Info about Catholics
Submitted by Bonzo on February 21 2000 at 11:05:34
In reply to Re: Not exactly Submitted by Sheesh! on February 20 2000 at 20:02:49
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Hi Sheesh -- Most Protestants, as I understand do not believe in the infalibility of the Pope, confession, Mary as the mother of God and ... other issues. NORC (National Opinion Research Center, in Chicago) survey data indicate that most active American Catholics do not believe in the infallibility of the Pope either. I certainly don't. The practice of Confession (now called Reconciliation) among American Catholics has changed greatly. The frequent anonymous whispering of one's sins to a priest within a darkened booth is gradually giving way to occasional private face-to-face meetings between sinner and priest, more closely resembling counseling sessions in other denominations. The main differences are that a Catholic priest is solemnly obligated never to reveal what he hears under any circumstances, and that Reconciliation is explicitly a means of receiving God's grace. To speak of Mary as the 'Mother of God' is merely to affirm belief in the Trinity, i.e. that Jesus was truly God Himself. The respect for Mary among Catholics reflects the notion that a mother's love for her child is the closest visible analog of the love of God for all Her children. Thanks to this pope's strong conserative beliefs that demand adherence to certain doctrine, I have seen that a great number of my straight friends are no longer participating in the Catholic Church NORC data indicate that the number of 'drop-outs' is consistent among those raised in all major denominations in the USA, including Catholics: about 11%. This figure has remained the same for many years. Rather than the 'strong conserative beliefs' of the current Pope, NORC data indicate that a specific act by a previous Pope (Paul VI), his encyclical on birth control, was the major cause of the decline in church attendance among American Catholics. It's teachings are ignored by a large majority of active American Catholic married couples. This encyclical was, in a word, a disaster. I hope I've been able to clarify some things. -- Bonzo |