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[NecrosaroIII]

Any Catholics here? I am not Catholic, but lately I've been feeling compelled to attend a Catholic mass. I'm not entirely sure why. It just seems like the right thing to do.

It seems sort of intimidating though. How rigid is the ceremony? It seems very rigid, which I guess to me is sort of the appeal. But not newcomer friendly.

 

[Chaplain]

Video: Women, Slaves, and The Unforgivable Sin - Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle

"In the conversation between atheist Alex O'Connor and Christian speakers Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle, the trio confronts various theological and philosophical questions, primarily focusing on difficult passages in both the Old and New Testaments. They address how the Old Testament often portrays God with characteristics that seem at odds with the New Testament’s depiction of Jesus. For instance, O'Connor questions the violent and seemingly harsh actions attributed to Yahweh, especially regarding issues like slavery and warfare. The Knechtles counter by explaining that God's actions in the Old Testament stem from a context of righteousness and justice, where actions that seem harsh are intended to reflect God's justice in a broken world. They suggest that while the portrayals in the Old Testament may appear challenging, they align with the overall biblical narrative of a just and merciful God. The discussion further explores issues such as gender roles and passages often considered sexist. O'Connor questions the relevance and appropriateness of teachings such as those restricting women from certain roles within the church, while the Knechtles explain that cultural and historical contexts influence biblical texts and that, ultimately, the New Testament promotes equality through Christ. They also tackle the “unforgivable sin” of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, a topic O'Connor finds particularly troubling. He expresses confusion about how a seemingly forgiving God would declare any sin as unforgivable, a stance that Cliffe and Stuart attempt to clarify by suggesting that this sin represents a total rejection of God’s grace, thus placing a person beyond forgiveness due to their hardened state of heart." (11/13/24)

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Christianity's Primary Message
03:28 Is Lack of Religion Causing the Meaning Crisis?
17:00 The Book of Job
23:37 Doubting Thomas
34:09 Slavery in the Old Testament
47:58 The Treatment of Women in the New Testament
59:00 Who Wrote Paul’s Letters?
1:12:30 Do You See God's Grace or Anger in the Old Testament?
1:21:20 Genocide in the Old Testament
1:41:24 What if You Were a Canaanite?
1:48:17 The Value of Human Life
1:57:03 Is Christian Forgiveness Immoral?
2:07:17 Can God Forgive on Our Behalf?
2:12:39 Does Repentance End at Death?
2:23:32 The Only Unforgivable Sin: Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
2:38:02 What Troubles Cliffe Most About Christianity?

 

[Grildon Tundy]

“Never tell a child, ‘you have a soul.’ Teach him, you are a soul; you have a body.” Been thinking about this quote a lot lately.

 

[Nydius]

Any Catholics here? I am not Catholic, but lately I've been feeling compelled to attend a Catholic mass. I'm not entirely sure why. It just seems like the right thing to do.

It seems sort of intimidating though. How rigid is the ceremony? It seems very rigid, which I guess to me is sort of the appeal. But not newcomer friendly.

Sorry in advance that I can't really answer your question because I've been a lifelong Protestant. However I, too, have felt drawn to go to a Catholic mass.

I think I'm going to read some entry level primers on Catholicism before I do (something like Catholicism for Dummies) so I'm not walking in blindly.

 

[killatopak]

Any Catholics here? I am not Catholic, but lately I've been feeling compelled to attend a Catholic mass. I'm not entirely sure why. It just seems like the right thing to do.

It seems sort of intimidating though. How rigid is the ceremony? It seems very rigid, which I guess to me is sort of the appeal. But not newcomer friendly.

Haven't attended in years so I don't know the current stuff.

From my memories, I felt it was ritualistic. Like it is steeped in tradition. Every part of the mass felt like it was walking you through the start to the end of the gospel culminating in the Eucharist. Where they differ from each mass though is the actual gospel reading where it's the priest's personal experience shines. The core message is there but it is how you apply it your current life is where the priests impart wisdom.

Despite being largely the same, masses have in fact been changing since the first time I went when I was a child but mostly in the forms of the songs. Changing lyrics, melodies or being entirely different songs but again the core of it is the same. The biggest difference I guess was there was this part of the mass where we are asked to hold hands and sing but with the pandemic we obviously had to sit farther apart and not hold hands. I haven't gone recently so I dunno if they reverted.

About your compulsion to go to a Catholic mass, I've watched some stuff about why people would like to go at least psychologically. Life is chaotic. I dunno if it's true but some people describe some other masses like Protestant ones as like a rock concert. It seems like the Catholic mass is like a return to order. Like confining yourself to a box. You lose some freedom of expression in exchange for security. It's even more specific than that. Not only the Catholic masses but actual Latin worship Catholic masses that are in demand if the statistics are to be believed. There's something about returning to most basic traditional stuff that entices people. The atmosphere itself I guess. The stained glass, the marble statues, the artworks and stuff. The seriousness of it.