site banner

Israel-Gaza Megathread #1

This is a megathread for any posts on the conflict between (so far, and so far as I know) Hamas and the Israeli government, as well as related geopolitics. Culture War thread rules apply.

20
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Yes exactly. I think that would be a good thing because it would be easier for lapsed adult Catholics to return to The Church.

No. This is borderline not being Catholic yourself especially how others are expressing it in the comments.

Catholicism is NOT an ethnicity. It’s not nationalism. It should never be an ethnicity or a nation. It’s about following Christ of which includes following the Church as the representative of Christ on earth.

I want nothing to do with people who want a culture Catholic ethnicity.

As brutal as the Spanish were there is a reason why Mayans and Aztecs today are mostly all Catholic. They were still viewed as brothers capable of embracing Christ.

No. This is borderline not being Catholic yourself especially how others are expressing it in the comments.

An absurd statement. I want my literal sisters, my literal mother and father, and some of my friends, who have fallen off of the faith, to remember that they are still baptized, confirmed catholics and should return to Church with me every Sunday when I invite them to mass with me.

I'm not describing diluting the faith. I'm advocating for a more traditional interpretation of it where people assign more importance and value to it.

I feel like I have to have back @sliders1234 on this one. If those who have left the faith choose to return I believe they should be welcomed with open arms, but in the meantime...

he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

  • Henry V, Act IV Scene III

Okay I think I understand what you guys are saying, and I think we're getting in a bit of a semantics trap here.

I'm saying: a person who was raised catholic, and who went through confirmation, should still consider themselves associated with The Church. When they hopefully decide to go back to church, it shouldn't be a question of which church they go to, since they are...Catholic.

Contrast this with an atheist, or somebody finding faith for the first time. Catholicism might be an option for them, but wouldn't be the default since they have no connection to Catholicism.

It's the difference between returning to something, and finding something for the first time.

I'm not saying that people who aren't going to church and aren't living a Catholic lifestyle should still refer to themselves as "Catholics". I think I'm actually saying the opposite of that. I can see where the confusion came from, though, since this is how many Jews approach their religion.

When I say be more like the Jews, it's probably based on a misunderstanding. What I actually mean is:

  • Send your kids to Catholic school

  • Marry other Catholics

  • Be friends with other Catholics

  • Make Catholicism a central part of your life (Many devout Catholics I know are extremely charitable, for instance)

  • Be assertively Catholic. Be unapologetically anti abortion, anti-degeneracy etc. Be proud of the makeup of the supreme court. Pray before meals, etc.

Maybe this is based on my interactions with Jewish friends, who all seem to be a lot more devout and dedicated to their religion than a lot of my Catholic friends. I don't think I have ever had a person reveal to me that they are Jewish, and have it be a surprise since they are all somewhat vocal about it. I have had the opposite reaction from friends who tell me that they're Catholic, and it be a surprise to me because they don't...seem very Catholic.

Consider Ben Shapiro: what does him being Jewish have to do with his talk show or whatever? But is there any question about his religious affiliation?

To my comment about Latin: the fact that many jews speak Hebrew creates a sense of belonging and camaraderie that I wish existed with Catholics. I hear my Jewish friends rattle stuff off in Hebrew all the time (although it's mostly references to practices, or holidays) - I think that being a Jew and having a language that unites you with other Jews probably does a lot to create a sense of cohesion, and I suspect also keeps people in the faith (not just the language, but all of the things like that).

So again I'm not saying to water the faith down and just let anybody say they're Catholic without really having that mean anything. I'm saying the opposite of that: make saying "I'm Catholic" really mean something.

I think that this stuff will make it harder to leave The Church, and easier to return if you do, since it is more of a central part of your identity than just something you do every Sunday for an hour.

I can't speak for @sliders1234, but for my part...

I think I'm actually saying the opposite of that. I can see where the confusion came from, though, since this is how many Jews approach their religion.

...clears a lot up because, yes, the latter part is what I thought you ment and at the risk of proffering aid and comfort to the enemy by agreeing with our local neo-nazis I think this is an instance where the claim that there is a cabal of Jewish intellectuals trying to undermine the west is actually true. The idea that religious/ethnic identity is a matter of blood rather than one of cultural practice/affiliation is a distinctively Jewish one. Even the Jihadis for all their barbarism are welcoming of converts and on occasion respectful towards those they view as useful allies/worthy opponents.

The idea that religious/ethnic identity is a matter of blood rather than one of cultural practice/affiliation is a distinctively Jewish one. Even the Jihadis for all their barbarism are welcoming of converts and on occasion respectful towards those they view as useful allies/worthy opponents.

Is this really the dominant idea among Jews nowadays? I'm sure someone can find a rabbi somewhere who endorses this or something, but I've never had the impression people actually reject converts. 17% of Jews in America were raised in another religion, Israel is already diverse and anyone from the rest of the world can get citizenship by converting, regardless of ethnic origin.

I think it’s changed somewhat recently. They certainly do not have missionaries and recruiters. My guess is the vast majority of the 17% are related to marriage which is a part of Jews secularizing but parents etc still expecting a Jewish wife. Matches up well with 35% of Jewish relationships being with non-Jews. I do think with the modern internet some people have learned more about Judaism and decided to convert. I don’t think they turn down converts but from what I know they don’t make it easy and you have to heavily pursue it.

That's makes sense, people marrying in from different ethnicities and religions and converting is still pretty different from a blood and soil religion. Aside from a period of study (that Catholicism requires as well), the things that make converting to judaism challenging afaik are no harder than what people born as Jews go through, ie Bar Mitzvahs, I could be wrong though.

More comments