How often do you go to church

[Mrs. Tuberski]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker

That doesnt make any sense from my standing, since a catholic cannot marry a non catholic in a catholic cermoney unless that other person has made the sacraments required before marriage which is baptism confesion and confirmation.

Or unless the priest doesn't care. Which is the case quite often.

Exactly kuci which was my point in enterity. The priest decides and doesnt. If you donate enough money and or the favors are being called out the catholic church will bow to ur needs.

[Kuciwalker]

Eh, that's not quite it. What matters is that most churches in America are quite liberal/don't care about such things, not that people corrupt the church with money.

[Pyrodrew]

Originally posted by Mrs. Tuberski

That doesnt make any sense from my standing, since a catholic cannot marry a non catholic in a catholic cermoney unless that other person has made the sacraments required before marriage which is baptism confesion and confirmation. You cannot not be married in the catholic church with out these sacraments. I am not saying your wrong but this has been my experience.

I've never seen a Catholic marry a non-Catholic in a Catholic ceremony, but I do know they can marry without the Catholic ceremony and still receive communion fine.

Another website...

http://www.catholic.org.uk/library/catechism/matrimony.shtml

Can a Catholic marry a non-Catholic Christian?

A Catholic can marry a non-Catholic Christian but permission from the Bishop is required and the non-Catholic must understand and accept the teachings of the Church on Christian marriage. The Catholic, in the presence of the non-Catholic Christian, promises to practise his or her faith and to bring up their children in the Catholic faith.

Can a Catholic marry a non-Catholic who is not a Christian?

A Catholic can marry a non-Catholic who is not a Christian but special permission from the Bishop is required because the grace of the Sacrament cannot be given or received by someone who is not baptised.

[Pyrodrew]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Eh, that's not quite it. What matters is that most churches in America are quite liberal/don't care about such things,

Such as...

http://www.catholicintl.com/qa/july04QA.htm#Question%203

R. Sungenis: The bishop who told her she did not have to promise to baptize her children was disobeying Canon law, and the bishop is not above Canon Law. Both he and the woman who got married without baptizing her children have sinned, and if they don't rectify it in this life, they will pay for it in the next.

[Zevico]

I attend a synagogue about once every few years, but I'm going to go for one decade at the least. I figure I have to improve myself somehow.
W/regard to jewish intermarriage: this will be one very long *****ing session.

There is a very big thing made out of it by many jews. Why a girl's family should care, I have no idea, because Judaism is passed down by the female rather than the male. But there's still a lot of pressure to "marry in" the jewish community in some sectors, regardless of gender. Even otherwise completely irreligious, atheist jews might prefer their children to marry jewish. No one is excommunicated or ignored--otherwise half the jewish community wouldn't be counted as jewish--but if you're male and you 'marry out' then your kids aren't considered jews, at least by jewish law. According to Israeli law they can get Israeli citizenship.
Why is this an issue? Because there's around 12 or 13 million jews worldwide, all together. Intermarriage rates are up at about 50% in America, and every board, "community group" or what have you that supposedly represents Jews (what a joke) complains about it non stop. Some people want to perpetuate what they view as the Jewish People and encourage people to marry jews rather than non-jews.
As an agnostic, completely non-practicising Australian Jew, I think the whole thing's ridiculous. I don't care if there's a "Chosen People" or not, and I don't care if I'm supposedly one of them. There is -absolutely- nothing that culturally connects Jews worldwide apart from a common religion (even that's debatable...). That there is a Jewish people is in itself part of the 'postulates' of Judaism. The fact remains, however, that an Ethiopan Jew comes from an entirely different background to a Sephardic, or Ashkenazi Jew. In times past, all of them treated each other with racism and contempt (particularly the European Ashkenazi Jews to the "backward" Middle Eastern ones). They have nothing in common but religion. There is no Jewish 'Nation', as far as I'm concerned, outside of Israelis--and even that's complicated by the fact that there are many non-Jewish Israelis--and there hasn't been one for 2000 years. Therefore, if one is not religious, there is no reason to think that intermarriage should be in any way discouraged. I'm what is called an "assimilationist". My beliefs were quite popular among many Jews prior to the Holocaust, but understandably a lot of people "lost faith" in them afterwards and people came to believe more in a 'Jewish People' as a "backlash effect". That's the main reason why, until this very day, many Jews oppose intermarriage. Most won't give you such a long-winded answer though, because it's rooted in emotion (the feeling of prosecution) rather than anything else.
Ironic, no? If it wasn't for Hitler, I doubt there would be more than a few million Jews alive today. Most would have married out.

