Just Because...: Deep Thoughts: Can You Really Change The Past...

Friday, May 23, 2008

Deep Thoughts: Can You Really Change The Past...

Here's something to ponder: will Moses be able to carve new sins into the 10 Commandments, the basis of sins that all Catholics are taught?

I know, I know - you're groaning "Lys, we're supposed to talk about Shoes, and Boys, and Parties and ohmigod-SHOES! It's a holiday weekend." However, this post has been in draft and daggone it - time to publish and clear my conscience. We'll go back to shoes tomorrow - promise!

Ok, let's have a bit of a refresher course if you will. During my 12 years at Catholic School - these were the sins that were taught:

Thou Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me.
Thou Shall Not Take The Name of the Lord, Thy God, In Vain.

Thou Shall Observe the Sabbath Day and Keep It Holy.

Honor Thy Mother and Thy Father.

Thou Shall Not Kill.

Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery.

Thou Shall Not Steal.

Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor.

Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Wife.

Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Goods.

My father mentioned in a phone conversation not too long ago that the Catholic Church is interested in amending the 10 Commandments. Namely, the Catholic Church decided to put a new modern spin on things and are including "modern" sins including pollution, genetic testing, abortion (like they didn't try to include this before - See Commandment #5), obscene riches and a host of others. To quote my father "What's next - Gas Prices?" In that case, Rome needs to take its happy behind to an oil field and figure out that problem, imo. If using too much fuel is a sin, they need to figure out alternatives. Like what does the Pope drive? Is the PopeMobile a hybrid?

Now, this one about the overabundance of riches. OK - so, let's say you are insanely wealthy, you contribute a ton to charity along with your time. Is it still a sin to be rich? Or are you absolved because you are paying the Church a huge tithing? Hmmm...

I think Verena von Pfetten at the Huffington Post summed it up perfectly in her post, "My Spiritual Journey: Thoughts On Sin" While I am a Catholic, I still have my issues with the Church - and one of them is based on confession. How can I confess to a priest who will then tell me "Say 5 Hail Marys, 10 Our Fathers and 1 Apostle's Creed" and *poof* I'm absolved. While I know they are priests and all, personally, I'd rather confess to God and do something in penance to make up for my sin. I've got enough Catholic Guilt to go around for eons. I'm more spiritual now then I was a few years ago.

My other issue is how dare the Church tell me what to tithe. That's between me and God. I know what the Bible says and God knows how much time I also donate and sacrifices that we make. What really got my goat back in the day was being told I couldn't be confirmed because my parents didn't contribute enough to the Church. It was not only embarrassing (because they contributed MORE than enough - my father just refused to use those damn envelopes so Father Huller could track everything), but it was infuriating. I think that's one of the few times I cursed out a priest - and Father Huller HAD it coming. If I could have, I probably would have put a banana in the tailpipe of his spiffy shiny new Cadillac too. So yeah, I'm a tad wary of the Catholic Church sometimes. While I may be Catholic and won't jump faiths, I do, however, reserve the right to speak my mind.

And that's one other thing I told my father as he was scolding me for saying perhaps Moses DID have hallucinations. I'm not doubting God spoke to Moses - but perhaps he had a mushroom or three while he was staring at a bush and the flames could have been a vision/hallucination. [Yeah I know I'm going to hell or, at the very least, purgatory]. I dunno- I'm trying to give the scientists a benefit of a doubt on their hallucination theory. But as I told my dad, I am grateful that the Catholic Church doesn't really excommunicate people based on their beliefs or speaking their mind, unlike a couple faiths I know which are fond of handing a pink slip and a boot to the butt when you question their tenets.

So, should Big Brother of the Church happen to Google search this and find my opinion, I don't need a pink slip. Just understand that I'll follow the original 10 because pretty much, that's what you drilled into my head for 12+ years of daily catechism. I think that's what God wants us to pay attention to.

Labels: Blog 365, Current Events, Deep Thoughts, Random Mess

Posted by Lys :: 3:24 PM :: 2 comments

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Friday, May 23, 2008