NationStates Jolt Archive

When I asked a Catholic priest why he supported Gay marriage when the rest of the Catholic establishment opposed it, he gave a very profound response.

He said that the Followers of Christ, the Priests and Bishops and Popes that have filled that past two thousand years with scripture and doctrine, were wise men. Long ago they saw Jesus as the Messenger of God before the rest of the world did and they have stayed loyal to him for over two thousand years. But, they were still Followers of Christ and not Christ himself. Their words were beneath Christs teachings. Christ taught love and acceptance, forgiveness for past wrongs and tolerance for those with different ways than yourself. Christ taught compassion so the Priest practiced compassion, and Damn the others who don't (Okay, he didn't actually say the "Damn the others" part, but I just wanted to throw it in).

I might not be Catholic, but I like where this guy is going.

How Christ-like of him. :)

Sounds reasonable.

When I asked a Catholic priest why he supported Gay marriage when the rest of the Catholic establishment opposed it, he gave a very profound response.

He said that the Followers of Christ, the Priests and Bishops and Popes that have filled that past two thousand years with scripture and doctrine, were wise men. Long ago they saw Jesus as the Messenger of God before the rest of the world did and they have stayed loyal to him for over two thousand years. But, they were still Followers of Christ and not Christ himself. Their words were beneath Christs teachings. Christ taught love and acceptance, forgiveness for past wrongs and tolerance for those with different ways than yourself. Christ taught compassion so the Priest practiced compassion, and Damn the others who don't (Okay, he didn't actually say the "Damn the others" part, but I just wanted to throw it in).

I might not be Catholic, but I like where this guy is going.

According to the Bible, homosexuality is a sin. Chirst loved sinners despite themselves, but it is still wrong to practice it from a religious standpoint. Any other belief is hypocritical.

These things just take time. 50 years from now we'll look back and wonder what the big deal was, and laugh at the ignorance of the times. Much like the bans on interracial marriage of the 50s.

And eventually, I think even the ole Catholic Church will catch up.

When I asked a Catholic priest why he supported Gay marriage when the rest of the Catholic establishment opposed it, he gave a very profound response.

He said that the Followers of Christ, the Priests and Bishops and Popes that have filled that past two thousand years with scripture and doctrine, were wise men. Long ago they saw Jesus as the Messenger of God before the rest of the world did and they have stayed loyal to him for over two thousand years. But, they were still Followers of Christ and not Christ himself. Their words were beneath Christs teachings. Christ taught love and acceptance, forgiveness for past wrongs and tolerance for those with different ways than yourself. Christ taught compassion so the Priest practiced compassion, and Damn the others who don't (Okay, he didn't actually say the "Damn the others" part, but I just wanted to throw it in).

I might not be Catholic, but I like where this guy is going.

Yes, but under his theory we can dispense with virtually all the bible except for Mark 12: 28-31.

So why is he still a catholic priest if that is what he believes. He just theologied himself out of a job.

I can't hardly wait for the day there's married, gay, catholic clergy. Maybe there'd be less diddling of altarboys...

According to the Bible, homosexuality is a sin. Chirst loved sinners despite themselves, but it is still wrong to practice it from a religious standpoint. Any other belief is hypocritical.
You want to talk hypocritical? Hypocritical is preaching fire and damnation at gays, and then remaining silent on divorce. I find it funny that the Catholic Church will allow divorcees to marry again, but not gays.

Further hypocrisy arises when you ignore the other various esoteric Leviticus laws (shellfish, mixing fabrics or whatnot) in favor of one that appeals to your natural homophobia.

THAT is hypocrisy.

I can't hardly wait for the day there's married, gay, catholic clergy. Maybe there'd be less diddling of altarboys...
I doubt it. Diddled altarboys have been around almost as long as altars. It's tradition. :eek:

You want to talk hypocritical? Hypocritical is preaching fire and damnation at gays, and then remaining silent on divorce. I find it funny that the Catholic Church will allow divorcees to marry again, but not gays.

Further hypocrisy arises when you ignore the other various esoteric Leviticus laws (shellfish, mixing fabrics or whatnot) in favor of one that appeals to your natural homophobia.

THAT is hypocrisy.

Yes, you are right. The catholic church should condemn divorce too. Fortunately they have a loophole - albeit a sinful one - they annul the marriage so it never happened in the first place.

