January 02, 2006
Excommunicating myself..or why I don't follow "the church of the Lord"
I promised myself after 1/1/06 that I wouldn't blog again, period. That I wouldn't touch this blog, even for class. and now here I am...
Why do I "excommunicate" myself from the Roman Catholic church?
Have I been offically excommunicated?
Those are questions that I hear constantly.
The answer to the second question is no, not yet. I hope to be soon though. Hell, I might even contact the Roman Catholic church myself and demand it.
The first question is tougher to answer because it deals with more personal opinions and the like than actual fact that can be proven. I'll try my best to answer the first question without saying anything "bad" about other people's faith.
First, let me say this. Since I do not go to Catholic mass, but I still consider myself a Christian. I go to the Salvation Army, which is Weslyan and therefore Protestant in it's views. I have disagreements with them as well as the Catholic church in many of my beliefs (such as gay marriage).
Second, I am hoping to take soldier classes and eventually become an officer within the Army and hopefully become a youth minister--which is what I wanted to do with my life orginially, but didn't because I came to a Catholic University and didn't want to learn the Catholic way of salvation.
But ok..now to the real reason I am posting this. On Dr. Jerz's blog, there is an entry about how churches are taking their sermon to a wrestling mat instead of the synagogues and pulpits like the norm. There is this person on his blog, that calls itself AC II or anynomous coward II. I personally call that person just a plain coward, and allow them the opportunity to show themselves to me via email or this blog.
Anyways, I posted the following on Dr. Jerz's blog:
To which this thing replied:
Have I thought about it, dear thing? All the time, but with the pity and self-loathing that you might think I do it with. But instead with a deep fascination and wonder.
I'll start with your last part of that statement. The Catholic church is
NOT the "the church of the lord". Jesus assigned to Peter the responsibility of establishing the
Christian church. Now I know that for many Catholics, this equates to:
Peter+establishing a church=the Catholic church. Not the case. Yes, up until that fateful Halloween day in the 1500s when Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis, the Catholic church was THE church that everyone associated with Christianity. That's all fine and well.
But see the thing is, catholic means universial. As in not applying to one thing or another. Yet throughout history, we associate that word with the church in rome. But the Protestant/Catholic split, which I believe is called the Great Schism (though I will admit to being wrong beforehand, if that is not the case) wasn't the first split. Since in 1000s-1300s (?) there was a split even amongst the romans and the greeks/russians/eastern european church. Which is why now there is the Roman Catholic, the Greek Orthodox, and the Eastern Orthodox church.
Anyways, Christ said to Peter, " You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church." (Matthew 16:1

. He doesn't saying "Yo, my main simon! You will be called petey from here on in dawg. You will be my main man..my pope! Cause dude, The Catholic church is the official church of God! Peace my nigga!"
All he says is that you will be my rock, and on you I will build my church. What church? No one exactly knows, though of course a certain church says that that can be interpretted as being the Catholic church.
"Saint" Paul (you know..the dude who went blind then could see and found new faith in the Lord.) is the one most often credited with the founding of the Catholic church.
So that's the first reason that I have a problem with the church, is because they lay claim to something that can't be proven.
My second problem, is the whole gay marriage thing. But it's not a problem that I have JUST with the one church. The Salvation Army believes gay marriage is wrong also. I don't. That plain and simple.
The third problem is women priests. The Catholic church says no. The Salvation Army says yes. On a regular basis I will hear Captain Jenny Shurtlift (not sure if that's EXACTLY how to spell her name.) give a good sermon--not about Hell, Fire, and Brimstone--but on the salvation God gave the human race through is only begotten son, Jesus Christ of Nazerith. Good stuff.
The fourth problem, is that it took the church nearly 50 years before it apologized for it's role in WWII and the prosecution of the Jews. Also it denies the Inquistion (at least I checked many friends that are Catholics, and many priests that I have talked to did anyways.)
Now..don't get me wrong, I don't have problems with ALL Catholics, as most are fun to be around with and don't make religion a problem. But when the fantical and zealous nutjobs come along, that's when I have problem.
That is why I self-excommunicate myself from the Church. Quick, someone ask Father Honeygosky if he has the authority to excommunicate this "heathen". Please?
Posted by lougagliardi at January 2, 2006 05:33 PM