Churches Should Discourage Hunting

[Five Seasons]

I wasnt raised with any faith. My parents taught me morals (all be it with a relative world view), I had manners, got good grades, was polite. Everyone always told my mom "your son is so great why didnt you have any more kids". Its possible to raise that type of child without religion but i would sure say religion isnt going to hurt your chances getting there.

 

And my point isnt that he shouldnt spend time with his dad in the woods. He absolutly should. My point being is as Catholics we are mandated to go to Church on Sunday. If we trully believe that we are recieving Christs body, blood, soul and divinity in the eucharist there is nothing more important. I would be concerned for the priest not Culver. Culver may or may not have believed it but that preist took an oath when he was ordained and telling him to skip Mass on Sunday flys in the faith of what he commited to.

 

And yes the woods will do wonders for a childs soul. Hence why I am re-doubleing my efforts to get my kids outside this year after a two year absence from the woods.

 

We're on the same page. And your comment about the church's inability to flex really made me think in a way I haven't before. Because I understand and agree with it in many ways. At the same time I wonder aloud if losing thousands of followers and watching your flock slip away because of some man-made laws that came in to place thousands of years ago is for the greater good? Not that we should stop doing anything that Jesus said, but some of the stuff our pope's have "adopted" over the years.

 

Personally I'm a big fan of Pope Francis for his understanding that everything and everyone must evolve or just like anything, it will wither away and die.

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

We're on the same page. And your comment about the church's inability to flex really made me think in a way I haven't before. Because I understand and agree with it in many ways. At the same time I wonder aloud if losing thousands of followers and watching your flock slip away because of some man-made laws that came in to place thousands of years ago is for the greater good? Not that we should stop doing anything that Jesus said, but some of the stuff our pope's have "adopted" over the years.

 

Personally I'm a big fan of Pope Francis for his understanding that everything and everyone must evolve or just like anything, it will wither away and die.

 

The arbitrary nature of the Pope positions over the years was one factor in my leaving. The other two was how my wife was treated by one of 5.9's "young and orthodox' priest and two old school nuns when she was going through classes to formally enter the church after we got married and we going to have kids. She didn't end up finishing and asked me not to make a issue of their actions and comments so I let it go. Fast forward to my daughter confirmation classes. She was raised Catholic and without a doubt one of the most Godly kids I know. (and that isn't just Father's pride talking). She is a model of how you would want you kids to walk through life. She is a very intelligent kid and always asks questions so she fully understands. The last class was an interview with another of 5.9's "young and orthodox priests' and  a young nun with 2 lay staff. I got a call from my daughter and had to pick her up at the steps to the church, in tears and didn't want to make her confirmation based on their interrogation and comments to her. Talking and berating her about her my mother-in-laws 3 marriages. now WTF would that have to do with my daughter's confirmation? That is did not let go and was in the church basement in the priest, nun and lay peoples faces. probably the closest I have come to being arrested and in any other situation a person treating my daughter like that and the arrogant way they dealt with me when questioned, they would have been picking themselves up off the floor.

 

And for the record, 5.9 I am very glad I was able to spend every minute with my father on those hunting days as opposed to church. Dad died this past July and all I have are memories going forward with not option of creating more with him. Our parish Priest that you seem to take such issue with has also passed this past year and based on the life he led and the lives he helped form, I am certain he was greeted with open arms too.

[5.9cummins]

There are at least 8 forms, and that's not including all the "Reborn" ones.

 

If I want to confess about leaving the toilet seat up, or eating the last stuffed pepper, I will pray and ask forgiveness directly and cut out the middle man.

 

8 is an interesting number, care to elaborate?

 

And as far as confession go's Catholics do Confess to God directly. When a Priest hears confession he is acting "in persona christi", in the person of Christ. And no I am not saying that priests are gods they are Gods instruments. The apostles were given the authority to forgive sin by Jesus and that authority was passed on to the apostles successors (Catholic priests). John 20: 21-23. We also confess directly to God through prayer but not for absolution of mortal sin.

 

http://www.catholic.com/tracts/confession

 

Have you ever given any thought to which came first, the Bible or the Church?

