Posted by Farkel [Keflar] on October 26, 1999 at 09:19:25 {c/rgKhj4Ncjc7.1TE24IvhKqcjatLo}:
In Reply to: **Gulp, choke posted by sobeit on October 25, 1999 at 16:12:04:
Here's a few for ya:
*** w84 4/1 23 Once a Catholic Priest-Why No Longer? ***
At the beginning of 1973 I subscribed to a number of religious magazines, including some that criticized the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings. Now certain inconsistencies became ever more evident to me. For example, at one time eating meat on Friday was forbidden. When this church teaching was changed, I thought: 'According to that teaching, those who ate meat on Friday committed a mortal sin. For a mortal sin, one can be punished with hellfire-an irreversible punishment. But if in hell there are some who did not repent for eating meat on Friday, what will they think now?'
*** w74 4/1 198 Insight on the News ***
No doubt there are a variety of reasons. But could it be that people's attitudes toward the priests is a major reason? Priests have been seen sharing in acts of civil disobedience. Their liberal views condoning adultery and homosexuality have been widely publicized. And, as most people know, priests have supported revolutions and wars, commonly blessing the weapons of participants. With a knowledge of such things, could it be that many Catholics are reasoning, Why should I go to such men to get my sins forgiven?
But whatever the reasons for the revision, this change in the confessional is serving further to shatter the confidence of many Catholics in their church. Within just recent memory revered "saints" have been dropped, the Mass has been altered, meat can be eaten on Friday, and now this change. Catholics may well be wondering: What next?
*** w66 5/1 282 Is Christendom Truly Christ's Domain? ***
At the present time, in Latin America, the Catholic people are very disturbed over the fact that many of the images of the saints are being removed from their churches, the images of Mary and Christ on a cross remaining. Another change, that of now being allowed to eat meat on Friday, deeply concerns them. What about all the years they prayed to images and saints, or refrained from meat on Friday? they ask. Was the Church directing them in wrong worship, and were all these devotions of no avail before God?
*** w65 1/15 57 Vatican Council Reaffirms "The Reality of Hell" ***
Just a week later the New York Times reported that a prelate at the Council had said further on this subject: "Many millions of people fail to understand how God the Father can be expected to damn an individual to hell for all eternity for such a thing as eating meat on Friday, thus putting such an individual in the same category as an adulterous atheist. The mentality responsible for such legislation seems to be more legalistic than genuinely religious and makes the Church a laughing stock." Note, however, that the prelate does not take exception to the teaching of eternal torment, only as to what would merit such punishment.
Farkel