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Why Am I Catholic?
Veritas ^ | C. Therese Benoit

Posted on 11/17/2006 7:32:40 AM PST by NYer

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To: papertyger
One of the difficulties people have with Catholicism is the necessity for fine distinctions. But fine distinctions ARE necessary, in daily life we make them all the time.

If you are familiar with the "real" rules for introductions (when you introduce somebody TO somebody, instead of the other way around -- age, sex, rank, etc. and how those are reconciled) you can see how there is a difference between worship, devotion, and honor. If the honor due to somebody is important, then degrees of honor are important, too.

Conversely, how many times do you tell your spouse or your children that you love them more than life, that they are the most adorable, sweetest man (or little girl, or little boy) in the world? You're not worshipping them, you're just expressing your love. In the same way, when I call Mary "my life, my sweetness, and my hope" I am expressing my love and devotion to her -- not that she is somehow the equivalent of God.

Mary is due a special honor as having been chosen as worthy to carry God in her body for nine months and then to raise him until the time of his public ministry. That privilege is unique, and so is she.

21 posted on 11/17/2006 9:28:09 AM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: mockingbyrd
And the protestant (odds on he's a main line Episcopalian) says that Jesus has "gone native".

SOOOOO Anglican!

22 posted on 11/17/2006 9:28:56 AM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: AnAmericanMother
Conversely, how many times do you tell your spouse or your children that you love them more than life, that they are the most adorable, sweetest man (or little girl, or little boy) in the world? You're not worshipping them, you're just expressing your love. In the same way, when I call Mary "my life, my sweetness, and my hope" I am expressing my love and devotion to her -- not that she is somehow the equivalent of God.

I don't see how you can call formal prayer and charitable hyperbole "the same."

If I am competent to make fine distinctions, am I also not competent to identify the lack thereof?

23 posted on 11/17/2006 9:46:40 AM PST by papertyger
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To: papertyger
how about giving me the condensed version?

Because it's true.

24 posted on 11/17/2006 9:50:04 AM PST by murphE (These are days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed but his own. --G.K. Chesterton)
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To: Nihil Obstat
That was possibly the funniest Simpsons episode ever.
25 posted on 11/17/2006 9:52:41 AM PST by murphE (These are days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed but his own. --G.K. Chesterton)
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To: murphE
how about giving me the condensed version?
Because it's true.

This is a non sequiter <=sp?

26 posted on 11/17/2006 9:57:01 AM PST by papertyger
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To: papertyger
I don't see how you can call formal prayer and charitable hyperbole "the same."

I don't think anyone claimed that they are the same. But why do you think that they are mutually exclusive?

-A8

27 posted on 11/17/2006 9:58:48 AM PST by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: AnAmericanMother; Mrs. Don-o; Nihil Obstat
Have you seen You Tube's Catholic Coke commercial? Cute.

Coke

28 posted on 11/17/2006 10:00:23 AM PST by NYer (Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to Heaven. St. Rose of Lima)
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To: NYer

Actually, NYer, I think that is objectionable, perhaps not for the role of the priest, but for its sensuality.


29 posted on 11/17/2006 10:04:11 AM PST by Pyro7480 ("Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world." - Pope Blessed Pius IX)
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To: adiaireton8
I don't think anyone claimed that they are the same.

That was a direct quote.

But why do you think that they are mutually exclusive?

One does not teach solemn formulae to children with the expectation they'll know said formulae are "pet indulgences."

Similarly, why would St. Jude care if one published the assertion prayers through him "get it done."

30 posted on 11/17/2006 10:10:04 AM PST by papertyger
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To: Nihil Obstat

I've never seen that before, but that's FUNNY!


31 posted on 11/17/2006 10:10:58 AM PST by Hoosier Catholic Momma (The poster formerly known as Okies love Dubya 2--now home again in Indiana!)
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To: papertyger
Hmm. I'm not sure I quite understand your difficulty.

Do you find your honor of your father and mother, or the honor of the angels and saints, or the honor of other honorable persons, and the adoration of God, to be a "distinction without a difference"?

I assume you'd say "No," you don't have a problem in general distinguishing honor from adoration. If that's the case --- and if you don't mind explaining --- what's the particular problem with Mary?

32 posted on 11/17/2006 10:12:59 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Mater Amata, Intemerata)
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To: NYer

Cute ... In what country do they call it "Coke Lite"


33 posted on 11/17/2006 10:15:20 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: papertyger
That was a direct quote.

No it wasn't.

One does not teach solemn formulae to children with the expectation they'll know said formulae are "pet indulgences."

Where did anyone claim that "solemn formulae" are "pet indulgences"?

Similarly, why would St. Jude care if one published the assertion prayers through him "get it done."

This sentence does not make sense to me, and does not even appear to be grammatical.

-A8

34 posted on 11/17/2006 10:23:13 AM PST by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: papertyger
This is a non sequiter <=sp?

Non sequitur only applies to arguments, not claims. What murphE gave you was a claim. So, calling it a "non sequitur" is a category mistake.

-A8

35 posted on 11/17/2006 10:27:50 AM PST by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Do you find your honor of your father and mother, or the honor of the angels and saints, or the honor of other honorable persons, and the adoration of God, to be a "distinction without a difference"?

I find the Catholic comportment toward Mary to be "adoration" while that toward God to be "fear and reverence."

36 posted on 11/17/2006 10:30:46 AM PST by papertyger
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To: Pyro7480; NYer

I thought the Coke commercial was troublesomely sensual, too.

Come to think of it, I'm connecting it to a memory of mine from must be 35+ years ago.

We had this hip priest who had an annual Mass on the Beach. I don't remember that he was dressed inappropriately--- he might have had on proper vestments, or at least he was dressed modestly, with a stole --- but this gorgeous babe in a (whew) minimal swimsuit came up to him at the Pax and gave him a lingering, close hug. I think half the Mass-goers --- who were mostly wholesome family types ---stopped and stared, and then maybe averted their eyes. And I suspect the girl did it expressly to sexually tease the priest and make a spectacle of herself.

Pyro, seriously, I hope you can avoid this type of female. I'm praying for you!


37 posted on 11/17/2006 10:33:52 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("I can resist anything, except temptation" --Oscar Wilde)
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To: NYer

LOL! Oh, my.


38 posted on 11/17/2006 10:33:53 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: adiaireton8
No it wasn't

I can't make you understand what is clearly written above.

39 posted on 11/17/2006 10:35:55 AM PST by papertyger
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To: ichabod1
That's fine. It's sort of true, but she is talking about the Roman Catholic Eucharist, the True Body and Blood, and I think her point was that the others pale in comarison to the real thing. As a non Catholic, are you aware your screen name is that of a Catholic Saint?

Right, she is talking about the Roman Catholic church. My only point is that catholic isn't exclusive to Roman Catholics.

Actually, I was raised Roman Catholic, and am now a Catholic. I asked the Lord Jesus to forgive my sins in 1981, and am a member of a local non-denominational Christian church.

I'm aware of St. John Bosco, but took my screen name from the chocolate drink powder.

40 posted on 11/17/2006 10:37:29 AM PST by Bosco (Remember how you felt on September 11?)
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