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kooka
I agree. I have actually been to services for the Mormon church, Unity church, United Pentecostal (which is different from Pentecostal as I know it, believe me!) and Church of Christ (also very different), Messianic Jewish and some others. Interesting teachings. The Messianic Jewish was probably my best experience - it was very cool. I was recently invited to a Baptism ceremony at a Catholic Church but I had to miss it. Maybe another time. My mother took me to Catholic services maybe twice in my childhood, and I have very dim images of the experience. I mostly remember long robes and kneeling before sitting down. I have also read Darwin's Origin of the Species . You already know how I feel about that 
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Cosette
posted by
Cosette
on October 25, 2003 at 11:09 PM
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Cosette
You really should attend a Catholic ceremony then. I have been a many weddings and a few funerals, and I really have felt that the Catholics are the ones who have really gotten it wrong on how to do those ceremonies.
I would advise anyone who wants to debate religion to go to as many different religions services as possible. This is how you learn what each religion is about and are able to form views on them. It is how you learn. Given an invite I am willing to attend mass at just about any church. Not because I believe, but Because I wish to learn.
A future blog of mine will most likely deal with the idea that is it a common thing for people to not go and learn about other religions first hand, but to be told by there church why the other religions are bad and wrong and that you shouldn't go and listen to what they have to say.
posted by
kooka_lives
on October 25, 2003 at 8:48 PM
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kooka
I actually agree with you about some of this. A marriage is between two people and it has everything to do with their lives together. I don't know much about the Catholic church, not being a Catholic, but I can give you a perspective from the Pentecostal Christian view. First of all, if the persons getting married are believers, they will often want a message at their ceremony. The reason for that is because they love the Lord and to them He is the third party in their marriage, as it were. They wouldn't want to enter into marriage without God there with them from the beginning. If the bride and groom want a message spoken at their wedding, who is to gainsay them? And usually, the pastor will have the bride and groom say their own vows in addition to the reading of the scripture. As for funerals, again in my experience the service is up to those grieving. I have never been to a funeral where there was not much sharing about their loved one by those present. I have also heard a message spoken at almost every funeral I've been to, again at the request of those grieving.
The messages are uplifting to they that are having the ceremony, be it wedding, funeral, baptism, dedication, whatever. A bonus is if it is uplifting to anyone else present.
Again, these comments are not from a Catholic perspective. Catholics are much more ceremony and ritual focused. However, the persons getting married, or whatever, made the decision about who performed the ceremony. They must have been OK with the way it would be presented. And as I said, who is to gainsay them? Why not just share their joy/grief?
posted by
Cosette
on October 25, 2003 at 1:20 PM
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