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Qoeleth #fundie forums.catholic.com

It seems to me that atheism is, if properly considered, treason.

In countries with the Queen as Head of State, she is held to be ‘Queen by the Grace of God’. In the USA, the Pledge of Allegiance involves expressing belief in ‘one nation united under God.’ It seems that by believing the God does not exist, a rejection of the notion of the Sovereign Divine Right of the Crown is negated, as well as the notion of a ‘nation united under God.’ Therefore, it seems that atheists are guilty, ipso facto, of treason, at least in the USA and Commonwealth countries.

LittleFlower378 #fundie forums.catholic.com

Also sporting events have gay pride days, even the MLB teams promote it which has made me find some different hobbies.

What’s the worst is that religions promote homosexuality as well. I’ve gone by many Protestant church’s and even Jewish places where the rainbow flag is draped publicly outside.

saxum #fundie forums.catholic.com

You’ve described England. Multiculturalism and political correctness has destroyed us. The Land of Hope and Glory is dead and gone. We won’t produce anymore Winston Churchill’s or Isaac Newtons. The most popular name is now Muhammad. Get ready America. It’s gonna happen to you.

Teek #fundie forums.catholic.com

So I could use advice. A lot, actually.

An adult provided sexually explicit material to my underage daughter.
(None of it is “hardcore”, and in our day and age it would not be considered “pornographic.”)

I was not given the opportunity to “opt out” from this sexual education provided in a school setting which is a violation of my rights. (Indiana State Law.)

My daughter’s emotional and physical well-being has been damaged by this experience. I suppose they would argue it is because I have raised her with an unrealistic moral code which leads to guilt, but hopefully everyone here knows that is not true because she has also been raised in grace through the Sacraments and so she has access to the strength of the Savior in fighting the battle for purity. But good luck explaining THAT in a secular environment. Maybe it will be relevant to them that SHE desired to be chaste and an adult violated that against her will.

I don’t know what to focus on.

I don’t know how far I can take this. I would be willing to press charges if it would do good for parental rights to protecting their children. I do NOT want to do harm, for example if it went to that and I lost and it set a legal precedent for the schools to have those rights over parents.

I don’t know what I should be asking them to do in response. They allow me to request another book for my daughter. What about the other kids? What about the fact that it has happened twice and I was not informed?

I don’t know if it would be helpful to inform the other parents. My heart says I should print out the objectionable passages, and send them with a letter to the parents to tell them what the children have been exposed to so that they can talk to their children about it and help them with it. I don’t know if that would be helpful or just cause a problem to no avail.

I don’t know if there are laws that have been violated. (Other than the ones my soul is very adamantly certain have been!)

I was hoping someone with experience or knowledge about this could advise me.

Or even that someone could direct me to any resources that might help.

I have found articles that associate viewing sexually explicit materials with a lower age of first sexual encounter, a higher number of partners, and decreased sexual satisfaction from encounters. (The last of which may be the only concern this teacher might hear.)

I am looking for credible journal articles on the effect of exposure to these things at a young age and the consequence for children who have this type of experience.

Anything at all would help.

Most especially, please pray for me and for my daughter. My name is Theresa. Her name is Mary. Please ask your prayer chains to lift us up, anyone you can. The more the better. I feel that this has potential to have a big impact on protecting intellectual innocence. Or the fact that I feel like this is so important indicates a self-centered inflated view of my own issues, in which case I still need those prayers!

Thank you for any and all help, advice, and prayers.

Teek #fundie forums.catholic.com

My daughter is a sophomore in high school. She attends a local public high school. (No Catholic High School in area.)

Her literature teacher assigned a book that has a lot of objectionable content. I saw it when she was doing homework and idly picked it up so I’d have something to do while she was finishing up a math problem, and flipped it open and that was the beginning.

“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote. It has some graphic violence. It also has prostitution, sodomy, rape, gang rape by “queens” on a 16 year old boy, children watching their mom have sex with random men, child molestation, and so on.

I sent an email to the teacher objecting to the content and asking to meet.
She is allowing my daughter to use a different book. We have not yet met-we will this week.

I asked my daughter about the class, and she started crying. The book before this was “The Highest Tide” by Jim Lynch. In it, a boy is obsessed with his adult babysitter’s female anatomy, describes it often, and “has his way with the sheets” when thinking about her. It also discusses graphic terms for sexual pleasure and where it is located in women, and uses excessive profanity.

My daughter said she can’t get it out of her head, she feels dirty and she is ashamed because it made her curious and she has been wanting to find more stuff like it, but she hasn’t, but she is so ashamed.