[trev]

Every Sunday I attend church, reasonably often I will attend twice on Sunday, morning and evening. Regular attendance at church is not necessary, but is very beneficial for gaining strength to live the christian life and also encourages other christians in their life.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Ramo
I've been to churches/mosques a few times for marriages. I've been to a large number of churches in Europe this Summer because they are so badazz from an aesthetic (and historical) point of view (obviously not in the US since Protestants have no taste) , and because they're generally free (except for the Sistine Chapel ).

Northern Europe has alot of nice Protestant churches and cathedrals. The lack of taste is probably an American thing.

[Gangerolf]

oh man there are so many ugly churches around here and they're all protestant as far as I know. especially the suburban churches built in the 70s and 80s. some of them look more like spacecrafts than churches.

[Gangerolf]

about the catholic communion thing. I'm not catholic and I've receieved catholic communion a couple of times. I've even seen a hindu receive communion. I think it all depends on the priest.

[alva]

Originally posted by Spiffor

I have never witnessed that in my whole life.

My mother couldn't marry my father (church) until he did his communion.
In the end I think he just bribed him or something.

[Richelieu]

I go every few years, but only as a social gesture. To pay respect for my deceased grandfather, for a friend or family member wedding or a wedding anniversary mass etc...
I have no place for religion in my life but i am willing to do a lot for family or friends. And going to church is not much to ask if it makes them happy to have me there.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Pyrodrew
Such as...

http://www.catholicintl.com/qa/july04QA.htm#Question%203

So some very conservative catholic group says they've sinned. Whoop-de-do.

[Nostromo]

Originally posted by Richelieu
I go every few years, but only as a social gesture. To pay respect for my deceased grandfather, for a friend or family member wedding or a wedding anniversary mass etc...
I have no place for religion in my life but i am willing to do a lot for family or friends. And going to church is not much to ask if it makes them happy to have me there.

[Pyrodrew]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
So some very conservative catholic group says they've sinned. Whoop-de-do.

I posted that more to support your "priests (or even a bishop) can be liberal/not care" assertion stated earlier. Second, even within that very conservative judgment, there was no ban from receiving a(ny) sacrament(s) mentioned.

[lord of the mark]

well of course ive actually attended a church service probably less than dozen times in life, mainly weddings, once a christmas eve choral thingie, stuff like that.

I answered once a week since thats about how often i attend synagogue services. Well actually there are many shabbats I dont go at all, but thats balanced by the times I go on both friday night and Saturday Morning, the the High Holidays, and the occasional weekday service (the service is not occasional - my attendance is)

With POTMS bat mitzvah done, id probably attend less, and go more to different synagogues = but POTM really likes to go - she sees most of her friends there


I beleive quite strongly that there IS such a thing as Jewish secular identity - that doesnt mean that every jewish community in the world has participated in it - but there are definitely aspects of Jewish culture that are not "religious" by conventional definitions, that are shared across the Ashkenazic-Sephardic divide. Many of them are related to aspects of Jewish religious life - the calendar, for ex, or certain modes of argument that are talmudically based, etc. Which is another way of saying that Judaism, while broader than a religion, is still deeply religious at its core. But as an individual, I certainly dont feel less Jewish when Im in mood of theological doubt.