What do Traditional/Orthodox Catholics Do for Fun Outside of Mass?

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I’m a huge fan of Theme Parks, so I like to visit those. I also thoroughly enjoy traveling, site-seeing, and especially visiting other Catholics churches & chapels. I recently just got back from the March for Life in Washington DC where I had the privilege of seeing the National Basilica as well as a Franciscan Monastery. To your average 19 year old guy, I doubt that would sound like an ideal day, but I couldn’t have been more overjoyed.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Um, define bars? I must admit the connotation is different between here and the Philippines. If you mean a place where people drink, yes.
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Yes, I mean a place where people drink. They may serve snacks as well. Depending on state/country laws, there may be a lot of cigarette smoke. There is often loud music, or in the case of Sports bars, music and a big TV screen showing the game.

How’s that?
 
The reason I’m asking these questions is that as an Evangelical, drinking, partying, going to movies, watching TV, etc, were all discouraged. In the reformed church, almost everything was allowed as long as you weren’t hurting yourselves and others. Sort of like the Wiccans say, “an it harm none, do as ye will.”

I’m still trying to get a feel of how conservative Catholics feel about some things. For example, I have seen posts about TV’s not being allowed in some homes. So I thought I’d asked the more conservative Catholics on the board.
 
TrueLight said:
Yes, I mean a place where people drink. They may serve snacks as well. Depending on state/country laws, there may be a lot of cigarette smoke. There is often loud music, or in the case of Sports bars, music and a big TV screen showing the game.

How’s that?
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Thanks, I have that idea but I want to make sure we’re on the same page. So yes, I do go there occasionally with coworkers or my friend. I do drink, but I don’t drink to forget. I think there were only a couple of times that I drank so much I got sick and hungover for a day or two. I do know how to control my alcohol and I do love to drink occasionally with company. I hate drinking alone.
 
Good Catholics listen to L’Angelus for having fun 🙂

Here they are at the World Youth Day 2011: youtube.com/watch?v=uDdvDMtOcjI

And also… it’s great to go out and have lunch or dinner with some friend and talk for hours, for example!
 
TrueLight said:
The reason I’m asking these questions is that as an Evangelical, drinking, partying, going to movies, watching TV, etc, were all discouraged. In the reformed church, almost everything was allowed as long as you weren’t hurting yourselves and others. Sort of like the Wiccans say, “an it harm none, do as ye will.”

I’m still trying to get a feel of how conservative Catholics feel about some things. For example, I have seen posts about TV’s not being allowed in some homes. So I thought I’d asked the more conservative Catholics on the board.
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I am strongly against television. Of course, there are one or two good programs, but you can see them on your computer anyway. That’s why I don’t intend to spend hundreds of dollars buying a TV set when I’ll have my own house.

On the other hand, I believe it’s very important to learn to drink in moderation. In my country, it is not unusual, even for young people, to drink a glass of red wine at lunch/dinner. And drinking a beer with your friends is great!
 
TrueLight said:
The reason I’m asking these questions is that as an Evangelical, drinking, partying, going to movies, watching TV, etc, were all discouraged. In the reformed church, almost everything was allowed as long as you weren’t hurting yourselves and others. Sort of like the Wiccans say, “an it harm none, do as ye will.”

I’m still trying to get a feel of how conservative Catholics feel about some things. For example, I have seen posts about TV’s not being allowed in some homes. So I thought I’d asked the more conservative Catholics on the board.
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I think it 's a fair question from someone converted from an Evangelical background.

Jesus and the disciples drank wine with a pretty high alcohol content. Grape juice naturally ferments unless it is pasteurized and that is a fairly new process if you think of time since Adam and Eve.

Weddings were a pretty festive thing in the first century and I think there was dancing too.

I am using this to gain perspective as I have been told many protestants think that Jesus did not consume wine and that it is modern folk who strayed from juice to alcohol.

Catholics are pretty fun to hang around with. I go to house parties with chip dips and bread and salads of all sorts, bottles of wine, water, tea and coffee. We play charades, we play trivia we dress in costumes (I dressed as a star trek officer once). I can have a beer when I watch a football game.

There are lots of good movies and good music to listen to, you just need to pay attention.
 
larsenl1 said:
Weddings were a pretty festive thing in the first century and I think there was dancing too.
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If I’m not mistaken, perhaps someone can confirm this, orthodox Jews dance at weedings, however men and women are segregated. Although I wouldn’t go as far as saying that dancing is a sin (no way every mixed dance could be a sin, check St. Francis of Sales), although some types of dance are certainly very immodest and sinful, I believe that, if true, the Jews have a good solution here!
 