You want to talk hypocritical? Hypocritical is preaching fire and damnation at gays, and then remaining silent on divorce. I find it funny that the Catholic Church will allow divorcees to marry again, but not gays.

Further hypocrisy arises when you ignore the other various esoteric Leviticus laws (shellfish, mixing fabrics or whatnot) in favor of one that appeals to your natural homophobia.

THAT is hypocrisy.

I am not Catholic anyway and the Bible also says that divorce is wrong. Barring physical abuse or a spouse cheating on the other the Bible says there is no excuse for divorce. "Till death do us part" remember people? One fight and people call it quits. People have made a mockery of marriage anyway. Especially these reality shows. Hypocricy is hypocricy is the same and doing it in one area doesn't make it right to expand it to others.

As a Catholic who has been losing its patience with the church for number of social reason, not the least among them Gay marriage I have to say, I think your right we need to come to the conclusion that love and compassion should trump all, and for the poster who said that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, Id like to point out that the Old Testament and the Epistles of St Paul call homosexuality a sin, however, Christ never called homosexuality a sin, in fact he never addressed it. Which says to me, that it was others, not Christ who said gays are less than straights. I think if Christ thought it was a big deal, he would have said something.

BTW My mother is divorced and she was told by our Parish Priest she is no longer allowed to recieve communion so...

When I asked a Catholic priest why he supported Gay marriage when the rest of the Catholic establishment opposed it, he gave a very profound response.

He said that the Followers of Christ, the Priests and Bishops and Popes that have filled that past two thousand years with scripture and doctrine, were wise men. Long ago they saw Jesus as the Messenger of God before the rest of the world did and they have stayed loyal to him for over two thousand years. But, they were still Followers of Christ and not Christ himself. Their words were beneath Christs teachings. Christ taught love and acceptance, forgiveness for past wrongs and tolerance for those with different ways than yourself. Christ taught compassion so the Priest practiced compassion, and Damn the others who don't (Okay, he didn't actually say the "Damn the others" part, but I just wanted to throw it in).

I might not be Catholic, but I like where this guy is going.

he sounds like a good man-


And by the way- if god was really so perfect in creating everything.. why are there such homosexual men and animals on god's earth in the first place? if god did dicate the bible over thousands of years, then obviously it would have been altered thousands of times by everyone from monks to kings who had their own personal prejudices (anti-jewish messages, anti gay messages) etc. my belife is that the bible is a corrupted book, corrupted by man, it cannot be trusted as the sanctitiy of god's word has been corrupted by man for man-

I am not Catholic anyway and the Bible also says that divorce is wrong. Barring physical abuse or a spouse cheating on the other the Bible says there is no excuse for divorce. "Till death do us part" remember people? One fight and people call it quits. People have made a mockery of marriage anyway. Especially these reality shows. Hypocricy is hypocricy is the same and doing it in one area doesn't make it right to expand it to others.
Does the bible really say that physical abuse or cheating is grounds for a divorce?

Anyhow, the main reason people make such a fuss about gay marriage is not biblical reasons, but homophobia. Just read through some of the gay marriage threads here, it's all rampant homophobia. "I don't want some guy staring at my crotch!" or "Girls shouldn't be licking each others c****!" :rolleyes:

As a Catholic who has been losing its patience with the church for number of social reason, not the least among them Gay marriage I have to say, I think your right we need to come to the conclusion that love and compassion should trump all, and for the poster who said that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, Id like to point out that the Old Testament and the Epistles of St Paul call homosexuality a sin, however, Christ never called homosexuality a sin, in fact he never addressed it. Which says to me, that it was others, not Christ who said gays are less than straights. I think if Christ thought it was a big deal, he would have said something.

BTW My mother is divorced and she was told by our Parish Priest she is no longer allowed to recieve communion so...

Yes, but Christ also advocated killing children who defied their parents and instructed us to keep the whole of the law. I'm sure if the synoptic gospels were fuller accounts they would have got round to mentioning the Gay issue.

Yes, but Christ also advocated killing children who defied their parents and instructed us to keep the whole of the law. I'm sure if the synoptic gospels were fuller accounts they would have got round to mentioning the Gay issue.

Doesn't it feel good to be sure about things? It's so...comforting...

Doesn't it feel good to be sure about things? It's so...comforting...

