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Guest inoubliable

By Guest inoubliable,
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Guest inoubliable

Guest inoubliable

Posted
Posted

Just a quick (and I'm sure unnecessary) request - let's try to stay out of the "oh noes the Pope is stepping down" threads, if we can. I don't want to see anyone banned because someone else's feelings got hurt. We're all classy here, let's keep it that way. There shouldn't be an issue keeping our discussion to this thread. That being said, let's be sure to keep our reactions to the big news to the papacy and not drag in the papists.

 

Has anyone looked at the big article on who the next Pope may be?

http://www.businessinsider.com/who-will-replace-pope-benedict-2013-2?op=1

 

Thoughts on who would be the more beneficial (I can't believe I typed that...) or the most detrimental to society?

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Lady Florida.

Lady Florida.

Posted
Posted

Just a quick (and I'm sure unnecessary) request - let's try to stay out of the "oh noes the Pope is stepping down" threads, if we can. I don't want to see anyone banned because someone else's feelings got hurt. We're all classy here, let's keep it that way. There shouldn't be an issue keeping our discussion to this thread. That being said, let's be sure to keep our reactions to the big news to the papacy and not drag in the papists.

 

 

 

Thanks for the reminder. I think we're being talked about again.

 

Because we have opinions.

 

And we express them to each other.

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Jennifer3141

Jennifer3141

Posted
Posted

 

There must be another big scandal about to break.

 

I absolutely totally believe this.

 

I heard this at the vet's office this morning (teeth cleaning for my middle cat) and my vet burst out, "Bull%$!%#! Get that irrelevant old ^%@^$ out of there!" My vet. I almost didn't know where to go. I've actually never had a faith talk with my vet before beyond asking him to just please say, "dead" instead of, "passed away" or whatever euphemism they may crazily make up to make death seem less scary.

 

He saw my face and then said, "Oh! I'm so sorry! Did I offend you? I'm Catholic and I hate that man! He's wrecking the church and I'm so embarressed to be Catholic right now. Everyone thinks we're all child molestors and my friends think I'm an idiot!"

 

I laughed and told him that he was safe with me and that I was an atheist but that I was very familiar with the RCC because I had gone through the RCIA program and spent years being very active in the church.

 

My vet's next thought was that he was dreading whatever really prompted this because popes don't quit. They need their pompish funeral with the solid gold beanies and all. He said it's really hard to be young, scientifically minded AND RCC nowadays. He's single and the parishioners keep trying to set him up on dates and he said RCC woman are awful and he can't date his vet friends because they think he's whacko for being RCC. I really felt for him.

 

I miss the ritual of mass. I really, truly loved it. And I knew some fabulous RCCers. And there are quite a few intellectual RCCers. That's a faith that demands something of you. You gotta know the signs and know what they mean so you don't forget them and you have to know when to kneel and when to stand and on and on. I actually have less of a beef with smart RCCers than I have with those brimstone, joyless, nitwits who preach about the evils of masturbation.

 

Then again the smart RCCers own the Crusades and are disgusted by the money hoarding.

 

That's the inherent problem with all churches nowadays though. They need to keep their mouths shut on social issues like gay rights and science or else everyone looking in thinks, "Whackos!" And then it's super easy for people who use science every day to walk away and sleep in on Sundays. But men like my vet aren't looking for women scared of science who want 14 children. My vet just wants a nice, normal life with a couple of kids and a wife he can talk with.

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jeninok

jeninok

Posted
Posted

Ok, this being a social group and all, and because I am totally freaking out...can I jump in with something totally non pope related.....

 

We just bought a house, on what we thought was an acre, perfect house, perfect location, easy deal! Turns out we didn't actually purchase the whole lot like we thought we did. We clearly should have caught this at closing, but the realtor should have caught it way before then. And the paperwork isn't exactly clearcut on the issue without taking a magnifying glass to it.

 

Add in some really suspicious behavior on the part of the previous builder/owner/tenant (the issue isn't exactly clear) and I am MAD and panicked we may end up with neighbors on what we thought was our land.

