>>Bree wrote: I feel I must defend the CHURCH. The Catholic church is like any other club..organization.. in that that have tenets..rules to follow. When you join anything one usually agrees with the rules... if not, get out. The Catholic church on morals and faith will not change with the whims of man.<<
With the greatest respect Bree, the Catholic church is not like a club or an organisation. If, for example, the Augusta Golf Club want to keep out women or black people, or whoever, they have that right, as long as it doesn't break any laws. If the restaurant Chez Mike refuses entry to people who contravene its dress codes, hey, no problem. When Ashara bans illegal drugs in her house she has all the right in the world. But Ashara's house, a restaurant and a golf club can not be compared in any way with the power and influence exercised by the Catholic church. We don't *join* the Catholic (or any other) church; we are born into it and baptised, christened, confirmed, educated and indoctrinated all before we are old enough to make decisions for ourselves. There is no question of refusing to join if you don't like the rules. By the time one is old enough to disagree with the rules one has spent many years under its influence (for better or worse). That many people do choose to leave the church when they become thinking adults shows their discontent. BTW, why do we often hear of 'lapsed catholics' but almost never 'lapsed anglicans' or 'lapsed anythingelses'? mike NP Donna Summer. She works hard for the money. (Thinking of you Mack, why in Wisconsin?)
