[Bbrenda]

Why do Catholics have such strict rules compared to other religions?

User Detail :  

Name : Bbrenda, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 16, City : Brewerton, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, 

[Augustine23633]

I think THE WORLD ALMANAC once put it best in their chart describing various religions: Catholicism is 'very strict in theory but tolerant in practice on most issues'. Catholicism ideally calls for sinlessness in one's life but recognizes that people will continue to sin despite their best efforts, and forgiveness is readily available for the repentant sinner. Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality is indeed challenging, and all Catholics (myself included) truly struggle to live up to it. If I had to sum up Catholic sexual morality and why it is different from what most people understand, it would go something like this: 'Yes, it goes against human nature to think of things like staying in a marriage despite sometimes grave difficulties, not preventing conception by artificial methods, and not engaging in any sex acts or fantasies outside of marriage. However, this is God's way of insuring the continuance of the race and the raising of children in stable Christian homes and families. Anything else tampers with this by creating sexual opportunities outside of marriage, preventing conception within marriage, or breaking up the home.' Admittedly this is a high ideal to live up to, but it is simply the perennial teaching of the Catholic Church.

User Detail :  

Name : Augustine23633, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 40, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Peter Briant]

The Catholic Church began in the 4th Century. Over the years they have brought in many different rules (the Bible was finished more than 300 years before the Catholic Church was founded). So, if they follow the teachings in the Bible, that was finished long before the Church started. Why bring in manmade rules? Having said that, I'm not sure what 'strict rules' you refer to. The Bible itself has 'rules' that we have to follow, too. For example, we have to abstain from sex outside of marriage, adultery, homosexuality and idolatry (the worshipping of idols). These are 'some' of the rules we have to obey, in order to please not any church, but God himself.

User Detail :  

Name : Peter Briant, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jehovahs Witness, Age : 38, City : Melbourne, State : NA Country : Australia, Occupation : storeman, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Arnold-U23788]

The perception that Catholics are very strict can be realigned when one realizes that Seventh Day Adventists can be as strict - what they can do on Saturday, what they can ea, etc. Judaism in its strictest sects is very strict. Followers of Islam are very strict, as any sect, if they take their faith seriously.

User Detail :  

Name : Arnold-U23788, Gender : M, City : Edmonton, Alberta, State : NA Country : Canada, 

[Steve]

Most religions are strict. But if Catholicism is strict (and I'm a Baptist, OK?) it's because they're doing a pretty good job of striving to maintain the demanding standards that God has for us. The problem is we all carry the 'sin' disease, which makes us lean away from His standards. It 'cripples' us and makes these perfectly good standards of God impossible for us to keep. That's why it's strict. It's like trying to walk with a broken ankle and complaining that this walking business is too strict. Fortunately, God offers us a relationship with Him that guarantees forgiveness for our failures, and a new heart that will lean toward the standards God made for us. Email me and we'll chat.

User Detail :  

Name : Steve, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 37, City : Port Stephens, State : WA Country : Australia, Occupation : Salesman, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Phil30409]

Many of the rules created by the Catholic Church, especially during the early-modern period, were created for the church to aquire greater wealth and power. For example, its well known that Catholic Priests cannot marry. This principle was introduced to protect the church's assets after inheretance law changed in England, making the woman the principle benficiary of her husband's wealth in the even of his death. As a Catholic Priest's wealth and the church's wealthy are effectively one and the same, the implications were enormous. Hence the introduction of the new rule. The laws on contraception were again, largely, about power. This time the confirmation of the rule against contraceptives was the result of a power struggle between a number of arch-bishops (very senior regional directors within the church) and the Curia (the church's ruling body) in the Vatican. Phil Ex-Catholic

User Detail :  

Name : Phil30409, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Wiccan, Age : 27, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, 

[Author]

Posts