 

:crying: :crying: :cursing: :cursing:

 

I really liked our realtor, but at this point I am wondering if I need to contact a real estate attorney to sort this all out.

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Guest inoubliable

Guest inoubliable

Posted
Posted

Whoa. I'd definitely start looking around for a real estate attorney. :( I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.

 

You have title insurance, right? That may help with some issues.

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Audrey

Audrey

Posted
Posted

And I love how I've read people online pointing out he's not resigning for any scandalous reasons because he says its for health reasons in his public statement. Oh good. Since he said that, and everything they've said has been true, we can really count on that.

 

What other situation would anybody have tolerated such abuse? If nothing else, think of the children that have been abused. :(

 

 

 

I've always found the pope-worship (and let's face it -- no matter how you paint it, it IS worship) to be bizarre. I'm not just referring to this Pope, either, but all of them.

 

With this one, the pope-worship becomes downright disturbing. Ratzinger had many skeletons in his closet before becoming Pope. When they began to tumble out, all of a sudden those are excused by every. single. Catholic. I. know (and I live in a HUGELY French Catholic area). And, by media, too! It's like even the media has to tow the line and drink the "infallible-pope-kool-aid." They simply will NOT question one single thing about him. There's always a "justification" or " excuse."

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jeninok

jeninok

Posted
Posted

Whoa. I'd definitely start looking around for a real estate attorney. :( I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.

 

You have title insurance, right? That may help with some issues.

 

 

We really really love this house, and the rest of the property, we would still like it if we can't have the whole thing, but not nearly as much KWIM!

 

We do have title insurance, but in this case I don't think it will help with the other side of the lot. I just really want to know how this was missed, and if we were deliberately scammed by the sellers. (*There are lots of smaller details I don't think I should put online!)

 

And if it wasn't deliberate, do we have any recourse with any of the professionals we worked with and trusted during this process.

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delaney

delaney

Posted
Posted

 

 

I've always found the pope-worship (and let's face it -- no matter how you paint it, it IS worship) to be bizarre. I'm not just referring to this Pope, either, but all of them.

 

With this one, the pope-worship becomes downright disturbing. Ratzinger had many skeletons in his closet before becoming Pope. When they began to tumble out, all of a sudden those are excused by every. single. Catholic. I. know (and I live in a HUGELY French Catholic area). And, by media, too! It's like even the media has to tow the line and drink the "infallible-pope-kool-aid." They simply will NOT question one single thing about him. There's always a "justification" or " excuse."

 

Wouldn't that fall under worshiping another god? It seems like that blind faith and reverence is almost sacrilegious or something??

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Audrey

Audrey

Posted
Posted

So.

 

The Catholics' Pope is resigning.

 

Thoughts?

 

Mine - good. He managed to turn back the clock on women's rights, sex education, and child abuse. Vatileaks, dead pregnant woman in Ireland, sex abuse scandals the world over, weaseling out of paying taxes everywhere. Stories broken of babies stolen by nuns in the 60s and 70s from unmarried mothers from Spain to Australia to be given/sold to "good Catholic families" to raise. Just off the top of my head. Normally, truly, religion is a non-issue for me. I don't think on it. Until things like abuse and abortion and stolen babies get in the news, kwim? And those things are the first things that came to mind when I heard that the pope was resigning. That, and "but what about his Twitter account??".

 

So now I'm good and angry about the RCC and I'm not willing to hear the one thing that comes out of every Catholic's mouth when confronted with these facts - "But that was just ONE Catholic. He/she was a BAD Catholic. That's not what being a Catholic is." I should probably just stay off the internet today and turn off my phone. But I'm anxious to see what happens next. A girl can dream that the RCC is crumbling in her lifetime, right?

