Can we have a positive thread about Catholicism?

[PadgettsDream]

There is currently a thread running where there is a lot of criticism of the Catholic Church which is in many cases fair enough and it needs to be discussed but that thread in my opinion often strays into outright anti-Catholic sentiment and even bigotry against Catholics and Catholicism in general.

So I wonder if anyone would like a space to talk about the positives of the Church? I myself was raised Catholic, went to a convent School and it was wonderful really. I did not have any bad experiences and the Church has always been a source of strength and comfort for me. It doesn't dominate my life, I'm not brainwashed by it but its been an important foundation for me and I am thankful for it. In my own family history the Church stepped in and helped when nobody else would.

Any other positive stories?

My closest friend is a Dominican, and he's also the wisest and kindest person, I've ever met. He's also the most practical and down to earth person I know. I feel blessed to have him as a friend.

My sister had a boyfriend years ago who's Nan very involved in the church, when her husband died the nuns would visit her all the time and support her to the point that began to know her extended family - and my sister.
My sister is one of those people who knows everyone and they would tease her in work about it, but it took the cake when a group of nuns walked into the cafe she was working at and said her hello (my sister is not the type of person who you'd expect to be friends with a group of nuns 😉)

They thought it was hilarious, and my sister honestly thought a lot of them.

It's been interesting to hear everyone's experiences. My mum is Irish Catholic so I have many memories of attending weddings/ funerals/ confirmations and always found them very moving.

I've been a non-denominational Christian for years, but it's been many months since I attended a service. I've found myself drawn to Catholicism quite a bit over the years. Recently, I've started to pray with Mary and some of the Saints for healing of infertility.

I think there is so much beauty in Catholicism that we just don't get in Protestant churches generally- the art/ architecture/ music. I also appreciate the fact there's a central authority that promotes unity, rather than every different pastor in church just deciding what's right based on their own interpretation. Obviously my experience isn't every Protestant's experience, but that's what I've found.

I might be interested in conversion and joining the Catholic Church at some point, but I know for a fact my husband would never convert, so not sure if that would cause an issue.

So happy for you that you've found some comfort in the church and you've worded it beautifully.
I converted to Catholicism from Protestantism so I can understand what you mean about how it seems there's so much beauty and warmth and love that isn't there in the same way in some Protestant churches.
I'd recommend contacting your local parish and asking to attend their RCIA classes to help you deepen your understanding and help you to make a fully informed choice about whether you would like to convert.
Your husband would not need to convert, you both have the right to your faith even if they're not exactly the same as each others.
Hope this has helped and wishing you every happiness as you explore this

@Inkypot Thank you for sharing your conversion experience. I've decided to start attending a Catholic church to see what it's like (I have been to a couple of services previously, but not for a long time).

There are positives?

Catholicism is the the greatest religion because...
Deus vult! Am I right?!

Jokes aside, I know, I know. This is not politically correct. You’re supposed to pretend that all religions are equal. The comparative religions professor (who often has comparatively no religion) teaches that all religions are human inventions based on interesting and unique historical circumstances and cultures.

The theory is that religions developed from animism when cavemen grunted at the sun, moon and stars and made up stories about the people who lived there. Then they made up stories about gods, which became myths, and they started making sacrifices to the sky people and then they made more stories and eventually they added rules and so all the different religions just developed.

Like most heresies it is a half-truth, and like most half-truths, it is more believable than the full truth. The full truth is always incredible at first glance and yet completely credible on deeper examination.

Are all religions equal? If you have one of those posters with a sunset and a slogan that says, “We are all climbing the same mountain but by different paths” then you might draw the sentimental conclusion that all religions are equal.

But they’re not. Think it through for a moment. Is Judaism, with its monotheism, rituals, rules and regulations equal to the Aztec religion, with genocidal human sacrifice? I don’t think so. Is Hinduism, with its ornate mythos, ancient rituals and fascinatingly populated pantheon of gods equal to Jehovah’s Witness? Is Islamic Wahhabism, which condones violence, equal to sherry-sipping American Episcopalianism?

