Where's the humour?

[BarbaraTherese]

Better believe I knew 'em - and was taught by 'em! Nothing could be worse than being a Protestant!

Oh my it sure was huh? and it was totally drilled into our poor impressionable little minds of the dreadful fate in Hell that awaited all mortal sinners, heretics and Protestants …here’s a funny anecdote!
I had to go on an errand for Mum, and was only about 8 or 9 or so I suppose and if I didn’t go the long way it meant I had to walk through the far end of our street. Now it happened that at our end we were Catholics…but at the extreme end were Protestants or non Catholics. The day was very very hot as it can get here in Australia in summer, and to get home quickly out the heat, I waved caution to the winds and decided to hurry through the Protestant end and get home quick. Problem was I was five minutes into the Protestant end and was absolutely dying of thirst. Sighting some other children (protestants) playing in a front yard in bathers inthe heat and under a hose, I asked for a drink. They surrounded me threateningly and refused to give me a drink or allow me to move on unless I said “I am a Protestant” I held out as best I could for at least a minute I think and then in tears said “I am a Protestant” and jeeringly laughing at me they let me have a quick drink and go on my way yelling “Catholic Protestant” after me. I arrived home almost hysterically in tears and breaking my heart in the knowledge I was in deadly mortal sin and a heretic and destined for the pits of Hell. Mum could not comfort me (Mum was a convert) and I went off to Confession…must have been a Saturday! Poor Father in Confession trying to convince an hysterically crying little child that there was no mortal sin and no heresy!!! He never did actually, but he did absolve me.
I think there must have been times when parents and priests would have liked to strangle the nuns…as totally holy and totally dedicated to the Catholic spritual education of their students as they indeed were. In those days, nuns sure lived poverty literally or at least The Australian St. Joseph Sisters did.

Our spiritual formation began the day we started school. I still have problems shaking it off and getting things into correct theologically and more balanced proportions. And so many stories that now I can laugh about that tore me to pieces at the time. We probably all have them!
But total it all up and my lifelong education by nuns…and they sure put me in good and sound stead for my coming life and I have never regretted my education by them. And here I can pause with a heartfelt thought and a heartfelt prayer for any who have experienced otherwise.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

On a serious note, you might want to stay away from the threads that involve the highly scrupulous questions about minutiae and stick with your Catechism. Everything you need to know about your Catholic faith is between those pages!

Excellent advice !!! …and especially

stick with your Catechism. Everything you need to know about your Catholic faith is between those pages!

Alleluia Amen!

 

[blessedtoo]

Oh my it sure was huh? and it was totally drilled into our poor impressionable little minds of the dreadful fate in Hell that awaited all mortal sinners, heretics and Protestants …here’s a funny anecdote!
I had to go on an errand for Mum, and was only about 8 or 9 or so I suppose and if I didn’t go the long way it meant I had to walk through the far end of our street. Now it happened that at our end we were Catholics…but at the extreme end were Protestants or non Catholics. The day was very very hot as it can get here in Australia in summer, and to get home quickly out the heat, I waved caution to the winds and decided to hurry through the Protestant end and get home quick. Problem was I was five minutes into the Protestant end and was absolutely dying of thirst. Sighting some other children (protestants) playing in a front yard in bathers inthe heat and under a hose, I asked for a drink. They surrounded me threateningly and refused to give me a drink or allow me to move on unless I said “I am a Protestant” I held out as best I could for at least a minute I think and then in tears said “I am a Protestant” and jeeringly laughing at me they let me have a quick drink and go on my way yelling “Catholic Protestant” after me. I arrived home almost hysterically in tears and breaking my heart in the knowledge I was in deadly mortal sin and a heretic and destined for the pits of Hell. Mum could not comfort me (Mum was a convert) and I went off to Confession…must have been a Saturday! Poor Father in Confession trying to convince an hysterically crying little child that there was no mortal sin and no heresy!!! He never did actually, but he did absolve me.
I think there must have been times when parents and priests would have liked to strangle the nuns…as totally holy and totally dedicated to the Catholic spritual education of their students as they indeed were. In those days, nuns sure lived poverty literally or at least The Australian St. Joseph Sisters did.

Our spiritual formation began the day we started school. I still have problems shaking it off and getting things into correct theologically and more balanced proportions. And so many stories that now I can laugh about that tore me to pieces at the time. We probably all have them!
But total it all up and my lifelong education by nuns…and they sure put me in good and sound stead for my coming life and I have never regretted my education by them. And here I can pause with a heartfelt thought and a heartfelt prayer for any who have experienced otherwise.

What a GREAT story! I LOVE IT! Had flashbacks myself to the “neighborhood demographic” and the “protestant section” vs. the “Catholic section.”

Like you, theology was a jumble for me (and still is sometimes!) as I swung wildly between total scrupulosity (as a wee one) to complete paganism! When you are taught extremism as a child (as I was, by EXTREME nuns), you have a difficult time finding balance. Here I am, pushing 50, and still searching for it!

