I am so, so entertained by the futility of this plan
The Catholic Church is bringing the practice of plenary indulgences back.
Yeah, that's right.
Indulgences, the proverbial "get out of Purgatory free" cards (well, or just reduce your Purgatorial sentence by a couple years out of thousands), are back with a vengeance in 2009. 2009, folks, and you can now get your very own indulgence as a reward for going to confession, charitable donations, and a good deed here and there.
The Church only officially outlawed the direct sale of indulgences in 1857. (Makes me wonder if one were to make a charitable contribution to the Church and get an indulgence for it, isn't that the same thing?) I am so tickled with glee about this, I could just giggle. The idea is utterly preposterous. Medieval, some (I) might say. The Church says it wants to "reintroduce the idea of personal sin into the equation," and somehow bribing them into coming to confession with a piece of paper that says "Indulgence" on it is going to do that.
Uh-huh, sure.
I sort of want to go to confession and see if I can get one for my damned, heathen soul.
Here's the NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10indulgence.html?hp
Yeah, that's right.
Indulgences, the proverbial "get out of Purgatory free" cards (well, or just reduce your Purgatorial sentence by a couple years out of thousands), are back with a vengeance in 2009. 2009, folks, and you can now get your very own indulgence as a reward for going to confession, charitable donations, and a good deed here and there.
The Church only officially outlawed the direct sale of indulgences in 1857. (Makes me wonder if one were to make a charitable contribution to the Church and get an indulgence for it, isn't that the same thing?) I am so tickled with glee about this, I could just giggle. The idea is utterly preposterous. Medieval, some (I) might say. The Church says it wants to "reintroduce the idea of personal sin into the equation," and somehow bribing them into coming to confession with a piece of paper that says "Indulgence" on it is going to do that.
Uh-huh, sure.
I sort of want to go to confession and see if I can get one for my damned, heathen soul.
Here's the NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10indulgence.html?hp