You wrote:
“It’s possible that this particular church NOW encourages reading of the Bible, but they didn’t when I was there, and believe me, I’m an expert witness to what I observed in the church, and school I went to !”
How could you be an expert witness when you already said this: “Maybe cause I didn’t like going to church when I was younger and disliked the nuns who hit us.” And how about this, “There were readings, but as a grade school kid, I was looking at my watch, or the ceiling or something else to kill the time.”
So, you admit you paid more attention to the staring at the ceiling and your watch than what was being said, and you clearly didn’t like church or the nuns because they hit you. That doesn’t sound like the making of an expert witness on what was taught.
“I’m not buying that, kids aren’t naturally curious enough and motivated enough to do school work, otherwise we wouldn’t require them to do so.”
The Bible isn’t school work and if it was you’ve already indicated how you would have handled that: “There were readings, but as a grade school kid, I was looking at my watch, or the ceiling or something else to kill the time.”
“That may be, but after saying them thousands of times, it’s robotic. The prayers may be biblical, but saying them over and over again are not.”
Sure they are. Ever hear of the Psalms? They were said throughout the day - and repeated - even in Jesus’ day. Even Jesus Himself said the same prayer three times in the garden of Gethsemene.
“If you went to visit a friend and said the same scripted “hello it’s nice to see you - yada yada yada” and said that everying single time you visited this friend. After while it’s just reciting words. Do you think that same treatment would be pleasing to God ?”
Do you think Jesus displeased God the Father in the garden of Gethsemene? I guess you’re not married or you never say, “I love you” to your wife because that just gets repetitous right?
“It’s not my fault the mass is a boring collection of repeated phrases and rituals.”
It’s only boring to those who ignore what it is. Were the Temple rites boring? They were repeated all the time and at the command of God Himself.
“No, I was just bored at mass, and again was not required, encouraged, or motivated to to read the Bible or the missal at that time in my life. The school and church NEVER encouraged it. They MAY now, but didn’t back then. It sounds like you’re expecting a grade school kid to have the attitude of an adult.”
I have never met a grade school kid who was so completely disinterested in his own life. Also, you already mentioned how you did everything you could to not be interested or inquisitive: “There were readings, but as a grade school kid, I was looking at my watch, or the ceiling or something else to kill the time.”
“Confident in Jesus alone!”
I’m glad you have confidence in Christ. It’s just a shame that it is far from complete. Remember, Jesus prayed the same prayer three times in the garden. Perhaps you would have been bored by that. Maybe you would have found Jesus boring too. After all He said the same things over and over again and performed the same miracles over and over again. He even participated in religious rites and ceremonies that were the same “boring” thing over and over again.
You wrote:
“How could you be an expert witness when you already said this: “Maybe cause I didn’t like going to church when I was younger and disliked the nuns who hit us.” And how about this, “There were readings, but as a grade school kid, I was looking at my watch, or the ceiling or something else to kill the time.”
You’re reaching now, Vlad ! I know you find it hard to believe one of your perfect catholic church’s did not encourage Bible reading, but it’s true !
“So, you admit you paid more attention to the staring at the ceiling and your watch than what was being said, and you clearly didn’t like church or the nuns because they hit you. That doesn’t sound like the making of an expert witness on what was taught.”
My claim that they didn’t encourage Bible reading still stands.
Hey, I was there, you weren’t. You don’t have to believe it.
“The Bible isn’t school work”
It could have been, but it wasn’t at my school.
“Even Jesus Himself said the same prayer three times in the garden of Gethsemene.”
Three times is one thing, but we’re talking thousands of times, even millions.
“Do you think Jesus displeased God the Father in the garden of Gethsemene? I guess you’re not married or you never say, “I love you” to your wife because that just gets repetitous right?”
Jesus spoke to the father a lot, but didn’t repeat himself thousands of times.
“Were the Temple rites boring?”
Don’t know, I wasn’t there.
“I have never met a grade school kid who was so completely disinterested in his own life.”
You haven’t been paying attention, I was never disinterested in my life, just the mass.
“Also, you already mentioned how you did everything you could to not be interested or inquisitive.”
I never said that.
You may find the mass riveting, but I didn’t.
“Maybe you would have found Jesus boring too.”
I doubt it.