I am livid.

She wrote about her disgust with the objectification of women in the first book. Her teacher said “Boys will be boys.” I know that isn’t much, but it was an adult woman talking about masturbation to my daughter without my consent.

I think by secular standards the stuff was mild. By my standards, it was deplorable. I need help navigating with my ideological point of view in this sea of filth. On line it appears that these books are not common, but also not rare, in the high school setting. Therefor this isn’t a case of a piece of literature that will unanimously be understood as inappropriate.

I plan to meet with the principal and the teacher as soon as I have my case together. I have typed up the objectionable passages—eight pages, 31 seperate passages from just one of the books! I am going to ask the teacher to read a few out loud to us in the meeting. The language is prohibited by the school handbook. I don’t know why they think out loud and written would be different.

Aloysium #fundie forums.catholic.com

Darwinism fails on several accounts:

It does not consider the existence of the individual organism with its focus on its material constituents, genetic molecular changes. It sees as the driving force, merely the electrochemical processes of atoms, which are said to underlie the complexity we find in life. This is all said to be random. The shaping of living forms is held to be survival until procreation, when clearly so many factors are involved in mating, both physical and emotional. It speaks of species, thereby recognizing that they are more than abstractions, in conflict with the idea of this being a purely physical cosmos. The focus on molecules and species neglects the reality of ecosystems. An individual animal or plant exists solely because it is at the same time, part of a greater whole.

It fails most clearly and completely when we contemplate our own existence:

As I see this screen, pause to collect and connect these thoughts, feel the wonder, and move my thumb over individual letters, one person, the explanatory value of Darwinism is reduced to the infinitesimal. I can understand how the physical structure of the phone, in this setting that contains my still functioning brain, shapes the relationship I have with the material world and unknown persons with whom I am communicating. That material code running on the computer that is my relational Spirit results in this whole, cleaved into bits and pieces of experience while remaining one. All this complexity, to what end but the journey of creature to its Maker. Without God, without any acknowledgement of life’s ultimate purpose, any theory about the creation of the universe, all living beings and mankind, is going around in circles, providing illusion to people hungering for truth.

ChuckMonk #fundie forums.catholic.com

No. I’m saying the alleged victims here kept their mouths shut for years rather than risk something. This is revealing for two reasons. One, they thought Harvey Wienstien had the power to completely destroy their career (or worse) regardless of any rape charge. Two, who was it they were afraid of? Mean old conservatives? Fox news? Brietbart?

Nope. They were scared of the feminists, the leftist media, and Hollywood progressives. Very interesting how that works.

ChuckMonk #fundie forums.catholic.com

But once the news hit and thoae groups were forced to report on it, those women suddenly felt in the clear. Which means they think those groups are enough now.

What is really happening is that the report hit and those groups reluctantly cut Weinstein loose, and once he lost his protection, now it was safe to come out and accuse him— More than safe, now you get hero-points and sympathy for just making the accusation, proof no longer required. But before the NYT report hit, these allegations were apparently well-known and widespread. Until the media gave the go-ahead, his victims obviously felt like they had no back-up, but once the media gave the go-ahead, they feel no fear at all.

I believe Weinstein is probably a pervert, but I’m disposed to believe that. I think all of these Hollywood progressives and liberal men are perverts. I don’t know why the NYT decided to take down him in particular, but dollars to dimes says there are more of his type still out there but since they aren’t being cut loose yet, there’s no accusations being put forward. Which means these women do trust the media’s power to protect them and their careers— But they don’t trust the media to actually do so.

CuriousMike #fundie forums.catholic.com

As a teen, it is something that can be very difficult to control.

That said, learning self-control is very important, not just in the sexual sense, but also in eating and drinking (in addition to smoking - which is also something that is allowed, but in "temperate" quantities).

Learning sexual control is prudent too - I feel our society is "over-sexed." Avoiding these situations could help reduce the instance of STI's/STD's and unplanned pregnancies. After-all, we are designed to procreate within the bounds of marriage.

The Church teaches what she does on this topic since masturbation is using one's genitalia for their own wicked means.
It can contribute to the whole "trade" of illicit imagery that is so rampant in our society today. Even secular scientists are beginning to research "Your Brain on Porn" and note that the effect is VERY similar to illicit drug use. The need for more outrageous fantasies and imagery more often also matches illicit drug use, and eventually abuse. The other issue, which I touched on, is it is using the genitalia for pleasure. Sex is made to be this way - and is made in this way so as to encourage us to procreate. Masturbation takes the procreation out of the equation, and turns what should be "a good thing" (the genetic code contained within the semen) into filth that needs to be "cleaned up" and "washed away."

