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?

@heyhohello Your last 2 responses! At this point, I'm beginning to think there are 2 spirits operating within you! 👹

@Kdtym10 Strawmanning again! I have answered your questions... you not so much mine. You just focus on a line here, chopping up my paragraphs to try and contort what I said, which is odd considering my posts are there in full for the world and the heavens to see.

You said;
"just setting out various quotes from a book that has been translated numerous times."
😱... say what now?

Just to Clarify I, adiposegirl2 am a child of Yahweh, the one true God, the God of Abraham, Moses and Jacob.

@Kdtym10 and @heyhohello , What god/s do you serve?

@Kdtym10 referring to the Holy Bible as "just setting out various quotes from a book that has been translated numerous times."... It is written: The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things Proverbs 15:28

@adiposegirl2

What god/s do you serve?

I am Christian and serve God in Christ.

Your last 2 responses! At this point, I'm beginning to think there are 2 spirits operating within you! 👹

I have a flesh and am not beyond making mistakes if that's what you mean which is why I was seeking to clarify if you had actually seen anything amiss specifically in what I had said since you asked us your "fellow folks in Christ Jesus please be come better spokes people for the God of the Holy Bible." Everyone has a flesh and can make mistakes. We are not yet perfected. Do you believe everybody is possessed every time you see a mistake?

And as a Christian, why wouldn't I share this prayer you posted and I will pray it again:

Heavenly Father Jehovah Rapha, may the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, my rock and my redeemer. Help us, Lord, to speak with kindness, wisdom, and love, reflecting Your glory in all that we say and think. In Christ Jesus' name, I pray. Amen

This doesn't conflict with me asking to you to clarify whether you had spotted any mistakes in my posts to you.

I'll leave you with this which I thought I'd share with you after reading the verse of the day on Bible Gateway (you might like this website, you can check out lots of different translations 🙂) .

"2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:2-6)

@adiposegirl2, I just read the long prayer you posted on the prayer thread. I hope in faith in God's healing of your night terrors. It doesn't sound like you are in a very happy place. Have you a (physical) church in real life you attend which are supporting you?

Years of 'denominational Christianity' did not do a single thing to break my spiritual afflictions.

After crying out to Him, he answered me, comforted me, dicipled me, strengthend me, delivered me and is preparing me... There is a real and tangible power in the name of Jesus and The Word of God... And I take authority in His name always.

The prayer I posted is many years old now. I know it will be of help to others.

Forgot to add, very happy and have been for many years now.

The wiles of the enemy still attack, cause that's what they do, but this spiritual soilder of the the Most High has the spiritual weaponry knows how to fight.😀

Ah l, the term “strawmanning” the den hidden in by those who refuse to address points. it’s classic misdirection when a person doesn’t actually understand their stated view point sufficiently to come at it from various angles.

I'm sorry, I must have missed the questions in between the diatribe. Can you set out the questions and I will answer them all.

which god do I serve? I don’t serve any god. I work with many gods who are manifestations of the Source of everything.

But your question would indicate you think many gods exist yet you claim to be a monotheist. How does that work?

Yes you are quoting from a book that has been translated many times ( often inaccurately) a book cobbled together from a plethora of many similar contemporary works.

“Just to Clarify I, adiposegirl2 am a child of Yahweh, the one true God, the God of Abraham, Moses and Jacob.”

You mean This Yahweh? Variously a warrior god, weather god eventual son of El of the Canaanite/Israelite pantheons?

@adiposegirl2 its all very interesting talking to you but let’s move this to a different thread. This is for Catholics and others who see the value in Catholicism to discuss matters. I will create a new more suitable thread if you like.

Apologies to the Catholics for the derailment.

Well this thread has certainly been derailed and a half!

As a bog standard Catholic, interested in reading this thread, I cannot for the life of me understand what is Christian about two people arguing endlessly about different interpretations of excerpts of scripture without any consideration for others on this thread.

Yes apologies for that I’m trying to get the discussion moved into a new thread!

That would be great, thank you Kdtym10.

Apologies for my tetchiness! It’s just rare to see the words Catholicism and positive in the same sentence nowadays and I was interested! 😀

@adiposegirl2 and @heyhohello and anyone else interested I’ve created a new thread that’s probably a more suitable place for the discussion

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4996691-the-right-interpretation-of-the-bible

No worries- completely understand. I’d love to see a discussion here about all the positive impacts people feel catholic rituals have on believers. I think ritual is so important for humanity and it’s something the Catholic Church excel at still whilst in most other places there has been a massive decline in the presence of rituals. What do you think?

@Kdtym10
"which god do I serve? I don’t serve any god. I work with many gods who are manifestations of the Source of everything."