 

 

Hmm... not sure I can get on board with that much RCC loathing. I live in a hugely French Canadian area and I still don't find any relevance for the RCC in anything. You know... most of these people are going to Church because, culturally, that is ingrained in them. It is interesting to note how the vast majority of church-goers are over 60-ish, though. Very few of those people's children attend regularly (except the annual Midnight Mass and Easter Mass). And, fewer still of those childrens' children will attend at all, even with their parents. Sure, people still put their kids through that First Communion ceremony, but you'd be surprised how many kids NEVER show up in church again after that except for weddings and funerals. The most recent generations here are just going through the baptism and first communion motions and then not even taking the kids to church again after that. It's like they're going to for the "holy guarantees" just to hedge their bets.

 

And the church-crowd bemoans the declining numbers and wonders how they can attract more people? Well, it seems quite obvious that it has little to no relevance -- even to the French Canadians! And, these are people who call the Church part of their cultural heritage! They'll stick a crucifix on just about anything -- yet their own young people don't even bother. Why? Because the Church simply is not relevant to them.

 

It seems sad, on the surface, that such a culture is losing one of its grounding symbols, but it's just progress. French Canadian culture isn't going to die because no one bothers going to church anymore. People aren't going to stop speaking French or stop the traditions. They'll just do it without having every gathering centred around Mass. Everyone already knows that the priests have to keep Midnight Mass short and sweet anyway. There's all that food to get to toute suite. You can eat without Church. You can laugh and sing and dance and love on your family without Church. There's a whole generation of young French Canadians who've figured that out already.

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delaney

delaney

Posted
Posted

Hmm... not sure I can get on board with that much RCC loathing. I live in a hugely French Canadian area and I still don't find any relevance for the RCC in anything. You know... most of these people are going to Church because, culturally, that is ingrained in them. It is interesting to note how the vast majority of church-goers are over 60-ish, though. Very few of those people's children attend regularly (except the annual Midnight Mass and Easter Mass). And, fewer still of those childrens' children will attend at all, even with their parents. Sure, people still put their kids through that First Communion ceremony, but you'd be surprised how many kids NEVER show up in church again after that except for weddings and funerals. The most recent generations here are just going through the baptism and first communion motions and then not even taking the kids to church again after that. It's like they're going to for the "holy guarantees" just to hedge their bets.

 

And the church-crowd bemoans the declining numbers and wonders how they can attract more people? Well, it seems quite obvious that it has little to no relevance -- even to the French Canadians! And, these are people who call the Church part of their cultural heritage! They'll stick a crucifix on just about anything -- yet their own young people don't even bother. Why? Because the Church simply is not relevant to them.

 

It seems sad, on the surface, that such a culture is losing one of its grounding symbols, but it's just progress. French Canadian culture isn't going to die because no one bothers going to church anymore. People aren't going to stop speaking French or stop the traditions. They'll just do it without having every gathering centred around Mass. Everyone already knows that the priests have to keep Midnight Mass short and sweet anyway. There's all that food to get to toute suite. You can eat without Church. You can laugh and sing and dance and love on your family without Church. There's a whole generation of young French Canadians who've figured that out already.

 

In America as well. My DH's family had 3 boys raised RC-none are still. His aunt the same...none stayed. My neighbor growing up had 4 kids and only 1 has stayed. It seems, in my opinion, that there is so much restriction that as soon as they can leave it happens.

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Maela

Maela

Posted
Posted

I can't keep up with this thread! I hope it's okay if I interrupt to ask you all a quick question:

 

I'm looking into history for the logic stage (yes, I know that's three to four years away for us :) ). Is k12's Human Odyssey secular? It looks like it might be, but I'd like to be sure.

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Ipsey

Ipsey

Posted
Posted

In America as well. My DH's family had 3 boys raised RC-none are still. His aunt the same...none stayed. My neighbor growing up had 4 kids and only 1 has stayed. It seems, in my opinion, that there is so much restriction that as soon as they can leave it happens.

