| General Theology The forum for general theological discussions about issues that do not fit in any other forum, eg. Angelology |  | | 
3rd July 2009, 05:57 AM
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Reps: 21,328,029,639,194 (power: 0) | | Originally Posted by wiselife I think the Church's attitude about vocations have changed. Before, if you wanted to be a priest/nun it was assumed that you had a vocation. Today, it's like you have to show evidence you have one.
Another thing is society. How many parents today want their children to be priests or nuns?
Then it's wealth. In many Catholic countries a minor Seminary (who admitted 9 y/o boy) was a better alternative than an orphanage. It was free education of the best quality. Most of these did not become priests, of course, because a Seminary education in places where most people did not have a HS diploma, and the work ethics it gave you, meant business owner would hire in the spot. However even some of these boys ended up being priests. This I know from talking to older priests.
Very few people know what priests and nuns and other consecrated persons are and do, just the TV/Hollywood version of it.
Those are very good observations | 
3rd July 2009, 08:59 AM
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Reps: 604,418,086,506,083,840 (power: 604,418,086,506,099) | | Originally Posted by DD2008 "Nuns were the often-unsung workers who helped build the Roman Catholic Church in this country, planting schools and hospitals and keeping parishes humming. But for the last three decades, their numbers have been declining — to 60,000 today from 180,000 in 1965."
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/us...s.html?_r=1&hp
This shouldn't be a point of concern . Catholics say that it is a calling . If the Lord isn't calling as many today , He has a good reason . | 
3rd July 2009, 09:38 AM
|  | THAT IS WHAT I SAY 61 
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Reps: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (power: 9,223,372,036,854,878) | | Originally Posted by wiselife *snip*
Very few people know what priests and nuns and other consecrated persons are and do, just the TV/Hollywood version of it. This TV series was pretty popular back in my days 
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Coloss 2:14 Blotting out the against us handwriting to the decrees which was hostile to us, And has taken out of the midst, nailing it to the stauros | 
4th July 2009, 08:34 PM
|  | Woe those who call evil good + good evil. Is 5:20 37 
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Reps: 398,724,314,321,260,160 (power: 398,724,314,321,270) | | Originally Posted by OpenDoor For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. | 
5th July 2009, 11:55 PM
|  | Problem Child 35 
| | Join Date: 25th April 2005
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Reps: 446,706,352,115,660,672 (power: 446,706,352,115,683) | | | I fail to see how the number of nuns currently in service is relevant to anything other than
1) the number of nuns currently in service
or
2) a petty swipe at Catholics, trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.
lets hope it's #1 we're discussing.
besides which, I read the article.... I'd think that if you sign up to play hockey, you should wear the uniform of the team that signs you. If you don't like it... don't sign up. (don't take it from that statement that it's all about the nuns wearing a habit, it has more to do with the attitude of the few nuns listed in the article, than it does to do with clothing choice.)
I've never understood the "we'll sign up to work for you, but complain bitterly about how you want us to do it."
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Last edited by Uphill Battle; 6th July 2009 at 12:02 AM.
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6th July 2009, 12:31 AM
| | Faith + Hope + Love 28  | | Join Date: 17th April 2007
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Reps: 218,926,734,315,533,600 (power: 218,926,734,315,539) | | Originally Posted by MrPolo Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
This is ironic 
I think you might want to re-read my post and what was quoted | 
6th July 2009, 03:00 AM
|  | Future Sailor. 22  | | Join Date: 12th January 2007 Location: Washington
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Reps: 211,131,165,905,273,728 (power: 211,131,165,905,290) | | Originally Posted by polishbeast I wouldnt say Vatican II is what is causing the nun decrease, but something else that is effecting all of Christianity and destroying the foundations of Christianity.
Well, when one takes the Eucharist (yes, Christ is in the Eucharist for all the critics) out of the Liturgy, one can't help but wonder how long a Eucharist-less Christianity will last without being absorbed into the world and becoming nothing more than a political affiliation.
The 'foundations of Christianity' are not destroyed. What is the foundation of Christianity? Christ. So long as there is still a belief that Christ has two natures and two will (divine and human on both accounts) united within one body, than Christianity still exists no matter how large a crowd may believe it. So long as some bit of Christianity is still Christianity and still has Christ within it, than Christianity has nothing to fear.
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6th July 2009, 11:54 AM
|  | blind squirrel

| | Join Date: 7th January 2003
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Reps: 420,956,954,470,510,592 (power: 420,956,954,470,530) | | | There are a lot more career choices for women than there used to be. More than a few nuns were pressured into service by their families who preferred a nun in the family to yet another spinster charity-case aunt. Sons were given educations while daughters were given dowries (or large weddings).
__________________ - Daisy
If such people were amenable to facts, they would have gotten the point long ago...Whatever it is that is blocking the understanding of the "denialist", it is not access to facts or information. The blockage is most likely emotional, possibly based on fear, and one does not most effectively deal with emotional barriers by using facts as instruments of assault and battery. - Dan Murphy | 
6th July 2009, 05:14 PM
| | Contributor
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Reps: 604,418,086,506,083,840 (power: 604,418,086,506,099) | | Originally Posted by aisy_Day There are a lot more career choices for women than there used to be. More than a few nuns were pressured into service by their families who preferred a nun in the family to yet another spinster charity-case aunt. Sons were given educations while daughters were given dowries (or large weddings).
Most excellent points . | 
6th July 2009, 05:39 PM
| | Regular Member
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Reps: 6,641,677,318,497 (power: 6,641,677,321) | | Originally Posted by aisy_Day There are a lot more career choices for women than there used to be. More than a few nuns were pressured into service by their families who preferred a nun in the family to yet another spinster charity-case aunt. Sons were given educations while daughters were given dowries (or large weddings).
Actually, not every monastery accepted poor candidates. I remember that St. Faustina had a tough time trying to be admitted because of poverty |  | | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode | | | |