Chalkdust: The Stand-and-Greet

[Albert]

http://chalkdust.mitchellkdwyer.net/journalindex.html

You have to look for the recent entry called "Part I: The Stand-and-Greet"

This is a wonderful example of how on-line journal writers discuss things that matter to a lot more people than even they probably imagine, certainly more than "main-line" media people understand.

When the Roman Catholic Church went insane at the time of "Vatican 2", they introduced this hideous idea of forcing people to greet each other, the worst part of that revolution aside from giving up Latin.

Little wonder I very, very rarely go to Mass (ooops, I mean, Eucharist) anymore.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Here's a better link for that particular entry:

http://chalkdust.mitchellkdwyer.net/journal/041012.html

Not being a churchgoer, I can't say that I relate completely; however, it does seem to me that that sort of forced friendliness is supposed to somehow make the group more cohesive. It sounds to me about as genuine as the corporate "group bonding" activities I'm occasionally pressed into at work, and about as effective. :rolleyes:

[pzarquon]

I think this link (http://chalkdust.mitchellkdwyer.net/journal/041012.html) will take you straight to it.

My wife and kids are Catholic (I'm an atheist), and I've gone to Mass more than a few times. There's a "stand-and-greet" but it's definitely not as cheesy or forced as what Mitchell's talking about (the "New-Hoping of America" - I like that). I always feel weird because I have to say "peace be with you," but I wonder if it doesn't count or something since I'm not officially a member of the club.

Still, the thing about worship is, you can do it however you want. Don't like the stand-and-greet? Don't like the dancing in circles while waving a rubber chicken? Don't go there. Go somewhere else, or go it alone.

I can see the lamenting of loss of tradition or purity or whatever, but clearly the way some churches are going and the things they are doing are working for them. If you want "church classic," you can always find a Mass still in Latin the way they did it before Pope Gordon 512 or whatever.

Meanwhile, if they're happy, I'm happy for them. Well, I mean, outside of the expected skepticism someone of my pesuasion will of course separately apply. :)