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[penguinofhonor]

Can you interpret these Catholic memes for me?

Spoiler: knots nowhata (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: is this sternly disapproving Christian music? (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: critical? supportive? sarcastic? you tell me (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: is this racist? I honestly don't know (click to show/hide)

]

Spoiler: possible pedophilia joke? (click to show/hide)

[Baffler]

1) A reference to this. It's just a terrible pun, at it's core.
2) 
3) Probably critical.
4) 
5) Rosaries take hours to get through, and rosaries are organized in groups of 10 prayers each, called decades. This is probably the most terrible of the bunch.

[4maskwolf]

2 may be a reference to lay participation in masses?  I've heard anecdotal stories (so don't take these as fact) that in the aftermath of Vatican II some churches changed so drastically that they had what could be equated to a rock band for their songs.  Again, those were just stories, I haven't checked them for fact, but since it's a somewhat unknown quantity I thought I'd provide a possible idea.

4 may be more of a racist comment, I'm not entirely sure.  It references the Sacrament of Reconciliation, obviously, but beyond that I don't know.

[Dsarker]

Can you interpret these Catholic memes for me?

1) I agree with Baffler here.
2) Not about disapproving Christian music, but about a response to worship and prayer: 'I didn't really get much out of it' is a common reason not to go to Mass, not to pray, etc.
3) Critical of anyone who says Pope Francis is changing the church.
4) I believe the image refers to a movie line, the 'yall got any more of something'. It isn't racist, so far as I can tell. It refers to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, wherein the priest grants absolution for sins.
5) Baffler hits it right on the nail again. The person in there is a common image, basically referring to 'good Catholic men'.

Edit: Four is from right here! http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/yall-got-anymore-of

[Telgin]

Well, there's a difference between praying and worshiping. Here's a brief explanation.

It's a similar sort of thing to what happens on Earth. "I've got cancer, can you pray for me?" However, we believe that, because the Saints are in heaven, with God, if we ask them to pray for us, it'll be better! Mary, as the Mother of God and without sin, is even better.

We don't pray to the Saints or Mary as a divinity. That would be pretty bizarre and heretical. However, we ask the saints and Mary to pray for us.

Okay, that makes enough sense in context I suppose and amounts to basically what I expected.  Now: do Catholics think it actually makes a difference to ask saints to pray for them?  Why?  Shouldn't the results of prayer be dependent on what they're asking for and who they are?  Seems a bit peculiar that God might change His mind just because a saint thinks it's a good idea too.

I guess that kind of gets into the question of why prayer matters at all of course, since it probably shouldn't be possible to change God's mind about anything anyway, but that's a deeper theological thing that was already mentioned in the other Christian thread I think.  Don't recall if it ever got a response though.

[Orange Wizard]

The person in there is a common image, basically referring to 'good Catholic men'.

I like how your image of a good Catholic man has unfocused eyes.

[Dsarker]

Well, there's a difference between praying and worshiping. Here's a brief explanation.

It's a similar sort of thing to what happens on Earth. "I've got cancer, can you pray for me?" However, we believe that, because the Saints are in heaven, with God, if we ask them to pray for us, it'll be better! Mary, as the Mother of God and without sin, is even better.

We don't pray to the Saints or Mary as a divinity. That would be pretty bizarre and heretical. However, we ask the saints and Mary to pray for us.

Okay, that makes enough sense in context I suppose and amounts to basically what I expected.  Now: do Catholics think it actually makes a difference to ask saints to pray for them?  Why?  Shouldn't the results of prayer be dependent on what they're asking for and who they are?  Seems a bit peculiar that God might change His mind just because a saint thinks it's a good idea too.

I guess that kind of gets into the question of why prayer matters at all of course, since it probably shouldn't be possible to change God's mind about anything anyway, but that's a deeper theological thing that was already mentioned in the other Christian thread I think.  Don't recall if it ever got a response though.

The real question here, as I see it, is about prayer. That's really covered in the Bible. The Parable of the Unjust Judge and the one about the man whose friend was visiting.

The parable of the Unjust Judge says 'If you could get an unjust judge to give you good things by pestering, how much more your loving Heavenly Father?'

The other one.

"He said to them, "Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight, and tell him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,' and he from within will answer and say, 'Don't bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give it to you'? I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs."

That one is more about the saints. It refers to the relationship between God and the Saints and You. Take an earthly example. If you want the President to do something for you, do you ask him straight, or do you ask his friends (who happen to be your friends) to ask him?

[Dsarker]

The person in there is a common image, basically referring to 'good Catholic men'.

I like how your image of a good Catholic man has unfocused eyes.

Well, I have eye problems too, it makes me feel better

[penguinofhonor]

.

[Dsarker]

2) Not about disapproving Christian music, but about a response to worship and prayer: 'I didn't really get much out of it' is a common reason not to go to Mass, not to pray, etc.