Now, despite all this, lots of teens and adults do battle with this habit daily. One of the best things I heard was to focus on the means of attaining your goal, NOT the goal itself.
If you focus on "not masturbating" constantly, then thats already the first thought, the "obsession" in the cycle of addiction. The Devil WANTS us to despair over the fact this is a difficult-to-break habit.

Instead, if we take this one step at a time, and simply try to make our lives more holy through the Sacraments, Prayer and faith in God - then these baby-steps are easier for us than simply daunting ourselves with "I Will not Masturbate."

And if you fall - try to take it as a learning experience. What went wrong that resulted in this?
Once you understand, put the event behind you and try to improve in that area. Go to confession, and most importantly, get Spiritual Direction and a Regular confessor. They can suggest further means of battling this habit, they can assess your culpability, appropriate penances and so on. There are some tactics that can be applied to some cases - but this can only be done in specific cases and is not appropriate for some people (as it can subvert Church teaching).

As a closing point, Fasting & Abstinence, when done correctly, can do great things in kicking this habit. As does a daily recitation of the Rosary and/or the Divine Mercy chaplet.
Also remembering that "idle hands are the devils workshop" is important. Don't leave yourself alone and bored. Its VERY dangerous.

phil19034 #fundie forums.catholic.com

It's Divine Law.

Masturbation is an unchaste behavior. Masturbation is the "gateway sin" to other sexual sins.

If we learn chastity, etc., then boys will not do this. The only reason why boys do it is because they hear others talk about. So they get curious and try.... But like drugs, masturbation is addictive. Also, as boys grow, masturbation leads to an objectification of women. Masturbation also (unlike popular myth) typically does not make a man a better lover, but rather a more selfish lover.

Finally, masturbation separates the love of another person from the congeal act, meaning it makes it more difficult to "make love" when married.

As someone who used to be addicted to this sin (and still sometimes suffers from withdrawal) masturbation is very dangerous as you grow. It also leads to porn addiction, etc. which is usually very bad for a marriage.

My suggestion: whenever you feel the urge to masturbate, start praying multiple "Hail Marys" until the urge goes away.

I pray this helps.

God bless and Happy Easter!

Deacon Jeff #fundie forums.catholic.com

Default Re: Are furries so bad?
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it must be a . . .

I live in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh hosts the annual "Anthrocon". I can tell you first hand, it is disgusting and it IS all about the sex. This from an "entertainment worker":

"My city Pittsburgh has hosted the Anthrocon conventions for the past nine years due to the big profits for the city itself, and this year the furry fan-dom group has donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Pittsburgh Aviary.

Wonderful, BUT I ask myself...is Pittsburgh being duped into believing this group is something other than what it is?

Having worked in the adult industry for decades, and having owned adult websites back in the mid-nineties, I'm fairly well-versed on adult fetish categories.

I'm not going to bore you with descriptions or lengthy explanations, you can Google it and find all the information on the subject matter yourself, but I will get straight to the point with this:

Gross link removedAn adult X-rated video of a plush furry fetish sexual deviant in action. (Warning! Obscenity. This is a simulation of bestiality.)

My professional opinion is that Anthrocon is a CON, and this is not just simply a group of thousands of grown adults who love furry animals----think about that for a minute!

My concern is for the children, and that's why I am writing this piece. I stumbled on a chat forum where a parent was inquiring whether it was safe for their 14-year-old son to participate in the furry culture.

When you read some of the answers that are given, it will send chills down your spine----most notably the answer about how only a very SMALL percentage of them are into bestiality.

Even more disturbing to me as a parent is that our local news media personalities have not taken the time to investigate this for what it really is, and thus, when the Anthrocon convention rolls into Pittsburgh, they giggle and promote it as a children's fantasy.

"There is no city that welcomes us in the way Pittsburgh does," said Samuel "Uncle Kage" Conway, chairman and CEO of Anthrocon told the local newspaper. "People here have embraced walking foxes as part of the scene."

This sense of acceptance is important for attendees, who come to Anthrocon to join a community of like-minded anthropomorphics devotees hailing from 25 countries and every state except North Dakota, Mr. Conway said. More than 1,100 attendees dressed in full-body fursuits will walk in a parade Saturday afternoon inside the convention center.

Take my word for it; it is not in any way, shape or form a child's play fantasy game.

It is an x-rated adult fetish group with a fur fetish, similar to diaper, rubber, and other strange materials and objects used as sexual stimulation fetish tools."
-----------
Link not give due to improper links within article. Go ahead and google it if you care.

