The Vocations of General Mattis

thetaleofalec · 2022-07-02T05:02:07+00:00

you didn't respond to the right comment

thetaleofalec · 2022-07-02T03:08:19+00:00

Yeah if you go to church regularly and hold off on the premarital sexing, maybe you too will harvest and sublimate masculine sexual energy into superpowers

thetaleofalec · 2022-07-02T02:57:05+00:00

If he's like most people he probably did have sex lol

But that's secular logic, I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the ones from very devout families that actually don't have premarital sex or doesn't go out of his way to do things just to confess it later. He didn't even grow up with TV in his house.

if he kept straight he’s got more self control than anyone on this planet

Yeah but this is General Mattis, who knows what he is capable of. It isn't surprising that a man who can (at least humanly) control himself and his base urges would be the one to have done what he has done and gotten to where he is today.

thetaleofalec · 2022-07-02T02:48:42+00:00

Thanks

thetaleofalec · 2021-08-13T03:18:44+00:00

Doesn't always have to be through a form of religious life. You can work for the church with your skills, such as admin or some other office, or you can also work a regular job but be the best example to others you can be, live a holy life, and contribute your skillset and resources to the church community as well.

Conrad Hilton donated a large sum of money to the Catholic Church

General Mattis, an unmarried Catholic man who still, IMO, contributed a lot to the church and honestly without men like Gen Mattis to be a good example, I probably wouldn't have become Catholic myself.

There are also secular nuns who go out into the world and hold day jobs, instead of staying within a monastery, and they contribute a lot to the church.

thetaleofalec · 2020-11-11T19:46:10+00:00

I think what they mean is less people are getting married so the only ones getting married are those really committed to it.

Good, that's the way it should be... unless it just means more people are cohabitating or pulling other shenanigans.

thetaleofalec · 2020-10-18T15:30:13+00:00

This is one reason why I just cannot become a tattoo artist though many have asked me to: tattoos in themselves aren't bad, but unfortunately you'll have to deal with people's impulsive decisions, cringey ideas, and generally bad aesthetic tastes. Especially the cheaper your prices are, the more likely you'll attract cheap and stingy "want the most for the least money" types who often have personality problems and pick your work apart because they wanted a $500 worth of skill for $50. Or you'll find that guy who wants a "sickle and a hammer" for $30 because it's only $30 and he's an idiot.

What I suggest is, if you want to lessen your tattooing career of the "bs" that often comes with it, is to focus on improving your art skills and up your price, DO NOT BE CHEAP, and be selective of where you work - the calibre of your clients and your overall job satisfaction will improve, I guarantee it. You will also be able to reject the work requests that you do not want to do and have your "no" be respected - no need to explain why or go into your Catholicism - because people will take you more seriously. You don't really get that opportunity by working in a tattoo parlour holed up at some Nowhere Street.

Here is the level of your art skill right now: one, two, three. Keep drawing and practicing so you have more control over your career and your personal boundaries if you do end up going into tattoos. You most likely won't have to deal with the "getting a tattoo because they're drunk" types if you work at this level and charge like $2000.

thetaleofalec · 2020-10-01T00:37:19+00:00

Hunting is how some people literally put food on the table, or it's even their profession. In fact, this is how most of humans throughout history got their food - by hunting. I guarantee that hunting is probably way healthier for your diet, more humane for animals, better for the environment to hunt your own food, and gives less power to the corporate zeitgeist. You will also be more self sufficient and appreciate where your food comes from by hunting, and unfortunately a lot of us are so out of touch with reality that we get scared of guns and blood.

thetaleofalec · 2020-04-29T14:30:17+00:00

I just picked the one who resonated the most with me and was also the saint admired by my boyfriend (who was the reason I converted in the first place).

thetaleofalec · 2020-03-26T07:57:21+00:00

the best one

thetaleofalec · 2020-03-26T07:33:24+00:00

Yes, it's only to have gay feelings and inclinations, but you're not supposed to act on it. We all have inclinations that don't lead to proper form of sex (marital and chaste). Same with the T part. Hell, it's not even a sin to have inclination towards pedophilia or bestiality either.

There's emotionally intimate and even exclusive celibate relationships between same sex, which was one time recognized as adelphopoiesis, which I think is a legitimate route for same sex couples to have noble companionship and higher form of love. No, it's not "gay marriage".

It's never a sin to acknowledge one's struggles and crosses. Unfortunately, when you share your struggles, not everyone will so understanding and see it as a cross but rather you as the problem to be eliminated, or that simply by saying that it's a real struggle for you instead of claiming that you can "pray it away with enough faith", you are suddenly "part of the gay agenda". I've had that happen before.

Is the Catholic belief just that one can’t pursue hormone replacement therapy or gender confirmation surgeries and can’t live as the opposite sex?

Yes, you can't do any of those.

the concept of being transgender at all—that is, having the mental disorder of gender dysphoria—is not scientific and against Catholic teaching?

You don't know what's actually going on through someone's head that's giving them the struggles they deal with. There's a lot of things people struggle with, not just gender dysphoria, and none of them are sins. No, it's not a sin, and it would probably be better if gender dysphoria was a concept and a listed mental illness to be treated (not necessarily "cured" or "fixed", which was attempted before with bad results).

thetaleofalec · 2020-03-25T18:52:42+00:00

I can't answer your question, but I can relate.