 

My husband was one of 9 children. Catholic family. One sister is still Catholic and teaches in a Catholic boys' school. She had a small frustration with the Church because she has a worthless husband who can't/won't provide for the family, so she stopped at 5 boys, though I think she feels bad and would have had a billion if they weren't so darn poor. (She "borrows" thousands from their father because her husband regularly drains their runds). But, she's still a faithful Catholic. Rest of family is . . .probably atheist/agnostic/nothing. Father still attends mass regularly and is a good Catholic. We do our best to keep the cause of his son's suicide away from him.

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LaxMom

LaxMom

Posted
Posted

Just a quick (and I'm sure unnecessary) request - let's try to stay out of the "oh noes the Pope is stepping down" threads, if we can. I don't want to see anyone banned because someone else's feelings got hurt. We're all classy here, let's keep it that way. There shouldn't be an issue keeping our discussion to this thread. That being said, let's be sure to keep our reactions to the big news to the papacy and not drag in the papists.

 

Has anyone looked at the big article on who the next Pope may be?

http://www.businessinsider.com/who-will-replace-pope-benedict-2013-2?op=1

 

Thoughts on who would be the more beneficial (I can't believe I typed that...) or the most detrimental to society?

Schönborn would be a winner. Ravasi and Scola? Brrrrr. Again in this thread I am prompted to say "Crusades, anyone?"

 

I think it's funny that the article is in Business Insider.

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Audrey

Audrey

Posted
Posted

Schönborn would be a winner. Ravasi and Scola? Brrrrr. Again in this thread I am prompted to say "Crusades, anyone?"

 

I think it's funny that the article is in Business Insider.

 

 

That's interesting. Now I'm pondering how much the pope business influences commercial business.

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted

Can I just say that other than hearing that the Pope has been put into prison.....I don't care one whit about him.

 

 

Ha! Me too. I'm trying to form an opinion but I just don't have one. I had no idea how big of a deal it was for a pope to resign. Maybe it's because I don't know any real practicing Catholics besides my MIL? DH's entire family is catholic (he has 50+ cousins alone) but not really practicing. It's more of a cultural thing. Same with my dad's side of the family. Some of my coolest friends are Catholic but they aren't practicing either.

 

Catholics make up about 20% of the population. I figure the percentage of practicing Catholics who even care about what the pope says is WAY lower so how much power does the Catholic Church really hold?

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted

 

Schönborn would be a winner. Ravasi and Scola? Brrrrr. Again in this thread I am prompted to say "Crusades, anyone?"

 

I think it's funny that the article is in Business Insider.

 

 

Schönborn looks like a good choice as far as social issues but I found this article:

 

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/interview-cardinal-christoph-schönborn

 

He has a very evangelical feel to him which means we might have catholic proselytizers. *shudder*

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted

 

In America as well. My DH's family had 3 boys raised RC-none are still. His aunt the same...none stayed. My neighbor growing up had 4 kids and only 1 has stayed. It seems, in my opinion, that there is so much restriction that as soon as they can leave it happens.

 

 

Precisely. People who are born catholic don't often stay catholic. But a lot of them will still check the catholic box on a questionnaire.

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delaney

delaney

Posted
Posted

Precisely. People who are born catholic don't often stay catholic. But a lot of them will still check the catholic box on a questionnaire.

 

My neighbor has 5 kids. Dragged them all through all of the rituals and CCD and all that. They all hated every minute of it. She goes to church on holidays and maybe once per month? She herself even laughs about the Catholic guilt. My hideous neighbor who is a CCD teacher watched the Playboy channel!!! How does that work?

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted

 

My neighbor has 5 kids. Dragged them all through all of the rituals and CCD and all that. They all hated every minute of it. She goes to church on holidays and maybe once per month? She herself even laughs about the Catholic guilt. My hideous neighbor who is a CCD teacher watched the Playboy channel!!! How does that work?

 

 

Eh...they are still sinners in need of a hospital is what they say. I know Protestants say they are still sinners and the only difference between them and us heathens is they are forgiven. I'm not sure what the catholic answer is?