Those who "believe" (probably sincerely) that this is a only a small part of the culture are naïve.
__________________
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Deacon Jeff

Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum

lutheran farmer #fundie forums.catholic.com

I lived what I thought was a moral life before I was baptized Christian. I thought I was doing a pretty good job.

Once I actually studied Catholicism and understood God's law, I found that my morals were based only on society's morals and therefore, were subject to change. I was fortunate to be born and raised in a country whose morals are loosely based on God's law. However, they are not the same as God's law, but merely based on what we humans tolerate from one another. I would call it morality based on non-interference with others, rather than based on some deeper philosophy. Injury or death to those that do not have a voice to object, is morally acceptable in a society that bases it's morals on the lack of interference with others. I accepted the laws of my country as morals simply because they were the laws.

I didn't question or ponder much until I took a philosophy class which challenged me to work morality out for myself. Only then did I see the terrible shortcomings of laws based on non-interference with others. We are all connected in both sin and happiness. The closer I moved towards following God's laws, rather than society's, the happier and more fulfilled I became. The difference is like the darkness versus the light. It is our soul that longs for God's law. Once you become aware of the needs of your soul and it's natural longing for God, you can't be happy without Him. The happiness you thought you had pales in comparison

Geremia #fundie forums.catholic.com

What is wrong with guilt and shame? Your child should know that masturbation shameful because it is. How else are they going to learn this if you don't explicitly tell them? Why should alienating the child be avoided more so than stopping the act of masturbation?

Are you afraid the child will rebel once he turns 18 and turn into a promiscuous heathen when he meets the "real world"? This is possible, but he certainly would be worse off hitting the "real world" with mortal sin having stained his soul.

However, if you are vigilant and strictly correct him before he becomes addicted to it, he will greatly respect you when he grows older and continues to discover the beauty of chastity and purity. He will think, "Wow, although I didn't realize it at the time, my parents really cared for me!"

NonNobis #fundie forums.catholic.com

I really HATE to bring up this topic, because it's always on these forums.

I'm an 18 year old male, Cradle Catholic, and I really struggle with masturbation. Used to be porn, too, but I think that's stopped now (I pray).

I've actually been masturbating since I was five, but I can't remember how it started. I didn't realize it was wrong until I was twelve. The longest I've ever gone without falling is 3-4 weeks, and I can't stand how helpless everything seems. I go to confession, I give it an honest effort, and it never fails that I have to go back within a week or two. A couple of times I've just given up for months out of depression.

I pray frequently, always asking God to guard me against temptation, and I avoid whatever I can that would cause me to falter. I don't care if it makes me seem radical: I don't go to pools or beaches; if I'm watching a movie that "surprises" me , I get up and leave; if conversations turn a tempting way, I change the subject or walk away; I avoid teenage parties in general, and I don't talk to girls by myself. That's gone a long way for me.

For the past 6 months, though, it hasn't been external temptations, but internal ones that catch me. I'll make it a week (whoo!), feeling like I'm making progress, and then I get urges that keep coming in waves, until I give in. They aren't caused by or attached to anything. They just appear, seemingly at random. How can I defeat these?

Can I use a chastity device? I'm not looking for a way to make masturbation impossible. Nothing can do that, just like an internet filter can't stop you from using a password. But it makes it more difficult, at least. I would have to apply effort and CHOOSE to masturbate, and that might help me stop. Has anybody ever done/heard of this?

I really hate this sin, and I'm willing to use everything at my disposal to stop it. Whatever you end up telling me, though, please pray for me.

Sorry for the long post.

westNwewaxation #fundie forums.catholic.com

Yes, the first thing is to "love God with all your heart and soul", then the rest follows.

Also I just want to say that I have actually been in reparative therapy. They do not "zap you" that is kind of a reference to early attempts at therapy done I don't even know how long ago. The therapy now has evolved and (if it is not outlawed) will continue to evolve, to build upon the desire to turn toward whatever heterosexual functionality a person has (most even gay men have some) and learn creative and even pleasant ways of turning away from same-sex fantasies, and making that turning away from evil a sort of routine habit that becomes "second nature". I have heard the analogy of ruts in a dirt road applied.

The more you drive through the rut with porn or even homosexual fantasy that you voluntarily stick with and daydream about, the deeper the rut gets. But if you learn to turn away from that "rut" and stay out of it as much as possible, God can and will fill in those ruts to some extent. It is different for everyone. Some have a sort of bisexuality, others have deep-seated homosexuality to the point where they are repulsed by heterosexuality. But avoiding inappropriate sexual thoughts and filling our minds with scripture and other good thoughts is key.

