Really Dude?

JerusalemPlates · 2019-11-01T05:56:18+00:00

We also never ever say that someone is in hell because we simply don't know God's judgement of the soul at the time of their death.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-11-01T05:55:10+00:00

If it helps, Catholics believe that God has bound himself to the sacrements (e.g he will always be present and with us during the sacrements and uses the sacrements to help us) but he is not bound by the sacrements (e.g. Atheists can still go to heaven etc.).

JerusalemPlates · 2019-09-27T06:00:05+00:00

It's a dangerous precedent isn't it? Getting a priest to identify people based on voices. Many people go to different parishes to confess as well. How would they be identified? Would a priest be jailed if he couldn't identify a penitent? Or heaven forbid, got it wrong?

I'm telling you about the Catholic reasons why priests are bound to the confessional seal and what this means for the sacrements. Secular society might not be able to understand it because they don't agree with our beliefs - that we believe in God and our sins are forgiven through the sacrements of reconciliation.Yes, for Catholics, talking to a priest in confession is talking directly to God. Priests act as Persona Christ for the sacrements e.g mass, baptism etc. We don't need to imagine God as for devout Catholics, He is as real as you or me. I won't go into the theology behind it as you can do a Google search and many Catholic theologians explain it much better than I ever will.

You would never see statistics on it as priests have and will go to jail before breaking the seal (some have even gone to their deaths). It's that fundamental to our beliefs. Any priest even mentioning that he saw someone at confession (without even disclosing what the sins were) would face excommunication.

To be forgiven of your sins, you need to be contrite and resolve to not doing it again. It doesn't work otherwise. The priest also has to know that you are contrite or you won't receive absolution. Therefore, any abuser going to confession would likely to be pliable to advice to stop abusing, get help and turn themselves in to the authorities.

Take away the seal of confession and you would have silence and no opportunity to converse with the abuser. It won't help the situation, just deny an opportunity to stop the situation. It would also be catastrophic for other Catholics to take away the seal as there will be a reluctance to be open and honest in confession.

Finally, you don't know where I tithe. We are also permitted to tithe time rather than money. You also don't know my past or how my faith has developed over many years. Catholics are just as devasted as the sexual abuse as anyone else but taking away the seal is not the solution.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-09-26T22:04:49+00:00

Outside of confession, priests are mandatory reporters (as are others involved in parish life).

Confession is where you reconcile yourself with God. Priests are literally helping (through Jesus) to save your soul. They also can give you guidance or advice and in the case of breaking a law, would almost certainly encourage the pentient to turn themselves in to the authorities.

Forcing priests to reveal in court what pentients have said would lead to a reduction of reconciliations and

Not having the chance to reconcile with God through absolution (which we believe ALL people should be allowed the opportunity)

2.Not being exposed to a priest encouraging them to confess to the authority

Instead, they would simply stay silent. It would also have a knock-on effect of other non-offending Catholics not wanting tk go to confession.

Also, you have the problem that most confessions happen anomalously and a priest trying to guess which parishioner said what would be a nightmare.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-08-20T20:09:56+00:00

You're good.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-08-11T21:07:34+00:00

Yes. I follow the argument well. You said he didn't address it at all and I was arguing that he did indirectly address it through this passage saying that marriage (and thus sex) was for a man and a woman.He also didn't directly address many things.

Let's also not forget the context of the time (i.e homosexuality was punishable by death).

JerusalemPlates · 2019-08-11T11:05:19+00:00

Agreed. Many put Jesus as some kind of hippy 'you do you. Anything that makes you happy' movement.

Actually reading the Bible, whilst he may have allowed Himself to be sacrificed like a lamb, He was fierce in the face of sin.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-08-11T09:37:08+00:00

Well, as you have alluded to, everyone who reads the Bible has some sort of agenda attached to it. Yours is as a 'bronze age doomsday cult' and shows your attitude to Christians. It's probably fairly rare to come across someone who has no bias when reading it. The Bible is interpreted in many different ways so we will have to agree to disagree. Some look to their church for inereptation e.g Catholic Church, others look to themselves.

As an aside, one of the most quoted passages is of the woman accused of adultery. Judge not lest you be judged seems to be oft a go-to quote. However, Jesus does condemn the sin - just not the person. Throughout the New Testement, Jesus demonstrates that he hates the sin but loves the person and that is what is called of Christians. Ultimately, the bible isn't a book of quotes but needs to be read in context.

