Nick Clegg is the Leader of Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons. He is also and atheist married to a Roman Catholic. He obviously loves his wife very much. So much in fact that in order to marry her in a Catholic Church and save her from the excommunication that for her would ensue if they married in a Registry Office Nick Clegg will have had to promise the Vatican several things on oath. Nick Clegg must have done this as they married and now he has to keep his promises.
So what exactly has Nick Clegg promised? Well it sounds quite acceptable. He promised among other things that all the children of this marriage would be brought up as Roman Catholics. That sounds reasonable. It is slightly embarrassing for a leader who is an atheist to have to send your children to expensive faith schools when the rest of your constituents have to make do with a state school but no doubt Nick Clegg feels that he has to keep his word and I feel he is right to do so.
So what has Nick Clegg signed his children up for? The sort of faith school his children will be attending, say the Oratory where Tony Blair's children went will give them a privileged education, strong discipline and an intense education and understanding of the Roman Catholic faith. RE may take up to an hour a day.
What's is wrong with that you may well ask? There are a billion Roman Catholics in the world who follow this belief system. That's true but many non believers have no idea just what being a Roman Catholic entails or what they believe so here from a paid up member of the Roman Catholic Church are a few fundamental beliefs that may surprise you.
To begin as a Roman Catholic I have to believe in all the dogmas of the church. No exceptions! I am not allowed to cherry pick or deviate. If I do I am excommunicated.
All Roman Catholics have to believe in a historical 'Adam & Eve', the first humans created by God the Father and their 'Original Sin'. This 'Sin', eating of the 'tree of knowledge' damned the whole of mankind to eternal damnation. God the Father sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ to be sacrificed on the cross to save us from this 'Sin'. All humans have a 'Soul' that must be cleansed by Baptism and then kept in pristine condition. Mortal Sins condemn you to hell for all eternity. We know by DNA that a historical 'Adam & Eve' never existed. The Vatican knows this too but that makes no difference. I must believe that this 'Original Sin' was a real event and was committed.
The most important Catholic belief is that during the mass at the moment of consecration the bread and wine are turned into the body and blood of Jesus Christ which one receives during communion. I believe that I am eating the actual body and blood of Christ at this moment. It is as though while the wafer is in your mouth you actually have God within your body. This is very powerful.
The Virgin birth is obligatory so is the bodily Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven. This is not mentioned in the bible. I must believe that Mary bodily ascended into heaven. This was introduced in 1952 and must be believed on pain of excommunication.
The Pope is infallible. Once a doctrine such as the one above is defined by the Pope under certain conditions the doctrine stands for all time even if it is found to be incorrect. I must accept the Pope's decision in celestial matters.
Thanks to the 'Sin of Eve' women will never be treated as equals. They will never be allowed to become priests. St Paul, whose doctrines are considered to be infallible made this quite clear. I have to accept that I am not equal to a man.
Theistic Evolution is permitted until the Pope defines the position. This says 'God did 'it' but we don't know how'! Belief in The Modern Scientific Theory of Evolution is not permissible at present probably because it casts serious doubt on the historical 'Adam & Eve' and their 'Original Sin' so for me science is compromised but I have to accept this.
Lastly I have to conform to the Vatican's sexual requirements. No abortion even for rape, no birth control and no protection for HIV Aids under any circumstances.
I experienced this type of faith education. No sex education at all and no science.I have to believe in the face of overwhelming evidence and if I don't I go to hell. Again I must state if you are a Catholic this is what you must believe - no exceptions. Many Catholics find this hard and prefer not to discuss but just get on with it.
I could go on all day but this gives you an understanding of what Nick Clegg has signed his kids up for! Many parents do, mine did. My mother married in a Registry Office and for the rest of her life was barred communion. I married a Catholic in a Registry Office but at least he was a Catholic so I am not barred. I think! Don't quote me on that one. I probably am!
Next time you meet a Roman Catholic you will have some idea of what they actually believe and how it differs from reality. Six impossible things before breakfast is the order of the day and what's wrong with that?
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