Before I begin, calm down I am not actually considering shooting up my school. The point I am trying to make is that I understand how these people can be driven to this. Why? Because I absolutely hate my teacher. My religion teacher. This class is one of the reasons why I am an atheist now. I hate this man so much all the hate he spews from his mouth, especially that involving gay rights, drives me absolutely insane. I can't talk to the school about it because it is a private catholic school so no one will defend me, and we have no LGBT clubs or the like. I just can't believe these things he says or that the Catholic church says. **To all catholics reading this i was a catholic until recently and while I respect your right to believe what you want, no religion demoting other human beings deserves my respect** I just can't understand how some people can be so mean and hateful ad he does it all with a smile on his face as if it is a joke. I don't believe that I am going to hell for being gay, but what I do fear is what people will do to me now what with this man preaching we don't have the right to love. Thanks for reading, i just really needed to let this out any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Well, teachers aren't always the main reason someone shoots a school up. Most of the time I think it's because of bullies, but as you explained, they can be bullies without noticing. Their tolerance of the bullies or whatever else suddenly breaks, and from what I see, they just want revenge against the people they can't take anymore bullying from. But when they do that, they involve the entire student body - it's not just about them anymore, that's what I don't understand. If you're going to target a few people, why not choose to do it outside of school? But they never went out of their hate bubble to actually stand up for themselves or seek out help from people instead of weapons. It's that tolerance they set up that prevented them from diffusing the situation. Silence and ignoring it isn't always the answer. However, in your case, it IS a Catholic school; they don't support homosexuality (the batshit insane ones don't, anyway). You shouldn't expect everyone to agree with it, and you shouldn't hate people for what they think is right, even if it's wrong. But if the way he's going about it is rude and insensitive, "just ignoring it" won't be enough. You should talk to him about why he hates LGBT people and rights so much, or why he believes straight couples should be allowed better lives than gay people - then throw in the knockout punch: "how can you teach about love and good for almost all people, except for this certain group? How is that fair to God's children?". If he can't answer, you might be able to shut him up. He might question why you're asking this, say you read an interesting article on Yahoo or something. (^^^^^ This is only a suggestion, something to think about before acting upon it!) Now, I'm Catholic, but I only believe in God - not the Bible, just God and some other stuff like the Virgin Mary. I don't even know the difference between a Catholic and a Christian other than one believes in something the other doesn't...something like that. But I believe everyone should have a right to live and love freely, believe what they want and be who they want.
A lot of people feel that the line in Leviticus "a man must not lie with a man yada yada..." is not about the desire for sex; it's about ownership. When a marriage was consummated, the man claimed the woman as his property. To do that to a man was immoral because men were equals. Ergo, liking men wasn't a sin; treating one like a concubine was. I know this opinion is not new. Would it be possible to do some sort of report on this, with actual research and accounts from history? I know homo sex has been around for at least as long as hetero sex, so the negative opinion had to originate somewhere. Maybe some of the more academically-inclined theologians would consider your ideas if you back it up with a truckload of real evidence.
I'll skip the school shooting part, since this is obviously not about that A bad teacher is not a reason to renounce your religion. Now, hey, I'm a life-long atheist, so don't think I'm trying to get you back or something It's just that if you are an atheist, that should mean you don't believe there is a god, not that you don't agree with your teacher Teachers are people, with their positives and negatives; they are often wrong. This one is doubly wrong. First, obviously, when he thinks gay people are less worthy. Second, very importantly for any Catholic, when he thinks the Catholic church thinks gay people are less worthy. It is the teaching of Catholicism that all people, homosexuals included, are equal to the God. If they enter sexual intercourse, they sin. But that's all. Practicing gays are to Catholicism simply sinful people who should repent and pray for forgiveness. Now, ok, that's very bad by itself, but it brings forward one crucial twist: it is to God gay should pray for forgiveness. And it is God who decides. When it comes to people, they have to treat gays as equals, as brothers, try to help them in every way they can, ultimately to try to bring them to repent, the same as for any sin. But no person is allowed to hate, to ridicule, to expose to harm others. Because whatever they do, they are still their brothers. So, when your teacher is gay-bashing, he's going directly against the teachings of Christianity in general and Catholicism specifically. ---------- Post added 18th Mar 2013 at 11:59 PM ---------- Cavemen go hunting for a mammoth, cavewomen stay back at the cave, cavemen spend days in hunt... oh yeah, life was simpler when "the beginning of history" was "week last Tuesday" Before they started writing things down
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
I'm sort of shying away from doing a gay romance about medieval squires, but about primitive humans in the ice age? It's safe to say that accuracy about culture won't be much of a problem there. I just might do it. Dalmatian is right, though. Even if the church DID endorse hatred of gays (which it doesn't) that doesn't mean you have to ditch belief in God. it just means you don't agree with the church. I know some people feel that they have complete and unerring knowledge of how things should be, but the church is run by people, same as any organization. Only a few years ago was Purgatory declared not to exist, but before that, it was as real to people as they keyboard under our fingers. So long story short, keep your faith in God; look at humans with due scrutiny.
Okay but just in case remember, you don't want spend lifetime in jail just because of those losers. No, I'm Catholic and I totally get it. *gives you a high five* I agree. Actually, Catholic is a type of Christian. There are different types of Christianity, Catholic is just one of them. Now, if you mean what's the difference between Catholics and other Christians, there's a long list.
