Once A CATHOLIC.
 

I thought I would start a new thread, on this, instead of put ting it on Accy photos. Bob I know what you mean, with the clergy, it was a case of do as I say, not do as I do. Hypocrisy was rife in those days, you wern't allowed to question the faith. Now the Polititions have taken over.George bush has made a career out of it, with his little mate Johnny Howard.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

I recall that at the age of 6 we were instructed, at school (St. Oswalds, Willows Lane),on the rituals and dogma associated with making our first confession. So every day for what seemed like an eternity we were made to turn our chair round and kneel on them and chant the Confession Formula;"Bless me Father for I have sinned" etc etc. There is a lot to be said for learning things by rote.

Then one unforgettable day our teacher, Miss McGinn, (Who I believe had red hair and freckles.) decided that she would treat us to an explanation of the evils of sin and the consequent necessity of confession. Remember, we were 6-7 years old at the time. She said that every time we committed a sin it was as though we had placed Jesus on the cross again and that his wounds would open up and bleed. This revelation was delivered with such macabre relish that it silenced the lot of us, the ones that weren't in tears that is. There was a good deal more of this in the days and weeks leading up to the event itself, but thankfully my brain appears to have blocked most of it out.

I am sure that a psychologist would have had a field day with Miss McGinn. I am also sure that it is a wonder that we turned out to be reasonably sane individuals. Or maybe I am overreacting here?

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

I hope you tell the priest about these horrible thoughts next time you go to confession...you're going to get more than 3 Hail mary's & an Our Father, I can tell you.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa - I don't think so!

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

Just tried to send you a private message bob, it said there was an error in user name,any ideas?

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

I remember Kneeling on chairs, practicing for communion, with ice cream waffers, talk about suffer little children.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

Ice cream wafers eh, you went to a posh school then?:)

Do you remember the Holy Souls collection? We were given a little card as a record of our contributions to this worthy cause. Every time we paid a penny one of the little squares surrounding a picture of St. Joseph was pierced with a needle. I wonder how much they managed to rake in with that little scam? Oddly enough though when we moved to Holy Family the practice was not continued.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

They still have the practice but with boxes. My youngest left junior school two years ago and up till that time brought one home every year (think it was October) to fill, but has never done at Mount Carmel.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

Is there any explanation on the boxes about what the money will be used for?

In my day it was to pay for extra Masses to be said for the souls in purgatory. Funny thing, that; having to pay priests to say Mass. You would think that if they were so concerned to limit the time spent by souls in purgatory that they go to the trouble of organising a public collection, then they would be spending every waking hour saying Mass anyway. Or better still doing whatever they can to persuade the Pope to abolish purgatory altogether. If I understand theology correctly it does fall within his remit.

Incidentally, did you know that whenever the Pope celebrates a Pontifical High Mass he is handed a purse of gold coins "For a Mass well sung".

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

So what conclusion are we to draw from the above statements. That everyone contributing now considers religion a big con, invented by the rich minorities to control the poor majorities?

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

:rose8: I think you hit the nail on the head JW only I havent just come to that conclusion Ive always thought it.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

Not quite sure if there is any explanation on the boxes about what the monies are for. I always persumed that it went towards missionaries.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

>>So what conclusion are we to draw from the above statements. That everyone contributing now considers religion a big con, invented by the rich minorities to control the poor majorities?<<

I don't really know to be honest. The original post, on another thread, was about the hypocracy of the clergy. I suppose this thread is turning into something of a breast beating exercise for our gullibility. I mean, when you look at it dispassionately and objectively, it really is the most ridiculous load of old tosh. How were we sucked into it?
I feel to be fair, I must at this point, offer some apology to readers who may still hold their faith precious. It is not my intention to belittle or denigrate your personal beliefs in any way at all.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

Thats what faith is all about, just because we are being a bit negative,it doest mean to say we are having a go at people who have that faith, that goes for any religion.Its just that in hind sight, If you questioned it, you would go to hell. remember, we had to get permission to go into a non catholic church from the parish priest, mixed marriges where pretty rare.These thing had nothing to doe with Jesus. Im a great believer in god, does that make me a hypocrite. By the way Bob I went to St Mary's Clayton, then on to Holy Family.

Re: Once A CATHOLIC.
 

Speaking personally, I incline toward a more Gnostic view of religion. But , as far as Rome is concerned that is HERESY.

Well it would be wouldn't it, since Gnosticism places far more importance on self knowledge and the development of a personal response to the divine as well as denying the hierarchy any place at all.

It is hardly surprising that,faced with a potential loss of power, influence and money, Rome organised a Crusade to stamp the heresy out in the thirteenth century. But Gnosticism is as old as Christianity and refuses to die. The Church seems to be unable to take the lesson from the central tennet of Christianity; namely that you can kill people, but you can't kill an idea. Which, I suppose, is why so many people now say they believe in God but no longer believe in the Church.