Lastly I just want to say that despite all God did for them, some of the Israelites ACTUALLY DID want to return to Egypt! It's a great lesson for us.

Robert Sock #fundie #homophobia forums.catholic.com

I predict a much higher conversion rate to Christianity for homosexual Atheists than for hetrosexual Atheists, starting in the near furture. The reasoning is simple: Homosexual Atheist are going to become aware much more easily that their sexuality is based on evil spirits than will the heterosexuals. God love us all, but the Holy Spirit will lead repentant homosexuals to a much higher spirituality, analogous to the parable of the Prodigal Son.

People everywhere, especially conservative Christians, are experiencing a low morale these days, and all the more so if Clinton is elected president, but they forget that God can bring good out of evil. No matter who is elected, things are going to be just fine because we are one nation under God, and He has not abandoned us.

__________________

Lucretius #fundie forums.catholic.com

The natural law doesn't say that men and woman have equal roles either. Whatever they are, men and women are not equal in every sense. By nature, for example, they aren't. This is obvious.

Now, both sexes are equal in human dignity and rights. But human interaction and nature institutions ultimately create hierarchy. So, some of the more prudent reasons ancient people thought that wives should be subject to her husband is

1) woman tend to be more sentimental and thus irrational

2) when there is a disagreement in a marriage, a conflict of deep importance that requires a decision, in order for the marriage to continue, one spouse needs to "veto" the other. The man should be the ultimate decider because of (1) and (3)

3) Woman are biologically inferior to males, because they are a "misbegotten male."

(1) is arguable, at least. (3) has been proven wrong with the advancement of biology. (2) points out something very important, and probably explains why divorce is such a huge problem in our society.

Lost Sheep #fundie forums.catholic.com

It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but I firmly believe that before the 21st Century is over we are going to see another Civil War in the United States. And this time it won't be over secession, or slavery or fought across boundaries like the one in the 1860s.

This is going to be fought over ideology. The political Right will take up arms against the Left. America's moral compass has not just lost its direction; the compass itself is lost. Political Correctness is run amok. Freedom of Religion is practically illegal. It's all about "me" and no longer about "us" anymore. I could present a whole laundry list of how the liberals have messed up this country in the past eight years and if the liberals prevail in the next presidential election, it is only going to get worse.

It needs to be stopped; by force if necessary.

I plan to purchase an AR-15 type rifle this weekend because I'm afraid I may not be able to buy one after next January.

ucfengr #fundie forums.catholic.com

(What concerns me about how some Catholics view marriage, it can come across that it's all about reproduction, rather than love.)

Marriage being about love is a rather new idea, and looking at the current state of marriage, not a good one.

Elizium23 #fundie forums.catholic.com

would rather have persecution and oppression of the True Faith than the current state of affairs.

I would rather that Catholics be martyred for our beliefs and forced to go underground, worshiping secretly, than secular humanist atheism be permitted to take over and run rampant in this nation because of the technicality that the powers-that-be don't consider it to be a "religion" by their definition (it is indeed religion masquerading as something else) and allow it to piece-by-piece establish itself in the infrastructure of this country ever since the American Revolution.

I would rather that priests be shot openly in the public square, and thus assuring their Heavenly reward and witness to the Faith, than this abuse of our internal scandals such as sexual abuse, and idiotic snarky sniping that goes on in the Huffington Post and Salon.com by "enlightened atheists" that want to throw off the shackles of Bronze-Age morality and usher in a new Utopia of atheistic peace and tranquility.

edwest2 #fundie forums.catholic.com

Speaking from the US, the cry of "Why can't I get married" didn't end with a marriage license. Oh no. Gay wedding? A florist or baker or photographer refuses their services and legal action follows. Your schools will have storybooks for children showing gay marriage as normative. TV programs will casually include gay husbands or bisexual wives if they haven't already. 

If it was just two men or two women saying they were married and going about their lives, what will you tell your children? Will your children be told that any type of sexual desire or encounter is good or neutral? No one likes to be forced.

I see being sympathetic as a good trait but not if it is applied without knowing what marriage really means and has meant for thousands of years, then why should two men or two women get married? In the US, benefits were mentioned, but when states tried to give these benefits to gay couples without the word marriage, one LGBT site claimed that that would make them 'second-class citizens.' So gay marriage is not possible in a real sense even though it is legal.

