I very rarely engage in religious discussions for this reason. That being said, you have a zero percent chance of offending or firing me up.
This is what I assumed you would deliver which is why I asked.
I know my issues with the Catholic Church. I was curious as to your insight on the topic. Thank you for the response. If you prefer to avoid a potential firestorm feel free to delete and I will be more than willing to delete my posts as well.
Nah as I’ve said before I’m very difficult to offend, and happy to defend my views, be corrected where necessary or simply agree to disagree.
Happy to discuss further if you wanted to, you Catholic?
I was raised Catholic.
I enjoy your insights and your willingness to have discussion.
If you’re up for sharing, that’d be an interesting insight.
I can’t remember the exact quote, nor credit its source, but something to the effect of: “When good men argue [or maybe disagree], both are right.”
I love reading discussions between people looking for understanding rather than looking to claim an inconsequential victory.
Are you referring to my experience being raised in a Catholic family?
Yup, only if you’re comfortable doing so.
I don’t mind sharing. Mine is not a positive experience. To be clear, this is my specific experience. I am in no way speaking for the Catholic faith nor any other Catholic person that exists. This is my perception alone.
I would say that the main thing that I learned as a Catholic was the art of bearing tremendous guilt for both real and imagined sins. I’ve never particularly understood people who “celebrate their faith”. This was never something that I was taught. I was taught that I was filled with sin and the only thing I could do to earn God’s love was to confess and repent. I spent several years going to mass every Sunday and crying through the entirety of mass.
I’m disturbed by the violent history of the church, much of which you pointed out. But the more recent things are equally disturbing. The horrible things that the Irish Catholic homes for unwed mothers did to young women and their babies. I recently found out that one of the churches in my childhood diecese had a predatory priest in the 90’s which is when I was active in the youth group. It wasn’t my church, but it was a church in which I had friends. The church knew these things and actively covered them up. How does one defend such behaviors?
As I told you previously, I am useless in a discussion about religion and faith. Mine is an unpleasant perspective and I can’t say that I know enough about other faiths to be able to compare. I suppose that’s why I asked you for your input. A perspective from outside of the faith in which I was raised. I’m always happy to see people who find joy in the faith they hold. I am a person who found their joy in letting go.
Thanks for sharing, really sounds like an unpleasant but unfortunately not unusual experience. Even more unfortunate that it isn’t unique to the Catholic church either. Where there is a power dynamic there will always be those who look to exploit it (either in exerting control through guilt and shame, or as mentioned predatory behaviour, the cover up of which is never excusable).
Sorry I don’t recall if you’ve ever said directly what your current “faith status” is? (Couldn’t think of a better term off the cuff).
I haven’t.
Happy cake day!!!
happy cake day
Agree with many of your insights and thoughts here.
Reading your experiences makes me a bit sad. The thing is, the hope that Christ brings to the world is that we don’t have to live as a slave to our very real sins or in perpetual guilt over what has been taken away “as far as the east is from the west.” The message of the Gospel, the good news for all, is that we can’t and yet we don’t have to earn our own saving from the mess of sin and death, but that a God loves all of us enough to sacrifice His Son that we don’t have to walk through such legalism, guilt, and trying to earn that which we can’t accomplish by our own efforts. This is why our faith is worth celebrating, because of the good news of a God who loves all of us enough to save us from this mess that we’re in, both on an individual and a worldwide level.
It bothers me when the church (regardless of denomination) end up being a poor representation of the simple truth of what the Gospel is and means to humanity, whether by legalism, the violent history of the church, the predator priests–the fact is, fallible man is often a poor representation of an infinite and perfect God, and we have to deal with the simple fact that we live in a world still married by the effects of sin. And I hate that you’ve been on the receiving end of what you have and that you’ve had to experience what you did. At the end of the day for what it’s worth, I hope you understand how much God loves you regardless of your experiences with others who haven’t done a good job of reflecting that love.
It’s really ok. I have an exceptionally happy life. It’s not something that eats at me or even actually bothers me. I was just expressing my experience. But I appreciate you kind words.
I was the victim of infant baptism from the Catholic Church. Don’t believe in it,it seems to be a curious mix of Roman Paganism melded with Christianity. There are some nice people who do good works. The negatives have been covered but within their organisation,they do have people willing to go the extra mile in terms of charity and you get ones like Mother Teresa who traded their lives to help the unfortunate. You hit the nail on the head about the accuracy of their theology however. There’s a whole heap of mind-blowing bad about them too.
I haven’t seen anything disagreeable from you. It’s accurate. However it’s quite paradoxal if u will,that members of a false religion can actually in a round about way live closer aligned to what Jesus did and that’s eschew material value and live solely to save lives. Am I overrating organisations such as Save the Children and Red Cross which have a strong Catholic connection
Happy Cake Day, my Dude!!
Will return to the above discussion soon, but thought I’d best get a training session in otherwise my log my get moved to the PWI 
(and no, that isn’t a hint to stop, I’m happy to have my journal be more life than lifting!).
05/01/26 - 196lbs
Seated OHP
60kg x 5 x 2 sets
70kg x 3
80kg x 1.5 - balls this flu got me bad.
60kg x 15
HH TBDL
68kg x 5
108, 148kg x 3
188, 208kg x 1
228kg x 0, 0
148kg x 10
Bar didn’t even budge on those 228kg attempts, also anyone know why my pecs get involved (like borderline cramping) on deadlifts when I approached top end?
It’s just below freezing here, my garage has no insulation and no heating, the bars, my shoes, my belt, all deeply unpleasant to use, my chest, not a fan of being in the cold air right now, my body not a fan of doing anything. 10lbs down since the last time I could find my weight in this journal.
I am disappointed by the session because it feels like a fairly big regression, but perspective says a) it’s fully expected and there isn’t much I could have done about it b) it was plain stupid to push into PR territory given the circumstances, I know that I shouldn’t make a habit of failing to get a lift, just building up good reps below that point, and c) suck it up and get on with it, feeling disappointed isn’t going to change a thing (edited this so @BethB doesn’t feel left out), so:
(First day back at work - I might be procrastinating hard).
You’re probably feeling pecs on the deadlift because your shoulders are coming up and forward as you pull.
Maybe think about “long arms” or using your lats to keep your shoulders “down.”