Thanks for the wonderful story!

 

[dianaballein]

Pug and Barb - thank you

No you both read me right, in the sense that the more I delve into my catholicism, the drier and more dyer it seems. The sense of sin comes from reading the authors on this board. If I light up a cigarette with coworkers for a quick break at work, I’m now contempkating is that a sin beacuse of stuff Ive read here. If I look at a pretty woman, its a sin. If I let rip to my heavy metal music (obviously when theres noone else in the house !!!) it’s a sin, if I buy my favourite comedian’s tapes it’s a sin because he’s gay and Im supporting his gay lifestyle… it never ends And that’s not even going anywhere near theology, spirituality, mass, liturgy and everything else.
I’d echo that saint but the way I feel now its a bit like spare me from the gloom of catholicism. Sorry but thats how Im feeling right now, Im sure it will pass

I just ran across this posting for the first time and I haven’t read all the replies, so forgive me for that, but I am so grateful you posted this.

I have been making the journey towards becoming Catholic, and I just found out yesterday that I have to go and annul my first marriage from 1983, divorce my current spouse, annul that, and then remarry him again in order to not be sinning now. I thought my head would split in two. I thought maybe those would be nice things to do, but now I hear they are REQUIRED. Lord have mercy on me for wanting to do the right thing, but now I am just scratching my head, not sure which way to go.

I have gay friends who have loved and supported me since I was a child. I am not supposed to judge lest ye be judged. Do I stop talking to them? Am I sinning if I hug them goodbye? Am I sinning if I eat 4 scoops of ice cream instead of two? Am I sinning if I admire the way my hair looks today because that is vanity?

Okay…thanks. Your need to vent perpetuated mine. I am better now.

 

[CreatioNova]

Okay…thanks. Your need to vent perpetuated mine. I am better now.

Diana

Maybe what we need on this forum is a ‘‘Sin Room’’ where you can do that ‘‘flick’’ thing women do with their hair and we can all go ‘‘Corrr’’

They we can come back in here, be admonished, and promise to never do it again - till next monday

I do think there’s a lot of good stuff on these boards, and I’ve benefited hugely form some peoples (name removed by moderator)ut.

But Ive picked up two more things from this thread.

1. Get a cathecism
2. Find a spiritual director

These two will cover just about the lot.

I fell into this trap here - taking everyone at their word and believeing they were all better than me and knew more than me - and my head started to explode. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that apart from when actual factual information is being quoted, everything else is just peoples opinions. That’s all. And although they are welcome and necessay, they’re not necessarily applicable to you.

 

[dianaballein]

God saw that Adam could find no suitable companion in all of creation. So he came to Adam and told him that He was going to create a companion for Man. God was going to make her love Man with all her heart and treat Man as the head of the house. She was going to be lovely and affectionate all the days of her life. In her, Adam would find happiness every night and she would keep the home ready every day for him.

Adam was excited and asked God what it was going to cost him. God told Adam it would cost an arm and a leg. “Hmm,” said Adam. " What can I get for a rib?"

 

[Pug]

I have gay friends who have loved and supported me since I was a child. I am not supposed to judge lest ye be judged. Do I stop talking to them? Am I sinning if I hug them goodbye? Am I sinning if I eat 4 scoops of ice cream instead of two? Am I sinning if I admire the way my hair looks today because that is vanity?

Hug your friends and keep talking to them. Sometimes we see the beauty in our hair. I did today. The weather has to be just right, it must be perfectly clean, the stars must align just right , and so on. It can be rough going through the annulment process. Lots of people have said to me that it brings up many emotions. It’s 77 degrees Fahrenheit today, and how can I not smile?

 

[dianaballein]

Well Pug, it sounds like you have a wonderful outlook and you are right…77 degrees…how can it not be a blessed day?

 

[Pug]

What is happening I think is that coming to the surface of consciousness in mankind is this terrible fear of death…and it is reflected in all these concerns about health and lengthening life. I dont think it is conscious yet…still very active in the subconscious and revealing itself in all these fears and anxieties about lengthening life.

Good point. The fear of death is one of those questions or facts that a society likely has some way of approaching.

The government keeps doing tests on me and stating I am fit to go to work and can come off the disability pension and join the unemployment que. I am now 63yrs of age and with 30 years in my past of an almost horrific journey with Bipolar. So my doc (psychiatrist) keeps writing the government a letter telling them that if they take me off disability, the stress will cause me to become ill again …I love my psychiatrist!

The paperwork of life. It helps so much to see it with the right eye, an eye filled with humour.

The thing about our class of 20 looking at media in all its forms including TV journalism and means of identifying manipulations and to what, is that it is that it can be pebble in the pool affect and effect. We can pass much of what we learn onto others as we discuss media in all its forms and current affairs in our own personal lives with friends etc. I hope for this affect and effect.

