Your confusion is understandable, given the huge chasm you maintain between belief and disbelief, but these cues may help you.
Confession helps the sinner, not God. Compensation helps society. I heals rifts between people caused by "sins". Death, in a declared war, is generally not defined as "murder". How beautiful and how close you came with... "the heartbreakingly willing sacrifice of innocent Irishmen" Substitute heart expanding, passion inducing, pride enhancing and you'll be there. To the best of my knowledge, no Pope has made it to SFDS. The church is for us, the Parish and the neighborhood to cherish and enjoy. We build churches and faith the same way we create Art or good partnerships, with Faith, Hope and Charity. And when it comes from an innocent person, how much more endearing it becomes. Death is inevitable. I believe I enjoy the life journey more, with faith. I have a younger sister dying of AIDs. Her suffering is enormous. Do we kill her? Do we assist her in suicide? Or do we use every arrow in our quiver, including faith, to provide comfort and hope to her and our family. Do we help her live with grace or die alienated from her culture and hope? Whatever your reasons, I hope you will be part of the group that helps preserve our monumental church and magnificent organ. Daniel, As I read your stuff, I find myself filtering it as if I am experiencing the temper tantrum of a brilliant child. I can imagine you reading my stuff as if I am some religious nut. I know neither picture is complete or accurate. I don't think we'll have much influence over each other's beliefs, and it may be time to take our rant off the list. Best! Liz On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 16:12:54 -0500 Daniel Aharon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > On Dec 10, 2003, at 3:01 PM, Elizabeth F. Campion wrote: > > > > > Of all the major religions, Catholicism may be the most a la > carte. > > The wonderful Catholic dictate is Free Will and the restorative is > > Confession (aka Reconciliation or Penance). > > Oh. But if God is Omniscient, then he knows everything anyone has > ever > done or ever will do. So how does anyone act with free will if their > > actions are already predetermined in the mind of God? > > > If one commits a small (venial) sin, one must repent (apologize > and > > confess) and attempt to make compensation (prayer or an act of > > contrition > > being options where there is no complete or direct solution) and > modify > > future behavior to avoid repeating the same offense. > > Are you apologizing to God for having screwed up? He knows, right? > Is > it the pedantic acknowledgment that counts or does he enjoy hearing > the > zillion Hail Marys, or is it pure sadism? > > > > For really big (mortal) sins the stakes are higher. > > A mortal sin is one that is serious enough to subject the sinner > to > > damnation; > > "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear > false > > witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother." > Murder > > is > > graver than theft. Violence against parents is worse than > violence > > against a stranger. > > For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be met: "Mortal sin > is > > sin > > whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full > > knowledge and deliberate consent." It presupposes knowledge of > the > > > snip > > can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed > through > > malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest. > > Uh oh. So every soldier ever who killed in the name of God and > country > is now burning in Hell, as will all those in the future. Do the > priests > tell that to little Johnny in Sunday School while his daddy's away? > Or > does God have an exclusion for politically-motivated murder? Come > on, > think fast! What about Jesus "bringing a sword"? Does New Testament > gospel override the earlier 10 Commandments? If so, then why are > these > freaky religious right nuts trying to get the 10 Commandments > engraved > into every Courthouse wall? Or is that just a Southern Baptist > thing. > Sorry if I'm mixing up the different sectarian hypocritical stances, > > it's all just religious twaddle to me, deep down. > > > Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love > > itself. > > Whoa. Now that IS saying something. Really. > > > For myself, I need the good will and grace of my parish. > > I luxuriate in the beauty of our space, built by Irish Immigrants > in > > the > > early 1900's and repainted by Vietnamese immigrants in the late > 1900's. > > It was built one brick and one statue at a time, through free will > > offering and hand labor. It was not the result of a bond issue or > > eminent domain. > > For me, it's a shame that such a beautiful building was built from > the > heartbreakingly willing sacrifice of innocent Irishmen, duped into > paying for the materials themselves apparently. For centuries, > Catholicism has seized people's minds at infanthood and sapped their > > lives of real meaning until they wake up dead. Fortunately I > suppose, > the vast majority of them have never doubted their faith > significantly > enough to resent the theft. > > I treasure the music and attend every Sunday. > > Sometimes I think the Choir and the Organ; Cecilia's voice and > Bruce's > > playing are the real draws. But, deep down, I know that the > Lord's > > prayer reminds me to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. > > I dig the music too, but don't see the need to make stuff up about > what > it means on an imaginary level. > > I see communion > > as a link to everyone else in the line for a wafer. And I filter > it all > > through the memory of being in church, with my parents and my > siblings. > > Attending Mass is something that ties my past, present and future > > together in a comforting package. Sometimes it is a chore. But > > always, > > for one hour on Sunday, I am in touch with people who cared (and > still > > care) enough to give the gifts of music, art, flowers, incense and > > > their > > presence in a common ceremony of uncommon beauty and belief. > > You can't really have gone through all that crazy ritual and > irrational > mumbo jumbo just to feel like you belong, say it ain't so. Why > didn't > you just join a book club or a frisbee team? > > > > > I don't agree with many of the dictates of my church, but trust > that > > if I > > conduct myself in ways that do not feel shameful, than I will be > on > > generally safe ground. I can fight for change, from within. And > I > > believe the final judgement is not mine nor that of the > priest-du-jour. > Ah hah! Screw the Church anyway, you have a personal God. I'll see > YOU > at the next Quaker meeting then. > > > > I believe in a higher power who loves me and wants me to perform > at my > > best. I believe the suffering on the cross is mirrored in the > > suffering > > of those with serious Illnesses (such as Aids and Cancer) and that > the > > sacrifice of self and son parallel choices some of our finest have > > > made. > > You believe that the magical creature in the sky wants you to do and > > say the right things so as to avoid that nasty damnation. You > believe > that people with AIDS and cancer (and this makes me really Ill) are > dying as some sort of perverse tribute to the false legend of > Jesus-as-zombie. > What is wrong with you people? > > > to a Gala Christmas Concert. The Atheist can wonder why so many > > immigrants invested so much for such dramatic architecture and > > exquisite > > illumination and fabulous music. > > > > Thank you, but it's not a mystery. Mass delusion is today a well > defined phenomenon. I too hope we can preserve the Gothic structures > > and liturgical works for as long as possible, because "they don't > make > em like THAT anymore". As societies grow beyond their > superstitions, > such monuments will serve as an ironically beautiful warning of the > seductive danger of letting others do your thinking for you. > > ____________________________________________________________________ > Daniel Aharon, System Administrator > University of Pennsylvania 3-9089 > School of Medicine/IS [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Elizabeth Campion - Neighbor & Real Estate Broker - Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Direct & VM: 215-790-5653 / Cell Phone (emergencies): 215-880-2930 Mail to : P.O. Box 23632 / Phila, Pa 19143 PRUDENTIAL, FOX & ROACH - Reception:215-546-0550, Shared Fax: 215-546-9781 Office at 210 W. Rittenhouse Sq., Suite # 406 / Phila, Pa 19103 ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! 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