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I know we have a few Catholics on the board, and was wandering if anybody had a recommendation on where to start? I'm not planning to convert or anything like that, it would just be more for my own personal knowledge.

Was thinking along the lines of "Catholicism for Dummies" except not using that book, which does in fact exist!

If anybody can think of any good texts that go into describing how the whole thing works it would be greatly appreciated. As an outsider looking in it leaves me bemused and feeling a tad stupid!

Any other recommendations of good background texts on other religions would be appreciated, if people have them.

Because religion and the internet are renowned for combining perfectly well.

*sighs and waits for hail of comments telling me that I'm overly sarcastic and unpleasant*

Does atheism count as a religion? Because if so I would nominate, I'm afraid, most scientific books. It's not a matter of me thinking that religious people are stupid (because they aren't; most scientists prior to the last few generations were religious, and even Stephen Hawking is an agnostic), but simply because the books link together to form a world that to me, seems good. I can be philosophical, but I still see science as my guide to why things happen, and almost nothing could make me change that.

If you really want to learn, talk to aa priest. Show interest in learning about faith and belief system. Despite Common belief, Priests are very knowledgable.

I hear the bible is a pretty good book on the topic.

I don't think any of those three responses are very helpful. He's looking for a book on Catholicism. Atheism isn't a religion by most folks' measure, and it's certainly not Catholicism, so has no bearing on this thread. Asking a priest could be helpful, but if what he wants is to read up on a topic at his convenience at home, rather than taking up another person's time, a book is certainly purpose-built for that task, and much more convenient. And the Bible is the foundation of most sects of Christianity, not containing much that's specific to Catholic organization, ritual, or practice.

I expect that some of the better-read Catholics on here (like Manchu) could make good recommendations, but to be honest, I suspect that Catholicism for Dummies book might actually be a good place to start.

You might try Mere Christianity by CS Lewis, not sure if that's what you're looking for though.

I'd say PM Manchu, he seems fairly well versed and I think could give you some good reading lists. That being said, the advice about talking to a priest is extremely good.

Former Catholic here.

If you're up for some serious reading, the Catholic Catechism is the go to for pretty much everything to do with the church.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has a pretty good chunk of information on their website including the Catechism.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/

Wordonfire.org is a great internet resource. Its Father Robert Barrons evangilization website and he has numerous 5-10 minute video explanations of Catholicism as it relates to current events, such as politics, movies etc on youtube as well as his internet site. I prefer the youtube channel as he actually interacts with commentors both negative and positive. He also wrote Catholicism: A Journey Into the Heart of the Faith, as well as produced its companion 10 part DVD series. He also podcasts his sermons.

I'd say this guy is solely resonsible for me walking away from atheism and re-embracing Catholicism. I'm a better, but still imperfect man, for returning to my heritage and I have him to thank for it.

Edited by Mannahnin

i think scientology has a couple of books right? read those for me and post back here , hell give it its own thread i would actually like to know what they believe..... ive heard generalities about it but nothing solid

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Former Catholic here.

If you're up for some serious reading, the Catholic Catechism is the go to for pretty much everything to do with the church.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has a pretty good chunk of information on their website including the Catechism.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/

Snap, I'd recommend the compendium of the catechism of the catholic church. It has references to the bibley stuff and the other historical writing-y stuff that all their stuff is based on.

 Somedude593 wrote:
i think scientology has a couple of books right? read those for me and post back here , hell give it its own thread i would actually like to know what they believe..... ive heard generalities about it but nothing solid

Here you go: Xenu.net

As suggested by others, reading about the Catechism is a good way, Honestly, You might find taking Catechism classes more helpful. You don't have to convert to attend them and they should be free. The ones I attended had many others who were there to learn rather than to convert, were very open and had a pretty balanced/non-judgmental view on other religions and faiths.

As to other religions/faiths.
Find a buddhist retreat near you and ask to spend some time or a weekend there. Read some books on hinduism before you go. Also read Tsung Yzu's Art of War. Not suggesting that Buddhists are war like. Just that you have to know Buddhist philosophy in order to fully understand the Art of war yet The art of War also gives insight to buddhist thought processes.

Mormons?? Open the door when they knock.

Jehovahs Witnesses?? Open the door when they knock.

Wicca? Go to a rennaisance festival and start dating a girl you meet there. . Seriously, Wicca is a very young religion that has many books on the subject. Now, many of these books will seem to contadict one another, but I believe this is due the religion being young and has yet to fully organize itself.

I'd say it's more that Wicca in general is a very free spirited and unregulated religion that's usually a mix of various traditional pagan faiths.

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
I'd say it's more that Wicca in general is a very free spirited and unregulated religion that's usually a mix of various traditional pagan faiths.

I'd say its more because Wicca is whatever the particular Wiccan wants it to be. It's something people tend to do to be 'different' or 'cool' than out of actual faith (not that there aren't real believers but the real believers are much more uniform and a lot less weird than the randoms).

 LordofHats wrote:

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
I'd say it's more that Wicca in general is a very free spirited and unregulated religion that's usually a mix of various traditional pagan faiths.

I'd say its more because Wicca is whatever the particular Wiccan wants it to be. It's something people tend to do to be 'different' or 'cool' than out of actual faith (not that there aren't real believers but the real believers are much more uniform and a lot less weird than the randoms).

