Is it true......

[Doomer]

that catholics have to buy their loved ones out of purgatory after they die by giving money to the church ?????

Somebody told me this and if it's true then this is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard.

Imagine, ransoming a corpse

 

[MrsSkywalker]

Hey, if you believe that, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you....


No, Doomer. It isn't true. There is nothing in the Catholic faith that you can do to get your loved ones out of purgatory. You can pray for mercy on the person, but purgatory is supposed to be when the deceased does pennance. Money will not help.

 

[AMDJunkie]

In the 1400 and 1500's, you could receive an "extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due", called an indulgence, by donating money to the church. It is not that an indulgence that is wrong but the fact that they were selling it. It was one of the church's practices that Martin Luther challenged in his Ninety-Five Theses. Indulgences are still given today, but of course, you cannot buy them. In fact, since it is a jubilee year I believe the Church is more willing and more often giving them away.

 

[Doomer]

Thanks for the clarification AMD. At least there is some truth to what I heard
I'm glad I'm not a Catholic. Too many skeletons in the closet.

 

[RSI]

I'm catholic, but I really don't give a third of a crap about religion

 

[Doomer]

By choice or by birth ?

 

[Yeeny]

Excuse me Doomer, but I am Catholic, and I have no skeletons in my closet. Well, only the one of the guy..... eh, nevermind.

Oh, and it's by choice.

 

[Russ]

<< I'm glad I'm not a Catholic. Too many skeletons in the closet >>



That has to be one of the most ridiculous, inane statements in the history of this BBS. You think that the actions of the Church hundreds of years ago is ANY reflection on those who practice the Catholic faith?

This akin to a Black man saying &quot;I'm glad I'm not white, too many skeletons (slave owners) in that closet.&quot;

You are no less a bigot than a sheet-wearing KKK moron. The only difference is that your target, those of faith, is politically correct to attack.

Russ, NCNE

 

[drboogie]

Russ, I think you may have missed Doomers point. I think he was saying that he is glad he is not Catholic because he has too many skeletons in his closet ... not that the church does. That's how I read it, anyway.

 

[Russ]

That is not what he meant at all. Of course, now that you've given him the idea...

Russ, NCNE

 

[tmj]

Those skeletons were pulled out of the closet and shaken before the public's eyes as the &quot;95 theses&quot;!

 

[PCAddict]

Nice job, Russ. I couldn't have said it better myself.

I am a Catholic, and I have no guilt over things that happened hundreds of years ago. I am also an average white guy, and no guilt for that reason either. Such logic is absurd. What's next? Discrimination against people of German descent because of the Holocaust?

 

[Doomer]

Seems that lots of Catholic Priests like young boys.

Skeletons

 

[Duckers]

why do you say that ?
were you raped by a Catholic priest ?
j/k

 

[Yeeny]

See, that is just wrong Doomer. You cannot base your views on the actions of a few. Do you have any idea how many Catholic Priests there are, and how few have done such a thing? I have met several myself, and they are wonderful forgiving human beings. And I do not appreciate you trashing my whole religion on the mistakes a few have made.

 

[drboogie]

With that remark, I retract my earlier defense of Doomer ...

 

[Mday]

the sale of indulgences is one of the biggest crap$hits out there.

but at least they paid for those beautiful buildings in Europe.

 

[reitz]

<< I am a Catholic, and I have no guilt over things that happened hundreds of years ago. I am also an average white guy, and no guilt for that reason either. Such logic is absurd. What's next? Discrimination against people of German descent because of the Holocaust? >>

Crap, looks like I have three strikes against me now Am I going to hell for that?

 

[MrsSkywalker]

Doomer:

I was raised Catholic and during my childhood had the honor of having a priest for a family friend. He did many unusual things, such as walking around in the church in his stocking feet while cleaning up from mass, blessing my little sister's teddy bear so she wouldn't have nightmares, and giving up nearly all of his free time for the last two weeks of my grandfather's life to help us out. However, he never once molested children. Although I no longer practice Catholicism, it is certainly not because of the priests I have met.

You have maybe heard of ten or so instances of priests molesting children. That's ten out of around a million practicing priests worldwide. The reason you hear about it is because it is a tragic and rare occurance. If it was the acceptable norm in the Catholic faith, you wouldn't hear a peep about it.

