking is the sin, why does it matter if it’s right after Mass? Isn’t it a sin everyday?
 
In the moral life…prudish is used as a backhanded slap in the face of a person who has the spiritual gift of*** prudence*** and is using it…most people who don’t like prudence in a person’s moral life…are quick to (label and ) use the term* prude or prudish…to define that prudent* person.

The Catechism (as usual) has the “last word” on your question…IMHO.

Pax Christi
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
SECOND EDITION
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PART THREE
LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
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CHAPTER ONE
THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
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ARTICLE 7
THE VIRTUES
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I. THE HUMAN VIRTUES
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1804 Human virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, habitual perfections of intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life. The virtuous man is he who freely practices the good.
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The** moral virtues are acquired by human effort.** They are** the fruit and seed of morally good acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love.**
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The cardinal virtues
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1805** Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called “cardinal”**; all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. "If anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom’s] labors are virtues; for she teaches temperance and prudence, justice, and courage."64 These virtues are praised under other names in many passages of Scripture.
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1806** Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going."65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."66 Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues)**; it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.
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III. THE GIFTS AND FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
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1830 The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts**** of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
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1831 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David.109 They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
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Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.110
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.111
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1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness,** modesty, self-control, chastity**."112
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