It’s not the same. I’m not saying shut down the Church because it’s violating my principles, but rather because it has too much violated its own. It is rotten with hypocrisy and betrayed its members way beyond any forgivable or acceptable limit.
The Church today exists primarily as a store of vast wealth: land, buildings, priceless art, etc. The clergy have a vested interest in keeping the whole shebang going.
Nah, just a childish expression of annoyance.
Why a monarchy when we can have a fascist dictatorship under Furher Bush?
Because it wants to be.
Freedom of religion, certainly. The Church, on the other hand, is practically a criminal gang at this point.
I doubt you’d understand my values much, good friend.
It’s alive because you bumped it, not because it wanted to be. Just thought I’d make that clear to you first off.
Here’s my WAG as to why you want the Church liquidated: First of all, it has nothing to do with the above quote. After reading your OP, you were doing your damndest to ignore the sexual scandal that was sweeping the Church. As long as you could ignore it, you were fine. Once you couldn’t ignore it anymore, you were so scandalized that you decided we would be better off without the Catholic Church altogether.
As Salvor Hardin said in Foundation, “Such folly smacks of genius. A lesser mind would be incapable of it.”
For the record, you still haven’t answered spectrum’s question.
I haven’t answered the question because–well, look at the OP again–the reason to liquidate is NOT based on the truth or falsity of the Church’s doctrines. As for your WAG, it’s not on the right track.
If its members feel unforgivably betrayed then its members can shut it down; it’s not up to others to decide whether it should be shut down. The clergy may have a vested interest in keeping it going, but in the absence of viable congregations no amount of vested interest will sustain it. It’s not up to a non-catholic to decide how the catholic church should be run, just as it’s not up to a Jew to decide how a mosque should be run.
And, by the way, I am atheist.
If the Catholic Church is liquidated, to whom are its assets to be distributed? Does every Catholic communicant get an equal share? (Perhaps I should convert . . .)
Interesting statistics. If the traditional churches are in decline, but few Americans identify themselves as atheists or nontraditional religious believers – then what exactly do most of the American people believe in, these days?
The churches that are growing are not the old line denominations mentioned. Oftentimes, they aren’t denominations at all, but independent congregations.
These churches often fall into categories of protestant Christianity that can be characterized as either charismatic or fundamentalist.
The denomination that has been growing fastest is the LDS church (Mormon). Between 1990 and 2000, their ranks grew by more than 19%.
The 90’s also saw double-digit growth in the ranks of the more conservative Chriatian Churches and Churches of Christ, the Assemblies of God, and the Roman Catholic Church.
The churches that are in decline are usually ones that have rejected traditional Chriatian teaching in favor of a more modern, less dogmatic approach.
Source for the above:
http://www.emmitsburgdispatch.com/2002/December/americanchurches.shtml
I was raised Catholic, and now consider myself a recovering one.
Just as an alcoholic is always an alcoholic, the vestiges of Catholocism have deep roots.
In the latter case, the roots are guilt aimed at mind control. A religion that teaches little children that they were Born Bad To The Bone is an evil institution.
Unfortunately, there are no shareholders to which the Church owes a distribution if liquidated. Mores the pity.
Wow, neat. This thread has actually strengthened my resolve to become Catholic as soon as I can take the catechism classes. One of those ‘being-lectured-not-to-do-something-makes-me-want-to-run-out-and-do-it’ things.
And there still haven’t been any good cites or arguments or anything.
And I pray the Rosary daily, thank you very much. And so do the several young people I know who are also becoming Catholic. So much for a dead religion.
Lissla, raised Anglican
I suppose. On the other hand, I was raised very Catholic in the pre-Vatican II church by an Irish mother (stereotypical Jewish mothers have nothing on Irish Catholic mothers for guilt), and I was never taught to feel that I was all bad, so perhaps the problem is more one of personality or local culture than church teaching.
I have heard is said that the Jews rent Guilt. The Catholics own it.
Parents certainly have a big influence in how damaging Catholicism becomes. The Irish (my dad included) have a pagan/celtic streak that often keeps self-image at a positive level.
Why cannot one edit one’s posts? Quite annoying…
Past posters demonstrating a willingness to post flames, then delete the flames, point to hostile responses, and pretend they were the injured parties.
Try using Preview before submitting.
Sigh. More votes for Bush, I suppose…
Lissla: It wasn’t peer pressure that made me. No sssir. It wazza gawddamm preechin’ that drove me to it: “Don’t, Lissla–it’s bad! It’s corrupt!” Them nags made me!
Bartender: What, drink licker?
Lissla: No! Say the gawddamm Rosary! Another double! [Mumbling] Hail Mary, youse fulla grace…
People scared shitless by preachers warning of hell for contraception users: 10 shares.
Auto de fe victims: 150 shares.
Et cetera, filioque, ceteris peribus…
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I thought this lame OP was in “Great Debates”, not “The Pit”.
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