Yes very. That's my beef with a lot of these "christians" who base their lives on "Jesus." I'm like: "do you even know what's in the Bible?" Because I'm sure they don't

And inevitably whenever some discussion comes up, they are always like, "Well, Jesus is a God of compassion so he would want us to x,y or z." Well how do you know that, you don't even know what Jesus did in the Bible, so stop telling me what you think he'd want me to do now. It's insufferable. At least the intolerant ones know their stuff. That I can handle. In its own way it's far less irrating. Lacks the smugness of the compassionate ones.

As a Catholic who has been losing its patience with the church for number of social reason, not the least among them Gay marriage I have to say, I think your right we need to come to the conclusion that love and compassion should trump all, and for the poster who said that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, Id like to point out that the Old Testament and the Epistles of St Paul call homosexuality a sin, however, Christ never called homosexuality a sin, in fact he never addressed it. Which says to me, that it was others, not Christ who said gays are less than straights. I think if Christ thought it was a big deal, he would have said something.

BTW My mother is divorced and she was told by our Parish Priest she is no longer allowed to recieve communion so...
she is only disallowed communion if she is remarried
the church doesnt recognize divorce so that part doesnt matter, but remarriage is adultery eh?

i know several divorced catholic women who are fine in the eyes of the church because they have not remarried.

Does the bible really say that physical abuse or cheating is grounds for a divorce?

jesus said that the only grounds for divorce is adultery

Yes, but Christ also advocated killing children who defied their parents and instructed us to keep the whole of the law. I'm sure if the synoptic gospels were fuller accounts they would have got round to mentioning the Gay issue.
i misssed that passage about child killing could you quote it for me? dont give me just chapter/verse please i dont have a bible here. ya ya i know its online but i have a slow connection.

jesus said that the only grounds for divorce is adultery
Was that Jesus or other parts of the Bible?

In any case then, women who are beaten by their husbands and get divorced and remarried have sinned? :p

You want to talk hypocritical? Hypocritical is preaching fire and damnation at gays, and then remaining silent on divorce. I find it funny that the Catholic Church will allow divorcees to marry again, but not gays.

No they don't. Annulment =!= divorce.

The Church's teaching is clear - if you divorce and "remarry," you are not married to your "spouse" but actually committing adultery.

She keeps to that whole "'til death do us part" thing. :)

Also, I think it's because there's a wider Christian consensus against gay marriage than their is vs. divorce and remarriage. Probably has to do with the Reformation, King Henry VIII and all that.

Anyway, that priest is in error, if not a heretic.

And since any argument will probably not convince anyone, that's all I have to say for now. :)

Was that Jesus or other parts of the Bible?

In any case then, women who are beaten by their husbands and get divorced and remarried have sinned? :p
it was jesus, im not big on the other parts of the bible

oh lemme look it up for you

Matthew 5:31 - It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

Matthew 5:32 - But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

yeah, you arent allowed to DIVORCE your abusive husband but a compassionate priest will suggest that you leave him. you dont have to put up with the abuse you just cant get a divorce because of it. (although there are asshole priests who will counsel a woman to stay with an abusive husband)

And by the way- if god was really so perfect in creating everything.. why are there such homosexual men and animals on god's earth in the first place? if god did dicate the bible over thousands of years, then obviously it would have been altered thousands of times by everyone from monks to kings who had their own personal prejudices (anti-jewish messages, anti gay messages) etc. my belife is that the bible is a corrupted book, corrupted by man, it cannot be trusted as the sanctitiy of god's word has been corrupted by man for man-

Thank you I have been saying that myself. Anything that has been translated and copied many times like the Bible is bound to have been colored by one's own prejudices. I mean the Bible itself supports this because there are numerous versions of it floating around out there. Each sect seems to prefer a different version. Seems rather odd to me that sects use different version to support their different views yet seem to claim the Bible is God's word. I'm not going to dispute that it is God's word because I myself believe in a lot of its teachings, but you have to take it with a grain of salt.

i misssed that passage about child killing could you quote it for me? dont give me just chapter/verse please i dont have a bible here. ya ya i know its online but i have a slow connection.

From Mark:

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject [4] the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Jesus is specifically castigating the pharisee for not following the Mosaic law regarding killing those who do not honor their father and mother.

