Mark Ruffalo tweeted this photo this week with the message: “Men get breast cancer too. I’m supporting @One4TheBoys #InTheipOfTime.” So, it’s to raise awareness. We’re not supposed to think “Look at his beautiful furry chest, I would love to rest my head there.” Sigh… I would like to rest my head there though.
Anyway, Ruffalo is in another Oscar-bait film this year. It’s Spotlight, the true story of the Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church’s pedophile priests and the Boston establishment figures who helped cover up the priests’ crimes. As it turns out, Ruffalo was raised Catholic but he left the church years ago. He explained to People Mag:
Making Spotlight, the Tom McCarthy-directed movie about The Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal, was a deeply personal experience for star Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo, who portrays reporter Michael Rezendes in the film, told reporters at Spotlight’s Boston premiere Wednesday night that he had friends who were victims of clergy abuse.
“I grew up Catholic and the hypocrisy of it and the dogma of it had chilled my relationship with it very early on,” he said. “Even as a boy, I could feel it. There was a cruelty in the way the nuns treated us. It just didn’t jibe with the teachings of Christ that were being taught, you know?”
That People link has quotes from some of the real-life reporters who broke the story, and what surprises me is that most of them have similar stories, that they were lapsed Catholics at the time of the investigation, that they could never really go back to the Church after what they learned.
Also: Ruffalo has been confirmed for the new Thor: Ragnarok film, and while promoting Spotlight, he’s been getting questions about it. He said: “I don’t really know that much about it, but I think it’s going to be a buddy picture with Thor and Bruce Banner. I think they’ll probably fight. There’s no doubt, everyone wants us to fight at one point.”
Photos courtesy of WENN, Twitter.
I’m enjoying a peek at his furry tatas, too.
He’s so cuddly.
I can see where he’s coming from, and I have too many differences with the Catholic Church to be catholic, but my cousins are, and I can understand their sticking by it. They don’t look the other way, and the horrible truths that came out hurt them very deeply, but they see it as the failings of men, not of God. They have an informed belief, I guess you would call it. What I can’t understand is people who just shrug it off as exaggerated or made up. Religion can be very close to superstition if you don’t examine your beliefs.
I think the problem are those that believe blindly – that don’t take into account the tough truths and make informed choices about beliefs. And I think that holds true for all religions. I am muslim and I get into some serious discussions with my family when discussing hard truths. Each person’s belief is their own right, and I will never judge that or ask for it to be taken away. But let us be fully informed before choosing what to believe (or not.)
Yeah a lot of Catholics I know kind of veered away from Catholicism for a while after the scandal broke and then eventually came back. I do think it made them think differently about organized religion though-most of them seem to have a more personal faith at this point.
Also, I love some Ruffalo. He’s like a koala bear.
Personal faith is better than the cookie cutter faith served up by organized religion. My view is if there’s life after death good. If there isn’t then I won’t be worrying about it. And if there is a God she knows who cares and who doesn’t. But the fact is no one knows what happens after we die and no one knows if there is a God or not. Anyone who says they know eitheir way is a liar.
“he’s like a koala bear”
What? Stoned on eucalyptus and suffering chlamydia?
(Kidding! Couldn’t help myself.)
Sin happens everywhere. Bad things concealed. Hipocrisy.
You shouldn’t have blind faith. Why can’t this be the lesson learned vs. rebranding.
MND
BS. We have an understanding what happens and if you don’t want to believe that it’s on you.
We are energy and energy changes form. Because you can’t see it as you want to right now doesn’t mean it’s not possible or real. And after death experiences some people have appear very real to them. They believe it completely. They are not liars as it’s the truth they experience.
So you’ve made some broad statements about energy changing form. What about it? Does this mean that life after death and heaven as described in religious texts is real and therefore everything else in said religious texts is true as well? Does this confirm that the rules laid down in the Bible must be followed or else we’ll all go to hell?
Okay so spme people may believe that their after death experiences were real. So what? There are people who suffer from mental illnesses who believe that their dilusions are real. But they’re not. But you’re right, not everyone who makes these claims would be consciously and deliberately lying. So I withdraw that allegation.
I can’t blame anyone who took a step back from Catholicism when news of the molestations broke, nor can I blame anyone who lapsed as a result of the hypocrisy or cruelty they saw in their experiences with the faith.
I used to blame certain religions for doing things until I realized once you boil it down it all comes back to humanity and our desires to control, condemn, and ostracize others. I don’t think ALL religion is like that, but with many faiths during their prime there was such an overwhelming response from those in power to raise themselves to a position of judgement over others and consolidate their own power to the absolute detriment of others.
