more religion based questions

Sorry guys but i thought up of a few more questions for my thesis. Once again these are all opinion based.

1. How does the Catholic Church differ from other christian churches?

2. Prayer cant be taught. Agree or disagree. Why?

3. How many scariments are there in the Roman Catholic Church?

4. What do you like about christianity? what dont you like? (answer even if your not a christian)

Hey,

I'm not a christian, but I'd like to answer your fourth question. What I like about chritistianity is first of all the fact that you can talk, confess your sins, and then feel better. It is important to know that someone's listening to you, and it is important to know that you can be forgiven for something you feel bad about. In my religion you only ask for forgiveness by praying but you don't get to hear someone telling you that it is ok, that your sins will be forgiven or at least that you did the right thing talking about it.

Then, other things I like about christianity are common to the three monotheistic religions : the fact that it teaches you to be good to others, to share what you can share, to always think about being good and giving love when you can.

Good luck with you thesis. It's a good subject.

Original Post by lolla_:

Sorry guys but i thought up of a few more questions for my thesis. Once again these are all opinion based.

1. How does the Catholic Church differ from other christian churches?

in my view, catholicism is more guilt-and-punishment based than other churches.  the threat of damnation is used as a tool to control behaviour, and the idea that there's only one way to salvation is very potent and dangerous.

2. Prayer cant be taught. Agree or disagree. Why?

disagree.  i see prayer (in the true sense) as a form of meditation, and meditation can absolutely be taught and learned.

3. How many scariments are there in the Roman Catholic Church?

not a clue.

4. What do you like about christianity? what dont you like? (answer even if your not a christian)

i don't like the judgment (of self and others) that often comes along with christianity.  i don't like many of the things that are done in the name of christ and god.  i don't like the pious we-know-the-answer-and-you'll-get-it-when-you -die attitude that's often displayed (especially because i think it's often inauthentic, and reflects doubt). 

i DO like the sense of community, belonging, and responsibility that christianity can instill in some people.

i don't like god.

1. How does the Catholic Church differ from other christian churches?

The Catholic church has added a lot of theories & doctrines into Christianity which I can't find any basis for in the Bible. For example, the Pope. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that a human being must be chosen to act as God's liason with the people. Also the notion of confessing sins to a priest. The Bible says that we can confess directly to God at any time and be forgiven. Some Catholics consider Mormons and Jehova's witnesses heretical for having added extra material to Christianity - so why is the Catholic church allowed to?

Worshipping and praying to the virgin Mary - just because she was chosen as a worthy vessel by God doesnt make her part of the Holy trinity. And if she eventually married Joseph and presumably had sex with him, why still refer to her as a virgin? (answer: because they like to pretend that she never had sex, because sex is "bad") I could go on and on about the lack of Biblical basis for Saints, but you get the idea.

2. Prayer cant be taught. Agree or disagree. Why?

Disagree. People will eventually develop their own prayer style over time, but kids often dont know what to pray about. Teaching them a format/template to follow can help them learn what do do. (ie Dear God, thank you for XYZ, please allow XYZ to get well, etc)

4. What do you like about christianity? what dont you like?

My biggest beef with the church is their attitude about sex. I have a lot of formerly Catholic friends who have had major sexual guilt problems because they did things like take birth control pills, have sex before marriage, or admit to being gay. It causes a lot of psychological harm to tell people they are bad, evil, abnormal, unclean, impure, etc. It makes me sad and angry to see people beat themselves up over things that I consider normal & healthy.

In countries ravaged by AIDS, it makes me furious to see the Pope visit and tell the people not to use condoms. Umm, hello, condoms will help stop the epidemic! I dont like the fact that the Church isnt willing to rethink policies that actually kill people. When certain doctrines DONT WORK, or worse, CAUSE HARM, they should be rethought or abandoned. There is no structure within the Catholic church which exists to reevaluate failed doctrines.

I dont like the way the church used to impede scientific discovery and discourage people from educating themselves. They've gotten better about this over the centuries.

I like the fact that the Catholic church runs so many mission hospitals in poor countries. Granted, the real goal is to "convert the godless natives" and these clinics rarely provide birth control for women who already have six kids they can't feed, but props to the Catholic church for their focus on giving to charity.

Edited to add: Tell us more about your thesis. Are you studying to become a pastor? Id love to hear why the Catholic church feels that add-ons like the Pope, Saints etc are Biblically justified - or why they don't need to be.