👀 , 👂

It is written:
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”
Samuel 1:23

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

Thank you for showing me who's and whom you are.

Please ,for your own soul, repent and accept JC as your L&S, you still have time. Accept Him, ask Him to deliver you from every stronghold satan and his cohorts have you bound in.

@Kdtym10 "You mean ThisYahweh? Variously a warrior god, weather god eventual son of El of the Canaanite/Israelite pantheons?"

@Kdtym10 ,In the name of Jesus Christ, I rebuke you and the person who authored that Wiki entry!

It is written:
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exodus 20:7 And Deuteronomy 5:11
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isiah 5:20

To anyone out there who comes across that Wiki entry, That is demonic blasphemy of the highest order. A short research on your part will expose that heresy.
Yaweh is the same since the beginning and you'd have believe that changed because of a Wiki entry written when? Even the Catholic popes since antiquity know the name of the God of Abraham, Moses And Jacob is YAWH

Why are folks on this thread allowing themselves to be steered by someone who has stated that;

1. "I don’t SERVE any god. I WORK WITH MANY gods who are manifestations of the Source of everything."

1. would "love to see a discussion here about all the POSITIVE IMPACTS people feel catholic RITUALS HAVE ON BELIEVERS. I think RITUAL is so important for humanity and it’s something the Catholic Church EXCEL at still whilst in most other places there has been a massive decline in the presence of rituals"

Just let that sink in...

Ah well there we are on tricky ground because I am no theologian and I miss the bells and smells of my childhood but I agree with you overall about the importance of ritual.

Particularly baptisms and funerals! I’ve attended a few of the latter recently and although a Catholic funeral poorly done can be just as bleak and soulless as the worst of a crematorium 10-min number, done well I find there is comfort in familiarity, prayer and a strong sense of something beyond our mortal selves, along with encouragement to reflect on our actions or absence of action and do better in the life we have left.

There is such an extreme fear and avoidance of death in society today which is odd given its inevitability but Catholicism generally does death very well and allows us to live every day more courageously and with an appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us in very mundane things but most importantly in the uniqueness and value of every individual we meet.

Yes although I’m clearly not Catholic I went to a catholic convent (Franciscan) school so many of my old school friends are catholic. Unfortunately a couple of kids died at school, and even it the darkest days of the death of a child I thought it was immensely comforting the way the Catholic Church dealt with the deaths. I guess looking at it from a secular perspective the rituals around it gave a sense of stability and predictability. From a spiritual perspective it provided a hope of their child being looked after still in death and the hope of meeting again. I love the phrase lux perpetua luceat Eis. It sums up so much to me about the veil of death.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4996691-the-right-interpretation-of-the-bible

let’s move this there shall we?

@Kdtym10 there was a death in my year group. And my catholic school dealt well with it. Same happened when a girl of 18 I knew died. She was still at 6th form. And the school were brilliant in the support they gave. One of the reasons I love the Catholic Church, is the rituals that are done in various circumstances. If x happens, then you do Y. Makes it much easier.

Yes I think it’s that predictability when a persons world has been blown apart, esp when things don’t seem to be going as expected, eg a child dying.

The repition of the same ritual at the same events makes that event seem less incongruent with life generally. There’s so many things built into those rituals to stimulate memory, soothing (eg chanting/singing targets the vagus nerve) and sense of belonging.

I think the rise in mental health conditions is partially linked to the decline in religion, specifically the parts the Catholic Church excel at.

@Kdtym10 yes that's exactly what all my priest friends say.

I went to my parents church today. (C of E) I've never been so glad to be. Catholic, the liturgy was all over the place with a lot of waffling. When the vicar said it was " an open table for communion" I just thought absolutely no way!

@Kdtym10 I have come across people of different Christian traditions who have expressed a respect for the rituals of the Catholic church.

I'm not sure about the predictability, Vatican II changed many things, I suppose for most of us Mass in the vernacular but other things as well. I found the change in how long you fast before Holy Communion very strange and for a long time I continued to respect the old rules.

Was it in the 80s when we stopped having to cover our heads in church? Well women I mean.

After the ordination of women in the CofE we also suddenly had an influx of married priests. I found it very odd to be kneeling next to the priests wife and children at the altar to take Holy Communion.

We've had many changes in my lifetime so I don't always find it predictable.

I've never heard of a previously Baptised Christian being reBaptised in the Catholic church. I've only heard of them being received into the church and Confirmed. From Pope Francis “And I cannot be baptized twice, three times, four”

Do you know if he was Batised again? Was there a fault in his original Baptism? Or are the reports that he was Baptised as a child incorrect? I don't know him but find this interesting.