That is great about your 12 year old! I wish I would've started at an early age taking the Bible more seriously and studying but I just wasn't ready yet.:cool:

Good point, only human...

I always assumed that every man ever born except one struggled with his or her faith at least once. Otherwise if a person never struggled with faith a single moment, wouldn't that make that person Jesus? (Mary too) Isn't that a pretty accurate definition for the savior? The only one who never strugged with faith or sinned, not once in the eyes of God?

Anime

I hate to say it, but I don't doubt the story of the nun smacking your friend with a Bible. Something to remember is that all humans sin, and a religion cannot be judged by the sins of a member.

Pocahontas

Thank you for your willingness to listen and not condemn.

This is the last I will post in this thread. There are those in this thread who simply mock, condemn, and attack. Then are those who are asking honest questions simply for the sake of knowledge, not necessarily for the sake of conversion.

The sad part is a few people attack me and my religion, and say they only follow what is written in the Bible. I gave biblical references and the Catholic interpretation, and my points are discounted with "waiving incense and holy water". There is no research, no willingness to learn, no willingness to take a deeper look. I am not trying to convert, I am trying to educate. I want people to know the how, what, and why of the Catholic Church.

Catholicism is the last socially acceptable prejudice in America. There are so many misconceptions, and many non-Catholics believe that if one Catholic scorns them, the whole Catholic Church must be bad. The fact is, people of every race, color, religion, ethnicity have the ability to scorn you.

If you want to truly learn more about Catholicism, St. John Berchmans Cathedral has several seminars, classes, etc. on Catholicism each year.

Matty,

I don't think anyone has mocked or condemned you. I'm sorry that you feel that way. I think many here in my interpretation of their posts have only sought to state their opinions on their religions and their opinions of the Catholic church. You should not take it so personally. You have every right of course to stand by your convictions. We each still have the right to believe as we choose and to worship as we choose. I certainly learned a few things from your posts and thank you for sharing.

T'belle

Good post Tbelle. If the shoe fits .................. :D Hey Matt no hard feelings just happen to be the topic of this thread. Protestants have been battling against the shackles of Catholicism for a very long time. What do you think of the Pope bowing to Islam ? :rolleyes:

You're welcome! I hope you continue to post on other threads. Sometimes we do hit some controversial topics which we all don't agree on. I think the other members here are just very passionate in their beliefs and sometimes come on strong!:peace:

Hey you talking about me ???? :D ;)

QUOTE=Isaac-Saxxon;20616]Hey you talking about me ???? :D ;)[/quote]

:arrow: Need I say more?

There is nothing wrong with a little "passion" every now and then!

Especially on THIS subject!
And, Matty, Don't assume to know MY level of research or willingness to understand Catholicism! I could have easily brought up things that would have really upset you, But I did not-I thought our discussion was quite civil. No-one here was attaking you, I was being NICE. But, if you say things people don't agree with- expect to be called on it. I would expect the same from you! This is a public forum:peace:

I thought the post were civil too. I think of churches and organized religion as a set of controls placed on men by other men in order to control them. We all live under some kind of control in our life but then there are the religionists and emotionalism that are a major part of the "Matrix" with government, education and economy being other major factors. Are you plugged in to the system and told what to believe ? Step back take a deep breath and read for yourself. I love this line from the Matrix. Matty this could a wake up call so take the blinders off and hang on for the ride ;) :pray::pray:
http://www.shreveport.com/forums/sho...playnow&gid2=0

How does that old saying go? "The two things you don't talk about in public are religion and politics!" LOL, those two seem to be the most passionate topics on this board. I've seen a highly technical discussion board blow up over these subjects during a crisis such as 9/11. Normally everyone gets along because of their shared interest or job. But once the topic drifts to religion and politics, things blow up quick.

It just seems that people naturally segregate themselves from people who believe differently than they do, and hang out with people who believe like they do. Most sites are for one or the other but not both. Few sites seem to fulfill the needs of Republicans AND Democrats or Christians AND Muslims for example. But some do like google and yahoo where there are groups of all types.

That is what grandma would say about sitting down for dinner. The thread is here and feelings run deep. Some choose the top of the fence :rolleyes:

Sitting atop a strong tall fence isn't a bad place to be during a flood. :duck:

your fence is neither tall or strong :D but luke warm. Stand for something or fall for anything ;) Dare to be a Daniel :pray: