"I used to be Catholic..."

[Monketi Ghost]

Graham Greene is one of my favorite authors.

I've got The Confidential Agent right here on my desk.

I consider myself a skeptical believer--take everything with a grain of salt and wait for the results, I suppose. However, I have a certain affection for traditonal sacred music--Gregorian-style chant; I love Catholic architecture, Catholic mythology, certain styles of Catholic art, etc. I don't like the Church's beaureacracy, policy toward women, contraception, infallibility clause, etc. etc...so I don't consider myself a "practicing" Catholic. I like having come from a Catholic background, but I don't feel the least bit inclined to the faith. So saying "I used to be Catholic" doesn't really apply...I'm not sure how to put it...

You largely captured my own feeling and impressions. One thing I'm really coming to terms with is how easily and how often the memories and habits come floating to the surface.

 

[pgwenthold]

Thank you, Brown! Excellent response. Immediately upon seeing "reject the authority of the Pope" I twitched spasmodically and fell off my chair.

They're absolutely wrong, of course: Grace must be earned through a life of self-sacrifice and toil, and if possible a good deal of self-flagellation.

You forgot the 12 Hail Marys as "penance."

 

[Melissa Johnson]

I've got The Confidential Agent right here on my desk.





You largely captured my own feeling and impressions. One thing I'm really coming to terms with is how easily and how often the memories and habits come floating to the surface.

Ah, The Confidential Agent . My last Greene was The Human Factor . If stuff slows down enough, I'll be reading him again...

As for memories & habits surfacing, I deal with that all the time. As a kid we said the rosary almost every night and often the Hail Mary comes to mind in stressful moments...as do the words to Tantum Ergo , the ones I can remember

 

[Monketi Ghost]

*exchanges knowing looks with Melissa, gives high-fives to all Catholics and former Catholics around the room.*

 

[Bluegill]

I still have an inclination to tell people I'll pray for them when they're grieving. I say, "Oh Jesus" and "Mother of Jesus" and "Lord" as mild oaths. I feel a sort of kinship when I discover another person is Catholic, because kids from other denominations looked down on us and laughed at us for various dogmatic differences. Or worse, they sometimes acted like they were sorry for me.~~ "Oh, you're Catholic ," with a sympathetic look.

How many of you are familiar with this, or had a rich and exciting-to-talk-about religious background? Still do some things almost involuntarily?

I still sort of identify myself as being Catholic, though I've been a non-believer for half my life now. I still get offended if people around me are giving Catholics a hard time.

Also, I feel more comfortable with Catholics--it's purely a familiarity thing. I feel more at home hanging out with a Catholic family than with, say, a Baptist family. It's a pretty minor thing. Now that I'm not going to a Catholic grade school and high school, I have very close friends from all faiths and non-faiths.

Regarding the urge to pray for people in distress--I have to think about proper phrasing for sympathy cards here at the office. I can't truthfully write, "I'll pray for you," or "May God bless you," etc. So my stock note is, "I'm keeping you in my thoughts."

 

[juryjone]

Re: Re: "I used to be Catholic..."

The smell of incense makes me want to genuflect and I still find myself dipping my fingers into birdbaths. Does that count?

I still sort of identify myself as being Catholic, though I've been a non-believer for half my life now. I still get offended if people around me are giving Catholics a hard time.

After I decided the Catholic Church was not for me, I was shopping around for a new church. My friend took me to a Church of Christ, where part of the service involved people "testifying". One guy got up and said, "I used to be a Catholic, but now I'm a christian." I stood up and said, "Excuse me?", before my friend dragged me back down again. So now Catholics don't believe in Christ? I expect that kind of idiocy from people who haven't had any exposure to different denominations, but from a former Catholic?

Now I realize that it's all bullsh*t, but I've still got some of that programming deep in my nerve endings.

 

[arcticpenguin]

Re: Re: Re: "I used to be Catholic..."

