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Gimme that Old Time Religion?
I was sitting here flipping through Westchester Magazine, a glossy thing featuring the rich and famous movers and shakers of the desperately suburban area in which I live. I'd never purchase this periodical myself, but somehow the people at the Wine Enthusiast seem to have purchased me a subscription. In my unmarried name, which means they found me from a list at least six years old, though the magazine only started showing up a few months ago. It's got good local restaurant features, though, so I read it.
I was flipping through the ads in the back, and came across an odd little ad, which began like this:
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Chevaliers de Notre Dame - The Catholic Answer(r)
Our Priests have extended God's Love in The Holy Sacraments for more than 1,000 years. No other Catholic priests come as highly recommended with a $250,000 Sacramental Assurance.
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What? Sacramental Assurance? Is this some kind of odd insurance policy, which promises to pay your relatives if you don't get into Heaven, based on them having performed Catholic rituals incorrectly?
I suddenly needed to know, so I went to their website and found this:
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The $250,000.00 Challenge!
An open challenge from The Knights of Notre Dame, Sovereign Military Religious Ordre, to compare and contrast religious credentials with The Roman Catholic Church from the time of the Apostles through Saint Peters Cathedral (Rome).
Popes, Cardinals and Bishops of our Ordre historically possess identical Apostolic Succession and Holy Orders. The Ordre has been honored by His Holiness Pope John Paul II during his visit to Europe.
Cardinal Stritch's Imprimature guarantees the Catholic Validity of the Sacraments the Ordre provides.
---
So $250,000 says that they're real Catholics. It's no matter to me -- I've never been a Christian of any ilk, but I do admit, the cash would come in handy...
I was flipping through the ads in the back, and came across an odd little ad, which began like this:
---
Chevaliers de Notre Dame - The Catholic Answer(r)
Our Priests have extended God's Love in The Holy Sacraments for more than 1,000 years. No other Catholic priests come as highly recommended with a $250,000 Sacramental Assurance.
---
What? Sacramental Assurance? Is this some kind of odd insurance policy, which promises to pay your relatives if you don't get into Heaven, based on them having performed Catholic rituals incorrectly?
I suddenly needed to know, so I went to their website and found this:
---
The $250,000.00 Challenge!
An open challenge from The Knights of Notre Dame, Sovereign Military Religious Ordre, to compare and contrast religious credentials with The Roman Catholic Church from the time of the Apostles through Saint Peters Cathedral (Rome).
Popes, Cardinals and Bishops of our Ordre historically possess identical Apostolic Succession and Holy Orders. The Ordre has been honored by His Holiness Pope John Paul II during his visit to Europe.
Cardinal Stritch's Imprimature guarantees the Catholic Validity of the Sacraments the Ordre provides.
---
So $250,000 says that they're real Catholics. It's no matter to me -- I've never been a Christian of any ilk, but I do admit, the cash would come in handy...
Real-igion
Though honestly, I'm a Taoist, and I wouldn't put forth the challenge... Because the fact that I admit I'm a child of the Tao nearly proves in itself that I'm not a Taoist. It's an awfully silly religion.
Trickster