A comment like that is not only rude and offensive to people of the Catholic faith, it also demeans the hard work done by the thousands of priests who have devoted themselves to helping those in need. I don't give a rats ass if you disagree with the fundamental principles of the religion, that is your right. But don't expect to get away with making sweeping generalizations which humiliate good, honest human beings.

 

[Hyper99]

Catholic people are the nicest people I have met as long as you play nicely and play along with it.
Answer yes you do believe in God even thought in your heart you don't
As soon as they find these out, oh man they will keep praying and praying cause they think the devil in you.
I have a couple that did this to me, I told them I am single and that I am sad and lonely.
They went bezerk, and told me he and his whole family is praying for me.
Don't know what their praying about but I get the ideas they think
I'm some sort of lunatic and they never talk to me ever since.

I haven't missed them at all ever since.
There is no such thing as a good deed or free service
Trust me, if you do thing for free you look dumb period.
The church need the money as badly as we do, they can't live without
It wouldn't survive more then a week if no one donated any money

preacher would just all of a sudden quit as well.

Been to church a few time myself, sleep throught it like a baby.
I was going because a neighbor invited me to
go there to meet some people so we can share some interest but that was all.

 

[MrsSkywalker]

Hyper99:
There is no such thing as a good deed or free service. Trust me, if you do thing for free you look dumb period.

WTF? It's sad that you feel that way. I was raised Catholic, and my youth group and I always did deeds for free and without monetary reward. It's funny, not once did we get laughed at for looking dumb when we delivered food to the food bank, or Thanksgiving baskets to the less fortunate families, or help to collect, repair, and launder fifty used children's coats for the families who could not afford winter jackets. I'm sorry that you feel I was a fool for doing these things, but I think you are the only one. I did them because I had the time and the means to help those who needed it and I was raised with the belief that if you've got it, share it. And I did get a reward. I was able to go to sleep at night knowing that the next day a little girl would have a warm, clean jacket to wear in the subzero weather on her way to school.

Also, do not generalize all Catholics based on one Catholic family who you perceived as being weird. That's just wrong and almost as offensive as Doomer's comments.

 

[Hyper99]

Don't feel bad Reitz everyone that I met uses AOL
and they think it the best thing in the world
I do get fed up with AOL thought cause it just so monopolizing
and they tried too damn hard to get anyone to sign up
I keep getting this AOL CD free 500 hours in my mailbox every month as if they deperate or something.
It ridiculous how many people who have 0 knowledge of computer
the first ISP they ever sign up is AOL and they brag about how good it is too.

 

[Doomer]

I never meant to humiliate &quot;good honest human beings&quot;. This world is filled with evil. I find it particularly depressing when evil is combined with religion because good honest people tend to hold men of the cloth to a higher standard and no doubt many loose faith when evil manifests itself in them.

I'm disgusted by the fact that religion is big business and the Catholic Church is the biggest business of them all.

It never ceases to amaze me how so-called christains spew forth their philosophy as if they and their faith is perfect in spite of the fact the history shows that more good honest people have been murdered in the name of Christ than all wars combined. IF the is a Hell then surely the Holier-Than-Thou Hypocrits <sp> who hide behind religion have a place reserved.

 

[MrsSkywalker]

Doomer: I agree with you on that point. In the instances of abuse it is sickening that a man of the cloth could do something like that. It is perhaps the worst betrayal there is. I didn't mean to be so harsh before, it's just that when something like that happens, it gives the entire religious body (be it the priests, ministers, or parishoners) a bad name, when in reality it just proves that sickos come in all shapes and sizes.

As for &quot;holy wars&quot; they disgust me. I think people just get so charged by emotion when dealing with their faith that they don't stop and think that they are missing the point completely. In most religions, it is taught that the higher power (be it God, or whoever) gave people free will. It is a sad situation when humans use the gift of free will to kill in the name of their higher power.

 

[reitz]

Doomer, while you might very well be justified to take issue with the Catholic Church as an organization (I agree that you are), it is very wrong to place those same judgements on it's members. In my own personal experience, Catholics as people are some of the kindest, most accepting people there are (so long as you don't try to marry one if you're not Catholic ). Priests and Church officials, on the other hand, are some of the most narrowminded, bigoted people around, IMAO.