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Posted: Feb 23 2011 11:01 pm

SoldierHawk wrote:

This may become my new favorite article of all time, for pure fun. VERY well done, sir. Any man that quotes Dante is ok with me!

Odd though...I've been teaching my high schoolers (one of whom looks EXACTLY like you by the way, Syd. I literally did a double take the first day he walked in because I thought you had somehow ended up in my classroom!) "The Masque of the Red Death," which relies heavily on the Seven Deadly Sins. I've always taught the sins using the acronym GELCAPS. Seems a bit easier to remember (and doesn't rely on the Latin.) Where did you learn the other version?

My 9th grade CCD teacher was a theology major and she taught it to us. Latin is not widely used in the Catholic Church outside of the Holy See, so I don't imagine the acronym is widely used anymore. I am familiar with GELCAPS as well, and then there's order created by Pope Gregory and used by Dante in the Divine Comedy: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride.

For my purposes the SALIGIA pacing worked best, so that was the one I went with.

Posted: Feb 23 2011 11:06 pm

I love you Syd, I want more articles. I'd write my own articles but I'm too lazy, I wish I had your ability. Until then, keep feeding me more artcles or I'll kick your ass because I'm awesome like that.

Posted: Feb 24 2011 01:33 am

Woo! New article!

When I get time, I shall read it twice! And twice again!

Posted: Feb 24 2011 01:36 am

i enjoyed it. good job

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Is stuff like the 7 deadly sins taught in CCD to all Catholic students or is it just your teacher that was into it Syd?

Posted: Feb 24 2011 10:04 am

I think my teacher was just into it. It's funny, I can't really remember anything specific I learned in CCD.

It's possibly that it was actually a part of CCD. I'm trying to remember exactly, but CCD education starts in like first or second grade by prerparing you for First Penance and First Communion, and ends in spring in 10th grade with Confirmation. We had textbooks each year, and workbooks in the early years. It way very Jesus-centric, I don't recall the Old Testament being covered at all, outside of the Ten Commandments. It was more about understanding Christ and how his teaching should guide your life, understanding the sacraments, understanding sin and how to avoid it, and with an overall emphasis on being a good person. I'll ask my sister later if she remembers what they taught in CCD. Her Confirmation was 2 years ago as opposed to 14, so she might remember better.

We had to do community service to be eligible for Confirmation, I remember that. I kinda cheated in that regard. I also had to do community service for National Honor Society, so I used the same community service hours to fulfill both. I didn't REALLY do anything wrong, but that's probably not in the spirit of either organization. The point was to give my time to others, and I gave less than I could have.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Syd Lexia wrote:

We had to do community service to be eligible for Confirmation, I remember that. I kinda cheated in that regard. I also had to do community service for National Honor Society, so I used the same community service hours to fulfill both. I didn't REALLY do anything wrong, but that's probably not in the spirit of either organization. The point was to give my time to others, and I gave less than I could have.

You do realize that building and maintaining a web community for free is pretty much in the spirit, so perhaps you have made up for your past regret and didn't even know it.

For what it is worth, as a Jew, I never learned anything about hell or how you would get there in Hebrew School. Most likely it is due to the lack of belief in the Good/Nothing/Bad places you could possibly go after death. What I do find interesting though is that I definitely remember my education very clearly. Our studies covered major holidays, historical events, the Torah, and learning Hebrew.

Where am I going with this? Well, thank goodness you wrote this article! I never would have known about what kind of a bastard Mario was due to my religious ignorance. Now that I know about what kind of a prick he is, I'll be sure to avoid him... although in the end, doesn't Catholicism suggest we would be going to the same place when we both die?

Posted: Feb 24 2011 12:00 pm

I'm not sure what the current doctrine is. I think currently , yes, the Church's official stance is that Christ is the only way to Heaven, and that Catholicism is the best way to know Christ. But obviously, every religion is going to say, on some level, that their religion is best and the most correct. Every so often this a news story. One of the top cardinals in Rome is asked about it, he reiterates the stance that's on the books, and then there's a headline about how the Church believes all non-Catholics are going to hell. There is generally a large hestitancy in the Church to update doctrine, so yes, that is still technically on the books. But it is not an active and preeminent belief within the Church.

Instead, the modern Church preaches religious tolerance. John Paul II and Pope Benedict established themselves not just as ambassadors of faith, but of peace. And religios tolerance generally comes with the explicit concession that, at least in regards to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, that it's all the same God anyway. And that generally comes with an explicit or implicit concession that believing in Him is more important than the specifics of what you believe. Consequently, religious tolerance also carries either an explicit or implicit concession that those who worship differently than you are not damned to burn in the pits of Hell. Believing that someone is doomed to an afterlife of eternal suffering because they're different than you isn't very tolerant. In fact, aside from causing bodily harm, that's about as intolerant as you can possibly be.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

That was a pretty good one. I felt it was a tad short, but it's still pretty funny and amusing. I wonder how many of the Ten Commandments Mario breaks as well?

