"...Now I know how the Catholic Church feels---BA-ZING!"
so in senior seminar today we spent about 45 minutes talking about the roman catholic church, as part of our "current events" part of the class. it ended up being one of those debates with no right answer but everyone had to state all of their opinions anyway, just because they have them. im not going to lie, i spoke too, but honestly the only reason why i spoke was because i was getting a little frustrated.
now, i dont judge those who do and dont practice their faith, but people were getting all hot and bothered over nothing. and its not like i know everything about everything, nor do i try to sound like i do, but i was a little offended by the ignorance in my class. not to be a skeptic or anything, but im pretty sure that one congregation in one town in one state in the united states of america CANNOT get vatican city in rome, italy to change their minds about any controversial issue any time quick. yes, vatican II is a valid point in the arguement that the church does allow for transition within their traditions, except for the fact that it was the first and only alteration FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. AND, a congregation (as in ONE group of concerned members of the church) did NOT provoke vatican II; the fact that NOBODY for centuries has been able to speak latin fluently did.
for example, im PRETTY sure if i went up to my priest (who wouldnt know me from adam, btw...no pun intended) at home and said "you know, ive been thinking, and i REALLY think gay relationships are NOT evil like the bible says, lets change our stance, as an organization, on this topic from thumbs down to thumbs up, is that cool?" things wouldnt really change with the guys sitting on top of st. peters basilica. i dont care how many people stand up to promote evolution and progression into the modern world, the roman catholic church isnt going to just bow down to the masses (which, in terms of homo/heterosexuality, technological advancements, medical boundaries-basically anything modern-are NOT as abundantly supportive as one may think) just because they say they think this is "right" or that is "wrong." shall we recall a little something called the crusades? or even the issue of female members of clergy?
the thing is, the fact that the church will probably not change that much in my lifetime (regardless of what current events may spark the calling for progression into the 21st century) does not piss me off that much because, lets be serious, am i one to really tell the Roman Catholic Church what to preach? were talking about a secret society whos origin stems back thousands of years, a society with so much history, tradition, and more secrets, rituals, and levels of heirarchy than any other active organization on this planet. how can one NOT have an enormous amount of respect for such a monstrous society? like i said in class, vatican city is like a palace in which im not welcome. it does not want me penetrating its walls and secrets and traditions-it wants me standing in the square, waving at the pope from a distance, and remaining a moderately nice person whom they do not have to excommunicate for any reason.
phew, ok, im done with my tangent. ive probably pissed a couple people off, but thats ok. at least im not wasting everyones time in class by venting via lj instead.
now, i dont judge those who do and dont practice their faith, but people were getting all hot and bothered over nothing. and its not like i know everything about everything, nor do i try to sound like i do, but i was a little offended by the ignorance in my class. not to be a skeptic or anything, but im pretty sure that one congregation in one town in one state in the united states of america CANNOT get vatican city in rome, italy to change their minds about any controversial issue any time quick. yes, vatican II is a valid point in the arguement that the church does allow for transition within their traditions, except for the fact that it was the first and only alteration FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. AND, a congregation (as in ONE group of concerned members of the church) did NOT provoke vatican II; the fact that NOBODY for centuries has been able to speak latin fluently did.
for example, im PRETTY sure if i went up to my priest (who wouldnt know me from adam, btw...no pun intended) at home and said "you know, ive been thinking, and i REALLY think gay relationships are NOT evil like the bible says, lets change our stance, as an organization, on this topic from thumbs down to thumbs up, is that cool?" things wouldnt really change with the guys sitting on top of st. peters basilica. i dont care how many people stand up to promote evolution and progression into the modern world, the roman catholic church isnt going to just bow down to the masses (which, in terms of homo/heterosexuality, technological advancements, medical boundaries-basically anything modern-are NOT as abundantly supportive as one may think) just because they say they think this is "right" or that is "wrong." shall we recall a little something called the crusades? or even the issue of female members of clergy?
the thing is, the fact that the church will probably not change that much in my lifetime (regardless of what current events may spark the calling for progression into the 21st century) does not piss me off that much because, lets be serious, am i one to really tell the Roman Catholic Church what to preach? were talking about a secret society whos origin stems back thousands of years, a society with so much history, tradition, and more secrets, rituals, and levels of heirarchy than any other active organization on this planet. how can one NOT have an enormous amount of respect for such a monstrous society? like i said in class, vatican city is like a palace in which im not welcome. it does not want me penetrating its walls and secrets and traditions-it wants me standing in the square, waving at the pope from a distance, and remaining a moderately nice person whom they do not have to excommunicate for any reason.
phew, ok, im done with my tangent. ive probably pissed a couple people off, but thats ok. at least im not wasting everyones time in class by venting via lj instead.