So the picture is irrelevant to the text?

Edit: Four is from right here! http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/yall-got-anymore-of

Man, I can hardly keep up with all the new memes they're inventing nowadays.

The picture isn't irrelevant to the text. Having worked in Youth Ministry for the past year, I can tell you it's a common response to have people say that they 'get more out of' a praise and worship rally (which is what that appears to be) than out of the Mass.

[Telgin]

The real question here, as I see it, is about prayer. That's really covered in the Bible. The Parable of the Unjust Judge and the one about the man whose friend was visiting.

The parable of the Unjust Judge says 'If you could get an unjust judge to give you good things by pestering, how much more your loving Heavenly Father?'

The other one.

"He said to them, "Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight, and tell him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,' and he from within will answer and say, 'Don't bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give it to you'? I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs."

So we're just supposed to keep praying until God gives in and does something?  I guess that's internally consistent with the way Christianity is generally presented, but still feels strange to me.  God's going to do what He wants to do in the end either way.  I guess maybe it could be taken as a learning experience in persistence for the person praying, but as I've mentioned in the other Christianity thread I have problems with that in general.  Not sure it's worth a derail.

That one is more about the saints. It refers to the relationship between God and the Saints and You. Take an earthly example. If you want the President to do something for you, do you ask him straight, or do you ask his friends (who happen to be your friends) to ask him?

Sure, but there are very important differences between the two cases.  The president doesn't have an infinite amount of attention and time and doesn't know me.  God does presumably have infinite attention and time to give and knows more about me than I do.  It doesn't seem to make any sense that He'd care to hear someone else's opinion or need their help in filtering out incoming prayers.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The Dave Chappelle image is comparing absolution from one's sins to crack cocaine, and the priest as a dealer of said Salvation Crack.

[Dsarker]

The real question here, as I see it, is about prayer. That's really covered in the Bible. The Parable of the Unjust Judge and the one about the man whose friend was visiting.

The parable of the Unjust Judge says 'If you could get an unjust judge to give you good things by pestering, how much more your loving Heavenly Father?'

The other one.

"He said to them, "Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight, and tell him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,' and he from within will answer and say, 'Don't bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give it to you'? I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs."

So we're just supposed to keep praying until God gives in and does something?  I guess that's internally consistent with the way Christianity is generally presented, but still feels strange to me.  God's going to do what He wants to do in the end either way.  I guess maybe it could be taken as a learning experience in persistence for the person praying, but as I've mentioned in the other Christianity thread I have problems with that in general.  Not sure it's worth a derail.

That one is more about the saints. It refers to the relationship between God and the Saints and You. Take an earthly example. If you want the President to do something for you, do you ask him straight, or do you ask his friends (who happen to be your friends) to ask him?

Sure, but there are very important differences between the two cases.  The president doesn't have an infinite amount of attention and time and doesn't know me.  God does presumably have infinite attention and time to give and knows more about me than I do.  It doesn't seem to make any sense that He'd care to hear someone else's opinion or need their help in filtering out incoming prayers.

Thomas Aquinas explains prayer a heck of a lot better than I ever could. As to your first question, in the Summa, www.newadvent.org/summa/3083.htm

It kinda answers the second one, too.

"Reply to Objection 1. The saints in heaven, since they are blessed, have no lack of bliss, save that of the body's glory, and for this they pray. But they pray for us who lack the ultimate perfection of bliss: and their prayers are efficacious in impetrating through their previous merits and through God's acceptance. "

[Gnorm]

Two questions:

1. Without citing the Apocrypha, could you tell me whence the doctrine of purgatory comes?
2. What do the official church doctrines say is the way to get to Heaven?

[GavJ]

I had this interaction with a catholic the other day, which was very confusing. Clearly he is being an idiot somewhere along the line, but it is unclear where exactly. I.e. which of these multiple inconsistent things are him being wrong about things, and which are actually the church's positions that his other wrong things contradict, etc. Perhaps you can clarify which of these claims is actually correct?

Guy: "here are some bible quotes that suggest you are incorrect about the church's position [about animal rights]"
Me: "But those could pretty clearly just be interpreted as allegories and not literally about animals."
Guy: "It is not our place to interpret the bible, the church is qualified to do that."
Me: "But you started out quoting bible verses, why is your interpretation more right? Do you have catechisms or something to back that up?"
Guy: "If you're looking for a line by line 'here's what it means' the church doesn't really work like that. But here's a couple catechisms that may be relevant."
Me: "Those aren't very relevant."
Guy: "Here are some bible verses that may help instead."
Me: "But we aren't supposed to interpret the bible...?"
Guy: "The bible is one source of revelation written by the Catholic church, so it's fine."

Me: *mentally slaps guy through computer monitor*