The many different religions.

[Jackie Ed]

As a catholic who has willingly stopped attending mass, i hear nothing but good things about non-denominational churches.

 

We had to attend mass twice a week for school and once on the weekend for eight years, then just weekends until I moved out. Every catholic mass is EXACTLY the same minus the sermon. The pageantry and the way the priests holds the book up like its the greatest thing on earth just isn't for me. That said, to each his own. I'm interested in going to a Temple, Mosque etc just to see how the other sides live. I'm very interested in all different belief systems.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Jackie Ed
Typo

[rockmom]

Jewish and Islamic services, at least those I've been witness to, are also heavily ritualistic.

 

Personally, I love the fact that I can go to any Catholic mass and essentially it will be fundamentally the same, no matter where I attend. I am a person who gets way more out of the traditional Mass, and I hate modern "twists" on music and I avoid newer parishes.

 

A LOT of my friends who have left Catholicism here in Louisville, now attend one of the Sojourn services. I find that interesting since the friends I have that were a part of the initial Sojourn congregation, and they all attended SBTS. I do have a huge respect for the Sojourn community. They put their money where their mouth are, when the talk about service and desire to improve their communities.

 

I am not a great Catholic. But while I will never be anything but Catholic, I find a great sense of peace and soul-satisfaction when I work with people of other faiths on service initiatives.

[InItToWinIt]

For those who are bored or not "content" with the Catholic Mass, a reminder that all the Mass is guided prayer. It's not about what we want or how we want to pray (sitting, kneeling, holding hands, clapping, etc), it's about what God wants or how He wants us to pray. Outside of 1 hour of your 168 per week, you are allowed to pray however you want: holding hands, sitting, standing, kneeling, wearing sweats, etc.

[BlueFan]

As a catholic who has willingly stopped attending mass, i hear nothing but good things about non-denominational churches.

 

We had to attend mass twice a week for school and once on the weekend for eight years, then just weekends until I moved out. Every catholic mass is EXACTLY the same minus the sermon. The pageantry and the way the priests holds the book up like its the greatest thing on earth just isn't for me. That said, to each his own. I'm interested in going to a Temple, Mosque etc just to see how the other sides live. I'm very interested in all different belief systems.

 

So not true.......as this is Lent, how about the Holy Week Masses on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Palm Sunday, Easter Vigil???.....all very different than the typical "Sunday" Mass

[PP1]

So not true.......as this is Lent, how about the Holy Week Masses on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Palm Sunday, Easter Vigil???.....all very different than the typical "Sunday" Mass

 

I took it to mean that every mass is the same regardless of the church. So if you are in Ky, Indiana, or Vermont and go to a Catholic Mass, the itinerary, pace of service, and overall feel is the same.

 

I have only been to a couple masses in my life so I have no idea.

[Jackie Ed]

That's more to what I meant to say to an extent. But even the specia holiday masses are all the same, yes they are different than your average Sunday mass but it still has the same basics. I didn't go to church besides funerals and weddings for almost five years and it felt like I never missed a week the first time back. Stand, sit, stand, sit, stand, kneel, stand, kneel, stand. To each their own. I went to a mass in Oahu when I was nine years old Andy it was exactly the same minus the peace be with you part, as St Francis in Newport, Ky.

[Jackie Ed]

I guess I should ask, how are other religions masses (or whatever they'd be called) done? Are they as repetitive as Catholic masses or are they different every single time you go? I have no idea

[Pura Vida]

I agree with others that there is no “right” religion – my gut is that we’ll be judged most heavily on the love that we show others.

 

I’m a mostly practicing, not perfect Catholic. I don’t agree with every single teaching, we skip Mass every once in a while, and I’m not a fan of our pastor which makes me un-motivated most Sunday mornings (lol).

 

With all that said…. I’m so thankful for my Catholic faith and never had the desire to attend another Church. There’s something that happens when I go inside a Catholic church…. I don’t know what it is, but it honestly sometimes takes my breath away. It’s what keeps me coming back and wanting more!

[The Professor]

I saw God after smoking what was in a plastic bag on a couple of occasions...does that count?

 

Oh God it's too late for me to get started on this one, but don't be surprised if I chime in after a good night's sleep.

 

I'm right with you though, believe what you want, and treat others as you would have them treat you.

 

I too was raised Catholic, but many questions began to surface at an early age. I don't regret being exposed to religion, and I can say this mostly because I allowed myself to ponder outside of it without guilt. I have great memories of childhood and family related to my religious experience so I really can't throw the baby out with the bath water, but ultimately it was also important for myself to examine things from various perspectives while taking into account human behavior. Lots about religion seem to have humanity's footprint all over it, but with that said I am limited with knowing the ultimate truth and really can't denounce anything, because what do I know?

