tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post3883628914742956533..comments2024-03-27T03:19:11.216-04:00Comments on Assistant Village Idiot: Noticing ThingsAssistant Village Idiothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-29390453759559488982015-01-23T23:36:55.548-05:002015-01-23T23:36:55.548-05:00One of the good things about the Catholic Church i...One of the good things about the Catholic Church is that you're aware of how many people within the Church don't agree with you. Even if you get a harmonious little church with a priest who's on board with your ideology -- as is not that uncommon -- you're aware of being in communion with people who really do not. <br /><br />Reconciling yourself to that, to the degree that people do so, is probably healthy in the way you're concerned about. Grimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07543082562999855432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-39643728611001138352015-01-21T13:01:18.693-05:002015-01-21T13:01:18.693-05:00Well, that's the lesson for me, then. I saw i...Well, that's the lesson for me, then. I saw it so clearly when it was someone likely to disagree with me. But it's less apparent when that piece isn't in place.Assistant Village Idiothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-3979549765098968992015-01-21T12:30:18.177-05:002015-01-21T12:30:18.177-05:00Yes, the chances are good that their idea of a &qu...Yes, the chances are good that their idea of a "better world citizen" would make me break out in hives.Texan99https://www.blogger.com/profile/10479561573903660086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-72355562057729677312015-01-21T12:27:49.728-05:002015-01-21T12:27:49.728-05:00"Better world citizen" grated on me. I ..."Better world citizen" grated on me. I then back-read what the earlier phrases probably meant.<br /><br />I clicked through and Suspicions Confirmed. I may just have a hypersensitivity along certain lines.Assistant Village Idiothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-75157368060136243462015-01-21T10:22:00.112-05:002015-01-21T10:22:00.112-05:00I don't have quite the same reaction. I can i...I don't have quite the same reaction. I can imagine a cheerful, healthy church that inspires people to live up to higher standards, and it might make noises a lot like this.<br /><br />Yes, I'm always skeptical of the "don't focus on the negative" gushing, which can mean no more than happy-face denial in the mouths of empty-headed people. But maybe because I tend to have a sour outlook and don't always rouse myself to good deeds without a good example from others, I respond well to the idea of a church community that might guard me from these two evils. Certainly I've never had much use for the unrelieved "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" approach. If there weren't a lot of joy to go along with the bad news of original sin, I doubt I could give my heart to God. Jesus could be stern, but He wasn't gloomy.<br /><br />I do understand the tremendous temptation inherent in too much self-congratulatory talk about what nice people we all are here in this nice congregation, not like those other people.Texan99https://www.blogger.com/profile/10479561573903660086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-81374420858861836112015-01-20T20:12:30.955-05:002015-01-20T20:12:30.955-05:00Not only are the gentiles inferior, but so are all...Not only are the gentiles inferior, but so are all the rest of the "really awful" religious folks, who don't believe our way and do things our way.<br />In this particular presentation the focus is on collective action and being a "better person," but the same dynamic appears in the "single-church" denominations when the focus is on complete orthodoxy.jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01792036361407527304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-91823603428377646652015-01-20T18:05:39.594-05:002015-01-20T18:05:39.594-05:00Yes, it is helped somewhat by him saying "are...Yes, it is helped somewhat by him saying "aren't we wonderful" rather than "aren't I wonderful," but I still don't like it.Assistant Village Idiothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-84825662936723839222015-01-20T14:24:23.932-05:002015-01-20T14:24:23.932-05:00I have no idea what Hugh means by his post. None;...I have no idea what Hugh means by his post. None; zero, zilch, zip, nada. I shrank it, I expanded it, and it remained unintelligible to me. Could be me, could be him being obscure. Help me here, Hugh!<br /><br />As for the difference between what AVI printed and what the Pharisee said, the first one is a member of the church, flawed both like and unlike the others, and credits the others for helping him become a better person.Sam L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00996809377798862214noreply@blogger.com