Religions are not the same and they’re not equal. Some religions are morally, theologically and philosophically superior to others, just like some composers and artists are superior to others. McCartney wrote some nice tunes, but he’s not Mozart. Norman Rockwell painted some good pictures, but he’s not Rembrandt.

Likewise, some religions are superior to others, and Christianity is the best. And of the Christians, Catholicism is the best. In asserting this I’m not saying all other religions are rubbish. The Catholic Church teaches that all other religions have elements of goodness, truth and beauty, and we affirm the goodness in those religions. But we also affirm that Christianity is best and we do so for one simple reason.

Before I explain why I should say what I’m NOT arguing. I’m not arguing that Christians are the best people. We’ve got some pretty great accomplishments in our history, but we’ve got our share of stinkers too. Christians are hypocrites and sinners just like everybody else. I’m not arguing here for how brilliantly the religion has been lived out, but how brilliant the religion is. Chesterton (as usual) was right, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has not been tried.”

Christuanity is superior because of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. What I’m getting at is that Christianity is the only religion that does not ignore or skirt the issue of suffering. Indeed, terrible suffering is at the very heart of our religion. Our central icon is a crucifix. Our central act of worship is a commemoration and re-presentation of the execution of an innocent victim.

Other religions skirt the issue. Buddhism and Hinduism teach that suffering is part of the karmic cycle and the way to avoid suffering is to rise above it through detachment from the material world. Epicureanism avoids the issue by teaching one to “eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you die.” While Stoicism teaches that one must accept suffering, if possible, with dignity, do one’s duty and pass on.

Islam teaches that suffering is God’s arbitrary choice, and don’t ask questions. Primitive religions have no problem with suffering because they do not have a God who is good. Suffering for them is simply part of the cosmos, and fatalism is their creed. Judaism comes closest to Christianity in that the Jews accept suffering as an inexplicable part of being the chosen people of God.

But consider what we do with suffering. We struggle over the question, “How can a good God allow suffering?” We rage over the question. We debate it and people become atheists because of this terrible conundrum.

And Christians (and most especially Catholic Christians) say, “Yes, it is a problem, but the whole reason for our religion is God’s answer to the problem. This is not something we sweep under the carpet. This is not something we ignore. Suffering is the whole problem, and the answer is the point of our whole religion. We preach Christ, and him crucified.”

We see suffering as a result of free will and free will as the requirement for true love to exist. If you cannot love freely you cannot love. That free will ultimately produces bad choices and those bad choices produce suffering.

We acknowledge that suffering is the problem, and innocent suffering is really the problem.

Furthermore, within the problem is the solution and within the question lies the answer. We see the cycle of pride which blames others, excludes others and eventually kills others — and Jesus Christ comes into the midst of that cycle of pride and takes the blame. He reverses the cycle and by rising from the dead defeats the power of suffering from the inside out.

Christianity is the one religion that plunges into the depth of the suffering, wrestles with the darkness and comes out the other side, bloodied but triumphant. We say this is what our hero Christ the Lord did on Good Friday, and this is why we say He is our Savior — because He wrestled with the devil, went through the dark and came out the other side. From that time on suffering had lost its sting and death lost its stench.

For those who would follow him there was hope. For those who would walk with him there was light on the other side and calm after the terrible storm.

I hope this post is a joke

@SanctaMaria

If you're going to copy and paste an entire article from some American paper, at least cite it rather than tey to pass it off as your own.

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/why-catholicism-is-the-best-religion

ANd a lovely paper at that.

