Good Friday

Quote: Evenbob

Much of it thru coercion, theft of property
on a scale never seen before, human rights
violations in the millions, on and on and
on. The history of the Church is nothing
to brag about, unless you like hanging
your head in shame.

You are wrong. Their are moments of the Church's history that no one is proud of but without fail in every one of those brief periods in the long history of the Church there were saints called by God to reform, repent, and renew the Church. I know you would like to think that the faith spread and continues to grow even today because of force or theft, but you are just kidding yourself. Remember this faith started from a small group of men and women who lived in fear of their lives because of the authorities. They witnessed the Resurrection and its power and they nor their faith in Jesus could be stopped no matter how hard the religious authorities or the persecutions of the state fought against it.

Quote: FrGamble

You are wrong. Their are moments of the Church's history that no one is proud of

That's putting it mildly. There should be
no moments in a church's history like
the ones that happened in yours.

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I know you would like to think that the faith spread and continues to grow even today because of force or theft,

Not today, but at one time that's mostly
how it spread. You know it's true, we've
discussed it often enough. There comes
a point where coercion and forced conversion
pays off in future generations and the whole
thing just rolls along on it's own inertia.

Talked to my ex priest friend today
about his Easter memories. He says
his pastor was angry most of the
time on Good Friday because the
priests under him had screwed
something up. The pastor resented
mass on Easter Sunday because the
church filled up with what he called
'Easter bunnies', people who only
came on that day and never went
the rest of the year and added nothing
to the Church coffers.

Such warm memories..

Quote: Evenbob

Talked to my ex priest friend today
about his Easter memories. He says
his pastor was angry most of the
time on Good Friday because the
priests under him had screwed
something up. The pastor resented
mass on Easter Sunday because the
church filled up with what he called
'Easter bunnies', people who only
came on that day and never went
the rest of the year and added nothing
to the Church coffers.

Such warm memories..

Good Friday is a once a year service. The time I had to work it I was totally worried about gumming something up.

Quote: Evenbob

Talked to my ex priest friend today
about his Easter memories. He says
his pastor was angry most of the
time on Good Friday because the
priests under him had screwed
something up. The pastor resented
mass on Easter Sunday because the
church filled up with what he called
'Easter bunnies', people who only
came on that day and never went
the rest of the year and added nothing
to the Church coffers.

Such warm memories..

Boy, no wonder he left the priesthood.

Quote: FrGamble

Boy, no wonder he left the priesthood.

That's not the reason he left. It became obvious to him
eventually that there was no god and he was only praying
to himself, that's why he left. He's only become more
convinced of it 50 years later. The only time he thinks
about god now is when he's forced to, like when we
discuss you on Friday's.

Quote: Evenbob

That's not the reason he left. It became obvious to him
eventually that there was no god and he was only praying
to himself, that's why he left. He's only become more
convinced of it 50 years later. The only time he thinks
about god now is when he's forced to, like when we
discuss you on Friday's.

For someone who does not believe in God you sure seem to spend a lot of your time discussing him.

Quote: AZDuffman

For someone who does not believe in God you sure seem to spend a lot of your time discussing him.

Only here. The ex priest doesn't talk about
god at all, except to say he's an atheist.
Why people believe things fascinates me.
Why do they see a god and I see no evidence
of one anywhere. Why do they hold so much
stock in contradictory ramblings written 2000
years ago, when it seems like a bunch of nothing
to me. Hinduism I understand, Buddhism makes
perfect sense, Christianity makes none at all.

To arrive at that conclusion you have to jump
thru way too many major hoops of conclusions.
I can't even get thru the first one.

Quote: Evenbob

Much of it thru coercion, theft of property
on a scale never seen before, human rights
violations in the millions, on and on and
on. The history of the Church is nothing
to brag about, unless you like hanging
your head in shame.

Wow Bob. I'm gonna put this on a T-shirt and wear it to Easter services.

More people have been killed in the name of Jesus and any other, when you consider the Inquisition, the Crusades, the Europeans who slaughtered the Native Americans who refused to convert, the KKK, Hitler killing the Jews, and on and on and on infinity. How do you defend that, Father? I know the Bible says Jesus didn't advocate such behavior, yet it went on it his name through the centuries regardless. In fact, God killed millions in the Bible, more than Satan ever did. Why would anyone ever follow a deity so spiteful and selfish? The first 4 Commandments are all about "follow me or die" BS.

Quote: zippyboy

More people have been killed in the name of Jesus and any other, when you consider the Inquisition, the Crusades,

This is demonstrably false, look again at the real numbers of people who were killed in the ineffective and I'll conceived defense of the Holy Land and the Church run Inquisitions. Don't fall for the myths surrounding the Inquisition or conflate the state sponsored persecution with the efforts of the Church to defend people accused and to bring order and some degree of fairness to that chaotic and turbulent time.

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the Europeans who slaughtered the Native Americans who refused to convert,

This is simply a historical untrue lie.

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the KKK,

They hated Catholics as much as anyone.

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Hitler killing the Jews,

Once Hitler gave up faith in God and persecuted the Church and faithful Christians, who he sent to many of the same camps as the Jews, he was able to commit the greatest crimes against humanity. He along with Stalin, an avowed atheist and many other tyrants of the last century who all shared a hatred of the Church killed more people than all the Crusades, Inquisitions, and so called religious wars combined.

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and on and on and on infinity.

Really, does your misinterpretation of history extend this far?!?

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How do you defend that, Father?

By looking at the facts and using reason NOT falsehoods, exaggerations, and obvious agendas.

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In fact, God killed millions in the Bible, more than Satan ever did.

Really? And who was it encouraging so many people to go against God's laws set up to protect and treat each other equally and with love. Was it God? Wasn't it God pleading and imploring people to turn from their sinful ways for it would lead to destruction? Did God destroy them or was it their choice to ignore God and follow the devil?

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Why would anyone ever follow a deity so spiteful and selfish?

No one should follow a selfish and spiteful anything. God is the opposite of this. He is forgiving and merciful, that is why you should follow God.

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The first 4 Commandments are all about "follow me or die" BS.

What is pure BS is your erroneous understanding of the commandments and of history.