And the next phase is gender identity. If a boy or girl in school feels they are actually the opposite sex then they can legally use a girls' restroom even though they are clearly boys. Then groups will be formed in schools so that gay and straight students can interact, but that's not all. You may have heard the term "diversity day," where all sorts of good and bad things are presented as 'we're all different but that's OK." Just use common sense. Not bullying a classmate for being gay is one thing but for young people whose knowledge of the outside world - the real world - is limited, such groups can cause confusion or even lead to invitations.

This is a situation where friendships and true, committed love boil down to 'any sex is good regardless of the mix and match number of partners." That's the end goal. And here, right as the gay marriage finish line was in sight, the fight for 'gay divorce' began. 

And civil rights? 

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jef..._marriage.php3

http://www.wnd.com/2014/09/black-pas...-gay-marriage/


Just be honest. 


http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Diversi.../dp/074252034X

I wish bullying other kids for being overweight, or to show your power to "persuade" them to give you money or just for upsetting other kids by disrespecting the pecking order in schools should have ended decades ago - for everybody. Teenagers would get into fistfights to show their strength or prove they were "real men." Ending that would have made schools better for all decades ago. But it seems it was not a hig

otjm #fundie forums.catholic.com

Not to make too fine a point of it, but Hitler killed about 10 million. In the United States alone, we have killed something like 54 or 55 million killed through abortion, and that is just in the U.S. Include all the other countries which promote and approve abortion, and the number is incredible.

Pretty much makes ISIS the "junior varsity" team our President declared them to be; they are just more efficient in using graphic imagery

JimG #fundie forums.catholic.com

I don't know if this decision, unique in the thousands of years of Western civilization, will ever be rescinded or not. It may not matter at this point. The institution of marriage has been all but destroyed by contraception, divorce, and sexual license. Obergefell merely puts the final nail in the coffin. If marriage is dead, as it seems to be, the family follows suit, as does society and civilization. All that remains is to endure the coming dark age and rebuild when it becomes possible again to recognize reality.

KathleenGee #fundie forums.catholic.com

I some how agree with P Benedict and the late Cardinal Francis George....that after secularism has destroyed society, the Church, as it has done in the past, will rebuild society and the family.

For now, we devout Catholics are a small minority in my part of the country. But we are strong and vibrant and provide many gifts of presence, giving, and culture to the secular community.

starryheart #fundie forums.catholic.com

[My daughter says she is an atheist?]

There's a very interesting movie out there which you can get at a Catholic bookstore. I think it's called "Science Tests Faith." I watched it a few months ago and it talks about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This movie shook me to the core. It was quite overwhelming. Maybe you can get her to watch it. I know it might take more than a movie but keep trying. Get a gallon of water and get it blessed by a priest and add it to whatever your family drinks. Receive Communion and offer it up for her and her conversion.

My sister too has left the church."...pray to a God that may or may not exist!" That's what my sister says. Even though it's tough I'm not giving up and you shouldn't either. I pray God will open your daughter's eyes too. Stay strong, she'll come back. Keep praying.

tonyrey #fundie forums.catholic.com

Christopher Hitchens needed alcohol to sustain him in his barren view of life. He spent his life attacking religion because he had nothing to defend! He needed religion because without it he would have been lost! It was his main source of inspiration: the very fact that he never expressed doubt or fear about his convictions demonstrates that atheism was his religion. He worshipped his own opinion as if he were an infallible authority. Intellectual pride was the fatal flaw at the root of his scheme of things because unwillingness to admit we may be wrong is a sign of weakness not strength. It demonstrates that we are unreasonable and incapable of intellectual development. As you point out "The atheists or non-religious mostly remain where they are." They are trapped in the hole they have dug for themselves. 

And a reputation based on notoriety is not worth having. It makes money at the expense of moral integrity. To attack Mother Teresa and Pope Francis who have done far more to help poor people than he ever did is evidence of spiritual decadence. They will be remembered long after he is forgotten because he has left nothing but cynicism and despair. By their fruits you shall know them...

cjforJesus #fundie forums.catholic.com

This is only the first step.The final step is intergenerational sexual activity between adults and children.It is part of the Kinsey agenda.
......
With the erroneous SCOTus ruling pederasty is now legal in all 50 states I find it disgusting that children are being taught that homosexual contact including the insertion of the hand into the anus is normal loving behavior.Sorry for being so blunt but I feel people that love each other should be respectful. It is all very pagan practice though so not surprising. Like I said this is only the first step toward total freedom of sexual expression between all age groups. It is part of Kinseys agenda as he saw nothing wrong with fathers "fondling" their daughter sexually as long as they did it "lovingly" YUK

Charlemagne III #fundie forums.catholic.com

Yes, at the core it is hollow, meaning empty.