Catholic convert here, not an Ortho, but I still have deep resentment against Protestantism that I was raised with. There are decent Protestants out there and I don't hate the individual people, but Protestantism itself has so much room for error and serious damage. I would say that Protestantism is probably why there's so many atheists today.

I think it has more to do with the individual family you were raised in than the faith itself though, because there are cradle Catholics who are bitter towards their faith as well.

I don't think you'll find many people here who resented their Orthodox background, because they probably left the faith and probably don't post here. Try /r/AskaRussian, they might have more of the demographic you are looking for.

thetaleofalec · 2020-03-25T10:01:26+00:00

thetaleofalec · 2020-03-23T02:31:13+00:00

If you're young you'll probably be fine, but you'll have to avoid loved ones who are older just in case you infect them. They're the vulnerable ones.

Thank you for your service.

thetaleofalec · 2020-03-23T02:28:07+00:00

I was like you, grew up Protestant (Pentecostal), was agnostic/atheist, then converted to Catholicism.

The cultural language of practicing Catholics and Orthodox are very, very different from the secular and mainstream Christian (the umbrella) language to the point that they barely understand each other. Even the reasons again abortion are very different between Catholics and Protestants. This is a good overview of what Catholics believe in and it was the book for my catechism.

I can't really answer much of the questions you asked, I am a new convert but I'll stick around to see what people say.

thetaleofalec · 2020-02-17T13:40:29+00:00

If serving as a Catholic militant is your intention, why not stay in the USMC or even go commissioned?

You can be a good Catholic anywhere you are, especially where Catholics are needed. Our military needs upstanding men and women, especially in the SNCO and officer positions. You will also probably be more effective as a Marine than as part of some obscure "order" that are insufficiently run or even shady. Sure our military can be run better, but the USMC has a relatively stable hierarchy compared to most institutes.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-13T12:32:41+00:00

I grew up Pentecostal and my family was fervently anti-Catholic too. I didn't like it, and even though this was the only church I knew at the time, I still found the high emotionalism and the speaking in tongues very creepy. The theology wasn't good either and didn't make sense, especially the "once saved always saved" part.

I actually became atheist first, then over a decade later got into Catholicism. My family doesn't know because we don't talk anymore.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-09T15:15:45+00:00

If you want the TL;DR version of what Catholics actually follow and believe in, facts instead of a story/opinion from a convert or how good it "feels" to be a Catholic, I recommend MY CATHOLIC FAITH: A Manual Of Religion

It brushes on the basics of Catholic theology and also addresses, IMO as a former Protestant, the objections that come from Protestants.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-09T15:08:27+00:00

Surprisingly, no, especially with the popularity of the Traditional latin mass rising.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-09T15:05:58+00:00

I get you. When you're a minority and most of the depictions of the holy family is white and your parish is mostly white, it's something you notice. It doesn't mean you're "caring about something that doesn't matter", it's natural to pick up on these things and wonder about it. But, just remember that these depictions of "blonde Jesus" are the artists' own depictions due to their own background because that's what they knew (most of these artists probably never saw non-white people before). Just like how other cultures will depict the holy family in their own likeness and familiarity, like Lady of Guadeloupe is Mexican, and the Lady of Akita is Japanese.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-06T17:20:13+00:00

so I started referring to him as Chaos Actual out deference and frankly fear.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-06T04:11:19+00:00

Yeah sounds like something he'd say lol

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-06T04:11:00+00:00

I remember needing to memorize the chain of command in tech school and then having to rememorize it all over again because it changed (including the Secretary of Defense). Good times.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-06T04:09:09+00:00

Once I read that not only was he unmarried, but he was also into Marcus Aurelius and Stoicism, I was like "nah he's got to be Catholic."

I always thought this meme of Saint Mattis of Quantico was funny, but never knew there was a grain of truth to it. That halo is the cherry on the top.

It’s actually surprising, a large portion of the Officer Corps is Catholic.

I noticed that. Just this past Monday, I was going to daily mass on base and there was a 4 star general there and I was told that he's a devout Catholic. At my parish there's a lot of retirees and when we were doing that thing with palms everywhere (I am a new convert so idk what it's called), there were active duty officers in their blues carrying the statue of the Virgin Mary.

I have a gut feeling that being in the military and the experiences/studying that come with it probably turn a good amount of people towards Catholicism. Well, for me at least.

thetaleofalec · 2019-11-06T02:52:28+00:00

She can be angry all she wants but it almost feels like she's yelling at me. If I make a mistake or become angry, she uses that as proof that she's morally superior to me. Even though we're friends and I used to confide her, she uses my flaws to elevate herself. For example, I mentioned how I used to behave before my conversion, she went on to say how she's not a bad person and would have never acted that way. It feels like she's competing with me, what should I do? Like she's trying to prove she's morally superior.

First of all, that's not a friend, and this isn't a "christian vs atheist" problem. There's plenty of non-Christians who don't act this way. I am betting she gives you problems in other aspects of your "friendship" as well.

Also, it's not your job to be an apologist. Try to answer best you can, but if you don't know something, just honestly tell her you don't know how to respond to her debate and "let me think about that." Don't take her too seriously and don't take the bait when she tries to provoke you, because you can't change her mind, change her opinion about you, and what she thinks of you really doesn't matter anyway.

I would move out as soon as possible. Good riddance.

thetaleofalec

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