What brings non-Catholics to CAF?

[PumpkinSeed]

2 Reasons

1.) Occasionally pop my head in to toss a query in or see how your particular religious denomination handles a moral/ethical/philosophical dilemma.

2.) To observe you all.

Catholicism (at least from the outside) is always portrayed as this monolithic giant that needs to be assaulted (or so claim some Protestants, Jews, Atheists, Muslims, etc.).

But for me its a lot more interesting to see where the “stress fractures” occur within your specific tradition. Why for instance a member of Opus Dei would find certain Jesuit viewpoints to be er… “wanting” to put the matter in a polite tone.

Or watching your interactions between the RC members and the EC or Orthodox (as I’m also a member of an Orthodox website, i do pretty much the same there as well).

And the most interesting to watch is on this very forum - when an RC tries to talk/debate a member of a Non-Western religion.

it really exposes a lot of the underlying mechanics beneath your belief systems. Especially when certain concepts/forms that would be taken to be “self-evident” in one culture doesnt have a correlate in another.

I think what’s more interesting is watching the religions debate the atheists. Because then its science vs supernatural.

 

[TheAtheist]

I think what’s more interesting is watching the religions debate the atheists. Because then its science vs supernatural.

Pfff. That’s probably the most boring given the current climate.

I suppose it depends on what you want out of an interaction on the internet or whats available to you in real life.

 

[PumpkinSeed]

Pfff. That’s probably the most boring given the current climate.

I suppose it depends on what you want out of an interaction on the internet or whats available to you in real life.

I don’t know. It gets pretty heated in here sometimes. Usually results in somebody getting banned though. At least when I enter those threads I see usually quite a few people have been banned.

 

[TheAtheist]

I don’t know. It gets pretty heated in here sometimes. Usually results in somebody getting banned though. At least when I enter those threads I see usually quite a few people have been banned.

Well i don’t deny it gets heated, but the whole process in and of itself is rather…well…boring.

Its something that essentially gets repeated not just here but on so many different corners of the Internet.

From a purely pragmatic perspective - i just find the whole debate useless.

Its much more interesting for me at least to see the interactions between religious faith groups. Inter and Intra and also based on Geographic location.

Because the prevailing interpretation of a bit of doctrine can have rather real world consequences…serious…real world consequences.

 

[PumpkinSeed]

Well i don’t deny it gets heated, but the whole process in and of itself is rather…well…boring.

Its something that essentially gets repeated not just here but on so many different corners of the Internet.

From a purely pragmatic perspective - i just find the whole debate useless.

Its much more interesting for me at least to see the interactions between religious faith groups. Inter and Intra and also based on Geographic location.

Because the prevailing interpretation of a bit of doctrine can have rather real world consequences…serious…real world consequences.

I know what youre talking about, but thats just dangerous. Youre an athiest, I know a few places you can go if you want danger & suspense.

 

[TarkanAttila]

I don’t know. It gets pretty heated in here sometimes. Usually results in somebody getting banned though. At least when I enter those threads I see usually quite a few people have been banned.

There’s gibs and fresh blood lying around everywhere after one of those debates. It takes the moderators ages to clean up.

Interesting.

I know in Germany, one must declare their religion because each faith-organization gets a tax-percentage based on those records. So if in the USA there is no official record kept for baptized Catholics who are no longer Catholic, is it truthful to say there are a 77.7 million Catholics here?

I know that’s a different question than the original one I asked you, but it seems like a logical progression to ask why records are kept for membership (baptism) but not for non-membership (repudiation/apostasy). I can speculate why this is the case but would rather ask for your opinion.

Technically, the US census takes personal opinions on your religion. So a man can say he’s Catholic, even if he’s not in practise. Sort of the way some atheists consider themselves “cultural Jews”.

 

[Petergee]

Petergee,

Oh don’t misunderstand, it’s not a question of bothering me personally, I simply get this question often enough in other forums that I thought I’d ask around here. I wouldn’t presume to know why it would bother other people, but I think it does. Consider that Jews were mightily upset with Mormons when they performed proxy baptisms. I suspect the feeling is along those lines but who really knows?

Thanks for the reply.

