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[Golfhaus]

Habemus papum.

I wouldn't normally care that much about it, except that my girlfriend is a Catholic, and the death of John Paul II and the following events interested her a great deal. I've been trying to do the boyfriendly thing and learn more about her faith. Basically, what I've learned is that Latin is really cool. You can talk about waking up in the morning and taking a crap, and it sounds like you're summoning demons or something.

Catholicism appeals to me from the standpoint of someone who enjoys a lot of ceremony. They certainly know how to put on a show. Almost makes me wish I wasn't an agnostic.

Almost.

[Gimpson]

I was raised half-assed Catholic, but when I opted out during confirmation classes my parents were fine with it.  In junior high and high school I had so many Mormon and born-again Protestant friends try again and again to convert me that it pretty much turned me off to religion altogether.  Having attended Catholic services and fire-and-brimstone-personal-relationship-with-JC Protestant services, I must say that I don't mind the occasional Catholic service these days.  The ritual is nice, the sermons generally aren't quite as distasteful, and I just love the incense they burn.  

I once found a package of incense at a gas station labeled "Temple" that smelled exactly like I remember it smelling at mass when I was young.  I haven't found anything that matches it since, though.

[Ben-San]

As a Jew, I still appreciate Catholicism on a purely aesthetic level. Plus they're great to have around when you need a quasi-mystical conspiracy, and when you go looking for information about them you get names like Antipope Benedict X. I have to say I don't think much of the current Benedict, though. Also, I was going to name a priest-type character for a game I'm going to be in Benedict and Josef basically ruined that one for everyone else right now.

[miles]

I haven't been to a Catholic service of any type in years, and I hardly remember it.  I wanted to go to Mass soon after the Pope's death, but I have no Catholic friends around here and would have felt strange going alone.  I am also essentially agnostic (or it could be that I am just apathetic) but I am also quite taken with the ceremony and theatre of it all.  It's really beautiful.  (I also want to attend Orthodox services for the same reason).

I thought that the coverage was a bit much after the Pope's death, but I was glued to the radio/TV/news pages for at least a couple days during my spare time.

[Golfhaus]

I was addicted to "PopeCam" during the conclave, and addicting to telling people about my addiction, as well. Sara was teaching when the smoke turned white, and I was giving her updates via cell phone.

[CortJstr]

I was the only Catholic in the room yesterday so it was up to me to explain the pope's purpose and the differences in Catholocism vs. all the other religions (aka "people who are Catholic and just don't know it").  There seem to be a lot of misconceptions (i.e. we don't deify Mary).

[Pedro Picasso]

I was the only Catholic in the room yesterday so it was up to me to explain the pope's purpose and the differences in Catholocism vs. all the other religions (aka "people who are Catholic and just don't know it").  There seem to be a lot of misconceptions (i.e. we don't deify Mary).

I was Catholic when I was younger, and I'm still a big fan of the Church in a lot of ways.  I don't think it's all things to all people, but they have some great tools for keeping Christianity fresh and relevant if you put the time into it.  They also have some strange ideas that have been handed down from the theocracy that are hard to get a grip on.  It was only recently (relatively speaking) that the church decided that Mary ascend bodily into heaven instead of dying like the rest of us.  That sounds a bit suspect to me now.  Really, where are they getting that?  As for deifying the virgin, you can see why people would think that.

______________
Apotheosis.

[CortJstr]

Really, where are they getting that?  As for deifying the virgin, you can see why people would think that.

I think the "sitting at the left hand" thing doesn't help.

[side_show]

I grew up majorly Catholic, went to a private Catholic school for most of my formative years, with the school uniform with the crest, sang in the choir, had mass five times a day at school and then again at church on Sunday.  As I went through confirmation, I began to have serious doubts about the church, then they dragged us into the church basement less than a week before confirming us and made us watch a bunch of films that laided down the pro-life thing, the anti-masterbation thing, the anti-contraception thing, the anit-sex-before-marriage-thing, the everyone-else-is-going-to-burn-in-hell thing, etc.  I felt really betrayed since none of said topics were ever addressed in the seveal months of study before hand, and when the films were shown, there was no discussion allowed afterward.  It totally turned me against the church.  

The next week I actually cheated on my confirmation exams - instead of memorizing my prayers I wrote them on my thighs and wore shorts that concealed them but could be pulled up so only I could look down into my lap and know what I was doing.  I don't think I could have done anything more counter to the religious training I was supposed to have recieved.  It's kind of funny and kind of sad.

I went through the whole thing for my parent's sake, my heart was totally not into it.  I had a lot of questions that no one was really willing to talk about.  I ended up in a public school that year, changing in the middle of the school term due to some fairly extreme bullying.  I know almost everything you'd want to know about Catholicism, but I'm definitly not a Catholic.

[miles]

...due to some fairly extreme bullying.

At some schools, this is a sport.

[AugustWest]

I'm sorry what did you say?  I heard Catholic high school, girl and thighs.  Then I got, uh, distracted.

[CortJstr]

I'm sorry what did you say?  I heard Catholic high school, girl and thighs.  Then I got, uh, distracted.

This thread just needs some russian lesbians and it will be perfect. Goth russian lesbians.

I've said too much.

[Bozack]

My dad is hardcore Catholic (very into the dogma, extremely knowledgeable about traditions, has written BOOKS on the early church fathers). My mother is fundamentalist Christian. So, for about 8 years, my childhood was a series of dogmatic battles based around solo scriptura. You can imagine how big I am on Jesus now.


....Wait, we're talkin' about T.A.T.U. now? Exxcellent.

[St_Zartan]

....Wait, we're talkin' about T.A.T.U. now? Exxcellent.

Did that ever turn out to stand for anything, or was it just an eighties-esque acronym for its own sake?

That, plus that fuck*ng obnoxious alternating-caps thing of theirs, drove me completely bananas during their roughly three weeks of e-media saturation.

CONSUMER: I BOUGHT THIS CD BASED ON THE IDEA THAT THE SINGERS MIGHT SOMETIMES KISS AND MEAN IT

AS OPPOSED TO FOR TV OR WHATEVER

[CortJstr]

....Wait, we're talkin' about T.A.T.U. now? Exxcellent.

Did that ever turn out to stand for anything, or was it just an eighties-esque acronym for its own sake?

That, plus that fuck*ng obnoxious alternating-caps thing of theirs, drove me completely bananas during their roughly three weeks of e-media saturation.

CONSUMER: I BOUGHT THIS CD BASED ON THE IDEA THAT THE SINGERS MIGHT SOMETIMES KISS AND MEAN IT

AS OPPOSED TO FOR TV OR WHATEVER

Supposedly it stood for "this girl loves that girl" in russian but I dunno.

Btw, Pope + fake Russian lesbian manufactured pop group = Most Wandering Thread Award!