How does that go? Faith, Hope, and Shunning Charity?

[wednes]

Grrrrr.

I own a Bible. In fact, I own several and I even read them from time to time. I especially read the words of Jesus himself because even a witch can see that Jesus was "Right On".

How the Catholic church decided that contraceptives were bad is beyond me. If anyone would like to enlighten me, I would be only too happy to hear about it. Jesus never said contraceptives are bad. Come to think of it, he never spoke out against abortion either. I understand that condoms indicate the hand of man interfereing where the hand of god alone should be. But come on, we interfere with the hand of God every day. Turning on an electric light means we want light when God says it should be dark. Why isn't this a sin? In fact, why do we live indoors instead of out in the beautiful elements God created? Surely if God wanted us to live in buildings, the garden of eden would have been full of them.
The difference? Sex. The Catholic church loves to punish people for sex, always has. It's one of the main things that separates them from the pagans, who (for the most part) celebrate the union of man and woman as well as the spreading of love among all people. Jesus never said anyone needed to be punished for having sex, even gays. *pretend gasp*

He did, however, extoll the virtues of helping the poor. He often spoke of treating others with kindess even if you don't have to, with classic Jesus lines like "That you do unto the least of my brothers, so you do unto me". So guess what, Catholics? By shunning a charity helping Katrina victims when it costs you nothing monetarily to help, you are shunning Jesus.

I'm having difficulty expresing how disgusted I am that a church would speak out against a charity providing help to people who have just lost their homes. Further, I am horrified that the impetus for this is the fact that this charity helps stop the spread of AIDS in Africa. Why God would give a rat's ass who uses condoms and who doesn't is beyond me. My Bible doesn't mention condoms at all. May I borrow yours, Catholic church?

I guess that's what you get when a Nazi becomes the Pontiff.

Comments

[jenx.livejournal.com]

The Catholic Church says contraception is wrong, for one simple reason - it makes more Catholics. If you obey the church and are 'pure' until marriage, their reasoning is that you won't have to worry about diseases - and those who do have diseases are to be pitied and prayed for. But helping them isn't an option, that would compound their sin - and yours.

None of this is in the Bible, this just is the word of the Church - there is a difference.

Christianity was fine until people got mixed up in it.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Oh I certainly agree that the issue is with the church at large and not with Christianity in general. My fiance and his whole family are devout Christians and i have tremendous respect for them.

[liadra.livejournal.com]

It probably has less to do with purity to avoid diseases (in the Christian sense; I can't speak on OT as many would say it actually dictated Jewish law for reasons such as purity, desease control, etc) than it does with than an ideal held by the Church at one time that one did not make oneself or one's things 'pretty' because it took away from God. One should only worship God. Only God should have glory/beauty, etc. You'll find periods where churches were very austere and empty because of this. It was supplanted later by the ideal that the outside could also magnify the Lord and you find the use of much more onamentation - there was a reason the Catholic Church was so rich.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

The Catholics church also encouraged poor people to buy their way into heaven. Before Martin Luther and the big split, peasants could buy certificates that would ensure them and their loved ones (for a small additional fee) a place in heaven. Sacrilege of course, but people who had never read the bible themselves had no way to know this.