After I decided the Catholic Church was not for me, I was shopping around for a new church. My friend took me to a Church of Christ, where part of the service involved people "testifying". One guy got up and said, "I used to be a Catholic, but now I'm a christian." I stood up and said, "Excuse me?", before my friend dragged me back down again. So now Catholics don't believe in Christ? I expect that kind of idiocy from people who haven't had any exposure to different denominations, but from a former Catholic?

Now I realize that it's all bullsh*t, but I've still got some of that programming deep in my nerve endings.

From a CoC and former Catholic, eh? I've heard that a few times from Southern Baptists.

I think the 'reasoning' is that Catholics do not depend solely on the Bible, but rely on Church tradition as well. Obviously, this is bad use of language. Anyone who worships Christ is a Christian, they are simply not a Fundamentalist if they look outside the Bible.

 

[Brown]

Ugh. One of the most tasteless things about some organized religions is the "smile and nod" mentality. Some groups, when presented with the religious views of others, smile and nod politely, but privately hold the view that the others are morons or fools or are deluded.

Sometimes they are not quite so private in their views, and think they need to make a modest effort to set you straight. Double ugh.

 

[subgenius]

Two Jewish guys are walking past a Catholic Church and notice a sign that says "Become a Catholic Get $50."
The one guy says "you know I think I'll see what its all about," and over his friend's protests goes in.
A week later his friend sees him and asks, "So did you get your $50?"
His friend replies, "Is that all you people think about?"

 

[Melissa Johnson]

Re: Re: "I used to be Catholic..."

I still sort of identify myself as being Catholic, though I've been a non-believer for half my life now. I still get offended if people around me are giving Catholics a hard time.

Also, I feel more comfortable with Catholics--it's purely a familiarity thing. I feel more at home hanging out with a Catholic family than with, say, a Baptist family. It's a pretty minor thing. Now that I'm not going to a Catholic grade school and high school, I have very close friends from all faiths and non-faiths.

Regarding the urge to pray for people in distress--I have to think about proper phrasing for sympathy cards here at the office. I can't truthfully write, "I'll pray for you," or "May God bless you," etc. So my stock note is, "I'm keeping you in my thoughts."

Egad, so true. I certainly identify with everything you just said. Odd sort of dissonance, isn't it?

 

[Thumper]

So,... from reading this forum, I've come to the conclusion that all Catholics are <insert your favorite derogatory word> because I had this experience with them <insert your favorite "Catholics are Scum" story>.

Gee, thanks everyone. You all make me feel so good about my religion. All I see here is a group of people using anecdotal evidence to paint all of us with the same brush.

[sarcasm] Nice to know we've come so far in this world. [/sarcasm]

 

[Bluegill]

So,... from reading this forum, I've come to the conclusion that all Catholics are <insert your favorite derogatory word> because I had this experience with them <insert your favorite "Catholics are Scum" story>.

Gee, thanks everyone. You all make me feel so good about my religion. All I see here is a group of people using anecdotal evidence to paint all of us with the same brush.

[sarcasm] Nice to know we've come so far in this world. [/sarcasm]

I don't understand, Thumper. I, and a few other posters, have stated that they feel offended when someone knocks Catholics, even if we don't consider ourselves Catholics anymore.

Are you offended because you are Catholic, because you are CoC, or because you are Christian...? I think a quick perusal of these forums will demonstrate that most of the posters here 1) criticize all faiths on equal grounds, and 2) like to poke fun at unsubstantiated beliefs in a non-PC way.

I haven't heard anyone say that they think all Catholics are scum.

It's certainly not my intention to offend anyone here.

 

[Melissa Johnson]

So,... from reading this forum, I've come to the conclusion that all Catholics are <insert your favorite derogatory word> because I had this experience with them <insert your favorite "Catholics are Scum" story>.

Gee, thanks everyone. You all make me feel so good about my religion. All I see here is a group of people using anecdotal evidence to paint all of us with the same brush.

[sarcasm] Nice to know we've come so far in this world. [/sarcasm]

Wow. Don't know where you got that sarcasm from, but it seems oddly directed and missing certain words. Never said that Catholics are scum--didn't read where anyone above said so, either. Take the beam out of your own eye, friend