The concept of "Catholic Guilt" actually, is a bit new to me in recent years. It seems like this idea that people who aren't Catholic have of us? I don't know if we feel guilt more often for things we don't necessarily need to than people of other faiths? I don't think so. I half wonder if the idea comes from people who weren't brought up with an organized religion, so they don't understand.
When I was a kid, my father left, we lost our home, and my mother nearly died a few times (she had cancer and such, anyway) - it was people from the church who reached out and helped, made us feel loved when we really, really needed it. I don't think people on the outside understand the whole community thing. (I remember, years later, as a teenager, while I was working as a cashier, a Catholic group from another local church came through my line with carriages full of groceries - they were donating Thanksgiving dinners and groceries & some toys to families in need, I started bawling my eyes out, knowing what it felt like as a kid to be on the receiving end of that.) Some people, I guess they just hear the "Thou shalt not"s of the Ten Commandments and think of the confessional (when actually, confession isn't a horrible thing. I like it - especially when it's done face to face, really, with a priest who has a good heart. I always come away feeling better than when I came in.) but, anyway, there's a whole lot more to it than that.
Re: Probably not a fill, sorry
The concept of "Catholic Guilt" actually, is a bit new to me in recent years. It seems like this idea that people who aren't Catholic have of us? I don't know if we feel guilt more often for things we don't necessarily need to than people of other faiths? I don't think so. I half wonder if the idea comes from people who weren't brought up with an organized religion, so they don't understand.
When I was a kid, my father left, we lost our home, and my mother nearly died a few times (she had cancer and such, anyway) - it was people from the church who reached out and helped, made us feel loved when we really, really needed it. I don't think people on the outside understand the whole community thing. (I remember, years later, as a teenager, while I was working as a cashier, a Catholic group from another local church came through my line with carriages full of groceries - they were donating Thanksgiving dinners and groceries & some toys to families in need, I started bawling my eyes out, knowing what it felt like as a kid to be on the receiving end of that.) Some people, I guess they just hear the "Thou shalt not"s of the Ten Commandments and think of the confessional (when actually, confession isn't a horrible thing. I like it - especially when it's done face to face, really, with a priest who has a good heart. I always come away feeling better than when I came in.) but, anyway, there's a whole lot more to it than that.