Re: Catholics in Space!

On 25-Dec-01 at 05:55, K.H.Ranitzsch (KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de) wrote:
> 
> ----- 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

I really wouldn't say it was a condemnation of the sin, more as an
admission that people make mistakes.  I've seen Baptist churches
where you weren't supposed to make mistakes and people were ostracized
for making a mistake.

> - 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.

I thought that was always the point.

We're very off-charter here, I won't respond again.