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/active-homosexuality-in-the-priesthood-helped-cause-this-crisis

I'm a revert after decades of being lapsed. I didn't come back quickly, it took time but I realised I'd never stopped believing in Christ nor His Church that He founded for us, but I didn't believe in myself! I felt, wrongly, that the bar was so high I could never reach it, never mind get over it but that was from lack of understanding. I now realise that none of us could reach that bar without Our Lord's help, without Grace and the Catholic Church offers us the Sacraments which enable us to receive the Grace we need to even want to submit our will to God's and to keep getting up again every time we fall, to believe in God's Mercy and forgiveness and his extreme patience and compassion for our human weaknesses. To believe in His power to save souls and give us Life Eternal!
I'm very sad about some of the changes I have seen in the Church, particularly the lack of reverence compared to decades ago, and how very few people there are at Confession when I go, especially as it was unavailable to us for a couple of years and how it's only once a week in my locality, and that our own Parish priest is so reluctant to hear Confessions, which baffles me, so we have to travel to avail of this Sacrament. I am deeply saddened by reports that more and more Catholics do not believe in the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist anymore. I do believe we need a renewal of what Abp. Vigano calls deep supernatural faith. We either believe in a God who's all powerful, unchangeable and who can perform miracles like changing a wafer into His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity or what do we believe? A philosophy? A list of "Do's and Don'ts"?
As for anti-Catholic bigotry, I grew up in England with Irish parents so I do know it is a thing, although IMO English people tended to not be hateful, just that they didn't really understand and that's to be expected really. How can anyone understand what they've never been educated about? Sadly, it does seem that some Catholics these days lack understanding of their Faith, maybe due to lack of Catechesis? I'm not that well Catechised myself but I'm learning and , as I am fascinated by the Ministry of Exorcism and spiritual warfare, I am developing supernatural faith and this enriches my life, my prayers and meditations, and my faith in, hope in and love for the Triune God and His Holy Church.
God bless all here!

We should pray for them first and foremost.
I think someone who is far better Catechised and good at apologetics than me could calmly respond to anti-Catholic posts; there are a fair few videos on YT of Catholic apologists doing so with great grace and eloquence, but I wouldn't be good at it at all, so I wouldn't respond and as I say, I pray for them. God knows our hearts and minds; maybe some of them have been abused and need healing? Maybe some of them have been brainwashed and fed a load of lies such as those by Hislop, that we're pagans and idol worshippers because we have Holy Art and revere Our Lady? We don't now but it's an Act of Spiritual Mercy to pray for them anyway.

There's no fear nor, God forbid, hatred of people with Same Sex Attraction in the Catholic Faith! There are practising, devout Catholics who are SSA and they are not discriminated against at all, only welcomed as the children of God they are. They are only expected to strive to obey the Commandments and avoid Mortal Sin and the occasions of sin that hetero Catholics are. We are ALL called to Chastity, even married Catholics ( there are certain acts that even married Catholics would be sinning if they did them!). We Catholics are all called to obey the 6th Commandment and all it entails.
We all have free will though and have the freedom therefore to choose to belong to the Church Christ founded, or not. If you cannot accept the teachings of the Church and the standards of behaviour she sets, and more importantly, God sets, then you are not going to be forced to. By the same token, no one individual nor group of people can force, nor have the right to force, coerce nor manipulate the RCC into changing her teachings, which come from Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If the RCC is not for you, that's your choice, but you are are in grave error to accuse her or us Catholics of being hateful towards those with SSA, and you don't have the right to push your beliefs on her nor on those of us who belong to her and believe she is the Bride of Christ.
I don't expect you to take my word for this, please do your own research, starting with the Catechism on the 6th Commandment and that would help you have clearer understanding on the call to chastity. Basically, being a Catholic in right relationship with God is difficult, the bar is set high for all of us and none of us could reach it without the Grace of God. Most of us fail repeatedly as well but Christ is always ready to help us up again, if only we ask Him. God bless!

