So our priest denied our daughter's baptism...

[Perknose]

When I had to take summer CCD, each year the first thing handed out in class was ... a bible. Since we had to take CCD every year we ended up with more bibles than a person reasonably needed. I think I was in HS before I got a copy of the Catechism. When my mom was growing up, they got the Catechism first and bibles at Confirmation. I'm not sure I ever visited a Catholic household that didn't have a bible on the shelf. Not saying everyone read them, but they did have them. In Catholic HS, we read the bible cover to cover including the apocrypha , even the super boring parts, in religion class.

My Catholic experience was quite different. I went to Catholic school from 1st through 5th grades. I attended Church every Sunday long before starting school and only ending after 5th grade when I refused to go any longer.

We had religion in each grade of school. There were never even one Bible involved, even the Nun did not have one. There was no Bible in any of the classrooms we were in, ever.

There were no Bibles in the pews or brought by parishioners at any of the many masses I attended.

In religion class, we were specifically instructed by the Nuns that Catholics were not to read the Bible on their own, at all. We were specifically told that. It may have even been in the written material.

I was confirmed, indeed, my entire class marched the several blocks from our school to our church in parade for our Confirmation. No Bibles were given to any of us. I don't remember any Bible being present.

In our living room, we had two huge bookshelves that my Dad had built that were overflowing with books. There was no Bible, however.

I don't recall ever seeing a Bible in any of the households of my many, many, many Catholic friends, not that there may not have been, I just never remember actually seeing one.

Google suggests that official Catholic doctrine has changed on this, though.

I guess mine was a particularly backward parish, I dunno. The nuns who taught me also went out of their way to tell us that we were forbidden to even so much as set foot in another church.

 

[glenn1]

There was like tons more, but here is the part where he explains why.

Quote:
I don't want to feel, when I baptize a baby, that I'm like a priest who has been asked to marry a couple who have told him they want to get married for, maybe financial reasons, but don't really love one another. If I'm going to perform a baptism I want to know that the parents are seriously about TRYING to live a Christian life and that Eucharist (Mass) is a significant part of it because that makes the baptism genuine and sincere and I know that the faith will get passed on, which is at the heart of the commitment parents make at a baptism.

I think it's completely reasonable to ask your priest to unbundle these two issues; your attendance and involvement in church can and should be discussed separately from the baptism of your child.

Secondly - OP, is this your first child? If so, IMHO it's probably not out of bounds for you to point out that you have no experience in this subject; you're going to need some guidance on how to integrate your child into a faith life, both in and out of the church. That changes the discussion from being about the limited topic of baptism into the broader discussion your priest seems to be seeking.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I guess mine was a particularly backward parish, I dunno. The nuns who taught me also went out of their way to tell us that we were forbidden to even so much as set foot in another church.

That's a shame. Our confirmation class regularly took field trips to other churches/religious gatherings even if the services conflicted time wise with our own.

 

[BoomerD]

It's too early to focus and too early for being a grouch. I can tell Catholics anything I want because everyone knows God is on my side. ()

Lutherans...AKA Black Catholics...


(raised Missouri Synod Lutheran)

 

[Capt Caveman]

Not going to read thru all the posts but how about meeting with the Priest and talk to him about it in person?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Lutherans...AKA Black Catholics...


(raised Missouri Synod Lutheran)

You're the debil!

One of our youth pastors was an ex Marine fighter pilot and spoke at our HS graduation.

 

[Malak]

Thats never been my experience. Yes, Bibles arent in pews but I think thats a cost issue.

Bibles can be had for $2 a piece, it's not a cost issue.

 

[lxskllr]

We had bibles throughout Catholic school, but none were in the church. Only a hymn book was provided there.

 

[Malak]

As I said in another thread: Questioning religion is the first step towards truth.

 

[JEDIYoda]

My Catholic experience was quite different. I went to Catholic school from 1st through 5th grades. I attended Church every Sunday long before starting school and only ending after 5th grade when I refused to go any longer.

We had religion in each grade of school. There were never even one Bible involved, even the Nun did not have one. There was no Bible in any of the classrooms we were in, ever.

There were no Bibles in the pews or brought by parishioners at any of the many masses I attended.

In religion class, we were specifically instructed by the Nuns that Catholics were not to read the Bible on their own, at all. We were specifically told that. It may have even been in the written material.

I was confirmed, indeed, my entire class marched the several blocks from our school to our church in parade for our Confirmation. No Bibles were given to any of us. I don't remember any Bible being present.

In our living room, we had two huge bookshelves that my Dad had built that were overflowing with books. There was no Bible, however.

I don't recall ever seeing a Bible in any of the households of my many, many, many Catholic friends, not that there may not have been, I just never remember actually seeing one.

Google suggests that official Catholic doctrine has changed on this, though.