You take Catholicism out of the stew and you see this cruelty reflected in various other actions humans take in and out of religion. For example, Subway likely knew their spokesperson was a pedophile and molester but did nothing because profits yo. It still amazes me how people can so publicly claim one thing and in private so violently do the opposite but as I get older it becomes less shocking and more predictable.
It’s just a business. The church is just a business, they take your money, give you back to rules to live by, threaten to kick you out (lose your job, more or less) if you don’t obey.
Anything that threatens the bottom line is covered up.
This is the way I feel about the Catholic Church, too. I was raised in a very religious, very Catholic home. The church chose to bankrupt many dioceses in the U.S., often in the poorest areas, where the need for community was most felt. They justified these closings saying the restitution paid to victims of these phedophile priests emptied their coffers, when really, all the Church needed to do was sell one painting in the Vatican Museum.
It’s the first rule of old money – never touch the principal.
I’m a lapsed Catholic, too, and stepped away because of various anxiety-provoking experiences I had as a kid growing up going to Catholic school. To be fair, I also took some comfort in the teachings and some rituals at the time, it wasn’t all bad.
Once I had kids I decided to give it another try, enrolling them in CCD when they were young. Maybe it was just the particular parish and there were many lovely people who belonged but among the powers that be it truly was treated as just a business and I found it repellent.
“Recovering Catholic” here…
Although I like some of what the new pope has to say, I’m w/Ruffalo (and his comforting, furry bear chest) on this. I started questioning the church early on in life, still went through the motions, but never believed in it.
Organized religion just isn’t for me.
I’ll have my faith, but Churches sicken me. Owing backed tithing was a reason my old churched refused to bury my cousin and perform a memorial blessing/service. Because they had no record of him for a few years. And he was overseas in the Marines. His parents (My aunt and uncle/Thea Theo) had to pay hundreds. And the preiest showed up in the latest Cadillac. I’m still steaming over it.
It’s 1 in a line of many moments where going to church wasn’t about worship, but bleeding you for every cent.
“I started questioning the church early on in life, still went through the motions, but never believed in it.
Organized religion just isn’t for me. ”
Same here. At that time, I didn’t connect myself with the term “atheist,” but that’s what I was.
Not saying that’s the case for you, but that was the case for me.
It was really nice to see all the cast in the pizzeria in our street when i was waiting for my pizza. I immediately recognized Ruffalo. Nice surprise!
So looking forward to seeing Spotlight!
Me too.
Me too! My dad actually won a Pulitzer as part of the Spotlight team back in the late 70s I think, so I have a huge soft spot for the Globe and Spotlight in particular.
Wow, that is cool, Wren33!
That’s amazing!
It’s so cool, Wren! I can’t wait to see it too.
Spotlight has done amazing things over the years.
Ooooo! is the article still around? I’d love to read it. And super cool
I’m interested in seeing it as well. It also doesn’t hurt that Mark is in it.
I have been chomping at the bit to see this movie. Nest week, I hope.
From the festival reviews, it sounds like it has a good shot at Best Picture.
Well, that is HIS experence with the Church ( the crue nuns, etc, not the scandal. That did happen in it was a horrible horrible thing) Mine was completely different. Maybe that’s why I’m still a practising Catholic.
Exactly. One person’s experience is not the same as anyone else’s. I’m still a Catholic. But this scandal took place all around us here and impacted many people I know. Many were completely rocked by it and left the church, while others have tried to right the wrongs and tried to put in protections so such events never happen again. We each have our own experiences and we must choose our own path.
No. It wasn’t a “horrible horrible thing”.
It was child abuse. And the mighty church covered it up so they could go on collecting that money. There is absolutely NO justification for any of it. No redemption. No saving any of the people who participated in making the victims shoulder the burden of being abused.
I completely agree with you, sorry if that wasn’t clear from my answer.
I am not familiar with it because something like that didn’t happen in my country ,so I can’t comment much about it.
I was reffering about what he said about cruel nuns and dogma etc. The priests and teachers I grew up with were very kind and accepting, we never talked about sin, but talked about compassion. I am much younger than him ( I’m 23) and from a different country, so maybe that has something to do with it.
I have the same experience as Franca. I always thought the marked difference came from Catholicism being the minority religion here.
I like Mark Ruffalo, but am constantly reminded he’s a 9-11 truther.
