Abigail: Being Liked Means You Aren't a Good Catholic

[julie paradox]

I don't even know what a scapular is. I had to think for a moment to remember that no, that thing that sprang to mind is a speculum ;-)

And yeah, the whole point of being a mystic is that you're not normal.

[Boogalou]

I second your apology. We're really not all that bad.

But all Catholics do belong to an anti-woman organization and, by their membership, end up supporting that, at least somewhat. I'd be more concerned about apologizing for that than anything.

[Curly Girl]

I'm a Catholic convert. My Cradle Catholic friends say converts are "better Catholics" because they actually do all the things they are supposed to do because converts choose the faith and Cradle Catholics are just following along because it's all they've ever known. I converted because when I started going to Catholic Mass it made sense to me. I liked the rituals of Mass. I liked how it felt like "home." I also liked that a preacher wasn't up there yelling at me and telling me I was going to hell.

Some converts to take it way too far. They want to be the best at something, so why not be the best Catholic? It might also depend on who was leading the RCIA classes. If you have a person leading the classes with that "I'm the best Catholic ever and all others persecute me because I am so superior" well, that would explain why some converts follow that same path.

I don't think anyone could tell by looking at me that I'm Catholic. I don't wear it above my head like some flashing neon sign.

OT, but I had a cradle Catholic in my Parish tell a friend that converts dilute the quality of the church. I joined the church at Easter 2012. I definitely felt welcomed by that person.. Not! Although I feel kind of honored that I can singlehandedly bring down my parish of over 1000 people.

I also feel like being Catholic is a big part of who I am, but I don't feel the need to broadcast it. A lot of the fundies we snark on, Catholic or not, bring it on themselves.

[Curly Girl]

But all Catholics do belong to an anti-woman organization and, by their membership, end up supporting that, at least somewhat. I'd be more concerned about apologizing for that than anything.

I am only speaking for myself here, but to me, the Vatican is full of old men who live very far away and know nothing about my life.

My parish has women part of every area possible, including in significant leadership positions. My priest believes in th equality of women. I support my parish, and leave the rest of the church out of it.

[mockingbird]

I have heard about overzealous converts, especially young converts and I think there are a lot of them at World Youth Day (big Catholic teen/20s convention) and other events like that. At my parish though the "Super Catholics" (I think it is funny someone else on here called them that too) grew up in the faith though. We have a few larger families like 5-8 kids... not as big as some of the QF families but compared to most of the people in our church they stand out and are usually the more conservative parents - I specifically remember one dad who writes a column for our church newsletter, writing about how you should not act on homosexual urges because they are evil and his column that time just seemed very unforgiving and really turned me off. (Of course those are often the kids who rebel the hardest. LOL) Then we have our new-ish religion director who alienated half of the families who used to do after-school religion classes because she is so strict and mean. The classes are now all about memorizing prayers (like prayers to specific saints, for specific holidays, etc). When I went to their elementary school with the original religious director I liked religion class because I liked learning the stories about saints, Bible figures and church history; I would have hated her classes. What's the point? It's like the fundies memorizing bible verses without really knowing the context, it just seems worthless. I'm sure it's nice if you know a fancy prayer but I doubt God cares that much. She was nasty to my mom who used to teach one of the classes and tried to talk to her about getting accommodations for some special needs kids (didn't happen). My neighbor who works at the school said the pastor (head priest) is aware she is a problem but is just too nice to fire her. Abigail kind-of reminds me of her but a crazier version. I'd be afraid of Abigail becoming a religious education director...

[Arete]

Abigail is everything people despise in a convert- a know-it-all who thinks other people do not take their faith seriously just because they emphasize or practice in different ways.

[MissBeaufort]

I don't even know what a scapular is. I had to think for a moment to remember that no, that thing that sprang to mind is a speculum ;-)

And yeah, the whole point of being a mystic is that you're not normal.

