Confirmation - The Catholic Church

[Mr Bond]

I've been confirmed and all that was required of me by the priest was to keep my mouth shut.

[Michael Luchóg]

That's very weird . It isn't a big deal anymore .Alter in the house or any preparation outside of school hours is OTT !

Sounds more like Texas , or Rome .

[L S Diesel]

Luminous lightswitch

LSD

[Comrade Stoker]

That's very weird . It isn't a big deal anymore .Alter in the house or any preparation outside of school hours is OTT !

Sounds more like Texas , or Rome .

I reckon that with the misery in Ireland (Economic misery that has pulled apart the social fabric of much of Ireland), the church are upping their game in a bid to win back more punters. As far as I can see, the only places on the up for the Church are in South America and Africa, they lost a generation almost in Ireland. A few decades ago virtually everyone went to Church, I only know one Irish person who didn't go and that was my father-in-law who regularly announces "If the government don't fuck you, the fucking clergy will".

Ireland has some big problems and the Church will capitalise on the fall out from this IMHO.

at LS Diesel

Edited January 24, 2013 by Lake Palmer

[JimmyPage]

The glow in the dark beads just sound tacky

Disillusioned words like bullets bark

As human gods aim for their mark

Make everything from toy guns that spark

To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark

It’s easy to see without looking too far

That not much is really sacred

[Arnold Layne]

Nice bit of Dylan there Jimmy, the whole song just came flooding back!

[wildbill]

The glow in the dark beads just sound tacky

Cynical, its a miracle I tells ya

It's like another world to me...

[Michael Luchóg]

I reckon that with the misery in Ireland (Economic misery that has pulled apart the social fabric of much of Ireland), the church are upping their game in a bid to win back more punters. As far as I can see, the only places on the up for the Church are in South America and Africa, they lost a generation almost in Ireland. A few decades ago virtually everyone went to Church, I only know one Irish person who didn't go and that was my father-in-law who regularly announces "If the government don't fuck you, the fucking clergy will".

Ireland has some big problems and the Church will capitalise on the fall out from this IMHO.

at LS Diesel

Well I think they've lost already . I reckon the social fabric of the country has been shaped with money and the English language !

[BudFan]

And what makes you say that? I have no reason to disbelieve the family member in question, its not UK by the way, its ROI.

Hi lake palmer

Sorry mate, I didn't mean to appear rude. (If I remember I was quite baked, hence the abruptness!)

I was just speaking from my own experience of confirmation. I was raised catholic, jacked it in at 16 and went back at 28/29 (few yrs ago). Maybe you are right and that the difference in country explains the difference between my experience.

In my experience (and that of my sisters / friends from different backgrounds etc), the only requirement was that you were properly educated as to what confirmation meant and were happy to take part (it is perfectly reasonable to decline, even if it might get somebodys back up).

You are also need to select a confirmation name, that of one of the saints, angels or important people, to reflect the kind of influence or person who life / deeds / ideas were inspiring to you.

Anyway I have never heard of people needing to build altars at home, its certainly not a normal/standard requirement!

As for glow in the dark rosary beads - I don't doubt they exist there is all manner of tacky / bizarre religious stuff out there, usually sold by the same hawkers etc that you get outside football grounds!

Cheers

BF

[BudFan]

Well I think they've lost already . I reckon the social fabric of the country has been shaped with money and the English language !

Hi SilC,

If I understand you properly, I agree with you.

It seems to me Ireland has lost her way. In the past, Catholic gaelic Ireland - while in some ways lowly - was always fiercely resilient culturally and very redoubtable in terms of irish identity as being distinct (mainly from that of the largely anglicanised british isles).

I cant help but link the partial or total loss of Catholicism as a unifier, coupled with the individual attitudes/behaviours that the celtic tiger (credit bubble, as per the uk economy) brought, has lead to a more unsettled, lost Ireland in these difficult times. From the guys fighting in the GPO, to the Irish government taking financial orders from brussels, there has been a big change in Ireland and not for the good.

And while Catholic, gaelic Ireland was very anti-British influence, secular anglicanised Ireland seems to view Britain (and US) as being the very height of sophistication - which is a real shame, in my opinion.

Take it easy mate!

[jingo]

I was raised a Catholic and attended Parochial school. I remained a Catholic until the age of 30 and at that point decided to give it up. There are many stories and rumors about the various religions. Some of them true and some of them ridiculous. Since quitting the Catholic Church at one point I attended other churches which I thought would meet my needs but they all fell short of what I expected. Churches seem to me to be odd places as they all seem to come up with their own ideas about how a person should live based on their dogma. I began reading the Word for myself about 30 years ago and decided to forgo the Church experience. It seems to me that the Church is not a building or a specific Religion but are those folks who believe and trust in Jesus. I believe a person must figure out for themselves what is the best sort of life for them and then pursue that course.

Don't mean to disrupt the thread as my post varies from the main topic. My best to all.

[Guest bazzad9]

 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, prayto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly"

Mathew 6.6

In my opinion the ones not in the churches are following what jesus said jingo

So I reckon you got it spot on

Not that im a beleiver myself

[JimmyPage]

I've never understood why, if God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, people feel a need for any form of organised religion. Gods there. He knows what you are thinking. He knows if you are a good person, or not.

I've often thought that if instead of going to church for 2 hours a week, people helped out at a local soup kitchen, or maybe helped less able folk to get to the shops or something, they would be doing much more good. Surely God would approve ?

If you haven't seen it, I urge people to watch the beautifully observed "Bar Mitzvah Boy" from the 70s (BBC play for today IIRC). The basic plot is a Jewish lad, who becomes fed up with the drama his family are making of his Bar Mitzvah, and finally disappears on the day. He's found at a nearby playground by a friend who accuses him of being scared, because they couldn't remember the text they have to recite. To disprove them the lad recites the whole text perfectly, in the playground. When he finally returns to his family, and the Rabbi heats the story, he tells the family that the boy has completed his Bar Mitzvah, and there's no need for the (expensive) ceremony and celebration the family had planned. When they protest, claiming it's not a "proper" Bar Mitzvah, the Rabbi (gently) chides them, reminding them "God is everywhere".

Also, isn't there an ongoing argument about the *exact* word the bible uses (in greek ?) for "church" ? I recall reading that it can also translate as "congregation" which subtly alters the meaning when the bible talks about church. Does it mean the organisation, or just a gathering of believers ?

[Guest bazzad9]

I think for many or perhaps some its the social part of the church they go for , its there comunity

I cant remember where I heard it or who said it but the question was along the lines of " how can you listen to those sermons for so long "

The answer was "we switch of for that bit "

At the start you can see how it was good for a few to meet in a house in secret and call it church , it then morphed in to the big buildings etc etc , but the comunity part still stayed , obviously they are the majority rather than a minority now

[Degsy]

I've often thought that if instead of going to church for 2 hours a week, people helped out at a local soup kitchen, or maybe helped less able folk to get to the shops or something, they would be doing much more good. Surely God would approve ?

I'm not religious but the only people I know who go to church do a lot of work in the local community as well

Nobody ever seems to mention the good things as I suppose that doesn't fit with the idea that religion is just bad