My country is 90% Catholic, should have added that.
Me too Mark, me too.
Me too. I come at it from the Irish angle though — the abuse scandals in Ireland were especially horrific, and one of my aunt was a magdalena laundry victim. So many Irish formally defected from the church that t
he church announced it would no longer process or acknowlege defections. Since the church pretty much controlled everything in ireland at one point, this is a big deal.
Yeah right now the Catholic Chruch is (rightfully) hurting and trying to play nice. It’s intriguing to see how the mighty have fallen.
Me three.
I would cuddle the sh!t out of him.
And I can relate to what he says about Catholicism in a huge way, but for me it was the Methodist church. I knew by the age of 12 that religion wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of, because the faith I was being sold was one that told me I would be condemned to hell for doing things that made me happy and weren’t causing any harm to others. It lead me to question that specific faction of religion, and then eventually all religion. Funnily enough, I went to church with my mom a few weeks ago (don’t hate me for being a hypocrite, I did it to make her happy), and the entire sermon was solely about how we should give more money to the church. It kind of reaffirmed my decision to stay away from such things. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are some beautiful and loving and kind and generous Christian people, I am one hundred percent for anyone believing their personal truth. I believe that most religions are full of nuggets of love and moral wisdom that we can all benefit from, organized religion just isn’t for me personally. I prefer to meditate as a form of spirituality and connection with the divine.
@shambles — yes, so right on. thank you!
Girl are you me? I feel like you’re me so closely does this parallel my experience. Except it was Church of God instead of Methodist. 14 instead of 12. I also went to church for Mother’s Day this year to make my mom happy. The songs of worship were nice and I can see how others may have been uplifted but it just reaffirmed to me that I’m not missing anything.
@I Choose Me — Southern Baptist, me. The music was the best part, and I can see how the songs could uplift. But also some of those old time hymns for the “invitational” (recall some heart wrenching ones about being stained by sin, abdolved by cleansing in the blood of the lamb) just manipulated emotions and for me, why I went up to “be saved” at age 9, pure fear of perishing in the flames of hell. I never really believed, I just wanted to save myself. So cruel.
And now my 89 yr old grandmother, a lifelong Christian church goer and believer, is having horrific dementia hallucinations, delusions amd paranoias involving “the old devil” she says. And sadly they are all sexual in nature. She also watches Jimmy Swaggert channel pretty much in all of her waking hours. She lives in a trailer and has never had much of anything, but she just asked me to make sure that when she goes all that she has is sold and goes to his ministry. She bought it all, hook, line and sinksmer.
Thanks for letting me share all of this. I’m her and my mother’s primary caretaker and trying not to lose my mind. Thank you Celebitchy — this site is great distraction but also a place of intelligent and edifying camaraderie.
Hugs to you, tarach. That is very, very hard. Ironically, what you are doing in caring for your mother and grandmother is extremely Christian in the true sense of striving to be Christ-like, which is the opposite of what I observed most of the “devout” Southern Baptists doing in the small town where I grew up and they were the largest denomination. Sending you best wishes (but not prayers, as being an agnostic I don’t have an entity I pray to). Dementia is a cruel disease.
I agree 110% with what you said. The only difference is, I never believed nor was I ever into it. I never felt like a prayer actually went to someone and was heard. It was just something you did because you were told.
As someone who still goes to Catholic Church I struggle every day with it. It’s hard. I’m not as deeply into my church as I was in high school but I will say it’s gotten me through some rough times. For me I need the faith part but not the organized religion part. So it’s a back and forth thing. A lot of my friends struggle with the church…it’s hard to reason with intellectually.
And if it wasn’t already obvious I adore Mark Ruffalo. He can do no wrong really
Mark!!!!!!!!!!
Cruelty aside, I just don’t get how Catholicism is still a thing nowadays. Like, if you’re Catholic you LITERALLY believe the first woman was made from some dude’s rib. You LITERALLY believe some man and his fam collected 2 of every animal and put them on a big ship. I understand how these stories came to be, but with how far we’ve come with science it baffles me that there are still people going “Yup, that totally happened.”
I get people lean on faith for comfort and guidance– I was raised Lutheran, and I’ve seen the good it can do. I think that’s a beautiful thing. But I also think if people admitted the Bible is a book of stories, the world would be a far better place.
Literally? No that’s actually a misrepresentation as most Catholics I grew up with (including nuns) fully embraced the notion of symbolism and metaphor. As usual people outside the situation only seize on the example of the few extremists.