I didn't know what a scapular was either. I had to look it up on wikipedia, and I've never seen that before in my life. If I noticed that sticking out from someone's sweater, I might think it was a little weird and wonder what it was, not "RAAARGH I HATE YOU"

Also, messily sticking out of her sweater. Not just sticking out. Messily. She's so casual about being uber Catholic that she wears her scapular messily!

[singsingsing]

Wow. You know that story about the guy who's on his roof in a flood, and he refuses rescue multiple times because he's sure God will swoop in and save him? One of Abigail's relatives is living that out right now, literally! Apparently he's on a flooded island, house surrounded by water, and not only did he refuse to evacuate before the hurricane, he's refusing to go with the national guard now. We're supposed to pray for him because he's clearly just following God's will! :shock: He must be right, because he's a ~*!Catholic!*~ and I suppose the meanies with the national guard are demons sent by Obama.

[Guest Anonymous]

Wow. You know that story about the guy who's on his roof in a flood, and he refuses rescue multiple times because he's sure God will swoop in and save him? One of Abigail's relatives is living that out right now, literally! Apparently he's on a flooded island, house surrounded by water, and not only did he refuse to evacuate before the hurricane, he's refusing to go with the national guard now. We're supposed to pray for him because he's clearly just following God's will! :shock: He must be right, because he's a ~*!Catholic!*~ and I suppose the meanies with the national guard are demons sent by Obama.

You have GOT to be kidding me!

God gave everyone plenty of warning. Basically the weather channel said that if you don't get out and evacuate when your told, the odds of you being rescued are slim. Now the NATIONAL GUARD is trying to get him out.

GOD IS TELLING YOU TO GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE DAMN FLOOD!!!!!

[LucySnowe]

Heh, Abigail got pwned:

I don't get how smiling at your husband or walking your dog are specifically actions of a Catholic heart? I am a cathholic and walk my dog and smile at my husband, but so do all the people who I know who are dog owners or wives, whatever their religious beliefs are. If that makes people spit at you, I think you should call the police. If people in your area spit at dog walkers or people who smile, you speaking out would be an act of christian charity to spare other people the same treatment.

At first I thought, awesome, an FreeJingerite has told her off. Then I saw the commenter was named 'Lucy' and checked the blog link and went, oh, no, it's not an FJer at all!

I've been reading Lucy's blog (An Abundance of Rainbows) for quite some time. She writes very honestly (without oversharing, IIRC) about the stresses in her life, including some kind of sexual assault in her past, and homeschooling her two children. (Both are adopted, though I don't recall that she's given the details.) I think one of the reasons I like her is because at one point she said, I didn't celebrate Halloween for a while, and then I realised that I grew up celebrating it and it didn't turn me into a rabid Satanist. So her current post is about how her adorable kids dressed up and carved pumpkins.

And she's in England, if anyone's interested in a non-US religious blog.

http://anabundanceofrainbows.blogspot.co.uk/

[debrand]

Granted the tradition in Catholicism might be different, but in Eastern Orthodoxy we like our mystics to live in monasteries as far away from normal people as possible. They expound their cray-cray to the unsuspecting wildlife, and the neighbors remain unharmed. :P

Did John Eldride write Wild at Heart? Apparently a drug cartel in Mexico forces their members to read that book. I'm serious. It sounds crazy but it is true.

[nokidsmom]

Holy crap. She reminds me of my second ex-MIL, who had an unwarranted sky-high opinion of herself. She would readily inform anyone who'd listen all about her intellect and refinement. Shortly after she'd moved to a new neighborhood, a neighbor died, and several folks went to his funeral "without inviting her." Her explanation? "Because they know I'm better than they are."

I always find it interesting then the "holier than thou / know it all" types attribute the negativity they always get from others as proof of how great/ holy/ smarter/ awesome they are instead of realizing they , as the "common denominator", are the problem. My MIL and SIL are just like this.