Is Pointlessness The Point?

[Semalsia]

Someone once said when talking about his religion that the point of some of the God's laws is that they have no point. When God demands that you shouldn't kill other people, it's quite easy to obey. But if He demands you not to drink water that's at room temp, it'll only make you confused. When your thirsty and the only water available is at room temp it's really tempting to drink it. If you knew some rational reason not to drink it (like ... it would kill you or something), you'd have no temptations. But there are none, and so restraining yourself from drinking it shows your devotion to God. And that's the point. A pointless test.

Is it like this in catholicism? Are some of the rules arbitrary on purpose?

If not, is it possible for people to deduce what is moral by themselfs?

[Era Might]

No.

Ultimately, everything is ordered toward the glory of God. Everything we do should be good and true, because by doing so we exist as the beings that God intended for us to be.

But, as far as the rules of the Church go, they have their own point, each in its own way. Laws of fasting, for example, establish a common spiritual mortification for certain days (such as Good Friday, when we celebrate the death of Our Lord). The point is not to fast for the sake of fasting, but to deny ourselves, and bring our wills into subjection.

Basically, the glory of God and the salvation of souls are the supreme law and guide for the Church's rules and discipline.

[Aloysius]

if God comanded such a thing, He would probably be doing it for two purposes:

1) to strenthen your will so that when something is truly evil and also truly tempting, you will have a very strong will to avoid it and

2) to teach you to obey and trust Him.

God always has a purpose for anything He commands of you, and that purpose is always connected to the betterment of your human nature, the redemption of your human nature, and the salvation of your soul.

[Eutychus]

[quote]Is it like this in catholicism?[u][b] Are some of the rules arbitrary on purpose?[/b][[/u]/quote]

Of course they are....for example:

If you did this in Portland, Maine, you die and fry forever unconfessed. But if you live in Boston, Happy St Patricks Day! Apparently God is backing up the diocesan geography boundery llines with the FULL HELL AUTHORITY TO FOREVER CONDEMN YOU.

[quote]Bishops Bend Rules for St. Patrick's Day

By EMILY FREDRIX, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, March 15, 2006


Michael O'Leary doesn't need to choose between sinning and nibbling this St. Patrick's Day. O'Leary will enjoy his corned beef on Friday with a clear conscience — thanks to a special dispensation from another Irish-American, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee.

Dolan is among dozens of bishops — from Green Bay, Wis., to Arlington, Va., to Chicago to Boston — granting one-day dispensations from Lenten rules that prohibit Roman Catholics from eating meat on Fridays to observe the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In many cases, the bishops are asking for a similar day of penance in exchange for relaxing the rules this Friday.

Many bishops offered the same deal the last time St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday during Lent — in 2000. The Archdiocese of New York has always extended a dispensation when the calendar lined up because St. Patrick is the patron saint of the archdiocese, spokesman Joseph Zwilling said.

If Dolan hadn't granted the dispensation, O'Leary, director of Milwaukee's St. Patrick's Day parade, said he would stick to the rules — meaning he wouldn't prepare his corned beef brisket. But with the bishop's blessing, he plans to put a brisket in his slow cooker early Friday morning and slather it with mustard and other condiments come dinner time.

"It is being done in honor of St. Patrick," O'Leary said. "It's not as though I'm having something I would normally have. It's a special thing."

[/quote]

[url="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/15/national/a054211S00.DTL"]FULL STORY HERE[/url]

Edited September 17, 2006 by Eutychus

[Aloysius]

THREAD HIJACK

such things teach obedience, they are not arbitrary: the point is to learn obedience.

and the bishops throughout the world no longer so gravely order abstinence from meat as to make disobeying them a grave matter. so it is a sin the same as disobeying a law of a competant governing body would be a sin, it is a sin against the fourth (fifth to the protestants, I supppose) commandment.