@Trufflepizza I'm in Ireland, although I was born and reared in England, so I know about the Magdalene Laundries, the Industrial Schools and the terrible way that the paedophilic abuse of children was dealt with. The were all abominations and have done so much damage, to the victims and also so much spiritual damage and harm as it's caused such a mass falling away and loss of faith, as people are so rightly appalled and horrifed by it all.
The way I have come to epreciev it is, I can't use other people's sns to justify my own. I can only be responsible for my own thoughts, words and deeds, I can't control anyone else's. I am responsible forst and foremost for the state of my own soul and need to focus most of my efforts on striving to help my own soul be pelasing to Christ, and not let the sins of others derail me as it's my sacred duty to God, to Christ, who loves me so much, He died for me! I do have a responsibility to pray for others, especially victims and I do, especially as I have been a victim of abuse myself, on and off throughout my life. I can coose to offer up my sufferings to Christ to transform it into Grace for thsoe ensalved to grave sin, as all abusers are. I also feel I have a responsibility to be the sort of change I want to see in the Church, particularly the sort of Catholic that pleases Christ, and those who abuse the vulnerable surely do not please Him! At all!
Ultimately though, it goes back to the fact I can only control myself, and even then, it's very difficult, and I often struggle so I have to be wary of pointing the finger at others; I have to ensure, as Christ told us, that I examine my own conscience and amend my own ways and ensure I'm not guilty of the similar evils, or God forbid, even worse evils, as those whose behaviour I find abhorrent and repulsive. I'm relived to tell you I have never felt even remotely tempted to sexually abuse anyone, nor have I covered it up when I've found out about it when I worked with children, but I have followed the procedures for child protection.
I think that was the worst of it; that it was known about but covered up. I must point out that the Irish State and An Garda Síochána were all complicit in the covering up and enabling of those horrific abuses, and worst of all, often it was the victims' own families who served them up to be abused by abandoning them due to misplaced shame, and what I would say is the Sin of Pride- caring more about their "reputations" and what people would think of them rather than the welfare of their family member. We know this often happens from the study of dysfucntional families and their dynamics, particularly scapegoating and victim-blaming. It's one of the worst failings of human nature and it's endemic across all societies, creeds, classes and ethnicities, but just manifests a bit differently.

@meanderingbrook Well said! I feel sad that our Church has been befouled by abusers and angry too, but it's heartbreaking that it makes it so much harder for us to celebrate the goodness of our Faith. Still, Our Lord told us to rejoice when we are hated for His sake and to remember they ahted Him first! So much, they unjustly criminalised, tortured and executed Him!
I do feel for the victims of abuse though! All victims actually, not least because I've been a victim of abuse on and off all my life, albeit not sexual abuse. I think there is a woeful lack of good-quality therapy available to those of us who cannot afford to pay for private therapy. 60 Euros per session is way out of my price range and I'm sure is beyond many others. I do think though, that we don't all need to be qualified, experienced trauma therapists to be of any help to victims. Sometimes, just listening and sitting with someone and sort of "sharing" their pain, by empathy, compassion and acceptance ( refraining from saying or doing anything that might minimise or trivialise or reject their pain; validating it!) can be of comfort to victims. I know I find it to be. I do find it very hard to find and discern anyone who would do that though, so to those who have, God bless you and thank you, you've helped more than you know!
BTW, it's All Saints' Day today; if we can't get to Mass in person as I can't, we can hear Mass online

I went to an evening Mass for All Saints Day, and was just saddened by how quiet it was. Hopefully Masses at other times were busier, but that particular church only had Mass there at that time.
I do feel like they should be telling people more that, these Masses are important and people do need to attend.

You don't hate gay people (Or "people with Same Sex Attraction", it's not an affliction ffs), you just don't think they should ever having a loving relationship or children. Right.

I don't expect you to take my word for this, please do your own research, starting with the Catechism on the 6th Commandment and that would help you have clearer understanding on the call to chastity.

Oh, the one that says that gay and bisexual people are disordered. So you do think it's an affliction. That's pretty hateful to me.

Our lunchtime mass was packed. Not sure about the evening. All soups was a bit quieter, but still a very good turn out.

My Mum was sent to a boarding school run by nuns, the stories she has to tell are horrific. She still has scars from being beaten across the back of her hands for minor I descretions. Religion and in particular catholicism has committed so much evil I do not understand how anyone can be ok associating themselves with such a monstrous concept. You are guilty by association of abominations and you post your support for pedophiles on a forum for mother's?!?!