Also, from revelation:

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

According to the Bible, homosexuality is a sin. Chirst loved sinners despite themselves, but it is still wrong to practice it from a religious standpoint. Any other belief is hypocritical.

Christianity is a pic and mix of what people want from the bible anything thats extreme, strange or they don't like is just crossed out.

Christianity is a pic and mix of what people want from the bible anything thats extreme, strange or they don't like is just crossed out.

Yes, that's the point. The Bible says homosexuality is wrong so religions should follow that and not waffle under extreme liberal pressure or to become more PC. A church should stand by it's values, not that any religions follow all the Bibles teachings, just the ones it wants. Some say you don't have to follow the Ten Commandments anymore. What? Hypocrites every last one.

Yes, hypocrites. Where is TT when you need him.

it was jesus, im not big on the other parts of the bible

oh lemme look it up for you

Matthew 5:31 - It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

Matthew 5:32 - But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

yeah, you arent allowed to DIVORCE your abusive husband but a compassionate priest will suggest that you leave him. you dont have to put up with the abuse you just cant get a divorce because of it. (although there are asshole priests who will counsel a woman to stay with an abusive husband)
So an abused wife who leaves her husband is still sinning if she marries another man? :p

From Mark:

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject [4] the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Jesus is specifically castigating the pharisee for not following the Mosaic law regarding killing those who do not honor their father and mother.

Also, from revelation:

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
thank you so much for doing that.

i didnt understand much of that mark one, i had to go to the bible online and read it in several different versions and i STILL dont understand that particular part. all i can tell for sure is that he was quoting the law of moses, and i assume supporting it, but the point he was making escapes me utterly. especially since he was using it to chide them over worrying about people eating with dirty hands.

So an abused wife who leaves her husband is still sinning if she marries another man? :p
yes
i know a woman here in town who was married at 16, had a son, then after a while her abusive husband found another woman and divorced her. she, being a good catholic, refused to sign the papers. the divorce was granted anyway. in the .....25 or so years since then she has not so much as DATED another man.

That priest sounds quite reasonable

yes
i know a woman here in town who was married at 16, had a son, then after a while her abusive husband found another woman and divorced her. she, being a good catholic, refused to sign the papers. the divorce was granted anyway. in the .....25 or so years since then she has not so much as DATED another man.
I feel sorry for her.

And it disturbs me that you seem somehow proud of the fact that she has decided to live a lonely life because of an illadvised teen marriage she can't let go of.

yes
i know a woman here in town who was married at 16, had a son, then after a while her abusive husband found another woman and divorced her. she, being a good catholic, refused to sign the papers. the divorce was granted anyway. in the .....25 or so years since then she has not so much as DATED another man.

Did the husband cheat while he was still married to her? If he did that makes the marriage void I believe.

Christ taught compassion so the Priest practiced compassion, and Damn the others who don't (Okay, he didn't actually say the "Damn the others" part, but I just wanted to throw it in).

I might not be Catholic, but I like where this guy is going.
You see, the authoritarians just use religion as an excuse. This is all really about controlling people's lives.

I feel sorry for her.

And it disturbs me that you seem somehow proud of the fact that she has decided to live a lonely life because of an illadvised teen marriage she can't let go of.

no i find it sad too. its a hard part of being a catholic that you sometimes have to choose between your church and your life.

i dont so much support her in her choice as i understand why she makes it.

When I asked a Catholic priest why he supported Gay marriage when the rest of the Catholic establishment opposed it, he gave a very profound response.

He said that the Followers of Christ, the Priests and Bishops and Popes that have filled that past two thousand years with scripture and doctrine, were wise men. Long ago they saw Jesus as the Messenger of God before the rest of the world did and they have stayed loyal to him for over two thousand years. But, they were still Followers of Christ and not Christ himself. Their words were beneath Christs teachings. Christ taught love and acceptance, forgiveness for past wrongs and tolerance for those with different ways than yourself. Christ taught compassion so the Priest practiced compassion, and Damn the others who don't (Okay, he didn't actually say the "Damn the others" part, but I just wanted to throw it in).

I might not be Catholic, but I like where this guy is going.
The Catholic church teaches that the Pope is infallible when speaking on matters of religion and faith. Thus, your priest is not Catholic, just a false teacher.

no i find it sad too. its a hard part of being a catholic that you sometimes have to choose between your church and your life.

i dont so much support her in her choice as i understand why she makes it.
ah ok.

