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Not at all. I grew up Catholic. Except for Christmas and Easter, the only people that go to church where I live are 80 year old Italian immigrants. Priests raping young boys really turned people off. Had the Church allowed priests to marry, and allowed women to be priests, I doubt they would have attracted only pedophiles to be priests, and people wouldn't be so disgusted.
The church was way too Liberal when dealing with bad priests in it's ranks. They were willing to accept them just so they did not get caught. That is the failure of Liberalism and the Liberals in the church then and now just brush over this as "no big deal". Had there been very strong Conservatives running the Church then the problem would have not been as wide spread.
I think one of the main differences between the Liberals and Conservatives is the Liberals idea that a big powerful government is always right...i.e. the Pope, Vatican, and local, state and Federal government. We see it now in our country. The Conservatives feel the power belongs to the people, i.e. American exceptionalism...the idea of priests getting married is a good one..women priests too...but the Pope and Vatican see that as a threat to their power...not unlike we see the government's various failed social programs in this country....Conservatives embrace change that works..i.e. Capitalism ..and reject "social justice", i.e. big government...as a way to uplift people in society and especially the poor.
Well, I grew up Catholic, I have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
To me, God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ to take on our sin, be killed, and then be raised to life again, proving His victory over sin and death. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If we accept this gift, we have become acceptable to God and can have a relationship with Him.
I don't go to church on a regular basis. But, Most of the religious people I know are kind and wonderful people, and while there’s much we don’t agree on, there is often common ground if you attempt to see things from their perspective. I’ve found the religious people I know to be mostly interested in being nice to others, and I have no problem with that.
I think opinions can be mocked, but mocking religion is quite unkind. I need Jesus Christ in my life, but I don't think I really need organized religion. I am still in my 20s and I do believe that religion is constantly evolving.
It (evolving) is not necessarily a bad thing. For example, overwhelming majority of young people my age are pro gay marriage. Constantly telling us gay marriage is deviant and is against God is just no longer appealing to us. No matter how hard the extremely conservative folks try to justify bigotry by using religion, it just is not going to work anymore. Sorry.
Religion-based bigotry causes enormous harm to LGBT people, especially young, vulnerable teens. Jesus is pretty much okay with everybody else. The only group that constantly angered and saddened him is the self-righteous religious people.
Christians who act as if they are better than everyone else are certainly not living by the creeds of Christianity, and may not even be Christians at all. Christianity says that all people are sinners, and none can be righteous on the basis of their own behavior. Jesus said that we should not act like we are better than others just to get noticed. Such a "holier-than-thou" attitude is strongly condemned in the Bible. When Christians tell others that their behavior does not meet God's standards, it is not to try to be superior, but rather to warn them of the peril to their soul in light of their actions.
The left has no need nor interest in destroying churches. They are becoming obsolete all by themselves as the world leaves the mindset of the Dark Ages and becomes more educated. You are free to continue to worship your gods as you like. The truth is, progressives don't care about your churches one way or the other, and it's that growing apathy across all denominations that really has fundies all pissy. Less and less people buy into the fairy tales they're selling. They are losing their grip on the population at large. Can't happen fast enough.
In the meantime, this progressive could not possibly care less about your church.
Corruption of the tenets of basic human decency, of all forms, is an essential ingredient of the egoistic avarice and callous disregard for others that is the hallmark of right-wing perspective. This is the clear and unequivocal consequence of the so-called "Me" generation growing up and insisting their abject selfishness is an entitlement, while claiming that the people they don't care about are not even entitled to basic human decency.
Left-wing hate and arrogant determination to control everyone around them is the defining characteristic of liberals. Combined with their complete ignorance of all matters of morality, decency, and respect for the individual, they are a toxic scourge, destroying the societies they gain influence over.
When its the liberal churches(Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ) that are declining the most rapidly and Pentecostal churches and LDS are growing by leaps and bounds? Non-denominational churches are also growing really fast and these mostly lean conservative. Maybe our churches don't need to become more liberal- maybe they should become more conservative.
Here is an interesting blog that I definitely agreed with.
To me the reason's obvious. If you're a liberal church, then you're inclined to believe that nonchurchgoers can go to heaven. Since churchgoing is optional, it's pretty much human nature that many of them would just opt out!
To me the reason's obvious. If you're a liberal church, then you're inclined to believe that nonchurchgoers can go to heaven. Since churchgoing is optional, it's pretty much human nature that many of them would just opt out!
Everybody is going back to the place they came from. Doesn't matter if you go on foot, in a Cadillac, or by freight train, or whether you just sit and wait on it to come to you. The alternative is that you simply fall asleep.
If you know anything different than that and have some type of scientific proof or empirical evidence, sing out.
Speaking as a Catholic I see the decline in our church is being caused by the Catholic Church becoming more Liberal over the last 50 years.
Yes, this...and condoned pedophilia
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