Re: Catholics in Space!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Books" <books@jumpspace.net>
> "Some of you have done things you shouldn't have on this
>  cruise.  Don't let it destroy your marriage.  If you
>  really must confess, even if you aren't Catholic, come
>  confess to me.  That's why I'm here."
>
> I could just imagine the wives getting the same advice
> from a civilian priest.  Fortunately I was able to
> contain myself and not roll around laughing.
>
> That was my first indication that Catholicism was very
> different from the varieties of Protestants I grew up
> with in the midwest.

Well, it is not neccessarily typical of the Catholicism nowadays, though
it
was a common attitude up to the early 1960's. The other question is, in
what
kind of spirit the priest's statement was intended
- as a condemnation of sin as Roger interpreted it
- or as an offer for counseling to people in trouble.
Confession nowadays is seen as a kind psychological counselling as much
as a
cleansing from sins.

On the other hand, some of the opinions you hear from the more radical
fundamentalist protestants are not exactly very tolerant of such
behaviour
and a lot of other things, either.

Merry Christmas et pax vobiscum
Karl Heinz