 

Funny story...or maybe just disturbing: I went to go see Jen Fulwiler speak (she's a well known Athiest turned catholic) and she finished up her speech by saying the Catholic Church must be the one true church *because* of the molestation scandals. You see, only the one true church could have such scandals and still be here. That would have shut any other church down. Way to go on turning a negative into a positive!!

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Lady Florida.

Lady Florida.

Posted
Posted

As an aside... I'm wondering if Ratzinger is up on his Dante. The last pope who abdicated ended up in the first circle.

 

I admit that crossed my mind too.

 

Schönborn would be a winner. Ravasi and Scola? Brrrrr. Again in this thread I am prompted to say "Crusades, anyone?"

 

 

 

When I left the Catholic Church I really left it. I have no idea who the contenders are and why one would be a good/bad choice.

 

 

My neighbor has 5 kids. Dragged them all through all of the rituals and CCD and all that. They all hated every minute of it. She goes to church on holidays and maybe once per month? She herself even laughs about the Catholic guilt.

 

As soon as my brother and I were old enough to sit through mass without adult supervision, we were dropped off. Adults only went on Christmas and Easter.

 

Funny story...or maybe just disturbing: I went to go see Jen Fulwiler speak (she's a well known Athiest turned catholic) and she finished up her speech by saying the Catholic Church must be the one true church *because* of the molestation scandals. You see, only the one true church could have such scandals and still be here. That would have shut any other church down. Way to go on turning a negative into a positive!!

 

:eek: I vote for disturbing. I don't know any Catholics IRL who feel that way though. Most are highly embarrassed and many are angry.

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Guest inoubliable

Guest inoubliable

Posted
Posted

Well..... my Facebook blew up this morning over the entire Pope resigning thing. Everything from rejoicing at what must surely be his just punishment for fill-in-the-blank to "who gives a sh!t" to discussion on which successor would be best for moving forward in important social issues. If you're on FB, PM me. If you're not on FB, PM me. There is news on that front.

 

And, I have to say that I am jealous of all of you raised in the RCC who got away with not having to be active within it growing up. :( I can't tell you how awful the weekend getaways were, lock-ins, Catholic school with the Wednesday and Friday masses, religion as a subject, and enormous amounts of time spent on learning history the way the RCC wanted it known. For a child with a LOT of questions, it was incredibly frustrated. For a child who struggled with fitting in socially, it was horrendous. No one of the good Catholic kids wanted to sit with/talk to/be partners with the girl who asked questions.

 

My family is different now. My parents haven't been to a Mass in years. Neither have my sister or brother. Both of them eloped. One of them is divorced. (Oddly, *I'm* the only one who got married in a Catholic church.) My mom doesn't sport the De Colores bumper stickers anymore and Da doesn't do anything with the Knights of Columbus anymore. Yet they'll still try to guilt me into not joining our old parish, or sending the kids to RCIA, or trying to get my DH to convert. Maddening.

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delaney

delaney

Posted
Posted

Well..... my Facebook blew up this morning over the entire Pope resigning thing. Everything from rejoicing at what must surely be his just punishment for fill-in-the-blank to "who gives a sh!t" to discussion on which successor would be best for moving forward in important social issues. If you're on FB, PM me. If you're not on FB, PM me. There is news on that front.

 

And, I have to say that I am jealous of all of you raised in the RCC who got away with not having to be active within it growing up. :( I can't tell you how awful the weekend getaways were, lock-ins, Catholic school with the Wednesday and Friday masses, religion as a subject, and enormous amounts of time spent on learning history the way the RCC wanted it known. For a child with a LOT of questions, it was incredibly frustrated. For a child who struggled with fitting in socially, it was horrendous. No one of the good Catholic kids wanted to sit with/talk to/be partners with the girl who asked questions.

 

My family is different now. My parents haven't been to a Mass in years. Neither have my sister or brother. Both of them eloped. One of them is divorced. (Oddly, *I'm* the only one who got married in a Catholic church.) My mom doesn't sport the De Colores bumper stickers anymore and Da doesn't do anything with the Knights of Columbus anymore. Yet they'll still try to guilt me into not joining our old parish, or sending the kids to RCIA, or trying to get my DH to convert. Maddening.

