This is a post to offload another thread... <A HREF="http://www.marriagebuilders.com/forum/Forum37/HTML/008033.html" TARGET=_blank>To Be or Not to Be -- Parents???</A>.<P>I do wish to always respect other's beliefs...<BR>...and have the great hope that respect will be mutual.<P>The following quotes from the above mentioned post...<BR>...I do find offensive...<P>-----------------------------------------------------------<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Catholicism is not an easy religion to practice, and it could be argued that <B>it is not applicable to the realities of life today.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>...Statements that 'a religion is not applicable to the "realities of life"' are demeaning of that religion. Could/should I say that about Judaism?... or Buhdism?... <P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I know one woman... and the priest refused to give her absolution because she would not agree to put her life in danger by not using birth control. As a non-Catholic, that seems unfairly rigid and barbaric to me.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>...<BR>...I don't know the whole story here...<BR>...I'm not sure the presenter knows the whole story...<BR>...and the reason of non-absolution could have been others...<BR>...and by Catholic understanding of morality... on the surface the priest was out of line... but <B>none of us were there</B>...<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>There are many "cafeteria Catholics" out there, who are trying to find a <B>balance</B> between the religion...and realities of life.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>...<BR>...by definition "cafeteria Catholic" are not in union with the Teaching Magisterium...<BR>...and as non-practicing Catholics... are not representatives of sound Catholic teaching.<BR>Not finding <B>balance</B>... but learning fullness to apply ones faith to the realities... is why there is a loss in direction....<BR>...could be why we <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>are seeing the results in a nation full of emotionally neglected kids...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>In reference to the Teaching Magisterium as ... <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>(... a set (of) men who live in a protected environment who <B>do not have to face the issues we do</B>... and the realities of life.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>... is to denegrate the religious beliefs, ideal moral values presented for a large number of people's concepts of the path to salvation.<BR>I contend that in missionary work in the poorest parts of the third-world...<BR>...there is more reality there than any of us in the first-world will ever see.<BR>The Teaching Magisterium provides the same guidance to the missions as they do for those in the first-world...<BR>...and it is clear that real spiritual progress has been made elsewhere.<BR>...there is no double standard in the teaching.<P>To say that Catholicism relies on <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>(<B>more rigid</B>) rituals<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>... is to miss the more relevant aspects of a rich faith... and expresses a personal preference... attempting to make it be accepted as an implied negative fact.<P>Yes...<BR>...I find these as offensive as any anti-Semitic remarks, or remarks against Islam.

Very well made points! I understand you now.

"Great peace have they which love thy law...and nothing shall offend them."<P>Ps. 119:165<P>:-)

<P>Well-spoken, Jim.

I agree with K. Very well said indeed. Being catholic myself I have endured many cruel and harsh remarks about the religion I was raised in and love. Some of these statements have even come from my H. And that is very hurtful. But he was not raised catholic nor does he understand it. I have tried to help him but his slight interest in learning turns to attacks. So, I have learned to consider the source and pray more for him. He has never been pressured to become catholic from me and because we didn't marry in the church I gave up my priviledge to take communion. This is a very sore issue with him because, once again, in his opninon, That is a cruel religion for not allowing me to participate in this. <P>Sorry to have rambled on like that. I just meant to say,<BR>Well done, Jim.<BR> <BR>Dana

You are not alone in this, Jim. There have been such vicious slams against my religion on the forums that I will never reveal my denomination here. And I don't dignify the bigotry with "defenses" because it just makes the defender of faith a bigger target to the ignorant and insensitive.

TO THE CATHOLICS WITH LOVE<P>I am not a Catholic but must tell you that I took my children out of a normal school and put them into <BR>a Catholic school and I can only report that the <BR>education and discipline was excellent and my children<BR>leaned manners cleanliness Holiness and many more character<BR>shaping things than they would ever have anywhere else<P>I too taught at the Catholic school, as a Guitar Teacher and the children were lovely, on time, courteous and faithfull in their homework and so on<P>I have absoloutely no regrets of going to the Catholic School and they respected me as a Christian and we all got on well together without noticing differences in each other and did not intend to hurt each other with one finger pointing and three back at ourselves and the atmosphere was of love unity and focus on Jesus<P>It is with dear memories that I remember those days and visited the Catholic Church quite a few times,refraining from communion because of not being Catholic but respecting their faitfulness and good manners in the Church and watched the strong support it received<P>I do not judge Catholics but have respect for them and love them<P>That is the way I beleive God's people must be<P>Not saying I am wearing stripes and you spots so we do not match<P>God loves us all in His eyes and we are His Children<P>Carol<BR>Christian and Catholic Respecting Person<BR>kidnpuppetshow@yahoo.com