The Proliferation Of Denominations And Eating Habits Of Americans

[thessalonian]

The problem with converting protestants to Catholicism is that they are being fed in the same way americans are being fed physical food. Junk food tastes good and it is addictive. Sugar and fats make things taste good but health is not a big concern. Some of it is even partially good for you. Meat and potatoes don't sound as good as cake and ice cream.

[N/A Gone]

I want to give you a hug right now. That is so cool.

[Sojourner]

Let's just note that this same addiction is affecting Catholicism now, when people choose parishes because they "feel good."

But great analogy.

[thessalonian]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1372187' date='Aug 28 2007, 12:43 AM']Let's just note that this same addiction is affecting Catholicism now, when people choose parishes because they "feel good."[/quote]

Yes, many like to go to parishes where they don't talk about sin and give general absolution. Catholicism is definitely not immune to junk food Christianity. We like our ears tickled too.

Edited September 4, 2007 by Lil Red
fixed quote tags - Lil Red

[fides quarens intellectum]

this reminds me of one Righteous B's lyrics - "Even God tastes better with artificial sweetener." i think you guys are onto something.

[Sojourner]

It's about instant gratification and avoiding suffering in any form as much as possible.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1372396' date='Aug 28 2007, 05:31 PM']It's about instant gratification and avoiding suffering in any form as much as possible.[/quote]

I agree with this assessment.

Thess, I think this is a really good analogy, now that you've brought it up. I know in high school/part of college I wanted to go to a church that made me feel good, had the peppy music, etc. But the faith doesn't end up being very real, or very deep, if you only eat dessert.

[thessalonian]

Just think of all the marketing that goes on to sell food that may keep you alive for a while but really isn't healthy. Alot of protestantism seems to be marketing. Extolling the benefits of one church or pastor over another. I just saw a post on another site "thank God for pastor x". There is some of this in Catholicism but the particular Church one belongs to is alot less dependent on whether the pastor is a good speaker or not and more dependent than anything on the Mass, including the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.

Now the question is how can this analogy be used to help bring people to the Catholic fold? How do we help those who are addicted to junk food. It tastes good. It gives them a lift. They crave it, but it's not meat and potatoes. "solid food" the scriptures say. In no way does it compare to the holy sacrifice of the Mass and in particular the Eucharist.

1 Cor 3
[1] But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ.
[2] I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready,

Heb 5
11] About this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
[12] For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you again the first principles of God's word. You need milk, not solid food;
[13] for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child.
[14] But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.


Prov.30
[8] Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,

John.6
[27] Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."

John.6
[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
[55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
[56] He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

Think of more scriptures. I am trying to flesh this anology out. How can it be used to get them from the milk (mixed with error) to the solid food of the Catholic faith?

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='thessalonian' post='1373356' date='Aug 29 2007, 01:58 PM']Just think of all the marketing that goes on to sell food that may keep you alive for a while but really isn't healthy. Alot of protestantism seems to be marketing. Extolling the benefits of one church or pastor over another. I just saw a post on another site "thank God for pastor x". There is some of this in Catholicism but the particular Church one belongs to is alot less dependent on whether the pastor is a good speaker or not and more dependent than anything on the Mass, including the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.[/quote]

Yes, this is definitely something I've seen a lot. It was actually something I dealt with before, and in, converting. Before making that step in joining the Catholic Church I had to deal with my own misconceptions of what church was supposed to be, and upon converting I was confronted by others asking me how I could possibly enjoy going to Mass when there wasn't loud & crazy music and all that. It almost becomes a competition between pastors/music styles/etc, from my experience and observations.

[quote name='thessalonian' post='1373356' date='Aug 29 2007, 01:58 PM']Now the question is how can this analogy be used to help bring people to the Catholic fold? How do we help those who are addicted to junk food. It tastes good. It gives them a lift. They crave it, but it's not meat and potatoes. "solid food" the scriptures say. In no way does it compare to the holy sacrifice of the Mass and in particular the Eucharist.
Think of more scriptures. I am trying to flesh this anology out. How can it be used to get them from the milk (mixed with error) to the solid food of the Catholic faith?[/quote]

This is indeed the question. I'll give it some thought and see what I think of. You're absolutely right that none of the marketing or hype even comes close to comparing to what we have with the Eucharist, but I've yet to get that point across to friends/family. I think this analogy can help , once it is fleshed out.

By the way, my husband also loves this analogy.

[dairygirl4u2c]

i see it as.... here's the CC teaching not to eat lotsa things that have not been proven to cause cancer as it suggests. there's a lot of intuitive appeal to much of what it teaches, but a lot isn't as clear, and some of it doesn't look right. but nothing appears blatantly wrong.

