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The Beauty of Catholicism

Eileen

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I love the mass because it's a whole sensory experience--the icons, the music, the incense, the movement, the tastes of the elements...

And I love the notion of a kind of ... bringing the past (all the angels, archangels, company of heaven) into the present to be part of this large "body." I'm a sucker for the collective, I guess. Mass is ALL ABOUT the collective. I FREAKIN' LOVE IT.
 

ajblaise

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I found the whole going to church experience incredibly drab. Some of the longest hours of my life. I went to a black church a couple times, now that is an entirely different experience.
 

pure_mercury

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I heard that Catholic style weddings are the rage in Japan, but they do it just for the visuals.

Well, Japan is also the country known for laser-light-show funerals for rich people, so that kinda makes sense.
 

pure_mercury

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I found the whole going to church experience incredibly drab. Some of the longest hours of my life. I went to a black church a couple times, now that is an entirely different experience.

I was always happy that Catholic Masses were about 45 minutes long, except for big feast days. I felt bad for Protestant kids who went to services that were like two hours, with tons of readings and songs and an ungodly (no pun intended) long sermon.
 

Mole

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Straws in the Wind

I love the mass because it's a whole sensory experience--the icons, the music, the incense, the movement, the tastes of the elements...

And I love the notion of a kind of ... bringing the past (all the angels, archangels, company of heaven) into the present to be part of this large "body." I'm a sucker for the collective, I guess. Mass is ALL ABOUT the collective. I FREAKIN' LOVE IT.

This is startlingly true. Startling because, at least in our minds, we live in the Age of The Individual - gosh, we even have individual rights.

But the Age of the Individual is only very recent and coincides with the rise of universal literacy in the West.

But the Age of Literacy is passing and we are entering the Noosphere based on the electronic media.

The Noosphere is the global village, the tribal village. And if the Noosphere is anything at all, it is collective.

And this is why catholics are important - because they can teach us how to live safely in a collective.

So far our minds have not caught up with the historic change from the literate individual to the collective Noosphere.

But already there are straws in the wind - and this post is one of them.
 

LadyJaye

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That's called boredom.

Well, if that's how great boredom feels, then I'll gladly take it.

Well, I don't actually go all that often. But I still say I'm Catholic because I think to an extent it's as much ethnic/cultural as religious, kinda like Judaism. Besides, if I ever broke ties, my aunt the nun would kill me ;)

I confess I would love to see a nun attack you. :D Can that be arranged?

I used to be a Methodist.

Were you raised Methodist, or did you join later in life?


I love the mass because it's a whole sensory experience--the icons, the music, the incense, the movement, the tastes of the elements...

And I love the notion of a kind of ... bringing the past (all the angels, archangels, company of heaven) into the present to be part of this large "body." I'm a sucker for the collective, I guess. Mass is ALL ABOUT the collective. I FREAKIN' LOVE IT.

Wonderfully expressed. :)

I have no problem with knowing God , or myself in the relationship with him. What bothered me growing up in Protestantism is the lack of history, the lack of a past that the movement has. It was intended to expose corruption within the Catholic church, which was overdue - there was an absolute necessity for the church to be laid open and for the corrupt practices to be exposed. But we never should have stayed apart. It feels like a divorce to me, for some reason. The Catholic church has the history and ancientness that I really need. I see the Omniscience of God reflected back to me in the traditions of Mass. Something bigger and greater than myself.
 
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I confess I would love to see a nun attack you. :D Can that be arranged?

I'm not your dancing bear! But seriously, I'm sure you could get some assistance from my family. They'd love to see it. Do I get a yardstick too, or am I unarmed?
 

LadyJaye

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I'm not your dancing bear! But seriously, I'm sure you could get some assistance from my family. They'd love to see it. Do I get a yardstick too, or am I unarmed?

If you're not my dancing bear, then why are you completely covered in hair, wearing a tutu and pedaling a tiny bike?!

If I remember correctly, nuns pack heat in the form of rulers and pieces of chalk. So you may have one piece of chalk. And each of your family members may have billyclubs. I think that's reasonable.
 
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If you're not my dancing bear, then why are you completely covered in hair, wearing a tutu and pedaling a tiny bike?!

I told you never to ask me about my work.

If I remember correctly, nuns pack heat in the form of rulers and pieces of chalk. So you may have one piece of chalk. And each of your family members may have billyclubs. I think that's reasonable.

