Replies

>> Hula masses
Hula masses? By Protestant standards, what is so wrong with Hula masses? (Or do you confuse Hula with belly dancing?)

>> Irish orphanages run by the RCC
At least someone was taking care of the poor.

>>where all sorts of shenanigans were going on.
So desperate for a sneer, we're believing Hollywood?

>> Poofter priests
Ya know, I've resisted for months going down this road, but here goes:

15 months ago, I was scrambling to find a new home. Responded to an ad to share a house. It was a gorgeous house. The guy who ran it was Pentecostalist preacher, who had "left" Mississippi because "judgmental people down there didn't understand [his] ministry." I was leaning towards renting the house, had returned with the papers filled out when he puts his arm around me and says, "You know son, there's nothing in the bible that condemns masturbation."

I had a girlfriend, who before I met her had went from Catholic to Pentecostalist, with very Calvinist beliefs. I tried being ecumenical and went with her as she went to various churches. Of about 5 churches, three of the pastors tried pulling alpha-male (sexual dominance) stuff on me because she was a hottie and they very obviously wanted a shot at her.

If these guys were Catholic, they'd've landed on the front page of the newspapers for their behavior. There are queers in the protestant churches. They just shuffle over to a new ministry when things get too hot. The only difference is that they shuffle *themselves* along, so the newspapers don't smell scandal. And after my experience with Alyson, I sure am glad that I go to a church where the priests are celibate.

Now what I find truly fascinating is this: When it was the fundamentalist preachers getting attacked, every *church-going* Catholic I knew considered the media hype an attack on Christianity. There was some low-borw humor, but no-one, NO-ONE I know ever used the "shenanigans" of the televangelists as an attack on Protestantism, as every one of the most preachers I ever heard of (except Billy Graham and Pat Schuller) were pulled down. We understood that the messenger is not the message.

But I for one am finally getting sick of this crap.

I should also add, Ironically, it was Alyson who stirred my apologism, and made me much "more" Catholic.

Umm Pentecostals are NOT in ANY WAY Clavinist. Nice try though. :And WE do NOT have dancing in Church, no idols, no candles to the idols...... You know, that funny commandment (You Shall have NO other Gods Before me comes into play)