sister steph

Was it of your religion, or another's? Did it effect your personal belief?

The most beautiful ceremony I went to was a pilgramage to the Bascilica in DC. They held a mass in several languages a few years ago, along with a rosary prayer in four languages. I found it very spiritual and it helped cement my belief that Catholicism was the right one for me.

When you're writing a story, how do you keep your main character from becoming a Mary Sue/Gary Stu? I'm in the middle of a novel, and I realized my main character was a bit of a Sue. I need to fix her, so some advice would be nice.

What do you think of the current trend in the genre of paranormal/vampire novels? The whole "pity me/sexy hero" vampire and the vampire/vampire hunter pairings? What are some changes to the genre you want to see?

In tradional Irish/Celtic folklore, how does one bind a fae/fairy?

Does anyone have any good websites on the taboos and/or cultural rituals of the Rom? Thanks in advance.

One of my teachers and I were talking the other day about the Catholic Church and excommunication (removing someone from the faith as punishment). And she asked me a question I have no answer to.

"If someone is excommunicated, is there any way for them to come back or is it forever?"

I had no idea, since I never heard of anyone trying to re-enter the Catholic faith after being excommunicated. Is there such a thing?

Honest and respectful answers only.

Every time I come on here, I think of a poem, "The Cold Within" and how it relates to this section. It's saddening that this poem describes this area so well. I had started coming here to share my knowledge and to learn about other religions and points of views. Instead, All I see is hatred.

For those that don't know the poem "The Cold Within", it's about six people, huddled around a fire in the middle of winter. Each has a stick that can cause the fire to burn longer, but none give up their stick for selfish reasons. You have racism (one won't because another is black, and he won't because another is white), religion and economic status.

So, would you give up your stick to help light the fire if you were in the circle, or would you hold back because a Christian/Athiest/other belief was sitting across from you? Would you be burned by the cold within?

It's a horror movie. My mom saw it in the 70's, but since it was on tv, it could have been made in the 60's.

The movie is about this man who stays in a haunted house for money. He falls in love with a ghost there, and she tries to help him escape before the other ghosts can kill him. Vincent Price makes a cameo at the beginning.

Thanks.

I'm working on a story and at a pivotal moment, the two characters are facing each other, one about to kill the other. The one about to die is supposed to quote Shakespeare (only because I think it'd be poetic and the two characters were in love with each other). However, I am having a hard time finding a good quote. It has to be something about undying love, and hopefully involve the request for a kiss (since she kisses him before he kills her).

Can anyone help me find the right quote?

There are days when I come on here and the bickering between sides is enough to make me sick. Wouldn't it be nice if we all followed a rule that our mothers told us when we were young.

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"

If someone picks a fight, don't rise to the bait. It makes you a bigger, better person. It would be nice to squash this "Us v. Them" thing that's going on.

Who agrees?

Do you go through and thumbs up/thumbs down someone based on their religion instead of their answer? And if you do, is it it most of the time or only some of the time?

And I'm asking you, not (group). You, personally. I don't care what Sammy down the street does or what this group or that group might do.

this one here http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlaZT...

Would you feel physically sick if your Jewish friend invited you to his/her synagoge? Or if your Muslim friend invited you to his/her place of worship (the name escapes me)? Or if your Pagan and/or Wiccan friend invited you to join in a circle or ritual?

Would your answers still be as hateful as some of the ones in the previous answer? Would you really condone that? Does it matter who asks you as long as the invitation is asked with love?

How do you view your writing process and how does this help with writer's block? Does research help you write or does it hinder your process?

I view mine as putting together a puzzle. When I hit a writer's block, it's because a piece of that puzzle doesn't fit and I go back through and find where I went wrong. Research helps, but I have to be careful of when I do it. Too early and I forget, too late and it messes with my flow.

So, what are your answers?

Your best friend is of a different belief then you are and invites you out one day to visit his church/synogoge/temple/place of worship. Would you go to see how a different faith believes or say no? This is not to change your mind on your belief, just a "hey, why don't you stop by" kind of thing.

On another note, would you invite your friend to attend your place of worship as a return favor?

Our Holy Father decided allow the Tradional Latin Rite back into mass. Now, before you get upset, it's not every mass, every time and each diocese can approve of how much that mass is used. Honestly, I only forsee it used for special masses during Lent and Advent.

I think it'll be cool to see the old Tradional Mass. What do you think?

And please, if this question does not pertain to you, do not use this as an oppertunity to degrade or insult another's faith. Thank you.

It came out in the early 80's, possibly in the 70's. I can't remember the title and I'll be amazed if anyone has ever heard of it.

The story is about this girl who lives with her mother and younger brother. The brother is poisoned by a sticker given to him by a creepy man. The girl (in high school) and her new boyfriend go to the boyfriend's aunts, who are witches, to find a way to save the brother. The witches perform a spell that she must drink, which opens her to her natural powers and she fights the creepy man (a wizard).

As I said, it's an old and obscure book. It might have been English (as in, from England) since I think it was set near London.

Ok, I had to get my computer fixed not to long ago, and they had to wipe my drives and reinstall the original programs. With that, means I'm stuck (once again) with Microsoft Office on my computer. I have no codes to this program, so my Word doesn't work.

Last time, I removed Office and installed Works Suite. Word worked perfectly. This time, Office won't leave! I removed it using the Add/Remove feature, but it's still there, lurking under Program Files. Nothing I do will get rid of it so I can have my Word back.

Please help! My job depends on this!

About Confession. I know in the Catholic faith, we go to a priest, confess our sins and do our pennance. But, I've been told (repeatedly) that other Christian faiths don't. They just pray to God.

So, I gotta know how you do that. Do you pray after you commit a sin? Do you confess to God on a weekly basis (God, this week I cussed, I lied to my boss, and let Timmy talk me into seeing that dirty movie kind of thing)?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic or mocking or anything like that. I really want to know. Until I came here, I honestly thought that Confession was a Christian thing, not a Catholic thing.

Would anyone send prayers and good thoughts towards New York? My Grandma Helen passed away the other night. She was a good woman, always smiling and ready to help those who needed it.

According to this article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070424/sc_li...

Religion helps provide positive reinforcement and structure needed in the lives of kids. Studies find that kids who grow up in a religious home are often better behaved.

Pretty interesting, huh?