Laugh, shop, or be appalled: Funny Catholic products.

[CBHagman]

First of all, a big disclaimer. I don't work for CafePress.Com, though every now and then I buy a product or two from them, on the grounds that there's nothing quite like them.

Well, it turns out they have a section devoted to nothing but Catholic-themed products, and apparently for all varieties of Catholic (and all moods).

The first sign that something weird was afoot was when I passed by a car in the parking lot of my apartment complex and noticed a bumper sticker that read "I love my German shepherd!" I thought it belonged to just another dog lover until I noticed the last line: "Pope Benedict XVI."

So feast your eyes on the weirdness that is. Having attended parochial school, I must say I'm taken with the following items.


http://www.cafepress.com/buy/catholic/-/pv_design_details/pg_3/id_10166677/opt_/fpt_

Here's the main page:

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/catholic

Any other reports of strange products are also welcome!

[YOY]

1. Some funny, some nice, and some downright freaky

'No Apologies for the Inquisition'??? What kind of antisemite wears that???

[CBHagman]

2. I know. That really bothered me.

As I said, they have things for all sorts of Catholics.

I must admit, though, despite being a liberal Catholic, I was amused by the "THE CAFETERIA IS CLOSED" t-shirt with the picture of Benedict XVI.

[YOY]

3. I dunno, I kind of take the Pick-and-choose view of Leftie Catholics

as a bit disparaging.

Personally, I liked these:

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/catholic/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_7110252/opt_/fpt_/c_360/

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/catholic/-/pv_design_details/pg_2/id_12788196/opt_/fpt_/c_360/

The guilt one has me written all over it!

[CBHagman]

4. I may have to buy that t-shirt for my entire family.

:evilgrin:

[demosincebirth]

5. What is all this about guilt?

They say if you Catholic - you have to have guilt. Guilt about what and guilt for what?

[YOY]

6. It's like this:

They away the Catholic Church has kept many of the flock in line is not so much with fear of fire and brimstone as many Protestant churches do, but with guilt.

The constant guilt thing for one's shortcoming and/or simple humanity is often a source of contention among many Catholics.

This resembles but is not the same a 'Jewish Guilt' which usually stems from Family and not from Faith.

I have often joked that the difference between the two is this:

Jewish Qustion: Why is God doing this to us? Did we do something wrong?

Catholic Answer: Of course we did and he hates us for it.

Feel free to clarify/correct if you can.

[demosincebirth]

8. I have no guilt over what the Church has or has not done

I look at the good the Church is doing, in the name of Christ, around the world. Funny thing, though, all of those athiests and Catholic bashers on Du, I have have never met one ever volunteering at any free dining room, or homeless shelter run by Catholic or Christian organizations.

[YOY]

11. Oh it's not that kind of guilt!

It's your personal guilt for your own personal shortcomings (many of which are merely human.) That personal guilt is enforced (though no where near what it used to be) through sacrements and even homilies.

Kind of like using confession when you don't need it. Many hardliners love to go to confession and chide those of us who do not go regularly. I find it unnecesary unless I truly have done something wrong and not just noticed a nice posterior on an attractive member of the opposite sex.

[demosincebirth]

12. Oh, that guilt.

Sometimes remembering the guilt keeps me from straying off the "straight and narrow."

[YOY]

13. It can do that!

n/t

[CBHagman]

14. Actually, I rather like confession.

In its best form, it is a dialogue and process of renewal, a reminder of God's mercy and our need to turn to him.

However, I have indeed run across a few people who take confession to extremes. I remeber seeing retreat schedules for Opus Dei that offered daily confession and mass, but also a period for examination of conscience. I don't happen to know what it's like to be in Opus Dei, but a retreat schedule like that strikes me as an invitation to being overly scrupulous. It even comes across as a tad self-centered.

[DemBones DemBones]

15. Are you thinking of the Holocaust instead of the Inquisition?

I do think that John Paul II's efforts were well-intentioned but his apologies on behalf of the Church for the Inquisition, etc., just encouraged Catholic bashing. It's always easy to look back and say what could have been done better, in our own lives or the life of the Church, but people are inescapably products of their environment and times.

People sometimes forget that the business of the Church is to save souls. The Inquisition was launched to stamp out heresies that endangered souls. In its time, it was a logical solution to a problem. It was like a Congressional commitee investigating government wrongdoing except that it dealt with personal wrongdoing. Heretics were often tortured and/or put to death because those were common practices at the time. (Of course we still put some people to death in the U.S. and apparently have been involved in torture in recent years; guess we haven't progressed much.)

I think JP II's apologies fell on mostly deaf ears and it would have been better if he'd followed the motto "Never apologize, never explain," at least in regard to events he didn't have personal control over.

[Beer Snob-50]

7. I was at a novelty gift shop last night

and found the following item: "Look Pretty for Jesus" Is was a mirror with pictures of Jesus all over it and Some lipstick and other beauty aids with his picture.

[AngryOldDem]

9. I was just there today!

I can spend HOURS browsing CafePress, and I have bought a lot of stuf from them. They have great customer service. I'm thinking about getting this one, in a sweatshirt:

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/catholics/-/pv_design_details/pg_3/id_6840148/opt_/fpt_/c_360/

I was really bothered by two designs: The BBQ apron that said (in effect) "I'd rather be burning heretics" and the "Inquisition: No apologies" one. The latter was mentioned in a thread on LBN, which led me to check out the Catholic stuff at CafePress.

The strange stuff is just too numerous to mention; besides, it will spoil the fun. Go check it out for yourselves!

[CBHagman]

10. I've always liked that verse from Micah, too!

A few years ago Bill Clinton cited that as one of his favorite verses, too, if I'm not mistaken.