 

The best that I can do is to try to live my life the best way that I know how and if there's any truth to an afterlife, my conscience will be clear just as long as I feel like I didn't aim to do anyone any harm.

 

I can't comprehend a god who makes the unknowable so unknowable then whispers to a handful of humans to tell them to write his rules down and to translate to everyone else to take heed of them or else.

 

What?

 

Wait?

 

"God, wouldn't it only be logical that some might question that, so what if it doesn't seem to add up to everyone and we doubt it, we're screwed with no way of really knowing if we truly need to follow man's translation?"

I'm eager to learn and be open to life teaching me things if by chance I can somehow gain wisdom that I have yet to obtain, but I'll take my chances and likely never join an organized religion for the rest of my days, but live the best I can and let the chips fall where they may.

 

There's either more to our existence after death or their isn't. If there isn't then it won't matter anyway and I won't be conscious to care. If there is that will certainly be interesting and all I can do is hope that it'll all work out for the best, but I really can't see living my life according to someone else's idea of how I should.

 

The number 4200 is an interesting one to me, and I find it amazing that with my interest in such a topic that it never occurred to research just how many there were.

 

The parts I emboldened in your post is one reason I feel that most religions are man constructed, particularly the Abrahamic religions, used mostly for political power over the centuries. It's not so much that God created man in his own image, rather man created God in his image. That's my thinking, anyway, by just reading how most of the books are written.

 

All start out as a cults and when enough people can be convinced that the writers of these books, or the people they're writing about, have a direct line to a creator, then that makes that person very powerful, almost god-like themselves. The ancient pharaohs got a lot of mileage from those beliefs, enough to have huge Pyramids built that took many years and thousands of lives to complete. It's no different in in recent centuries. In 1823 Joseph Smith convinced his followers that he had a direct conversation with an angel sent by God and from those conversations and translations the Mormon religion began.

All cults don't make it to the "accepted" religion stage because they never get enough numbers and most fade away.

 

In addition, all the holy books that I know of, since they are written by the male gender, are written for men. That's one of the reasons women are not equal to men in many religions.

 

If I create the game and make the rules to be tilted in my favor I'm usually going to win.

[hoops5]

Did you get that from a member of the Catholic Church? I agree with what you said, I just didn't think the Catholic church used that kind of terminology.

What kind of terminology? Grace? Sanctifying Grace? God's Grace? State of Grace? Check out my Quizlets. These are all terms that I teach and are on my tests. At a Catholic School.

[hoops5]

As a catholic who has willingly stopped attending mass, i hear nothing but good things about non-denominational churches.

 

We had to attend mass twice a week for school and once on the weekend for eight years, then just weekends until I moved out. Every catholic mass is EXACTLY the same minus the sermon. The pageantry and the way the priests holds the book up like its the greatest thing on earth just isn't for me. That said, to each his own. I'm interested in going to a Temple, Mosque etc just to see how the other sides live. I'm very interested in all different belief systems.

Because Sacred Scripture is kind of a big deal.

[Jackie Ed]

What makes is sacred though? It's sacred to some and much ado about nothing to a lot of others. It's up to tre individual on what makes it sacred. The Quran is sacred to Muslims but certainly not the Jews or Christians

[hoops5]

What makes is sacred though? It's sacred to some and much ado about nothing to a lot of others. It's up to tre individual on what makes it sacred. The Quran is sacred to Muslims but certainly not the Jews or Christians

You said, "the way the priests holds the book up like its the greatest thing on earth".

In a Catholic Church, the Lectionary that the Priest holds up is a sacramental. It contains the Sacred Scripture, that is the Word of God. So in a Catholic Church, that sacramental is a big deal.

 

If I walk into a Synagogue, I'm sure there is something there that is sacred. Maybe the Rabbi does not hold that sacred object up high, like a priest holds up the Lectionary, but it is sacred to the Jewish people all the same.

 

I tried. :idunno:

[PP1]

What kind of terminology? Grace? Sanctifying Grace? God's Grace? State of Grace? Check out my Quizlets. These are all terms that I teach and are on my tests. At a Catholic School.

 

I simply have never heard a Catholic talk about Grace. I am not an expert on Catholicism but I know and are related to many traditional and contemporary Catholics.

 

When I have theological or eschatological questions I usually hear about confession, rite, saying the correct prayers, and participating in the other sacraments.

 

I never hear them mention the Holy Spirit. But maybe they do, I've only been to about 3 masses in my entire life.

[rockmom]

I simply have never heard a Catholic talk about Grace. I am not an expert on Catholicism but I know and are related to many traditional and contemporary Catholics.

 

When I have theological or eschatological questions I usually hear about confession, rite, saying the correct prayers, and participating in the other sacraments.

 

I never hear them mention the Holy Spirit. But maybe they do, I've only been to about 3 masses in my entire life.

 

Wow!

 

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