1. The Catholic Church has the Pope, and in many cases I feel that the Pope is looked up to almost as if he is God himself.  Catholics also go to confession and must confess all their sins to another person.  There are also other differences such as saying hail Marys and the religious holidays for other saints.  In Protestant churches, (I am a protestant), we believe that since Jesus came to earth and went back to heaven he is our link to God the father.  We are able to speak directly to God because of this and we don't need another human to act as a link between ourselves and God.  That is why Protestants confess their sins privately (usually) in prayer.

2. I would say that the basics of prayer can be taught.  Such as, that is appropriate to talk with God, that we should thank him for everything, that we can ask him for things (material and things such as that He will comfort us).  On the other hand, I do believe that people develop in their prayer lives personally.  It is supposed to be a relationship with God, so just as we have different conversations with different people we know, the same can be true of the prayer conversations we have with God.

3. No clue

4. Christianity preaches the truth.  Love is the greatest of all things.  Although many christians, including myself, act hypocritically at times, that only serves to further our point.  God still loves us and when we ask for forgiveness sincerely, he will give it to us.

1. How does the Catholic Church differ from other christian churches?

Having the Pope, confessing sins/asking for forgiveness from a person, praying to the different saints for the different reasons.

2. Prayer cant be taught. Agree or disagree. Why?

Agree.  The Lord's Prayer has all the basic foundations, and then as one matures and becomes more confident with prayer, it can become more personal.  Also, how many of us were taught "Now I lay me down to sleep..."?  How many were taught "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food..." before we moved on to more personal food blessings?  Yes, prayer can be taught, but we want to move to a more personal interaction with God.

3. How many scariments are there in the Roman Catholic Church?

Don't know.

4. What do you like about christianity? what dont you like? (answer even if your not a christian)

What I like is God's grace; we don't have to earn it or prove ourselves worthy.  We are all worthy.   Think about it, for the most part, we are closer to Satan in our daily lives than we are with Jesus, but God still has a purpose for us, still loves us.  I like knowing that I'm not perfect and that's okay.  I also like the fact that I see something beautiful or hear something beautiful and can appreciate it - if God wasn't involved, it would all be about survival - nothing about appreciating beauty in its true form.      &nbs p; What I don't like about Christianity is the "organized religion" part of it - the different denomiations - those with the "holier-than-thou" attitudes.  All religions, if we focused on the Eleventh Commandment, the Golden Rule, (whatever you want to call it) we would be better people.

I love the forgiveness. But here's most of what I don't like about it:

"When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn't work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness."

It's when people try to find loopholes in a place where you just can't. You know what the book means by forgiveness and repentance. You can't just burn down a village of women and children, then look to the sky and go "Whoops, sorry about that" and have everything be hunky-dory. If you don't actually grasp the gravity of what you've done, internalize it, and live that realization as best you can, it doesn't mean anything. Honestly I think it all comes down to trying to live the right way (the details are fuzzy to me, though, but that's another debate all together. Plus, as Christopher Moore says, "Bacon.") meaning with respect for everyone and everything around you as a part of the same larger entity, which here we call God. I think you can see how new scientific discoveries fit into it if you look at it with an open mind, too. My biggest problem has always been heaven and hell. First of all, with the limitless amounts of love and forgiveness it preaches, why would *God* *damn* people to eternal torture just for not understanding? I understand that sin exists because free will exists, but why should one person spend eternity in paradise and the other in suffering when they're both equal? And what if the person recieved the same teachings in the bible from another source; There is only one way to salvation, and any other is wrong? It's not their fault, then. Or do they just have to recognize a sin as a sin to be saved? There's a lot I still don't understand, even after being raised Christian.

Seven Sacraments

Baptism,  Eucharist (Holy Communion),  Reconciliation (confession),  Confirmation,  Marriage,  Holy Orders,  Anointing of the Sick.  (raised Catholic and totally reject it now)

Original Post by lolla_:

Sorry guys but i thought up of a few more questions for my thesis. Once again these are all opinion based.

1. How does the Catholic Church differ from other christian churches?

I am not Catholic. My husband is though. They have a lot of rules to follow. I am Christian and I go to a bible based church. My DH goes with me to my church because when his last wife died, the church totally abandoned him, but continued to send their requests for his money.  He was lost on what to do with his kids and their salvation.  The bible does talk about the Christian church as people helping one another and a sense of community among its members.  It also states that the church developed was quite large as far as its members. The members were happy to go there. They didn't feel alienated and they belonged. Catholicism maintains that it follows the Jewish traditions.  Devout Catholics seek to bring people back to the church. I am constantly frustrated as being judged by DH's family because I am not Catholic. They were no more receptive coming to our wedding.  My husband and I have discussed that this can be beautiful because religiosity can bring people closer to God through ritual. 