Surely then you're better off picking a D&D deity that you like and just making it up from there as you go along?

There are people who do that There are Jedi's in the world after all

Eh I like the Jedis better then Christians, lightsabers, meditation and robes are way more fun then mass on sunday with some wine and bland crackers

Then again, I'm a Universalist, so I answer the whole "Which god is the right god?" question with "All of the Above" any way. Including DND deities I suppose.

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Former Catholic here.

If you're up for some serious reading, the Catholic Catechism is the go to for pretty much everything to do with the church.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has a pretty good chunk of information on their website including the Catechism.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/

You are not a former Catholic, you are just a bad Catholic. ;-)

Hey MoD,

The first question is, can you narrow your question? Catholicism is a huge topic and despite what many people claim being Catholic doesn't mean the same thing to every single Catholic person. "The Church" is actually a pretty decentralized phenomenon compared to how people normally think of it. I have found that most non-Catholics and many Catholics conceive of the Church as a kind of international corporation with its HQ at Rome and bishops as branch managers around the globe. This organization-centric view often leaves people confused as to how non-priests meaningfully fit into the whole image. If Catholicism is a sort of company, are lay people customers? Low-level employees?

That way of looking at the Church is unhelpful. In reality, Catholicism is more about life in the parish, i.e., where the faithful actually attend mass from week to week. Parishes in the U.S. are very diverse. On the other hand, the rituals we participate in are fairly consistent across the entire United States and in many ways consistent with how Catholics all over the earth celebrate mass. But every parish has its own unique approach reflecting the particular community involved.

So, now that you know it's not one "big machine" with interchangeable parts, maybe you can tell me what specifically you want to know. Are you interested in what goes on at mass, for example? Or something more administrative, like the role of the bishop in diocese? Or maybe something theological, like how Catholics differ from the Protestant denominations and evangelicals? Or are you interested in the history of Western/Latin Christianity (what we usually call Catholicism)?

Go to a church and ask to take an RCIA class. They will let outsiders enroll and go through it (in hopes that you will convert).

Back when I was catholic, I went through it as an alternate route to confirmation and I shared the class with many people who were just interested but not converting.

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
If you're up for some serious reading, the Catholic Catechism is the go to for pretty much everything to do with the church.

This is actually a very bad idea. Contrary to popular belief, the Catechism is not really a layman's How To Guide. Although its simple format seems inviting to superficial engagement, it is in reality a very technical work that assumes a lot of knowledge on the part of its reader (the intended audience was Catholic bishops). It's also a kind of bibliography inasmuch as it's a good place to start looking for an answer on the traditional approach to some issue. It doesn't, however, work like a dictionary or at least the rather blinkered way many people use dictionaries. I have had many, many conversations with non-Catholics (and even some Catholics) who have read the Catechism with a non-technical approach and ended up very confused.

The catechism is a statute book. It's very dense and not helpful for random reading.

But if you are that guy and you want to read it like a law book, the catechism is the book for you.

 Rented Tritium wrote:
Go to a church and ask to take an RCIA class

RCIA generally involves weekly meetings over a year so I doubt OP will be too interested. Also, RCIA (as per its name) is a ritual first and foremost and only incidentally a class. While it's value as a ritual is consistent from parish to parish, there is a wide range in quality as an introductory course to Catholicism. Sometimes that quality is very, very low.

 Rented Tritium wrote:
But if you are that guy and you want to read it like a law book, the catechism is the book for you.

You are getting to a good example of why the Catechism is a poor introductory text. Its format does indeed look like a civil code. In my experience, this leads people to talk about it as a kind of rule book. But the Christian faith does not consist in rules but rather of values. Yes, rules can follow from values. But confusing the rules as the important thing is one of the least helpful (and unfortunately most popular) ways to learn about Catholicism.

Firstly; Cheers for all the responses, and thanks for keeping it civil and helpful. I've got lots to consider now. *head explodes*

 Manchu wrote:

So, now that you know it's not one "big machine" with interchangeable parts, maybe you can tell me what specifically you want to know. Are you interested in what goes on at mass, for example? Or something more administrative, like the role of the bishop in diocese? Or maybe something theological, like how Catholics differ from the Protestant denominations and evangelicals? Or are you interested in the history of Western/Latin Christianity (what we usually call Catholicism)?

I'd probably say more Theological, as well as the various practices like mass. Stuff like how being a Catholic fits into everyday life, that kind of thing.

I know i'm probably not being the most clear, but I really have no religious background. (A smidge of Protestant Christianity in the form of mandatory School services and obviously just living in what is consider a Christian country).

When it comes to Catholic spirituality in contemporary America, I'd say you should look into books by Henri Nouwen and Ron Rolhesier. If you want to know about global Catholicism from a political and sociological point of view, you might want to check out John Allen's book. If you want to know what's going on with the mass, ask away and I'll be happy to try answering any questions.

"The Future Church" seems like a good place to start, thanks.

The Henri Nouwen fellow seems like a quite interesting chap. In terms of his sexuality and how he dealt with that. It's this particular thing that interests me the most, not the sexuality thing, but how scripture is applied to a real world setting.

If I think of any specific questions I'll be sure to ask, thanks man(chu).

Then I heartily recommend you read Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son.

Rolheiser wrote a great piece regarding the faith and the sex scandal that you can read here:

http://www.ronrolheiser.com/common/pdf/scandal.pdf