I guess mine was a particularly backward parish, I dunno. The nuns who taught me also went out of their way to tell us that we were forbidden to even so much as set foot in another church.

Yes..Catholic doctrine has changed,
I sponsored a friend of mine into the Catholic church through something called RCIA.
During these meeting and such at least in our parish people were encouraged to bring a bible if they so chose.
Also they were given a Catholic Bible after they were added to the church!!

 

[IronWing]

In religion class, we were specifically instructed by the Nuns that Catholics were not to read the Bible on their own, at all. We were specifically told that. It may have even been in the written material.

To be honest you didn't miss much. Once you get past the talking snake it's all downhill.

 

[lxskllr]

To be honest you didn't miss much. Once you get past the talking snake it's all downhill.

Better Nate than lever :^P

 

[BoomerD]

You're the debil!

One of our youth pastors was an ex Marine fighter pilot and spoke at our HS graduation.

heh...I was the youth counselor at our church once upon a time...I wasn't known for accepting many excuses.

 

[zerocool84]

THe Catholics have been doing it for nearly 2000 years longer than the mormons, and consequently, have 1 million billion times more cash.

hell, the only reason Catholic priests aren't allowed to marry is so that the church becomes their only heir when they die. Seriously. The forbidding of marriage for priests is still somewhat new in the history of the Catholic church.

No, actually the Mormon "Church" is the wealthiest of all religions. I have much personal knowledge of Mormons and their doctrines and they are so wealthy because every member has to give a percentage of their income to the church. It's how they can afford the HUGE Temples they have throughout the world and are able to send so many people on missions worldwide.

 

[TehMac]

I'm kind of annoyed. The wife and I are Roman Catholic, and the reasoning was that we don't visit every week. I'll admit, we are pretty lax, we go on major religious holidays, probably about 6 times a year.

We fully intended on our daughter getting her baptism and eventually confirmation and attending fairly regularly while she is growing up. Yet we are actually being denied, and she is being punished because of our lack of attendance. I was baptized, confirmed and married at this parish too.

What I don't understand is that churches keep complaining about lack of parishioners, yet they push you away if you aren't dedicated to a weekly commitment.

wtf.

Sorry, I had to write this here to get it out, I'm still trying to cool down a bit before I email the priest back.

/rant

Why not just go Protestant? Lutherans are pretty (very) liberal...

 

[IronWing]

Why not just go Protestant? Lutherans are pretty (very) liberal...

Depends on the synod. ELCA and the Missouri synod are pretty liberal. Wisconsin synod thinks the others are a bunch of new age hippies.

 

[preCRT]

From reading his excerpt, I think he's trying to use your daughter's baptism to get you to commit to a more regular attendance.

That is called extortion.

 

[BoomerD]

Depends on the synod. ELCA and the Missouri synod are pretty liberal. Wisconsin synod thinks the others are a bunch of new age hippies.

When did that start? Missouri Synod used to be about one step more liberal than the Amish...and were considered to be the "Hardcore Lutherans."

 

[IronWing]

When did that start? Missouri Synod used to be about one step more liberal than the Amish...and were considered to be the "Hardcore Lutherans."

The Wisconsin synod got right with God I guess.

 

[Sa7aN]

I love Baal.

did I pick the correct God/religion?

Odin and Thor here, i mean why not

 

[alkemyst]

pics of the baby so we can see his real reason.

 

[moshquerade]

4 times? Seems pretty unorthodox. I that is was SOP to pass it around just before communion.

4 times is beyond what I have EVER seen. the basket comes around once before communion for the regular collection, and then another time for a special collection which was named beforehand. i have never ever ever seen it come around three times let alone four.

no way.

 

[moshquerade]

All of this talking and joking about monetary donations is quite sickening, to be honest. I mean, really? Isn't that the biggest clue that it is a crock of shit? Money? Really? God, if he exists, does not want money. Money should never enter into a religious discussion. If a "donation" will make this priest change his mind, it's all fake.

It really boggles my mind.

God, if he exists, needs to pay the light bill just like anyone else. :|

 

[Perknose]

4 times is beyond what I have EVER seen. the basket comes around once before communion for the regular collection, and then another time for a special collection which was named beforehand. i have never ever ever seen it come around three times let alone four.

no way.

When I regularly attended, for whatever reason, it went around at least 4 times, sometimes 5, each for an additional special reason/cause. Anecdotal and long ago, but there it is.

On the plus side, at least it made it able to more specifically target your contributions.

I'm not surprised if it never widely caught on or lasted long though, it always seemed instinctively excessive. But then, Catholicism as it was practiced in my parish was never known for its deft, low key approach! :awe:

 

[Skillet49]

Why not have a civil ceremony?

We plan on being a part of a Church, just not the Catholic Church. We go to a Methodist Church but wanted someone we knew to marry us rather than whoever was the minister of a Methodist Church in the area.