4.16.2008
I'm not trying to instigate arguments or be disrespectful so please don't be offended. I'm not Catholic, but being raised Lutheran I kind of have an idea how Catholicism works because of the constant comparisons and we also have some Catholics in the family. The whole Pope visiting DC is what got me thinking. I know Catholics believe the same 10 commandments and I know - Not Worshiping False Idols is one of them. It seems to me like the Pope is idolized. Seriously - the huge festivities and stuff for this guy?! What's the deal? I respect him and realize he's the head of their church & there's a lot of tradition behind him, but do you think the head of the Lutheran Church or Alliance (that's our 'denomination' if you call it that) visited that they would receive as much hoopla? Is the Pope the one who saves Catholics or why is his blessing or whatever he gives better then a blessing from the priest down the road? Maybe this sounds totally retarded, but I can't believe the magnitude of celebration just for him stepping foot here.
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To be idolized, people would have to be worshipping the Pope. Catholics don't worship the Pope, they see him as the leader of the religion and having a connection to God like priests but magnified a hundred fold. He's their Earthly spiritual leader.
It's similar to the Dalai Lama for Buddhists (Buddhists also do not "worship" the D.L.).
Yes, but Catholics attribute miracles to deceased Popes and saints. Not to mention the Virgin. In a lot of places, Central America most notably, the Virgin has merged with pagan goddess(es) and is actually worshiped. I know they SAY that they're praying to the saints/Virgin to intercede with God on their behalf. But in practice Catholicism seems quite polytheistic to me. Or maybe it's one big god with a bunch of pseudo-gods.
First I will insert a caveat to say that duh! an individual Catholic person is not the Catholic Church, and most Catholics don't endorse all or even most of the things the church does. I really, really dislike the Catholic Church, and since I don't give a shit about offending pedophiles, I'll tell you why. Basically, the Catholic Church exists to enrich and protect the power of an oligarchy of old men. The Catholic Church systematically rapes children and then protects the pedophiles. And there is the long and illustrious tradition of oppressing women, persecuting minorities, and executing dissidents. The Catholic Church almost single-handedly held science back for a thousand years after the fall of the Roman Empire. All in all, it's a pretty vile outfit.
"Worshiping false idols" has been interpreted in so many ways -- it's confusing. For some, worship literally means worship. For others (especially Evangelicals), it simply means putting something before God.
Getting into some tricky semantics here, if you worship the mouthpiece of God -- who, presumably, has a special connection to God -- isn't that, in a sense, worshiping some facet of God? Not a facet of God on the same plane as Jesus and the Holy Ghost, but maybe one step down on the hierarchy? (There's a word for that...modalism, maybe?)
I don't really think about these Jesus-y things much anymore, which is sad. I was a more thoughtful and insightful person when all of this was at the forefront of my mind. Lise, this is a good question -- and one that, I suspect, does not have a clear-cut answer from any perspective but Catholic.
Also: Fellow MFA-er Maia has a pretty good post about the p0pe on her blog. She's one of the smartest, most sensible Catholics I know, and I thought this was a pretty good comment on both Benedict XVI and America.
That was an awesome post by your friend, Sig!
I guess what my understanding of worship is giving all the honor, glory, praise - everything to God & God alone. I don't think in my experience have I ever worshiped the Holy Spirit or Jesus intending it for God. The trinity is probably the hardest concept in Christian faith and I think this is where 'faith' comes in. Sometimes I have to accept that I won't be able to understand everything about God - if I did He would have no purpose. I don't want to be preachy or anything so don't get all up in arms - I'm not trying to save all the unsaved :) I read this cool book Authentic Worship for Kids & Families and loved it, but guessing it would make you all puke. Anyways, it's just odd to me (not being Catholic) the craziness around the Pope.
It made me wonder if when Jesus comes back to Earth for judgment what his reception will be like. I'd hope it be this huge amazing event, but I have a feeling it'll be bitter sweet and probably just mass hysteria or something.
I would love to go back to school and just study constantly about everything. If money and family weren't an issue I'd be a student/professor/teacher for life.
Sig, was your friend fuxored by fundies? It kind of sounds that way in her post.
Maia was raised Catholic and still goes to church from time to time, but is not a hardcore Catholic and certainly does not believe 100% in all of the Catholic dogma.
She used to be the editor of The Catholic Anchor, a newspaper loosely affiliated with the local diocese. Somehow, a reader found her blog and learned that she wasn't a by-the-book Catholic; she had written a post about 5 years earlier about John Paul II and how he was anti-wimmin, and had also called herself a Cafeteria Catholic in said post.
Well. Once the pissed off reader posted this in his blog, and the witch hunt started. Catholics from around the country started calling the paper and demanding that she be fired, launched a huge Internet smear campaign, and I believe even harassed her via her home phone and personal e-mail address. Never mind that the paper never once printed an opinion or article that went against Catholic beliefs while she was the editor.
Finally, she resigned. It was too mentally and emotionally taxing to do her job, ward off the crazies, AND write her thesis. The newspaper supported her the whole time, and it was completely her decision to leave, but...yeah. That's what happened.
It seems like the crazies are really good at that - coming out of the woodwork en masse to gang up on somebody they dislike.
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