If you cannot leave the Catholic Church, then their numbers are OVERINFLATED

[HockeyMom]

If you were baptized as a baby (not your choice) into the Catholic Church, you are Catholic until you die. If you join another religion? No, you are just in a schism, and can just go to Confession. If you don't follow what they teach? No, again go to Confession. If you commit "grave" sins of abortion, use contraception, divorce and remarry, again, go to Confession. Remain "celebate" in that new marrigage!!! The latter "sins" would be an automatic excommunication, but that still doesn't get you out of the Church.

No wonder there are so many "Catholics" in this country. You cannot LEAVE the church. I just did a little research on this. There used to be a way out by writing a formal resignation to a Bishop, but this was stopped about 5 years ago.

Sounds to me like all they want is POWER, even among those people who don't want to be Catholic anymore, or ever WERE.

I don't know if this should be in a religion forum, but it does have repercussions outside of religion.

[RC]

1. Most of the repercussions are outside the Church.

They are trying to impose their will, DOMA, religion, whatever on non-believers, through the force of law. I seemed to have read something in the Constitution about they can't be doing that.

[WingDinger]

2. Then, after you die, you become Mormon. At their leisure.

Whatever happened to CHOOSING baptism?

I dont remember Jesus being baptized as a baby! Nor Mormons praying him into heaven, and out of pergatory/gehenna

[atreides1]

3. I could care less about what the pedophile enablers rules are!

I gave up the Catholic church for Lent, and never went back...now I'm Wiccan, and will be until the day that I cross over.

[Arugula Latte]

4. People should do the Steve Martin method of breaking up:

Say: “I break with thee, I break with thee, I break with thee" and then throw dog poop on the bishop's shoes.

[Not Me]

5. I was excommunicated, so I think I'm good.

What troubles me as much as the actions of the Catholic Church is the *inaction* of those who disagree, but continue to attend services and quietly (by not making their voices known) support their practices. Then to make it worse, they drop an envelope with cash in the collection.

[Populist_Prole]

6. They can kiss my ass

Good gravy that's arrogant.

I was baptized Catholic and I don't want anything to do with their religion or any other. If they are reading this, they can then accept this as my formal resignation, as I'm not going to any church to sign any paper. On the other hand, if they knew my feelings on organized religion they sure as hell wouldn't want me in their fold.

[earthside]

7. Ah, the irony.

That's sounds similar to what Franklin Graham was trying to say about Pres. Obama still being a Muslim because his father was a Muslim.

In the case of the Roman church, of course, anyone who has read even a little European history knows that the Catholic church is and always has been about POWER.

This is why it mystifies me why anyone would belong to such an organization. The Roman church has done just absolutely horrible things -- to pick one example, the genocide carried out against the Cathars in 13th century France.

If this church was democratic and could be changed from the inside, I could understand why people might stay and fight for reform, but it is an authoritarian institution where all decision-making power residing with the Pope and his Princes/Cardinals.

[VenusRising]

9. The real irony is that throughout history...

children have gotten their religion from their mother.

But why let facts get in the way with these idiots?

[zipplewrath]

10. In some senses, any number would be "over inflated"

Even amongst the "faithful", there aren't many "devout" catholics. Heck, amongst the CLERGY their aren't really a totality of "devout".

Get involved in any church, and the vast majority are there for the sense of community. It gives them something, a sense of beloning, a moral framework in which to work, a moral code to teach their children. Tremendous numbers of catholics haven't studied their theology in decades, and don't remember much of what they were taugh, if they ever knew it.

The numbers of clergy who currently have a "crisis of faith" might surprise many. They go through the motions for roughly the same reasons many of us do, "cause it's their job". But no parish priest could stand there, look out at his parish, and not notice that the famlies are small, the divorces are numerous, and there is rampant ignorance of theology.

This country, culturally, was headed towards deism at it's founding. Somewhere along the way they took a right turn into fundamentalism. It is probably worthy of some serious study how that happened.

[Speck Tater]

11. That's very true of the Mormon church too.

Somebody wanders in, checks it out, becomes a member for a few months before coming to his senses, and then he's on the roles and counted as a member for the rest of eternity. I haven't set foot inside a church for 40 years, but I'm still counted as both a Catholic AND a Mormon. In actual fact, I'm an atheist Buddhist.

[renie408]

13. The Mormons are going to get you coming or going...

If you aren't a Mormon before you die, just give it a little time.

[Motown_Johnny]

12. Shit, you mean I should have written a letter 6 years ago?

That is just crazy.


I guess they can call me a Catholic if they want but I don't see it doing any good.



Edit to add: Then what is up with the whole Sacrament of Confirmation thing? If you are already in forever then what good is it? Just brainwashing the 8th graders?

[HockeyMom]

19. Why they upped the age for Confirmation

I was confirmed in 4th grade at the age of 8. How can an 8 year old give consent to anything? Now I think they have upped the age to be at least 13 to be confirmed. As a teenager, I probably would not have wanted to do it.

[Motown_Johnny]

22. I didn't do it

and I was both an alter boy and head of the school choir at the time


Man what a mess that was.

[Mumble]

14. For many who attend regular services

it's more like a club with weekly fees. Meet your neighbors and friends and belong to a social group. Play bingo and eat at their fish fries and other outings. Could be fun and you could then as a side note tell everyone in your community how holy you are and what a gay and merry fellow you are cuz you believe in god.

[renie408]

16. Not gay...never gay...n/t

[Mumble]

17. What do you mean???

Half of their priests are closet gays.

[renie408]

20. Good point...n/t

[Lugnut]

15. They can count me until they turn blue.

I am not a participating member of any church and I don't make donations. Meh.

[jwirr]

18. LOL If they are counting their numbers by the baptized then they are fooling themselves. On some

of our Native American reservations the priest used to stand on the top of the hill and baptize the town. He then claimed them as members of his church.

[FarCenter]

21. Formerly Christian apostates were executed

It is one of the characteristics that Christianity shares with Islam.

AFAIK, none of the other major religions has recommended the death penalty for apostasy.