Wait, I have to fight ALL of them? And they ALL get billyclubs? Just cause they're all Irish doesn't mean they're all cops! Can I at least have a shield?
 
S

Sniffles

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I would very much like to convert to Catholicism, which freaks out my Protestant friends, but I'm fairly determined.

Good luck on that endeavor. It's always nice to hear such stories. :)

We'd love to have you. You know, we get to drink wine at church!

So do some Protestant sects. Lutherans actually give communion in individual glasses, which hilariously makes it look like they're drinking shot glasses.

I've attended a few Protestant services, and they certainly are beautiful in their own unique ways. I just can't stand the sermons!

But in the end, it confirms my decision to be a Catholic.
 

Ivy

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So do some Protestant sects. Lutherans actually give communion in individual glasses, which hilariously makes it look like they're drinking shot glasses.

I've attended a few Protestant services, and they certainly are beautiful in their own unique ways. I just can't stand the sermons!

But in the end, it confirms my decision to be a Catholic.

We do wine at communion in the Episcopal (Anglican) church, but it may not be the best example of a protestant church.
 
S

Sniffles

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I actually have considerable respect for the more traditional "High" Anglican Church. Their liturgies are often impressive, far more sacral reverence than that found in many "Catholic" churches.

Take these examples:
[youtube=xrB_uiOcPzc] Easter Eve 2006 - Selections[/youtube]
[youtube=q0Nzl8PFtOY]Christmas Eve Closing Hymn 2007 - Kansas City Cathedral[/youtube]

Then of course early Anglican hymns, like those written by Thomas Tallis
[youtube=aMz7ufLN-L4]Thomas Tallis - "Spem in alium", motet for 40 voices[/youtube]
 
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S

Sniffles

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What bothered me growing up in Protestantism is the lack of history, the lack of a past that the movement has. It was intended to expose corruption within the Catholic church, which was overdue - there was an absolute necessity for the church to be laid open and for the corrupt practices to be exposed. But we never should have stayed apart. It feels like a divorce to me, for some reason. The Catholic church has the history and ancientness that I really need. I see the Omniscience of God reflected back to me in the traditions of Mass. Something bigger and greater than myself.

Ironically, the great Protestant theologian Karl Barth remarked that the Catholic Church was more true to the teachings of the Reformers than the Protestant churches themselves(since they long degenerated due to liberal theology).

If you ever listen to early Protestant liturgy, you can still see the clear influence of Catholicism upon it. For example, Latin was still widely used in Protestant services well into the 17th century at least, and their basic structure was still based off the Catholic mass. This still remains true in some sectors. "High" Lutheran services are very similar to many Catholic Novous Ordo services.

If you want, I can some examples of such. I already posted one hymn of Tallis'.
 

Eileen

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Good luck on that endeavor. It's always nice to hear such stories. :)



So do some Protestant sects. Lutherans actually give communion in individual glasses, which hilariously makes it look like they're drinking shot glasses.

I've attended a few Protestant services, and they certainly are beautiful in their own unique ways. I just can't stand the sermons!

But in the end, it confirms my decision to be a Catholic.


Lutheran churches usually have a chalice and offer individual cup as an option.
 

LadyJaye

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I told you never to ask me about my work.

But, I didn't mention a thing about how great you looked in high heels. I didn't give you away.


Wait, I have to fight ALL of them? And they ALL get billyclubs? Just cause they're all Irish doesn't mean they're all cops! Can I at least have a shield?

Fine you whiner. You can have a shillelagh. That's thematic enough, while still being degrading but amusing.
 

TrueHeart

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Were you raised Methodist, or did you join later in life?
I was baptized when I was three months old in the Methodist church that my parents had been married in. I joined the Catholic Church when I was seventeen.
 

TrueHeart

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So do some Protestant sects. Lutherans actually give communion in individual glasses, which hilariously makes it look like they're drinking shot glasses.
The Methodist churches I know about use glasses that do indeed look like shot glasses.

Ironically, the great Protestant theologian Karl Barth remarked that the Catholic Church was more true to the teachings of the Reformers than the Protestant churches themselves(since they long degenerated due to liberal theology).
Fr. Louis Bouyer argues pretty much the same thing in his Spirit and Forms of Protestantism.
 
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