And I say this as someone who left the church and will not even consider returning for another decade or two until the old guard has fully died off. And likely not even then.
Right, that’s one thing I do appreciate about Catholicism. So…don’t know where @Jay is getting that. There is plenty wrong with the Catholic church, but that’s not one of the problems.
When I visited the Vatican when I was 17 it was a big WTF moment for me. The opulence was so mind blowing. I mean, y’all just have to ask WWJD and the answer is NOT THAT.
The Catholic Church believes the Bible is an allegory. We don’t take it literally. Science and Catholicism are compatible, heck, things like the big bang theory and genetics came from Catholic priests.
Even transubstantiation?
I think you are mixing up Catholic theology with Biblical literalism – which are very different. Catholic theology is more about metaphors and symbolism. The deposit of faith is in the Bible, yes, but also equally within Sacred Tradition. The Church doesn’t take the Bible literally in the way that some Protestant denominations do, especially the more fringe denominations.
I say this as someone who went to Catholic schools through high school. I married a Hindu and now practice that faith, but I still find beauty and meaning in many parts of Christianity, particularly Catholic spirituality.
Agreed. Having grown up Catholic I was surprised when I was exposed to various other Christian denominations how much more prominently the bible was featured in comparison to what I had known/learned.
I think Christians who take the Bible literally are in the minority.
Agree.
I disagree. As someone that was raised and surrounded by Cathloics and did not learn about other denominations until adulthood, it is the opposite. Cathloics view the bible as stories/fables and not actual truth or word of God. Other religious denominations, however, take what is written literally and use it as a guide for living life. It was quite shocking. This is especially true of denominations that are prevalent in the South.
Sorry but no. I know nuns and priests who teach evolution and embrace the Big Bang theory. There’s just a belief that a higher being put it all in motion
I can vouch for this and say for at least the majority of years where I was taught about evolution I wasn’t taught it didn’t exist but that it did exist and perhaps it was set in motion by God.
Now, I’ve got no problems with that idea either way but the willingness to embrace science was present.
Here too. Through my 12 years of Catholic school, I was always taught that Catholicism was a contextualist religion.
Now that I think about it, Jay may be confusing Catholicism with Greek Orthodoxy. My sophomore highschool religion teacher was a greek orthodox priest; as counterpoint, he taught us their belief that women were made from Adam’s rib and meant always to be a “helper,” thus subordinate, literally. We argued endlessly about it and agreed to disagree. This was in the 80s in Arizona… so things had loosened up by then… and there… re: Catholicism’s explicit subjugation of all things female. Not saying it didn’t/doesn’t still happen in other ways, just that it’s sneakier.
There is a huge super Catholic pocket in WI where I was raised. They 100% believe everything literally happened as stated in the Bible. If you don’t, they get very angry, upset and confused. I’m 33 and there is a whole generation under me being raised to believe the bible is fact. Literal fact. And if you don’t believe it too then you aren’t a real catholic. And then there’s me. I’m not a Christian anymore. Lots of pearl clutching when I go home. Except it’s rosary beads.
That is interesting. I wonder if they are part of the evangelical or charismatic Catholics. I grew up in Canada and we didn’t have any charismatic Catholics in TO, but I had heard of them. I was taught mainly by Franciscans and Dominican Sisters of St. Ceclia and I remember a few of the nuns expressing some anxiety over the charismatics seeming too Protestant. We were taught NEVER to take the Bible literally as that was “dangerous” in itself (leading to Protestantism, lol). Everything was allegory and metaphor – which was beautiful too and actually led me to embrace my husband’s faith which is even more open (Hinduism).
I just turned 34, so we are the same generation. Interesting how different the Catholic Church can be in various regions.
It’s honestly strange to hear people say that Catholics don’t believe it as fact. The only Catholics I’ve encountered who didn’t think it was fact also weren’t very “catholic”. They didn’t go to confession, weekly mass, say the rosary, novenas, attend silent retreats etc. Really interesting.
Wow really? I grew up in a town that is 90% Irish Catholic. Literally. I have to say that in my experience, that was not the case at all.
Sure some did call me a “devil-worshipper” because of my atheism, but most were really chill/moderate–not extreme at all.
As someone who went to a Catholic school for 12 years and had religious classes and go to mass weekly, I take the Bible as a metaphor.
Amen, brother! 😉
Just get Ruffalo a damn Oscar already!!
I think I must be the only woman in the world who doesn’t find him wildly attractive, although I think he’s a lovely man in other ways.