Atheism argues one thing and one thing only, that there is no God. This is a negative that implies a hundred other negatives that go nowhere. That is what I experienced as an atheist in my youth. The negative effects of atheism on my life were profound. It was only when I began to see the negative effects of atheism on others (and on society at large) that I was able to look in the mirror and see them in myself as well. 

What is positive about atheism? Nothing. 

What is positive about religion? Everything, so long as you have the right religion. Some radical religions are also negative, but none of them are so hollow as atheism. 

This is not to say that atheists cannot be upstanding citizens in society or have virtues that commend them. But it is to say that atheism cannot spring from fundamental roots that grow happiness in our lives. 

I do not say that religion is a guarantee of happiness, since too many people by the lip service they give to their faith show in their lives that their faith is not authentic. 

The true desire to see God, however, inspires hope and virtue in a way that atheism can never do.

mikekle #fundie forums.catholic.com

Oh, I would say hate is very much involved in abortion, in order to work at one of these places, or have any kind of involvement requires some level of hate within the person.

I would say if the doctors, nurses, staff, etc were truthful, they are most likely very unhappy, hateful people, but they have learned how to put on a good poker face.

Flambeau,Fr. Vincent Serpa. #fundie forums.catholic.com

I feel like God wants us to have a big loving family, and my wife and I feel called to have many more children, so naturally we turned to adoption. Unfortunately, many of the Houston area Christian adoption agencies aren't accepting any new parents, or aren't having informationals( the first step) for a year or so. There is one great agency, who claims to be Christian, but they allow same sex couples and single parents to adopt children. They are able to get us started immediately, but I have been postponing as I think giving a child to a same-sex couple is morally evil, and the Adoption agency is the prime agent of the moral evil. Would I be materially cooperating with evil by adopting a child from here?

No! On the contrary; you would be rescuing a child who would otherwise be denied a family life with both a mother and a father. Get to it!

Rev48 #fundie forums.catholic.com

[In reference to an article entitled: Liberty Student: Why I Didn’t Cheer for Jerry Falwell Jr.]

Since when is self defense "hateful"? Are you proposing we all defend ourselves like defenseless unborn babies in their mother's womb and hope liberal ideology shows us mercy and doesn't kill us?

SeanF1989 #fundie forums.catholic.com

In response to an article from 1915 demonizing Catholics immigrating to the US much in the same way Muslim immigrants are vilified today:

If this was published today it would get a round of applause from the left. There would be no social justice warriors running to our defense. There would no celebrities mentioning all the great things the Catholic Church did for the world. image

mikekle #fundie forums.catholic.com

Showing gay characters is one thing, but glorifying the openly gay lifestyle is another, especially when they convey casual sex encounters as common. If this is shown enough on TV shows, commercials, movies, the more people will become used to the idea and eventually it wont be taboo at all...this 'tactic' can also be used for agendas, not just LGBT lifestyles, at some point, it will probably be used in attempt to 'normalize' pedophilia' to some degree, it really is already happening, Ive seen quite a few shows/ movies that depict a middle aged man having a sexual encounter (or desiring such a thing), with a 16-17 yr old female, this isnt really pedophilia, but it 'breaks the ice' and paves the way later on for acceptable 'trysts' with younger people. A common theme is "whats age got to do with anything, we are just out to have a good time".

I think Hollywood tries to convey what they think a 'normal' lifestyle should be, it is accomplished by showing character reactions to such things, their emotions, etc, they know how to spin it, so people come to think its all normal, in the 90s, they tried the same thing, but in attempts to depict strong single women, in otherwise normally male jobs, like cops, detectives, judges, etc, but if you looked at real life, there were not many females like this out there...its just something Hollywood (or someone above them) wanted to become normal

SeanF1989 #fundie forums.catholic.com

guess this is the case all across Western Europe, places like Poland and Hungary are still quite devout but Western Europe is not, even Italy and Ireland aren't devout anymore, I wonder what the future holds for Western Europe, US, Australia etc; atheistic dictatorship or Sharia law?

MiserableSinner #fundie forums.catholic.com

I know the best reform for Islam. Convert them all. If St. Patrick could convert a whole country of pagans, we should be able to convert Iran and Saudi Arabia right? Pagans were even worse than Iran and SA!!!!

Our Faith is the only true Faith with the fullness of Truth. We literally have God on our side. If the Saints of old converted people in the WHOLE WORLD, why can't we convert our country? Why are we LOSING numbers of PRACTICING Catholics? You would be surprised how many don't know basic things like something I heard today - you can't receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin. I heard that over half of us don't believe in the real presence of the Eucharist, yet most people receive on Sunday. Maybe I am hearing false statistics. I hope so.
If I'm not, the answer is simple. WE HAVE TO CONVERT OURSELVES BEFORE WE CAN CONVERT ALL OF ISLAM AND SAVE THEIR SOULS AND THEIR CHILDREN'S SOULS!

