do i get and amen for this this?

[pilvikki]

[tomsk]

I'm a Catholic but to hell with it,
we should all look after eachother,
I'm fed up with pompous fanatical hypocrites....
I love going to mass but it's all about looking after eachother really....

[Icey]

Yes it is. Well said.

[tomsk]

Amen to you both..my children..

[Icey]

Yes Father .....

[tomsk]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ZU6UMDfgY

DRINK!!

[Icey]

Oh LOL!!!!!

[tomsk]

i must go to Mass later,
And shall pray for you all, you little devils ya..

[yogi]

The thing about Catholic marriages is that the priest who make the church rules are celibate and never marry. That's not exactly the kind of people that should be telling everyone else what to do.

[Icey]

Papal changes mean that the Pope might allow priests to marry, and I think that'd be a good thing. I understand why the idea might be frowned on, but in today's world, especially with so many marriages going wrong, it really takes a married person to understand the problems faced by others in the same position.

[yogi]

Marriage is a holy sacrament in the Catholic Church and as such priests have a proper authority over it. But two things have happened in my lifetime. Marriage has become less holy and often an unnecessary formality, plus the Catholic Church in particular has become less relevant with it's archaic and conservative dogma - I'm thinking birth control here. It's a chicken and egg kind of thing and it's hard to say which development caused the other to happen. To be fair the changing attitudes about marriage go well outside the Catholic Church, but so does disenfranchisement from religion in general. Pope Francis is taking the initiative to bring his church up to speed, but in spite of his refreshing outlook it looks like too little too late.

[Icey]

I think that gradual changes might be more acceptable than just allowing huge ones which'll make a lot of people feel uncomfortable about.

My children go to a Catholic school, but students from other denominations're accepted, and it works well. The strictness of the old rules isn't really that apparent there, and there's a mutual respect between the kids and their teachers.

I think you're right about marriage, but I DO think it's a pity that it's often taken so lightly. The sanctity of marriage puts a special seal on a relationship, if you like, but on the other hand, I don't believe in couples staying together if they're both miserable. The trouble is, the slightest blip makes some couples think it's best to part, without really trying to resolve their problems, which sometimes just repeat themselves within subsequent relationships.

I read about 2 Catholic clergymen in Montana who were married. They were told that the church wouldn't accept them receiving communion or ministering unless they divorced. That brings up a whole crop of questions. They didn't actually suggest DIVORCE, did they?? Then we have the Pope, who doesn't see anything wrong with gay marriages per se, yet has to abide by ancient rules. There seems to be a struggle going on with regard to the laws which the Catholic church imposes, but because things're different these days, I find it difficult to understand why same-sex couples might soon be able to have their wish, and yet divorce's still frowned upon? Well it's not actually a divorce within Catholicism is it? More acceptable to have annulments and separations, because divorce itself's classed as a "sin". Although I think that too many people opt for the easy way out, people're so brain-washed by their religious beliefs that they feel guilty at the thought of committing one.

[tomsk]

I like being Catholic.

[pilvikki]

the best answer ever, tom!

"i like being what I am!" (sic)

I don't particularly like being atheist, nor dislike it. there's more to it than just not believing in a god, but bugger if I know what.

meanwhile, the jews are of the opinion that to be any use in family matters, a rabbi must be married.

I don't think his choice of partner is relevant, but not sure about that.

[Icey]

I think that the subject of a rabbi having to be married before offering help with family matters seems sensible - the same as it would be for ANY person who ministers. This's why I think priests should be able to marry. I know it's said that they're married to the church, but it'd surely be better if they were in a position to understand marital/family problems through first-hand experience? Difficult though, because I know childless couples who have far more common sense than some parents do. So, it goes against what I've just said, but usually, with experience of something, it gives a person more of a platform to advise.

Nothing wrong in being Catholic, Tomsk. Nothing wrong with ANY religion or beliefs really, except for when others try to shove it down your throat or it can cause trouble.