Ask a silly question...

[icewolf]

It occurs to me to ask, since I'm realizing that I have a skewed view of religion. (Pause for the universal "Well, DUH.") For example, I thought everyone knew about Thomas Aquinas. Apparently not. So I'm posting this poll...

[Poll #1418777]

Comments

Er...

[icewolf010.livejournal.com]

severus_bracae and strawberrykaren, you attended a full Catholic mass when you came to Herself's baptism last year.

[friarjohn.livejournal.com]

Umm, why do you ask?

[icewolf010.livejournal.com]

Well, having grown up primarily in the midatlantic, and living in Maryland (which was founded as a colony for Catholics), not to mention that my father is an ordained priest who received his dispensation from active service in 1973, I am realizing that, as far as certain theological ideas go, I'm like the fish who doesn't think anything of water. My default is to think that everybody knows who Thomas Aquinas was, that they know why Thomas Becket was such a big deal even before they made a really awesome movie about him, and that Vatican II wasn't just about translating the Mass into English.

What brought it to mind has been a series of exchanges with a friend. This friend is not Christian, and was raised in the US South. As a result, I frequently come out with things that make him tilt his head and say, "What, now? That's not how the Christians I knew did/thought/said things."

So I've posted this poll to try to figure out how deep in the pond I've gotten, i.e., how badly I've been assuming.

[blue-estro.livejournal.com]

My default is to think that everybody knows who Thomas Aquinas was, that they know why Thomas Becket was such a big deal even before they made a really awesome movie about him, and that Vatican II wasn't just about translating the Mass into English.

Wait, so is the above very aware or somewhat aware? I almost put "no clue" just because I don't know how much I don't know. I was raised lax Presbyterian but most of my knowledge of Catholic theology comes from high school history, college philosophy classes, and a bit of own dilettante religious studies. I doubt I could pass a confirmation class, so I have no idea how complete my understanding of the differences are.

[lahabiel.livejournal.com]

I vaguely remember, in my teen years as a budding young occultist, wading through about 300 pages of Aquinas in its original Latin (swiped from the Friedsham Memorils Library Friars' Stacks) about whether or not angels have free will.

But I couldn't tell you what Vatican II was about or what the difference between Protestantism and Catholicism is (I think you're all f***ing nuts).

I guess I'm a "different" kind of weirdo.

[chickenhat.livejournal.com]

Altar boy from age 12 until 16. (You know you've reached the big time when you get to do the midnight mass at Christmas.) Oh, and my dad was (is still, maybe?) a lecturer and CCD teacher when his parish was OLPH. He's still there even though it's changed and is now called St. Gabriel's.

OTOH, he's also practically a Budhist, is also a Reiki and Tai Chi practitioner, keeps a "SHma Y'shrael" above one of our archways with Palm Sunday fronds in it... okay, yeah, I'm bragging about my dad. In other words, I consider him one of the better Christians I know because of his understanding and research into other forms of faith and worship.

Anyway, it also allows him to understand how I can Believe without having Faith. I was, as you say, "In the Pond" a very long time, to the point where I really did consider going to seminary instead of studying theatre. But we're frogs, we know what the water's like in the other ponds as well as dry land.

But it's been long enough that the waters are kinda muddy, so I only kinda-sorta remember the differences and I'm not sure I could make a clear distinction to another person, but I'd recognize the differences if I saw them.

[the-mithril-man.livejournal.com]

My first exposure to Thomas Aquinas was Jack Palance saying, "I'm not playing Thomas Aquinas. Apparently I'm supposed to be some kind of freaking wizard!" I've since learned more.

[dejla.livejournal.com]

I flirted with Roman Catholicism when I was a teenager, but I went back to Baptist. And then turned Espicopalian when I was in my late 20s.

[thirdbase.livejournal.com]

i used to go to mass with friends on teh cape in the summer because we could giggle and talk the whole way there and the whole way home. It was more time to hang out.

They're very pretty -- i went to on that was being said in latin in Austria on time. Very pretty.

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

My dad is Roman Catholic and my mom is Presbyterian. The theological differences between some Protestant denominations are as massive as those between them and Catholicism (of any stripe, not just Roman).

From my observations of R.C. kids these days, I suspect that medievalists of any religion would have a better knowledge of Thomas Aquinas than the Catholic kids would.

the whole juice and crackers to-do

At my high school, the communion wafers were referred to as "Cardboard Christi." I'm pretty sure we picked it up from one of the priests.

[wendywoowho.livejournal.com]

Cradle Catholic, and confirmed as such.

Received into the Episcopal church about 10 years ago.

On Friday, I go to Northern Ireland with 17 or so Episcopal teens, to learn more about peace and conflict resolution. I also smack them down, verbally, if they say stupid/hateful things about R.C.s.

[madmoisellestar.livejournal.com]

I have been to two Catholic masses, both as a tourist. One was in latin, when I was an exchange student in Belgium. The other was here, with a friend. I was curious and felt I should educate myself.

I could not tell you anything about Vatican II beyond Masses in English.

[ernmissprism.livejournal.com]

My mother is an EX-nun. Enough said.

[interdisciple.livejournal.com]

I do actually vaguely recall St Thomas Aquinas being discussed in a Philosophy of Religion class I had over ten years ago... I just can't recall the exact nature of his proofs, nor did I learn the clear historic connections in his attempts to reconcile faith with reason...

Here's what I do know: I think he came up with the argument of design, aka the watchmaker's argument, and/or a teleological proof of God (can't recall if these two proofs/arguments were connected)... something along the lines of "It logically follows that God must exist, because a God is by definition perfect, and to not exist is certainly less than perfect..."

...and/or something about the universe having a complex order and so was created by a similarly logical and intelligent creator...

(If one accepts the validity of these premises, which are clearly loaded and problematic... I believe Descartes made it his mission to come up with a better version of Aquinas's proofs of God but I do believe he too eventually did not quite succeed...)

I'm not sure if my memory's even clear or good on this, but this is the recollection I have. I'm unaware of any broader connections to Christian theology, or to the Protestant/Catholic split, if any.

As for Thomas Becket... The name sounds familiar?

I don't know a lot about Christian theology in general or the Protestant/Catholic split because I'm history-retarded in general and religions in particular all freak me out just a little and send me running the other way. :)

[tydokia.livejournal.com]

I said somewhat aware because I only vaguely understand what the protestant denominations believe.

I seem to only attract Catholics, Jews, and agnostics as friends. O_o