C’mon! It’s not like Billy Joel’s Only the Good Die Young. 😛
 
sicutincensum said:
If I’m not mistaken, perhaps someone can confirm this, orthodox Jews dance at weedings, however men and women are segregated. Although I wouldn’t go as far as saying that dancing is a sin (no way every mixed dance could be a sin, check St. Francis of Sales), although some types of dance are certainly very immodest and sinful, I believe that, if true, the Jews have a good solution here!
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In Introduction to a Devout Life right? I remember that. He apparently got some flack for that though. In Treatise of the Love of God he mentions how people criticized him because of his comments on dancing. You can’t please them all.
Three or four years afterwards I published the Introduction to a Devout Life, upon the occasion and in the manner which I have put down in the preface thereof: regarding which I have nothing to say to you, my dear reader, save only that though this little book has generally had a gracious and kind acceptance, yes even amongst the most grave prelates and doctors of the Church, yet it did not escape the rude censure of some who did not merely blame me but bitterly attacked me in public because I tell Philothea that dancing is an action indifferent in itself, and that for recreation’s sake one may make quodlibets; and I, knowing the quality of these censors, praise their intention which I think was good. I should have desired them however to please to consider that the first proposition is drawn from the common and true doctrine of the most holy and learned divines, that I was writing for such as live in the world and in courts; that withal I carefully inculcate the extreme dangers which are found in dancing;—and that as to the second proposition it is not mine, but S. Louis’s, that admirable king, a doctor worthy to be followed in the art of rightly conducting courtiers to a devout life. For, I believe if they had weighed this, their charity and discretion would never have permitted their zeal, how vigorous and austere soever, to arm their indignation against me.
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I like fountain pens, so I play with them. Also, I love listening to EWTN Openline on my iPod in the evenings, last night with Barbara as the host was SOOOO interesting. But, other than that, nothing much different than others on here!

I don’t know about you, but breathing is fun 🙂
 
There was also quite a lively thread on CAF (I can’t remember the name of it), where someone felt that one should not have fun in any way that does not expressly aim to please God.

Does that put limits on us as traditional Catholics on what we are able to do?

I read somewhere else, that traditionally, Catholics have never been really strict about every day practices and that traditional Catholics who disagree with television, or going to the movies, etc are acting more like fundamentalists (protestants).

Does anyone agree with that?
 
I will go to a bar with co-workers for Happy Hour every once and a while. I’ll go to sporting events, camping and other types of cultural events. Plus, social activities give me a chance to share with others about Traditional Catholicism.

My immediate and extended family have always and still do go to bars together.

I try to avoid suggestive TV, but as others pointed it out this becomes difficult, however we can still change the channel.

My wife and I recently finished a dancing class

I take the advice of St. Francis, that we can preach the gospel always, and if neccessary, use words
 
TrueLight said:
one should not have fun in any way that does not expressly aim to please God.
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This is totally false. Take the example of food. Why do we eat? Well, the ultimate reason is because we need food to sustain us so we can know, serve and love God. HOWEVER, that purpose does not have to be explicit. One can lawfuly eat without even thinking about the deepest reason of that meal, but rather thinking about how good the food is or how interesting the conversation is being.
 
sicutincensum said:
If I’m not mistaken, perhaps someone can confirm this, orthodox Jews dance at weedings, however men and women are segregated. Although I wouldn’t go as far as saying that dancing is a sin (no way every mixed dance could be a sin, check St. Francis of Sales), although some types of dance are certainly very immodest and sinful, I believe that, if true, the Jews have a good solution here!
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There is dancing in the Byzantine Rite wedding for the bride and groom.
 
TrueLight said:
There was also quite a lively thread on CAF (I can’t remember the name of it), where someone felt that one should not have fun in any way that does not expressly aim to please God.

Does that put limits on us as traditional Catholics on what we are able to do?
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Well, we should see God in everyone and in everything we do. Even if you are just cleaning your house or any other mundane task.
TrueLight said:
I read somewhere else, that traditionally, Catholics have never been really strict about every day practices and that traditional Catholics who disagree with television, or going to the movies, etc are acting more like fundamentalists (protestants).

Does anyone agree with that?
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Well, given the religious Fiestas we have in the Philippines which date back to the inception of the Church in the country about 500 years ago, yeah, Catholics aren’t opposed to having fun 👍

You know about the eating out part I told you about, ever since I decided to increase my faith and spirituality it was affected a bit. We used to go out Friday nights. But because most Fridays are meatless, it does restrict the places we go to. So we moved it to Saturday or Sunday, although it was fun to do it on a Friday because you’re tired from working the whole week and don’t feel like cooking at home, so there’s a double purpose. Of course, whats nice is I get all excited if its a Feast Day, like this past Theophany/Epiphany which is a Friday. So we went out to our favorite Chinese restaurant 👍
 
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