But it's stuff like this that really bugs me about religion, the way people act because of it.

I try to just be neutral and say "Worship whatever you want, or nothing if you so choose", but things like this really bother me.

The way religion makes people feel guilty.

One of my friends is a Christian, and bisexual. He's always depressed cause he thinks he's a bad Christian, or going against God or some shit, and I worry a lot about him. And I just want to grab him by the shoulders and say, "Wake up dammit! God doesn't exist! Just live your fucking life the way you want to!"

It's times like these when I really wish religion had never existed.

But I'm going off on a personal tangent...

The Catholic church teaches that the Pope is infallible when speaking on matters of religion and faith. Thus, your priest is not Catholic, just a false teacher.
And it's stuff like this that bugs me about Catholicism in general. (I was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic school from 6th to 8th grade, btw).

I go around and around with my mom over this one! Regardless of what I believe, I know it is not my place to judge others on their "sins" - That is God's job. I am to share my beliefs with others, and leave it up to them to live by it or not. I am to love my neighbors and my enemies, regardless of their sins.

Matthew 7:1-2 - "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

I say live and let live.

ah ok.

But it's stuff like this that really bugs me about religion, the way people act because of it.

I try to just be neutral and say "Worship whatever you want, or nothing if you so choose", but things like this really bother me.

The way religion makes people feel guilty.

One of my friends is a Christian, and bisexual. He's always depressed cause he thinks he's a bad Christian, or going against God or some shit, and I worry a lot about him. And I just want to grab him by the shoulders and say, "Wake up dammit! God doesn't exist! Just live your fucking life the way you want to!"

It's times like these when I really wish religion had never existed.

But I'm going off on a personal tangent...
yeah i know what you mean
if you just read the gospels, and especially just the "words of jesus in red" you get a whole nother take on what jesus was up to. something preached in no denomination. something that has nothing to do with arbitrary rules and judgements.

its sad that christianity has drifted so far from jesus.

And it's stuff like this that bugs me about Catholicism in general. (I was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic school from 6th to 8th grade, btw).
I'm not Catholic, and won't offer my opinions on it, but I believe in this case that the priest should resign. He's not doing his job, and would be better off in some Protestant sect.

I'm not Catholic, and won't offer my opinions on it, but I believe in this case that the priest should resign. He's not doing his job, and would be better off in some Protestant sect.

He should join the Southern Baptists. :D

yeah i know what you mean
if you just read the gospels, and especially just the "words of jesus in red" you get a whole nother take on what jesus was up to. something preached in no denomination. something that has nothing to do with arbitrary rules and judgements.

its sad that christianity has drifted so far from jesus.
Yeah, that's the strange part of it, was that Jesus was actually a pretty decent guy. Don't judge others, lest you be judged. Do unto others as you want them to do unto you. He stood up for Mary Magdalene, a prostitute. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. He defied the corrupt power of the pharisees.

It is possible for atheists to admire Jesus. ;)

But Christianity the organized religion seems to be more about bashing gays and making people feel guilty for being human. That bothers me to no end.

First off, isn't it fun bashing something you don't understand and honestly choose not to? A) The Church doesn't condemn people to Hell, people choose it for themselves by commiting mortal sins. FYI, mortal sins are way more complicated than just doing something wrong so you can't even say the Church is telling people they're going to Hell- other Christian sects maybe, but not the Church. As someone said, God is the judge. B) Based on biblical definations of marriage, homosexual marriage is an oxymoron. according to the Church. It's not about homophobia, it's about Truth. C) The Church chastises homophobia and calls Catholics to be Chirst like in rdaical solidarity with all humanity and accepting people as God made them. Now that doesn't mean people get to do whatever they want because you accept them. D)Annulments mean that a true marraige never took place. Someone may have been forced into it, there may have been some secret kept, etc, keeping the contract from being valid. It's not like a divorce. E) Yes, if you were ever married- annulment means you were never really married- and you remarry with your spouse still alive, you are comitting adultery and can't morally receive communion in the Church. Priests don't have a radr for these things and they expect to be responsible for their actions. F)The preist can believe what ever he wants to believe, same goes for everyone, but as a priest he must be obedient to the Magisterium. Unfortunatly, we have some very untheologically sound priest at the moment all products of the '60s.
Finally, you don't have to believe any of this, but please be respectful. People always accuse "relgious fanatics" of being intolearnt and imposing, but here all of you are doing just that. Who's the hypocrites?