@Planttreeseverywhere Sorry to hear about your mum's abuse. Unfortunately this has been the experience of some people and it is unforgivable. I know nobody that would condone this abhorrent behaviour, and thankfully we have been going through an age of eradicating hiding places for abusers from all walks of life. But, tragically, there will still be abusers who continue to abuse no matter how difficult society makes it.

I would respectfully disagree with you that people associated with religion and Catholicism are collectively guilty by association or that anyone in the thread has shown support for pedophiles. That, to me, is like saying eveyone enjoying a BBC program is collectively guilty and supporting pedophiles like Jimmy Saville, Rolph Harris and others ... or teachers being collectively guilty for the abuse of any pedophile teachers etc etc etc.
I don't expect we'll agree, but your views which redefine and project your meaning on what people say (which in no way reflects what they actually did say or mean) does reflect your view and your family experience. But just as I respect your view, I also respect the view of Christians, especially Catholics, to believe in God and be free to worship, enjoy and live their faith - which after all, is what this thread is about 😊

I'd love an 'All Soup's Day'.

I would respectfully disagree with you that people associated with religion and Catholicism are collectively guilty by association or that anyone in the thread has shown support for pedophiles. That, to me, is like saying eveyone enjoying a BBC program is collectively guilty and supporting pedophiles like Jimmy Saville, Rolph Harris and others ... or teachers being collectively guilty for the abuse of any pedophile teachers etc etc etc.

There is a big difference though, the BBC didn't have a framework to remove paedophiles and cover up their crimes.

The BBC has never had 'celebrity treatment centres'.

I'm sure there was a lot of turning a blind eye but I doubt the BBC had a formula for compensation and used the seal of confession to stop victims going to the police.

@Alveus - No, I don't hate LGBT/SSA people! I don't hate anyone, it's against my religion to hate!
As for me not allowing SSA people to fall in love and have children, I don't have that power and I don't try to stop them. In the West, they can fall in love, get hitched and have children legally and that's their choice- it's called free will!
What they CAN'T do, or at least can't do without being hypocrites and living a lie, is be practising Roman Catholics AND be living in a SS relationship, or fornicating relationship or adulterous relationship (or any kind of sinful lifestyle, say like being in an organised crime gang or sniffing coke every weekend, or being a corrupt official benefitting from kickbacks from crime, with no intention of amending it!) at the same time! It's either/or! And every Catholic has to make sacrifices to be in right relationship with God, so, it depends on how much you love Him, and whether you love Him more than everything and everybody else, but again, we all have a choice in that!
So, I am not preventing anyone from living that life if they choose, I'm merely pointing out that if someone wants to be a practising Catholic, they have to choose between pleasing God or pleasing themselves in some ways, and that all of us practising Catholics have to do that!
So, accuse me of "hatred" if you like, but it's a false accusation and I reject it! God doesn't hate SSA people either, He just hates sin, any sort of sin! If that doesn't suit you, He won't force Himself on you! Your choice!

P.S. The hubris of attempting to manipulate, coerce or bully an entire religion to comply with your demands to change some of it's fundamental teaching is concerning, and quite narcissistic TBH! Would you try this with any other religion? Or just the one we believe is founded by God the Son Himself AKA Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who told us if we love Him to keep His Commandments and His first one was "Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul"? i.e. if we love Him we're called to strive to live as HE wants, not how WE want? Not gonna happen!
If your not a Catholic, it's not your concern what the Church teaches1 If you don't believe in God, it's not your concern what those of us who do believe, and you have no right whatsoever to try and dictate to those of us who love Him to conform to YOUR will instead of His!
You disagree with the Churches teaching and God's will, that's up to you but you have no right to dictate to us nor anyone else what we should believe, nor to try and assassinate our characters because you disagree with what our Faith teaches, and disagree with God Himself! None!