Yes! This makes sense. CAF is a good place to put this idea into practice.

I think added to the seven deadly sins should be “taking ourselves too seriously too often”. And added to the Gifts of The Holy Spirit should be “a joyful sense of humour and of the silly and ridiculous, the absurdities in life” Chiefly amongst the silly, ridiculous and absurd is our human nature and especially my own brand of the human in nature.

Good to catch up with again, Pug, on these Boards.

Very much likewise to you, Barb.

 

[the_phoenix]

The Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits were having a big meeting that went well into the middle of the night. Suddenly all the lights went out in the meeting room. The Franciscans immediately took out guitars and sang songs, and the Dominicans began preaching. But the Jesuits went to the basement, found the fuse box and reset the breaker

Hey now … Sounds like the Franciscans were having the most fun. Only thing I would have wanted to add would be to light a few candles maybe.

~~ the phoenix

 

[BarbaraTherese]

What a GREAT story! I LOVE IT! Had flashbacks myself to the “neighborhood demographic” and the “protestant section” vs. the “Catholic section.”

Like you, theology was a jumble for me (and still is sometimes!) as I swung wildly between total scrupulosity (as a wee one) to complete paganism! When you are taught extremism as a child (as I was, by EXTREME nuns), you have a difficult time finding balance. Here I am, pushing 50, and still searching for it!

Thanks for the wonderful story!

Here in Australia certainly Protestants and Catholics were enemies at least in the playground…and we both thought the other destined for Hell. The Catholic system was for Catholics and the state schools for Protestants…and ne’er the twain meet. But then back then we also had that shocking “White Australia Policy” that we all that was right and proper as we were conditioned into it…there were few enlightened people back then and on many fronts that we now take for granted to give enlightened thought.
I had quite a few confessions and due to what I was being taught by nuns in the classroom getting all mixed up - and now as I reflect back, I feel so sorry for the priest who had to hear my confessions.
Yeah! Here I am at 63yrs and still trying to get things together. The problem is that I dont think I would know “got it together” if I was to fall over it.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I just ran across this posting for the first time and I haven’t read all the replies, so forgive me for that, but I am so grateful you posted this.

I have been making the journey towards becoming Catholic, and I just found out yesterday that I have to go and annul my first marriage from 1983, divorce my current spouse, annul that, and then remarry him again in order to not be sinning now. I thought my head would split in two. I thought maybe those would be nice things to do, but now I hear they are REQUIRED. Lord have mercy on me for wanting to do the right thing, but now I am just scratching my head, not sure which way to go.

I have gay friends who have loved and supported me since I was a child. I am not supposed to judge lest ye be judged. Do I stop talking to them? Am I sinning if I hug them goodbye? Am I sinning if I eat 4 scoops of ice cream instead of two? Am I sinning if I admire the way my hair looks today because that is vanity?

Okay…thanks. Your need to vent perpetuated mine. I am better now.

If you will forgive me my constant failings, putting my foot into things or into my mouth - getting generally all screwed up and obviously so…then I sure can forgive you for not having read all posts

Goodness what a process and what a dreadful strain it must be as you look at what lay ahead of you and of things you need to resolve. Take one step only at a time and give all to The Lord and seek good sound advice if in doubt…and sometimes this Board is not a source of good sound advice. We argue too often and it can be hard, for some I think, to glean out the accurate and inaccurate. Although I think “ask an apologist” forum is quite good when one’s question eventually comes up to be answered as I think questions are prioritized into a long waiting list of questions.

When I first took very ill with a mental illness…it was at one point gay people who gave be shelter and comfort, understanding. They also encouraged me in my art and writing and in my struggles for sanity and to keep my Faith. No one else did. I still love the guys.

Do vent away…I do if I deem it necessary …

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Diana

Maybe what we need on this forum is a ‘‘Sin Room’’ where you can do that ‘‘flick’’ thing women do with their hair and we can all go ‘‘Corrr’’

They we can come back in here, be admonished, and promise to never do it again - till next monday

I do think there’s a lot of good stuff on these boards, and I’ve benefited hugely form some peoples (name removed by moderator)ut.

But Ive picked up two more things from this thread.

1. Get a cathecism
2. Find a spiritual director

These two will cover just about the lot.

I fell into this trap here - taking everyone at their word and believeing they were all better than me and knew more than me - and my head started to explode. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that apart from when actual factual information is being quoted, everything else is just peoples opinions. That’s all. And although they are welcome and necessay, they’re not necessarily applicable to you.

Really excellent post and some really good advice shared!!!

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Not funny!
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_11_4v.gif

 

[Loren_1of6]

The paperwork of life. It helps so much to see it with the right eye…

That’s the problem! :doh2: All this time I’ve been using the left eye.

 

[Pug]

That’s the problem! :doh2: All this time I’ve been using the left eye.

How typical. I’m at my most helpful when I least expect it.