You aren’t the only one. I don’t find him physically attractive but, as I have said in previous posts, I would love to sit down with him and have coffee for hours. His brain seems very attractive 🙂
Me too. I have never found him physically attractive. He gives good interviews and he seems like someone I would actually like to know outside Hollywood (and there are precious few of those).
It was in the first movie I ever saw him in , The Cut, that I found him hot. He was a rough-around-the-edges cop and it was an erotic thriller. There was something soooo sexy about him. My sister told me not to watch the movie, that it was awful. I watched it anyway and loved him so much in it I watched it again. LOL I was kind of stunned to see him in nice guy roles after that for a while. It wasn’t even like the same guy to me.
In The Cut clips – Mark in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8josOPbNb8
He is as attractive as a teddy bear toy. Cute and plush, and that is it, ))
Another lapsed Catholic here. Actually, I’ve just lapsed from organized religion. It all bothers me–too much crazy, too much with the need to control women.
I’m with you on the organised religion thing. I am also an ex-Catholic. I did not lapse, I consciously decided that their organised and persistent mysogony, and hypocrisy was no longer something I could endure. I also realised that the corrosive power of guilt, which the Catholics do a particularly malignant brand of, was not something that I wanted to be an on going part of my life. I am a great believer of the “do unto others” mantra. I think it just about covers everything for me. The whole born again thing is a mystery to me, I think I was born pretty well the first time. Religion can be a very emotion heavy subject, and I do believe that humans have a spiritual side that it is important to nurture, but when organisations muscle in on that, and use it as a means to control, and make money, then I call a halt to the whole messy business. I am sure that God is horrified by the things that are perpetrated by man in her/his name.
I hope one day you all stop calling your self lapsed. You broke free and used your beautiful brain!!
I grew up in a deeply religious country/community. My mother is still a fervent Catholic but I’ve been out of the Catholic church for a few years now. After the scandal I could not take any priest seriously anymore. I felt like they were all liars and molesters and hypocrites but deep down I still feel Catholic. I still long to go back to the church. Because despite all the scandal it was a source of comfort.
When I was in college, my roommate’s sister, who was also a friend of mine, was having an affair with a young priest at her church. Then my ex-boyfriend’s female longtime close friend (who I knew through him) confided in him she was having an affair with a priest. They did everything, such as oral, but he wouldn’t have actual intercourse. In my town, a priest had traveled there from his town an hour away to have sex with a male prostitute and was busted.
How many priests, I wonder, actually are celibate. It’s an antiquated concept that is not realistic.
Most of my divorced friends lapsed because of the way divorced people are treated regarding remarrying. Others still go because it’s the church they grew up in and brings them peace.
There are two priests in my hometown who have kids. One has grandchildren now. The entire town knows, no one ever reported them. I went to school with one girl and her father (the priest) came to parent-feacher meetings. She even lived with him, she obly had her mother’s last name. Everyone was really chill about it, like “eh, it happens”. Maybe I am Catholic to this day beause I grew up in such a forgiving environment. I can’t say it’s like that in the entire country, but it was in my hometown. And in my very liberal very Catholic family.
As a kid, I went to Catholic school. Only until grade 7. For high school I told my parents I was not going to the Catholic school because I understood about the scandal and had no intention of supporting anything Catholic. In grade 12 we had Career Skills where we could go and work in a field that we were interested in. I chose to go to teach at the Catholic elementary school because some of my favorite teachers were still there (none of them were the nuns or priests). On the final day of the week, I was asked to come into the Church office (there is a church on-site as part of the school). I was then told that the bishop had asked that I no longer attend the Church. Why? Because the Bishop had found out that I was pregnant (the staff at the school knew but you couldn’t tell at that point so the kids did not). That was the support that I got from the Church. I was not a practicing Catholic at that point and it sealed the deal for me to never go back. Not only is it corrupt, cruel and protective of child abusers, those in power pick and chose who to help and who to turn their back on. If I had been a practicing member at that time that rejection would have been devastating. At a time when a person needs support the most, the Church turned it’s back. Nice, real nice.
oh Mark. so dreamy…those eyes, those lips, all of that chest hair…omg. and thoughtful and intelligent as well. Mark, you make me weak (biting my fist).
I don’t care, I’ll dream of you (and maybe The Bloke too) all damn day.