"Everyone has their own beliefs."
"Muslims worship the same God as us. We don't need to try to convert them. Let them have their beliefs. We don't want to offend people."
"Don't talk about politics and religion."
"I don't want to be uncharitable. I must be prudent." (What is more charitable and prudent than saving souls from eternal Hell?)

We have so many excuses. If 99 people reject us and 1 person is converted - ONE PERSON WAS SAVED FROM HELL. And what if that 1 person converts 99 in the next decade?

But we can't save them if we ourselves are not converted. We need the whole body of Christ in a state of grace, praying and sacrificing!!!

God help us to serve you and do your Holy Will. Help us to place your Holy Will above our daily lives and our desire to feel comfortable and avoid confrontation. I love you and I trust you. In Jesus Name I pray.

Mother please help us. In Jesus Name I pray.

I ask you all to pray for me, because I have often avoided confrontation and desired comfort when I should have been speaking up for the Truth. I often see Muslims and instead of talking to them and trying to convert them, I pray for them sometimes. Ask God to give me boldness and a love for the cross and a love for their souls and their childrens souls.

I love you all and I salute you all
I salute your Guardian Angels (I love you all. Please ask God to give me this grace.)

KSU #fundie forums.catholic.com

An effort is always made, in any debate of this nature, to equate Liberal Catholics with Conservative Catholics by implying that, if dissent is harmful to the Church, Conservatism is, too.

In order to pull it off, the term "Conservative" or small t "traditional" is unfairly vilified and then slyly substituted for "orthodox". It's an old trick, and many thousands of people have been unknowingly taken in by it the last forty years. It's the MO of the political and religious "left".

The objective of Liberals is to convince the poorly educated that religious orthodoxy (called "Conservative" or "traditional") represents many errors, and that, therefore, a modern concept of the Church is needed--a victory for Liberals because the reason for their dissent is to rid the Church of most orthodoxy. They stay in the Church because they want to work for a dissenting church with the Real Presence.

BTW, there is no chicken-and-egg conundrum for orthodox Catholics; God created chickens, not eggs.

phil19034 #fundie forums.catholic.com

who are we kidding.... this is simple. The ISIS is using the refugee system as a way to invade Europe and secularists who want to rid the world of Christianity and/or religion want a Muslims invasion. These secular fools actually believe that by having Muslims enter the west, they will eliminate or neutralize Christianity and the Muslims will then become "educated" and change their views.

marbleartist #fundie forums.catholic.com

Please help us sort out this moral and ethical dilemma. We live in a state that recently passed a law stating that all abortionists must have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles from the location the abortions are performed. This law also states that the abortion clinic must maintain the same cleanliness standards as an outpatient surgical clinic. Due to these requirements, all but 8 Planned Parenthoods have closed. Yay! Unfortunately, one that remains open is located in my city. Worse yet, the abortionist has been featured on one of the undercover videos from the Center for Medical Progress- and she admits to breaking the law, doing partial birth abortion on live babies (not killed with digoxin injections prior to the procedures) and doing 30 abortions per day! She is the face of evil and moral bankruptcy. My husband is Division Chief Medical Officer of a large hospital system, which includes a large number of hospitals in our city. After investigating, it appears that the reason our Planned Parenthood remains open is because two of MY HUSBAND'S hospitals have given admitting privileges to this abortionist! He notified the CMO of each of these hospitals who were also horrified. Upon investigation, it appears that she won't be coming up for credentialing for several more years! It also appears that she just obtained admitting privileges after this law was passed. Unless our state charges her with a crime (which isn't unlikely because they raided that PP) there is nothing to be done to revoke her privileges. So...my husband is working as CMO and one of the doctors on staff is an abortionist who revels in her job. He and I are sick about it. He also approached the Division CEO who doesn't want to touch this political hot button. The only recourse currently is to make common knowledge that this hospital system is enabling PP which would no doubt cause a local uproar forcing some action by the CEO. Or, he could remain silent. Or he could quit. What, in your opinion, is the most moral and ethical action? Thank you.

Sailor Kenshin #fundie forums.catholic.com

Revelations is hard to understand, for me, but I would take the article with several grains of salt.

I don't believe in aliens but I'm pretty sure demons are real. They are the angels who sided with Lucifer. As such, they have no physical form.