Quote:
Originally posted by Lebell
Sigh,
Frankly, this post is non-sense and just a little research would have shown it, but I guess that's why it's in "Paranoia" instead of "Philosophy".
Just a few points:
-The Catholic Church doesn't demand you give up friends who aren't Catholic or marry Catholic. You DO have to promise to raise your kids Catholic.
-The Church officially recognizes evolution as the vehicle that God used to create man. It does NOT preach creationism.
-I don't recall ever being told as a youth I might have to sacrifice my life for the Catholic Church.
Anyway, I guess it's easy to spread lies and half truths. After all, that's how bigotry usually starts.
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This rsponse suggests, at best, that not everyone's experience with the Catholic Church is the same. Historically, there have been periods of "liberalization" in the Church's official view. Pope John XXIII made a concerted effort to reach out to other Christian sects in an attempt to consolidate dogmas. Many Catholics raised in the late 1960's and 1970's recieved "Catholicism Lite" with no latin masses, folk songs in place of traditional hymns and a generally more "humanistic" view of religion.
During this period, the church allowed for the possibility that the account of creation in Genesis may be more metaphoric than literal, but only in that the timeline may have been condensed and that the "days" may in fact refer to decades, centuries or even millenia. The active hand of God was still insisted and the genetic eveolution of mankind from the same roots as the apes was still utterly rejected.
Pope John Paul II has been championing a return to biblical fundamentalism, with mixed success. His hard-line Catholicism is running against the grain of a generation of clergy raised under John XXIII and Paul VI. John Paul II survived in a Communist Poland where Catholics were called upon to, and did, sacrifice their very lives for their faith. He considers these people martyrs and saints, and calls upon all Catholics to be prepared to make the same sacrifices. The religious persecution of Catholics is still a fact of life outside of the Western Hemisphere and Europe.
For the record: I was born into a Catholic family and educated by the Sisters of Charity, the Christian Brothers (out of Chicago, IL), and Jesuit priests for 12 years. I spent 2 years at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, MI. I got a look "behind the scenes" of the Catholic environment in the Detroit area, and came away disturbed and disillusioned.
Over the past 30 years, I've spent time with Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Baptists,, Unitarians, and the Assembly of God. Every congregation I've come to know has had an "us vs. them" mentality which, with one noteable exception, began with an extremely self-righteous pastor.
The exception was a Presbyterian minister with an extremely open mind and heart, that truly sought to help his congregation on many levels. He and I debated theology and dogma without prejudice or recrimination. The Presbytery shut his church down.
I am not spreading lies and half-truths. I am speaking of history, current events and personal experience. I honor your right to disagree with me based on your own expriences. I will not call you a liar simply because we disagree. The same courtesy would be appreciated.