 

We're on the same page. And your comment about the church's inability to flex really made me think in a way I haven't before. Because I understand and agree with it in many ways. At the same time I wonder aloud if losing thousands of followers and watching your flock slip away because of some man-made laws that came in to place thousands of years ago is for the greater good? Not that we should stop doing anything that Jesus said, but some of the stuff our pope's have "adopted" over the years.

 

Personally I'm a big fan of Pope Francis for his understanding that everything and everyone must evolve or just like anything, it will wither away and die.

 

 

Belo the Church isn’t looking all that great here or in Europe but if you look at Africa and the Pacific Catholicism is booming (there are 1.2 Billion Catholics worldwide). Vocations are up and the church is growing. Catholic means "Universal" or "of the whole" it comes from the Latin, kata holos. The Church is not something that is unique to our little piece of dirt. The relative peace we have had over the last couple hundred years is unusual. At most times in the Churches history she has been persecuted but yet she still grows.

 

As far as loosing followers that’s to be expected from time to time. Look at John 6. In vs. 35 Jesus says he is the bread of heaven and his followers are upset (vs 41). So how does he respond? Vs. 51 he intensifies it by saying that his flesh is the bread and again his followers are upset. Finally he drives the nail home in vs. 56 by saying "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood" (drinking blood was a huge no-no for a jew). His disciples say "this teaching is difficult who can accept it" (vs. 60) and finally they leave (vs. 66 "Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him").

 

I’m curious what you hadn’t thought about before and what "man made" laws you are referring to and what have the popes adopted?

 

The arbitrary nature of the Pope positions over the years was one factor in my leaving. The other two was how my wife was treated by one of 5.9's "young and orthodox' priest and two old school nuns when she was going through classes to formally enter the church after we got married and we going to have kids. She didn't end up finishing and asked me not to make a issue of their actions and comments so I let it go. Fast forward to my daughter confirmation classes. She was raised Catholic and without a doubt one of the most Godly kids I know. (and that isn't just Father's pride talking). She is a model of how you would want you kids to walk through life. She is a very intelligent kid and always asks questions so she fully understands. The last class was an interview with another of 5.9's "young and orthodox priests' and  a young nun with 2 lay staff. I got a call from my daughter and had to pick her up at the steps to the church, in tears and didn't want to make her confirmation based on their interrogation and comments to her. Talking and berating her about her my mother-in-laws 3 marriages. now WTF would that have to do with my daughter's confirmation? That is did not let go and was in the church basement in the priest, nun and lay peoples faces. probably the closest I have come to being arrested and in any other situation a person treating my daughter like that and the arrogant way they dealt with me when questioned, they would have been picking themselves up off the floor.

 

And for the record, 5.9 I am very glad I was able to spend every minute with my father on those hunting days as opposed to church. Dad died this past July and all I have are memories going forward with not option of creating more with him. Our parish Priest that you seem to take such issue with has also passed this past year and based on the life he led and the lives he helped form, I am certain he was greeted with open arms too.

 

Culver I'm sorry about the way you and your family were treated. And on behalf of the Church I apologize for any pain and grief you or your family suffered.

 

There is a problem here though. We are not talking on the same plain. By your above post I take it your definition of Orthodox to mean a grumpy old nun with a yard stick or a arrogant priest who thinks he can tear people down. It seems to me that what you like about the priest is that he was compassionate and showed mercy which I applaud.

 

When I say orthodox what I mean is a teaching that is true or accurate to what the Church teaches. Which has no bearing on compassion, sympathy or mercy.

 

You can have and Orthodox priest who is not compassionate and you can have a un-orthodox priest who is compassionate.

 

About a year and a half ago I went to confession and afterward I was talking with Fr. And mentioned that at Mass I abstained from communion because I was in a state of mortal sin. I was told that I shouldn’t abstain from communion unless maybe I killed someone. That was an un-orthodox thing to tell me and it goes against Church teaching which is to abstain from communion if you are not in a state of grace. Fast forward to a year ago. I went to a very Orthodox persist for confession. I got ripped apart during confession and felt like never going back due to the lack of compassion.

 

That being said the vast majority of priest that I have met (the orthodox ones) are very compassionate. They strengthen and encourage me and build me up. I hope you will consider coming back to the church and returning to the sacraments. Ill be praying for your family, dad and priest.