2. Prayer cant be taught. Agree or disagree. Why?

Prayer can be taught. It's human. Children model behaviors.  Teaching new Christians were also taught.  Jesus taught His disciples to pray.   Styles of prayer will develop over time.  Someone mentioned you should be pious with God, but I believe God is relational and wants all of you so that you can grow. He is omniscient and knows your thoughts.  You can confess those directly to Him without a person.

3. How many scariments are there in the Roman Catholic Church?

I am not sure. I remember the rosary. But practicing Catholics will know it because they are required to go to classes.

4. What do you like about christianity? what dont you like? (answer even if your not a christian)

I like that God is larger than I am. He loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for our sins and repair our relationship to him. I love that I don't have to know everything. I don't have to worry - God is provisional. I am enough with God. God is bigger than my enemies. God loves me. But I don't like God loving the people I despise just as much as he loves me. I am sad that there are Christians who make God out to be a monster (which I agree with early comments about the Catholic church). I don't like that the churches are devisive. I don't like that people make rules about Christianity that have no biblical basis.  I don't like people acting pious or professing to be without sin. God says sin is sin. I do like the idea that this isn't my last stop. I love to see miracles. If I ask God for something, he provides (maybe not in the way I expect it).  I don't think I like the God someone mentioned earlier, either, but that isn't the Christian God.

Has anyone read The Shack?  What did you think?

1. I'll leave that to azirra.

2. I agree.  When I was religous, I did it naturally.

3. Seven.  I learned something by being confirmed in a Lutheran church.

4. What I like - I liked being in a group in which I could discuss my deepest beliefs.  But now I'm an atheist, and I don't have people to talk to about my thoughts and beliefs - and that isolation can be awful.  And I guess I liked the idea of an afterlife.  I also like that many churches do good in the community.  That's awesome.

What I don't like - I don't like people using Christianity as a tool against issues like gay marriage and evolution, and I don't like it when people shove their beliefs in my face.

Original Post by danoi:

4. What I like - I liked being in a group in which I could discuss my deepest beliefs.  But now I'm an atheist, and I don't have people to talk to about my thoughts and beliefs - and that isolation can be awful.  And I guess I liked the idea of an afterlife.  I also like that many churches do good in the community.  That's awesome.

What I don't like - I don't like people using Christianity as a tool against issues like gay marriage and evolution, and I don't like it when people shove their beliefs in my face.

Err, there are plenty of atheists out there who talk about their thoughts (and often!). You probably can't find them because there's not a building for us all to congregate in. 

Also, if you like debates, talking about atheism with religious people is also a solid venue to air your thoughts. One of my devoutly atheist friend spends a good deal of time figuring out logical flaws in the arguments of his religious buds. I'm sure the opposite party does likewise, which is why they'll spend weeks apart mulling over what the other said.

I refrain from talking about religion with people I don't know very well. If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it type of deal ;)

1. How does the Catholic Church differ from other christian churches?

The Catholic Church believes the Pope is God's spokesman on Earth. They incorporate saints and the Virgin Mary into their worship. They used to believe in Limbo, till Pope Benedict told them not to.

2. Prayer cant be taught. Agree or disagree. Why?

I was taught prayer in Catholic school. In high school there were born again Christians who believed in prayer as simply talking to God rather than reciting the Lord's Prayer or whatever. My view right now is that prayer is talking to God/dess, meditation is listening.

3. How many scariments are there in the Roman Catholic Church?

Seven-Baptism, Communion, Confession, Confirmation, Marriage and I forget

4. What do you like about christianity? what dont you like? (answer even if your not a christian)

I like Jesus himself, and I dislike the way christianity is used as a political tool in this country(and many others).

I believe the Catholic Bible includes the Apocrypha as well as all the other differences mentioned by others.

Prayer can be learned through modeling (watching other do it), but because prayer is a conversation with God, there isn't a set-in-stone method.  So I guess that's a yes and a no.

I love God.  I love being forgiven for all the stupid/mean/evil things I've ever done and ever will do.  I love the lessons God teaches me as I go through life.  I love never being alone even when I'm alone.

I am not at all fond of "religion" - the superficial trappings that human beings tend to worship in place of actually worshipping God.