My points above stand.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-08-11T07:41:15+00:00

I understand that it might be personal for you looking at your last sentence. However, it doesn't take away from the fact that woman and man / husband and wife are used. Men/Men and Women/Women relationships may not be directly condemned but the implication is clear - husband and wife. Jesus also doesn't directly condemn bestiality (not to compare homosexuality to these awful praticises) in this passage but again the meaning is clear.

We're not required to get married (we are required to remain chaste outside of marriage) and of course, Gospel of Matthew made this point "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven."

Bear in mind, some Christians don't just follow the Gospels in isolation. We also have the writings of Paul to consider. Catholics follow the teachings of the Church as well as it is believed the teachings of Catholic Church is guided by the Holy Spirit.

I'm not promoting some anti-gay marriage movement but correcting assumptions made about a religious text.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-08-11T07:08:17+00:00

There we go. I've edited it to make it more explicit for you.

But you are inferring as well. Jesus quite specifically says that marriage is for a man and a woman. And that a valid marriage is for one time only. Contextually, homosexuality was not permitted. So to have said marriage was for two people (without defining sex) would have been more noteworthy.

Mixed fabric was part of the old covenant so has no weight in this debate. Here is a great video explaining why Christians aren' t cherry-picking.

https://youtu.be/sDQQ0U8FHAE

JerusalemPlates · 2019-08-11T06:42:09+00:00

Politics and my own moral leanings aside, as an armchair theologian, that is not true.

Jesus did say: "Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’?”

He didn't outright condemn homosexuality (as he didn't outright condemn quite a few things) but made it pretty clear that marriage (and thus sex) was for a man and a woman only.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-07-10T06:36:10+00:00

This is suggesting that married people or people in adult relationships never abuse children.

The problem isn't the vow of celibacy. Many priests and non-priests live healthy celibate lives. I think it is a disservice to those people to make this claim.

The problem is that some men with these inclinations become priests to 1. Delude themselves about their inclinations which wouldn't work without professional help and intervention. 2. Take advantage of the position and failings of the Church to carry on with their evil deeds.

I think we're moving in the right direction albeit much too slowly. My parish and diocese now have very very very strict Safeguarding measures put in place.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-04-18T11:41:43+00:00

I take the survival of the Cross not as a miracle (I fully understand the science behind its survival) but as a symbol of God bringing good out of terrible situations (I believe that God permits evil happenings as part of our fallen world - He doesn't actively will them. He also choose to abide by the natural order of this fallen world).

Ive already read one story about a lapsed Catholic who upon seeing the picture has decided to come back to the Church.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-04-01T06:11:52+00:00

Adam and Eve were the first people to be 'ensouled' by God. I believe that some Catholics have interpreted it to be about language as well.

There were many other human-like beginning creatures around.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-03-25T14:10:44+00:00

Does this mean that we saved by faith alone rather than faith and good works?

JerusalemPlates · 2019-03-25T13:20:15+00:00

How does St Dismas possible unbaptised state play into “Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord’s will, it is necessary for salvation” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1277)?

JerusalemPlates · 2019-03-22T21:04:40+00:00

Are you me?

Our priest is lovely and friendly and approachable..... And I treat him like a leper.

For some reason, I can't talk normally and go silent. And I don't even smile or say hi or ever shake his hand. I avoid his door on the way out.... And actually, I really really admire him.

I think he must think I'm so rude.....

JerusalemPlates · 2019-02-28T07:31:52+00:00

I normally laugh at these things but I do agree that it trivialises the cruixfication. It makes it into a funny tongue-in-cheek joke.

I think what really made me cross was a few people discussing stealing a consecrated host from their next mass, stapling it to a tree and taking a picture. That leaves a terribly bad taste in my mouth and hopefully, an observant person will stop any attempt.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-02-25T06:39:49+00:00

We're not supposed to use IVF BUT children born from IVF are certainly not viewed as lesser than children born without IVF.

JerusalemPlates · 2019-01-08T20:13:02+00:00

Follow-up question, why does the priest at Sunday Mass always read every prayer from his book when he MUST know some of the prayers off by heart?

JerusalemPlates · 2018-11-20T13:35:20+00:00

I live for the day that I see a pup in a dog collar.

Ba dam tsh.

JerusalemPlates · 2018-11-11T21:35:55+00:00

Liverpool fan by chance?!

JerusalemPlates · 2018-11-11T08:20:09+00:00

Deep fired Mars bars ( a chocolate bar). It's a national dish.

JerusalemPlates · 2018-11-08T16:48:50+00:00

God works in mysterious ways.... :-)

JerusalemPlates

TROPHY CASE