What is your experience of being a Catholic?

@ossobuco,

Quote:

Not funny. That is what we were taught.

I very much doubt you were taught what I had in mind. I don't suppose Justine, or the Misfortunes of Virtue; Juliette; The 120 Days of Sodom; and Philosophy in the Bedroom were set texts.

The Divine Marquis provided every weapon with which to attack the Catholic Church, religion, morality and law. I am surprised he is not quoted more often on these types of thread. Likewise Honeore de Balzac.

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@spendius,

Even James Joyce, after shafting the Church everywhichway has Leopold Bloom say "still, there must be something in it".

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@spendius,

Correction--Honore de Balzac.

1 Reply

@spendius,

spendius wrote:

Correction--Honore de Balzac.

Balzac wrote 'Ulysses'? I never realised. I thought it was a woman called Joyce James. Heigh-ho. Live and learn.

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@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

. . . Not a great story . . .

I disagree. Thanks for telling it.

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@spendius,

spendius wrote:

Sometime in my 30s I was told that everybody had me pegged to enter the
priesthood.
I gawped at them astounded. The idea had never entered my head.

I second the gawp.
But I'm sure they had their reasons.

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@Frank Apisa,

Quote:

But the important part is: Catholicism was a source of great comfort at times…

It seems that you had a good experience with Catholicism in your youth so why let go of something that felt good? Was it because you did not want to be a part of something that promoted story telling as if it were factual and numerous other reasons such as inequality and so forth?

What do you find as a comfort in your life today? My guess is friends and family.

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

Sure.
The information.

2 Replies

@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Quote:

But the important part is: Catholicism was a source of great comfort at times…

It seems that you had a good experience with Catholicism in your youth so why let go of something that felt good?

Having Mom hug me a lot probably felt good also...but at some point one must move on.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

I do not mean that as an insult to people who continue with the "God" scenario...they may be correct. I just mean that I started reasoning differently as I got older...and that reasoning lead me to where I am.

Quote:

Was it because you did not want to be a part of something that promoted story telling as if it were factual and numerous other reasons such as inequality and so forth?

I like to suppose it was that I just grew up and started reasoning in a different way.

Quote:

What do you find as a comfort in your life today? My guess is friends and family.

All sorts of things…including friends and family. But I would not sell short the comfort I find in feeling I am now reasoning as an adult…and accepting responsibility for my life and the things that happen in it.

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@Frank Apisa,

Quote:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

Spendius may claim the same but he sees the Church as the creator of mankind as we know it today and defends it to this day. He does not care if it promotes lies, he thinks that without it we would be doomed. Its amazing how many others hold his position. I think his position is the extreme conservative position.

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@ossobuco,

Quote:

The information.

Did you find any positive information or was it mostly about the deceptions that take place behind closed doors or maybe it was drama?

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

Mostly just information.

Bokun had a bias (head of Red Cross in Yugoslavia), but still interesting, even relevant. Probably was refuted by others; I remember a buzz when I first heard of the book. Bought it at a used book store years later.

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@Frank Apisa,

Have you got a thing about "being a man" and "all growed up and all"?

It's a trap. A particularly nasty one too. A pal of mine got ensnared. He goes to bed in winter naked with starched sheets and the windows open.

It's only us softie babies who have electric blankets, air conditioning, assistance with getting the top off our boiled eggs and fondling tits.

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

Quote:

I think his position is the extreme conservative position.

No, no rl. The conservative position is the one operating before the advent of Jesus. It has 2 million years of tradition behind it. At least.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

. . . At some point, I came to think of that as a form of mysticism. I came to the conclusion that was just talking to myself (not to a GOD) and that I WAS always available to me; that I WAS actually listening to me; that I WAS NOT unduly judging myself; and that I WAS willing (and able) to solve (deal with) my own problems. That change caused me to suspect that I WAS THE CAUSE OF MOST OF MY PROBLEMS…and that I had to be central to “solving” them. .

For me, it was my desire for license, first, moved along by a reading of The Deputy by Rolf Hochuth. I settled into a comfortable agnosticism that lasted about 10 years.

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@spendius,

Quote:

No, no rl. The conservative position is the one operating before the advent of Jesus. It has 2 million years of tradition behind it. At least.

We are talking Catholicism not sun worship,

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@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Quote:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

Spendius may claim the same but he sees the Church as the creator of mankind as we know it today and defends it to this day. He does not care if it promotes lies, he thinks that without it we would be doomed. Its amazing how many others hold his position. I think his position is the extreme conservative position.

I have no trouble with anyone who defends the Church. I do at times.

I certainly do not think that without it we would be doomed...and I do not give it as much credit for being where we are...

...but it has value as well as faults.

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@spendius,

spendius wrote:

Have you got a thing about "being a man" and "all growed up and all"?

It's a trap. A particularly nasty one too. A pal of mine got ensnared. He goes to bed in winter naked with starched sheets and the windows open.

It's only us softie babies who have electric blankets, air conditioning, assistance with getting the top off our boiled eggs and fondling tits.

Spendius...you are often inappropriate...and even more often you are pompous beyond imagination. I guess you think that nonsense you peddle is impressive; that it comes off as though James Bond were dishing it out to some gullible chick.

Okay...thanks for the laughs.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

I met another one once. He held his hand in a candle flame.

1 Reply

@spendius,

spendius wrote:

I met another one once. He held his hand in a candle flame.

When in High School, 60 years ago, I used to "hold my hand in a candle flame"...to show it could be done. It is no big deal...and way, way too much has been made of it over the years.

In the meantime...I would like to add "pretentious" to the list of adjectives I think apply to you way too often.

Why don't you cut it out?

1 Reply

What is your experience of being a Catholic?

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