 

I was raised Episcopal-almost as bad. I only went to socialize and get the snacks really. I never bought any of it even as a kid.

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Guest inoubliable

Guest inoubliable

Posted
Posted

Ladies I need help deciding between Bravewriter and the growing with series....they do IEW but my oldest is a terrible speller and PR did not help

 

I have no experience with either, but I'll be waiting to see what everyone chimes in with. Are they both secular?

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dbmamaz

dbmamaz

Posted
Posted

bravewriter is a bit more open - she suggests that most kids will learn enough spelling and grammar just from doing copy work and dictation. i like bravewriter but really needed to take a detour and get my 9 yo up to speed on phonics and handwriting . . cuz he was just NOT ready before . . . so we are doing LoE and not much in the way of bravewriter right now. but i'm chill with it.

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Izzy

Izzy

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Posted

Well..... my Facebook blew up this morning over the entire Pope resigning thing. Everything from rejoicing at what must surely be his just punishment for fill-in-the-blank to "who gives a sh!t" to discussion on which successor would be best for moving forward in important social issues. If you're on FB, PM me. If you're not on FB, PM me. There is news on that front.

 

And, I have to say that I am jealous of all of you raised in the RCC who got away with not having to be active within it growing up. :( I can't tell you how awful the weekend getaways were, lock-ins, Catholic school with the Wednesday and Friday masses, religion as a subject, and enormous amounts of time spent on learning history the way the RCC wanted it known. For a child with a LOT of questions, it was incredibly frustrated. For a child who struggled with fitting in socially, it was horrendous. No one of the good Catholic kids wanted to sit with/talk to/be partners with the girl who asked questions.

 

My family is different now. My parents haven't been to a Mass in years. Neither have my sister or brother. Both of them eloped. One of them is divorced. (Oddly, *I'm* the only one who got married in a Catholic church.) My mom doesn't sport the De Colores bumper stickers anymore and Da doesn't do anything with the Knights of Columbus anymore. Yet they'll still try to guilt me into not joining our old parish, or sending the kids to RCIA, or trying to get my DH to convert. Maddening.

 

I understand about growing up catholic. Not because I was catholic but from DH and my family. DH still gets twitchy when he gets near a Catholic Church. He has a huge Hispanic family who are culturally catholic which means a lot of catholic weddings and funerals. He will not attend one unless he is/was really close to that person. My dad won't even discuss his time at catholic school. It's like it never happened.

 

I will PM you. :) It's strange because the only place I've heard about the pope retiring was here. It hasn't been mentioned at all on my FB and its not on the news now. DH told me his resignation was completely irrelevant to anyone but the most dedicated Catholics so I'm like :huh: He did say the pope was like god to those Catholics so it would be a huge deal to them.

 

I will say that I've found that some things that are no big deal IRL are huge deals in the homeschool world. It's like stepping into a different dimension. :p

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted

Ladies I need help deciding between Bravewriter and the growing with series....they do IEW but my oldest is a terrible speller and PR did not help

 

I don't have experience with either but I've heard good things about Bravewriter. I wish I had the money to try IEW because I have a dyslexic 13 year old that is clueless when it comes to writing. Sonlight LA is not working. :/

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delaney

delaney

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Posted

I don't have experience with either but I've heard good things about Bravewriter. I wish I had the money to try IEW because I have a dyslexic 13 year old that is clueless when it comes to writing. Sonlight LA is not working. :/

I have Student Writing Intensive A that you can have for $50 shipped. Might work well. I had my DS son do it when he was in 5th and he hated to write but learned a lot. I am not using it so I need to unload.

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Guest inoubliable

Guest inoubliable

Posted
Posted

 

I will say that I've found that some things that are no big deal IRL are huge deals in the homeschool world. It's like stepping into a different dimension. :p

 

 

Yes. So much yes.

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