Finally, you don't have to believe any of this, but please be respectful. People always accuse "relgious fanatics" of being intolearnt and imposing, but here all of you are doing just that. Who's the hypocrites?
To be a human is to be a hypocrite. So technically we're all hypocrites and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. If you don't like it, well there isn't much I can say other than deal with it.

To be a human is to be a hypocrite. So technically we're all hypocrites and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. If you don't like it, well there isn't much I can say other than deal with it.

I agree completely. To err is human. Nobody is perfect. I do however believe that is makes a difference for someone to be humble and admit that, as opposed to having a holier-than-thou "I'm perfect" attitude, pretending that they aren't as imperfect as the rest of the human race.

I was told once in bible study that the number one cause of Athiesm is Christianity, because all people see is unapologetic hypocrisy. I didn't find it hard to believe.

Annulment is bullshit. "Oh the marriage never happened!!!" Yeah, you just fucked for 7 years, had 2 kids, shared everything, then the marriage went to hell and OMG the marriage was never actually real! But for those first 5 years, it was pretty damn real.

Annulment is a desperate attempt by the Catholic Church to not become TOTALLY irrelevant.

On to other bullshit...

First off, isn't it fun bashing something you don't understand and honestly choose not to?
I fully understand Catholicism (and Christianity in general). Thus why I hate it so much.

The Church doesn't condemn people to Hell, people choose it for themselves by commiting mortal sins. FYI, mortal sins are way more complicated than just doing something wrong so you can't even say the Church is telling people they're going to Hell- other Christian sects maybe, but not the Church. As someone said, God is the judge.
Then why so often do people judge? Check the "I was told I'm going to Hell" thread.

Based on biblical definations of marriage, homosexual marriage is an oxymoron. according to the Church. It's not about homophobia, it's about Truth.
You want to talk Biblical definitions? Let's get into slavery, sexism, shellfish, pork, mixing fabrics. Shove your Truth right up your ass.

The Church chastises homophobia and calls Catholics to be Chirst like in rdaical solidarity with all humanity and accepting people as God made them. Now that doesn't mean people get to do whatever they want because you accept them.
So you admit God makes people homosexual? And that they must either submit to a life of chastity, or go to hell? What kind of sick fuck twisted God would do something like that?!

Annulments mean that a true marraige never took place. Someone may have been forced into it, there may have been some secret kept, etc, keeping the contract from being valid. It's not like a divorce.
SEMANTICS

Yes, if you were ever married- annulment means you were never really married- and you remarry with your spouse still alive, you are comitting adultery and can't morally receive communion in the Church. Priests don't have a radr for these things and they expect to be responsible for their actions.
My dad isn't supposed to recieve communion from the Catholic Church my family goes to because he's Lutheran. He still does. Is he sinning?

The preist can believe what ever he wants to believe, same goes for everyone, but as a priest he must be obedient to the Magisterium.
Yeah, cause we know popes are flawless (except for the mentally insane and genocidal ones).

Unfortunatly, we have some very untheologically sound priest at the moment all products of the '60s.
You have just lost all credibility. The 60s rocked.

People always accuse "relgious fanatics" of being intolearnt and imposing, but here all of you are doing just that. Who's the hypocrites?
You are completely, totally, absolutely wrong. We are fighting the intolerance, and that makes us imposing? You will always be the hypocrite if you continue to call yourself a follower of Christ.

Yeah, cause we know popes are flawless (except for the mentally insane and genocidal ones).
You just showed that you don't in fact understand religion as you claim. For the last time, the Popes are only flawless on the matters of determining spiritual doctrine. Go read a little before you spout off incorrect assumptions.

You just showed that you don't in fact understand religion as you claim. For the last time, the Popes are only flawless on the matters of determining spiritual doctrine. Go read a little before you spout off incorrect assumptions.
You're splitting hairs. The pope's "flawlessness" on spritural doctrine has been applied to church policy, which has left numerous nasty stains on the church's history.

And there was a mentally insane pope. And the Crusades to consider. And the current pope, who is still stridently anti-condoms, even as the AIDS epidemic spreads further and further.