As someone who grew up catholic, I was dismayed to learn about similar issues in Buddhist monasteries. (Pedophilia. In fact there are also ” vice” monasteries for those who are not folllowing the prescibed lifestyle). Tibetan Buddhism has been of interest to me for many years. One day I got curious about its possible”dark side” and went down a rabbit hole of reading. I know every religion has pros and cons because humans and all, but I think the whole male patriarchal hierarchy combined with celibacy and non fraternizing with women creates an even greater imbalance, plus the secrecy etc. With Buddhism, it’s also been a way for poor and rural families to send their sons to school. The power mone y and hierarchy of the ruling families is like a dynasty within that system. And the nuns are less respected and not well funded, no money for basic needs most of the time. I believe this was true for catholic nuns as well, much of the t ime.
Mark Ruffalo is hot. And seems like a level headed and thoughtful guy. He’s also a fellow scorpio. (:
I WOULD ADORE HIM WHOLE-HEARTEDLY—if he were not a 9/11 Truther. That said, his passionate anti-fracking efforts and support for climate change science do go a ways to balance that.
A 9/11 Truther? Wow.
I know–very disappointing day, when I learned this about him.
I’m a 9/11 truther, it doesn’t take away from the immeasurable loss and horrible devastation for all the victims and families, I wish them nothing but peace and love.
Yeah I can handle conspiracy theorists when the conspiracies are relatively benign. 9/11 truthers aren’t going to kill the planet. They’re not perpetuating racism. I always feel like a few years in the military would cure a 9:11 truthers because you’re exposed to just how mundane the gov’t is.
I don’t believe the government is mundane it can’t be, just only the foreign policies alone are hypocritical and incredibly complex. I would never join any military I’m a pacifist, I don’t believe in any kind of violence against anyone.
The problem is that Mark uses science in support of his causes (especially his big one, anti-fracking) and that’s great, but 9/11 conspiracies are anti-science. Not great.
Did anyone see the 2011 Oranges and Sunshine movie based on a book called Empty Cradles about all the 150.000 children in British orphanages (most who still had parents, many in temporary care) being deported to Australia and elsewhere often for labor? Parents being lied to and told their children were adopted and children lied to, told their parents died and offering them sunshine in another country, only to get to horrible conditions. It’s a true story. Emily Watson played the woman who uncovered all of this as it was a dirty secret and follows her trying to reunite now adults who don’t know if they have living parents or not.
Many ended up under the care of The Christian Brothers, a Catholic order, in Australia in Bindoon Boys Town, in a remote location building a school “where they were treated as slave labour and suffered horrific physical and sexual abuse. One victim told an official inquiry that his Christian Brother carers competed to become the first to rape him 100 times. ”
It sickened me to think of those young boys taken from their life in England and sent to another country doing manual labor as children and being abused sexually by the priests.
I love him so much. He’s great on Twitter!
I grew up about religion and now I realize how great it was. There were other issues, but at least I was free to explore different philosophies and different beliefs.
And in the end I decided that none of the religions are for me. If there is a God or Gods just being a good person should be enough.
Either way, it is better to live your life as one and only and like there is nothing afterwards, because it makes you better appreciate the time here.
I think this is one of the weaknesses of many religions – the earthly life for them is just a preparation for the afterlife. What if there is no afterlife? You have to make it right here and now.
This is exactly the problem. If this life doesn’t matter, you don’t really have to pursue anything exceptional because that all awaits you in the afterlife. I think religion has such a hold of the American Midwest because people are relatively far from cities and a variety of cultures, opportunities are more limited, and they really need something to saturate their lives with more significance so they don’t get depressed.
Brad Pitt said something like this once. He grew up in the Midwest. I immediately knew what he was talking about.
I love this man!
That chest!!!
My MIL, who is now a southern baptist (sigh), grew up Catholic and said the same things about the nuns. Like just the thought of nuns seems to make everyone over 40 shiver. Maybe it’s time for them nuns to back away from the nineteenth century and join us here in the twenty-first.
In my experiences with the catholic church, the nuns were the kindest and smartest and most true to the “word of god”. it’s the priests and the bishops and the vatican who are making the nuns stop their charity work and focus on whatever the men want. very sexist.
anyways, just tired of people always badmouthing the “strict” nuns, when it’s really the priests and all that ruining the religion.
Putting Away Childish Things is the best book I’ve read about the church. http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Away-Childish-Things-Ranke-Heinemann/dp/006066861X/
“[…] exposes how the myths behind the Church’s key doctrines — such as the divinity of Christ, the virgin birth, the empty tomb — distorts Jesus’ real message.”