There's still an answer to the question. For example: what's the difference between ice cream and vanilla ice cream? Vanilla! What's the difference between Christianity and Catholicism? The Pope! (ok, not only, but that's where it all comes from)
I appreciate all the responses, I wanted too cool off before returning to this post. Just so you know, it wasn't solely because of this class I became an atheist I have many reasons why that I am not going to go into now but I am sure you all get the point. To be honest, I think I am usin my teacher as a vessel of sorts, I stated in my first post that I am afraid of what other people would do and I am using this man as an example. I am just scared of what will happen in the future I guess. I know that there are more kind people out there and that not all religious people feel the same way. I suppose the fact that I came out to my first person a few days ago has something to do with it. It just hit me that now this isn't something I am goin to think about and deal with by myself, that it wouldn't affect the rest of my life and then comes this class and I genuinely feel fear. Fear that this is all I have to look foreward to, or that these other truly kind people in my class, along with many others he has taught, actually agree with him about gays and that they will all eventually turn on me. Thanks again for your answers, it may not show but I do feel a bit better. ---------- Post added 18th Mar 2013 at 07:59 PM ---------- Now here is another problem of mine. At what point does is stop being Catholicism or Christianity? I felt like I had completely morphed the catholic faith to suit myself. Like how God actually loves gays. But I realized, that isn't what is written in the Catechism, tht isn't what is in the Bible. I had practically created my own religion or denomination or Catholicism. Once I had realized that I just looked at what the church really taught and decided whether or not I believed it.
I can't answer for Catholicism, as it probably has its own specific definition (unless it's as simple as "going to a Catholic church on Sundays" that is.) But as for Christianity in general, you can call it that if it's all about following the teachings of Jesus. That's it. All the rest is fluff made up along the way. I've done the same thing with "creating my own religion" because I don't feel Christianity is the only path to heaven, and so have no need to keep the name. If you are questioning your faith in Catholicism as the way to go, maybe you can do the same thing. The God I believe in doesn't punish people for seeking answers, even if they're outside of church.
I'm currently stuck in a Christian school myself, so I know exactly how you feel. My pse teacher is exactly the same, an the general opinion is Do as we say,period. God forbid ( no pun intended) we wish to exercise our right to free speech!
I am Catholic and I could not agree with you more! My father is a Catholic man that spews out that kind of negative anti-gay crap and it sickens me. I was in private Catholic school for seven years and I felt the exact pain that you are feeling. Thank goodness that you have this forum to get it out. I turned to other things since I had no one to talk to about it.
That's what we are here for (*hug*) And as for the fear.. unfortunately some of the great kids do grow up to be not-the-greatest adults. The remedy, if there is one: you be the great adult. It's disheartening that teachers, who are there to shape the minds of the next generation, shape them in such a way.. Hopefully more students will, as yourself, stop to think for themselves. Everyone morphs their religion to some degree. If you are interested in this, you can read on history of the Catholic church. In very simple terms, it's kinda the Russian doll kind of complexity. Abrahamic heritage is what is common to the three major monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). Then comes Jesus Christ. Judaism doesn't recognize him. Christianity believes he's the last messiah (and the son of God, ok). Islam believes he's a great prophet, but not the son of God in the Christian sense. So back to Christianity.. Jesus said to apostles to keep on teaching. To Peter he said he will be the rock upon which he will build his church. What he says is true on Earth will be true in Heaven. So Christianity believes Peter is the Church. Then comes the schism in the 11th century. Catholic west believes the pope is Peter's successor. The East doesn't agree. A couple of centuries later the north disagrees too (for other reasons). Then soon afterwards Henry of England disagrees as well (for a whole different reason ). So basically, if you believe there is one God who created the world, who is in everything, who rules in Heaven and that he's sent his only Son to Earth, where this Son died for the sins of all people, from the beginning to the end of time and if you believe that Son will return to smite this world and take the righteous to Heaven... well, then you might be Christian If in addition to this you believe Son gave power over Earth to Peter, which power through apostolic succession continues to this day through bishops of Rome and that today pope Francis is the holder of that Peter's power, then you might be Catholic. Simple, right? And there are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. Astonishing
Well, that's comforting at least but I can't just turn around and welcome God with open arms, it may take sometime if i even decide to go that path. And this forum truly has been helpful if nothing else I have been able to collect my thoughts and vent my feelings. And as an added benefit my professing of my feelings may even help someone else going through a similar situation. I don't know what I would do without it.
As another person mentioned, the only thing you need to be a Christian is follow the teachings of Christ, have a religion based on the teachings of Christ, or have a moral philosophy based on the teachings of Christ. How you interpret Jesus' teachings is completely up to you. You can really believe what you want as long as it has something to do with following Jesus. There are even Christian Atheists and Christian Agnostics. They don't necessarily believe in God or the divinity of Jesus. Some of them don't believe that the Jesus described in the Bible existed. They just believe that Jesus created a good moral code. In this paragraph, I used the word "you" as an inclusive pronoun. I didn't mean Skhal specifically. As for when does Catholicism stop being Catholicism, I think that depends on what each individual considers Catholicism to be. My ex went to a Catholic church that fully accepted the GSM (Gender and Sexual Minority) community. Granted, I don't know how much the Vatican knew about all that
Have you ever watched Bang Bang! You're Dead! It's really good, better than the play, and really shows what goes on in a troubled mind. It shows how one voice can save a fallen soul.