Banned Joined: Sep 13 2008 Posts: 3129

I love the new article, funny, a great read, and it has become my favorite right next to A Link To Love Very Happy

Wizard Joined: Jun 12 2009 Posts: 4209

That's a fantastic article. I laughed a lot.

Posted: Feb 25 2011 11:32 pm

just red through it and had my fun. nice job syd.

Posted: Feb 26 2011 02:21 pm

I love the diet soda fueled spree killing in the mall tangent.

Posted: Mar 01 2011 08:13 am

yeah, that one was great. Very Happy

Posted: Mar 01 2011 12:58 pm

Bite, is your sig from that game Catherine?

Posted: Mar 01 2011 01:43 pm

Yea Syd.

CCD was an interesting experience, I went through the whole deal from Baptism to Confirmation, ehhh.

I sure don't remember much of it.

Posted: Mar 01 2011 08:50 pm

GPFontaine wrote:

For what it is worth, as a Jew, I never learned anything about hell or how you would get there in Hebrew School. Most likely it is due to the lack of belief in the Good/Nothing/Bad places you could possibly go after death.

What's the point of having the religion at all then?

Honest question. Since basically almost all religions deal with life and more importantly the afterlife(even mine has Valhalla and Hel,) if Judaism just doesn't have any opinion on it, why even have the religion at all? What's the motive to follow it, especially for Hebrews way back when(say, like Hyksos time and before.)

Posted: Mar 01 2011 10:06 pm

Maybe it's a do the right thing because you know better angle? As apposed to the follow the rules or be tormented for failure to do so angle? Not sure since I'm not a Jew, but I have always been annoyed with the don't raid the cookie jar or dad will spank you reasoning behind most monotheistic religions, can't we just be good because we know it's the right thing to do, follow your conscience etc? Confused

Posted: Mar 01 2011 11:54 pm

Blackout wrote:

Maybe it's a do the right thing because you know better angle? As apposed to the follow the rules or be tormented for failure to do so angle? Not sure since I'm not a Jew, but I have always been annoyed with the don't raid the cookie jar or dad will spank you reasoning behind most monotheistic religions, can't we just be good because we know it's the right thing to do, follow your conscience etc? Confused

Yeah, but can't be the motivation with Judaism, as it has smiting and raining hellfire just like Christianity and Islam, perhaps even more so in some respects. Yahweh would smoke your ass, just ask the Sodomites.

I could see that today(the whole "do the right thing because you know better" angle as you said,) but what I'm truly curious about is how they got Hebrews to go along with it back in the day.

Posted: Mar 02 2011 12:11 am

I may be rusty but from what I remember Jews believe Man is created with the ability to be pure or to be sinful. There was a place similar to Hades or something they believe in, Sheoul or something like that, and heaven. Basically it was be good to God and man and be rewarded, or don't and regret it. That's my, a 2002 Judaism college course students, memory at least.

Posted: Mar 02 2011 12:15 am

here you go: http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/beliefs/afterlife.htm

whether this is correct or not, i would not know since i am not of the jewish faith

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

Man, I wish there was some guy that posts here who might know about some of these Judiasm issues.

Posted: Mar 02 2011 06:41 am

There is. The "J" is Dr. Jeebus stands for Judaism.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Mar 02 2011 06:50 am

Syd Lexia wrote:

There is. The "J" is Dr. Jeebus stands for Judaism.

And he's a DOCTOR, honey. Oy, don't let that one get away.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Douche McCallister wrote:

Basically it was be good to God and man and be rewarded, or don't and regret it.

Douche, that is very close to what I have been taught.

The only refinement would be that it isn't about being good to God, it is about being good.

Good = good things after you die
Bad = bad things after you die

The specifics aren't drawn out, but they do not include a physical body.

Username, that is an interesting article. Most reform Jews interpret the stories of the Torah as metaphors to be aware of rather than actual events. So trying to read the hebrew text and one to one translate it into English to obtain a meaning will end with different results for each person who does it. Rabbis often times gather to discuss the meanings of the metaphors.

I have talked to two Rabbis directly about this over my life and both gave the same answer.

Jews don't believe in heaven or hell, just that being good will lead to spiritual bliss and being bad will lead to spiritual yuckiness.

Jack,

So without the religion why be good to each other? Because society can't exist without people being good to each other. Coexistance is how we have beaten evolution so far.

With the Jewish religion why be good to each other? All existence is the child of one god. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. No person is expected to be god, but every person is expected to try and live in 'his' image. This includes goodness and the traits included such as honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility, etc.

If you are bad, you are essentially going against this... and disrespecting an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent entity... Probably not a good idea.