[dairygirl4u2c]

from my experience with people... most have misconceptions about the CC. other than them... the others who actually look into and do not change are either stubborn or say who the h*ll knows without looking into it. there are fewer people such as me, who says who the h*ll knows, but at least looked in to it. or if you're like me, very much so. perhaps so much that it's at times been an unhealthy obsession.

Edited August 29, 2007 by dairygirl4u2c

[thessalonian]

I thank your for your insights dariygirl. I think I understand the first one but perhaps you could clarify a bit. Are you saying that Catholicism can't be proven? That in your experience it cannot be known to be the fullness of the truth and so you don't really know that it is good food? I can understand that perspective from one on the outside looking in. Those people however have two things missing. 1) They have not been given the fullness of grace to accept it or they have rejected some grace that prevents them from taking a leap of faith and/or 2) They do not yet have a grasp of the Oral Traditions which are equal to the scriptures and illuminate them.

There are a host of diseases which are caused by not being fed by the truths of Catholicism. Spiritual diseases.

[fides quarens intellectum]

example to back this analogy: i went with my sister to her [fill in Protestant denomination here] church, and one of the ladies i met said she really like that Church because it made her feel so [b]comfortable[/b]. comfort food!

[thessalonian]

Let's not forget this post in the midst of budge's attempt to dominate the conversation.

[jeffpugh]

Good posts, all. Good point, Thess.

[HS_Dad]

I had tons of meat and potatoes as an Evangelical. As a matter of fact I heard scores of sermons on the topic of sacrifice. I feel so sad for former Evangelicals who can only speak ill of their past.

Sometimes I think the issue is more suburbanization than anything. It seems like suburban parishes and suburban Evangelical churches both seem to be impacted by the consumer culture more than small to medium size towns and urban centers. But a godly man in either communion can make all the difference.

When I was in bible quizzing as an Evangelical, I reflected a lot on this passage in I Corinthians 3:

18Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"[a]; 20and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."[b] 21So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

I think it is only too human for us to celebrate our wisdom. Whether Catholic or Evangelical, we may need to "become a 'fool' so that [we] may become wise".


Ut Unum Sint!

[XIX]

While we are on the junk food motif, Huagen-Hass = Haggen Daaz.

Yes. You heard me. Haggen Daaz music. Only the ice cream actually tastes good. The music is boring AND fattening!

Let's fast. That'll be good for us. hahaha



Okay I'm done now. For cereal. I'm done.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1372187' date='Aug 28 2007, 12:43 AM']Let's just note that this same addiction is affecting Catholicism now, when people choose parishes because they "feel good."

But great analogy.[/quote]
Yes, good analogy.

I've only been a youth minister for a few months and it is interesting to see the divide. This is a very heavily Baptist area. The parents are split: some want an authentically Catholic catechesis for their youth, the others say, "well, but why are you teaching them all this stuff? Why can't you just have fun in youth group like all the other churches in town?"

One of the Baptist churches here owns a mall. I'm not kidding...it's an old mall they bought out...they use the storefronts for different ministries and stuff, they use the movie theater, everything. How can we as Catholics compete with that? We don't have as big a budget. That's what I started telling parents when I came down: "we can't play the game by their rules. We have to play the game by our rules. They may be attracted to the high glycemic index of other youth groups, but we can give them meat and potatoes."

It's like Jesus said...whoever comes to Him will never thirst again. Too many of these non-Catholic churches use fluffy, feel-good stuff to keep them coming out of thirst. We want to satisfy their thirst and keep them coming because they want to love God.

So the answer is this: we give them the authentic faith. We pray that, over time, they realize that it is far more satisfying. It's an uphill battle, but hey, so is any diet.

God bless,

Micah

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='fides quarens intellectum' post='1372391' date='Aug 28 2007, 11:18 AM']this reminds me of one Righteous B's lyrics - "Even God tastes better with artificial sweetener." i think you guys are onto something.[/quote]

nice. Yeah I totally thought this had to do with something else related to actual eating habits and one's faith... I was reading something about this the other day. Thought it would be pretty trippy if the same topic came up here.

[Dismas]

[quote name='thessalonian' post='1371876' date='Aug 27 2007, 06:11 PM']The problem with converting protestants to Catholicism is that they are being fed in the same way americans are being fed physical food. Junk food tastes good and it is addictive. Sugar and fats make things taste good but health is not a big concern. Some of it is even partially good for you. Meat and potatoes don't sound as good as cake and ice cream.[/quote]

It's also quick, easily available, takes almost no effort to prepare.