The Mormon thing is a totally different kettle of fish. Not only dead Jews but other dead people including Catholics who had never been Mormons and in most cases had never even heard of Mormonism were (are?) being posthumously “baptised” as Mormons without their consent or even the consent of any relative. People had every right to object. The Catholic Church makes absolutely no attempt to interfere against his will with any person either living or dead who has left (or never joined) the Catholic Church.

So no I don’t understand why an ex-Catholic would get upset about things like the fact that he’s eating meat on a Friday of Lent and that it’s against Catholic church laws. teh only reason I can think of is that maybe he’s got a guilty conscience because regardless of what he says, in his mind and heart he still believes or half-believes that the Catholic Church is the true Church which teaches the truth and is the way to salvation…

 

[Kaninchen]

I have seen Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Agnostics, and Atheists here (I have yet to see Islam represented) and am curious as to what brought you to CAF?

Hey, it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it.

 

[Jerusha]

Hey, it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it.

Sister (by analogy) you are valued here.

 

[Kaninchen]

Sister (by analogy) you are valued here.

Well, thank you.

I was being ‘tongue-in-cheek’ because CAF, like all successful message boards, works because it attracts a range of interesting, knowledgeable and friendly people and has rules that challenge us to say what we want to say in constructive ways rather than just being negative constraints.

 

[Sample]

only reason I can think of is that maybe he’s got a guilty conscience because regardless of what he says, in his mind and heart he still believes or half-believes that the Catholic Church is the true Church which teaches the truth and is the way to salvation… Petergee

Is that the only reason you can think of or just the one you happen to like the best?

 

[Sample]

Well irony is a beautiful thing, but I’m not exactly sure why you quoted me.

 

[Kouyate42]

you list yourself as confused still, why not still take the plunge and join?

I can’t join for two major reasons. Firstly, there are some major theological questions I have about Christianity in general which to my mind have never been totally satisfied, even by some very clever knowledgable theologians and professors.
Secondly I cannot accept the Church’s often terrible historical treatment of Jews and Muslims.

 

[TarkanAttila]

Is that the only reason you can think of or just the one you happen to like the best?

He took it as a potential attack on Petergee.

[/OBVIOUS]

We only keep records of what sacraments you have gone through. We don’t track whether you’ve kept your promises to those sacraments or not. We won’t erase history, especially if you decide to come back some day. But we won’t use that history to “baptise” your dead name into the Catholic Church, either. At least, we shouldn’t.

But we officially keep track neither of your coming nor your going.

 

[Sample]

TarkanAttila,

Thanks for your explanations.

 

[Rabbity]

As to the original question:

Curiosity.

I’m inquisitive by nature and wanted to learn more about how catholics view their own religion and other branches of christianity. Who inspired them and why they believe the way they do.

In the time that I’ve been here I’ve learned a lot, have purchased a few books on your recommendations and I thank you for answering my questions.

 

[hglundahl]

it saddens me that there are so much misunderstandings between Catholics and Protestants.

Apart from some things already stated on other thread, I hope this might be helpful:

assortedretorts.blogspot.fr/p/answering-steve-rudd.html

 

[hglundahl]

I think what’s more interesting is watching the religions debate the atheists. Because then its science vs supernatural.

Science … vs. the supernatural?

I don’t know. It gets pretty heated in here sometimes. Usually results in somebody getting banned though. At least when I enter those threads I see usually quite a few people have been banned.

There’s gibs and fresh blood lying around everywhere after one of those debates. It takes the moderators ages to clean up.

As banned on previous profile, hansgeorg, I am not quite in agreement.

“Gibs and fresh blood” may be someone else’s version of what I am causing, but I saw no people complaining about my manners in the forum debates (or if I did I forgot).

Top items on this page link to my debates on older profile, check for yourself if I was that terrible:

assortedretorts.blogspot.fr/p/thread-from-catholiccom-more-may-be.html

 

[Maryann_C]

it really exposes a lot of the underlying mechanics beneath your belief systems.

Or people’s ignorance of their church’s real teachings .

Secondly I cannot accept the Church’s often terrible historical treatment of Jews and Muslims.

So you have found the heavenly people of Utopia where ? or are you sitting in a corner guarding yourself from all evil?

 

[TarkanAttila]

TarkanAttila,

Thanks for your explanations.

Don’t mention it.