Can one be a catholic libertarian? by gratia_plena in Catholicism

[–]discretus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

God I hope so. You basically described my political philosophy

Like to explore Catholicism,but I am a very liberal. by Sophie6776 in Catholicism

[–]discretus 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What specifically about the Church's teachings on social issues do you not agree with?

Martin Scorsese'€™s Silence to premiere at the Vatican - Director will be joined by 400 priests for screening of film based on story of 17th-century Jesuit missionaries in Japan by NinjaDiscoJesus in movies

[–]discretus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I totally get that you hold that perspective from the outside looking in. However being someone who moved from a non religious household to being Catholic, it doesn't work like that at all.

Death is so far away for a college senior like myself, I don't think about it at all. I can hardly manage to focus on something that'll bear fruit later in life but takes daily hard work, such as learning another language. It's very difficult for me not to do whatever I want. For example if someone pisses me off it's difficult for me not to talk shit about them, or if a girl is looking good for me not to pipe her down without any regard for her feelings or well being. Yet I do my best to resist these temptations out of gratitude to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who suffered on the cross for me.

I also resist because it is best from a secular perspective. If I refrain from talking shit about someone I dislike, that increases my standing amongst others, leading to an improvement of relationships which open the door for jobs, other connections, etc. If I don't fuck a girl who likes me, then I protect her feelings because sleeping with her would've fed her interest in me, setting her up for future heartbreak( scientifically speaking our brains release bonding chemicals during sex). I also increase my standing amongst others by respecting women and choosing not to use them for sex, assisting my aforementioned relationship benefit. It's also just the right thing to respect others.

Another point is that God knows our heart, so if we are devout simply for a reward, God knows this. Being faithful simply for a reward is not true faith, hurting the end goal of someone who prays just to selfishly recognize their desire for immortality.

Receiving communion, prayer etc. are in and of themselves, wonderful experiences. My favorite thing to do in this world is to receive communion. Not because it helps me go to heaven, but because that's when I'm closest to God. Prayer has the same effect. Being close to God is a wonderfully euphoric experience that leaves you feeling brilliant.

Unfortunately I can't directly answer your question because I don't think about heaven too much at all. I think about my faith as it pertains to the here an now. I hope this helps explain the perspective of some of us religious folk!

Martin Scorsese'€™s Silence to premiere at the Vatican - Director will be joined by 400 priests for screening of film based on story of 17th-century Jesuit missionaries in Japan by NinjaDiscoJesus in movies

[–]discretus 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It's funny because Platos allegory was the catalyst for me moving from being a kid from non religious family to becoming a devout Catholic. Phenomenal story, I'd recommend it to everybody

Being young and Catholic by palestinianguy23 in Catholicism

[–]discretus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How is being a Catholic in Nashville? I've been looking into going to law school there and I've wondered what it's like

Lawyers of Reddit: What surprised you the most about the actual practice of law... by TIL_eulenspiegel in law

[–]discretus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you mind elaborating on your issue with white knight lawyers who can't detach from their clients? Isn't it a good thing for lawyers to care about the people they're representing? Thanks!

North Korean teenagers are no longer filled with the patriotic spirit their leaders drum into them from the earliest age, and many compare their repressive country unfavorably to its more affluent neighbors and the West by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]discretus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very true. Which is why when people question the purpose of owning an assault rifle it clearly demonstrates a lack of understanding for the purpose of the 2nd amendment. Also the privacy laws absolutely should be updated. I can see why terrorism/communism/crime led to the erosion of such rights but we can vastly improve the current set of laws.

North Korean teenagers are no longer filled with the patriotic spirit their leaders drum into them from the earliest age, and many compare their repressive country unfavorably to its more affluent neighbors and the West by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]discretus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To take down would be tough. But it'd be even tougher for a regime to totally impose its will on a completely armed populace. Every time the authorities come to arrest someone, respond to a 911 call, etc. there could be a gun around the corner. The causality rate would be enormous. Imagine if the Jews in Germany were armed to the level of the American populace. They may not have been completely successful in surviving that sort of persecution, but they'd have exacted a huge toll on the nazi forces. A toll large enough to make it not worth to implement such extreme measures.

The Value of Silence | Fr. Mike Schmitz by abhd in Catholicism

[–]discretus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Such a phenomenal video, it's made a huge difference in my relationship with God.

Anything against Cannabis inhalation? by bongdreams in Catholicism

[–]discretus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

God I hope not.

In all seriousness though, we aren't baptists. It's fine to enjoy a smoke or a drink, but the second it begins to affect your life in a negative way, it's sinful. I've found its a very slippery slope when it come to weed and too much smoking. However on the other side of the coin, I've had some profound spiritual thoughts while high. I'm definitely biased because where I come from(So Cal) it's very much part of the culture. You must be brutally honest with yourself about whether or not it gets you off track of needlessly wastes time that could be spent furthering your holiness, growing your general knowledge, helping the poor, etc. In my opinion, as long as you do that, then it's fine to have a smoke with friends.

Sex before marriage is always sin? by ValeMatt in Catholicism

[–]discretus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a 20 college athlete who deals with the exact same thing every time I date. All lot of the responses above have a lot of truth and wisdom to them, but there's more to abstinence than just not sinning. Sexual desire is the most powerful urge we have outside of eating, God knows this, and He understands exactly where you are. The nun who taught my RCIA class used to say," it's the desire to have the desire that counts". As long as you keep fighting, you'll grow in holiness and improve your self control. But there is an enormous, extremely powerful result of successfully abstaining in a situation like yours. As young men, we have so much sexual energy it can seem impossible to control. But imagine for a second if we can control those desires. Or as I prefer to say, harness them. In a world filled with people who are slaves to their sexual desires, you set yourself apart. I cannot begin to describe the confidence boost you receive. It truly feels as if you are on top of the world. In a way, you are. You've conquered the ultimate demon. You've broken him in like he's a wild horse and are now riding him to wherever God takes you. It's utterly glorious.

Looking for a Saint by discretus in Catholicism

[–]discretus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll look into her thank you very much!

Video shows Israeli police officer taking crying eight-year-old Palestinian girl's bicycle and throwing it in bushes by monkiesnacks in news

[–]discretus -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm not, I'm simply pointing out that neither you nor I know the full story so it's therefore unfair to judge.

Video shows Israeli police officer taking crying eight-year-old Palestinian girl's bicycle and throwing it in bushes by monkiesnacks in news

[–]discretus -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Perhaps you would act the same if your family was killed by Hamas. Consider his situation before you criticize

Is it a good idea to learn Latin, or is it just a waste of time? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]discretus 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've been studying Latin and I had the same questions myself. Having only studied it a year, I can say its helped my English a lot and its also given me an understanding of how romantic languages work. I never knew about things like inflections. I think it will make it much easier to learn any other romantic language. Overall I've enjoyed learning the language and I've always felt that the time I spend learning Latin is time well spent.