Yes

For sure, and you might be more "woke" (I use the term loosely) when it comes to US-International issues, but some people defs think the world thinks we're the shit even when we're not. And you're also right that they don't have a beef with us, the kiddos, but they do still take issue with Americans who think the bombing was justified

Idk were you planning on it? @tj

I sorta get what you're saying, but in another more real way, I have no clue

As long as you're not dressing up in black face or an Indian for Halloween, we have no quarrel

I don't give a f what you do or don't do. I'm just saying that Japan hates Americans more than we like to think. In fact, the whole world hates Americans more than we like to think. And Japan still hasn't gotten over Hiroshima or Nagasaki

All I know is that my best friend is Japanese and she complains all the time about how annoying weebs are and how Americans think it's cool to steal Japanese culture when it's not

Idk about the town you were in but Dia de los Santos is a Catholic holiday

Or went to heaven

@diyrogue Japanese people may be too polite to say it, but they definitely care if you dress up in Kimono. The Japanese even have a word for people who appropriate their culture: weeb

I don't think you appropriated anything... Appropriating South American Catholic culture would more be along the lines of celebrating Dia de los Muertos (Santos) if a large portion of them were offended by that. I think yours is more of a question of respect for the dead than anything, and even then, I don't think you did anything grave (pun more or less unintended).

Yeah, wow, to be only 14 or 15 years old and to be taking the faith that seriously is astonishing. Good for them, and good for you, good for all of us, for sticking by something even when it gets tough. America has become a more secular nation than I think people realize. At least, I live on the West Coast so I see it more here

Basically

Yeah, I can walk, but I still drive places

Also we believe in large scale evolution. We are not Bible Literalists. I can even pull up the Catchechism passages if you like*
*i speak for the Church, i.e., the Vatican, not always its followers. As you can believe, not every single one of Catholicism's registered 1.2 billion followers adheres to everything the Vatican says to

We didn't descend from apes tho? Like, we are apes? So how could we--
I really don't feel qualified to represent the catholic voice in this argument (I've only been a Catholic for a year) but I'd like to point you again to a Dominican or Jesuit priest (or any priest, if you can't find one of the two) if your interest persists. You can also google some of these questions, but I think it's important to keep in mind that I don't think I'm going to convince you of God's existence and you aren't going to "disprove" Him for me. Not that you were trying to, I can't know your intentions. I could set up a kik account though if you'd rather communicate w me

Btw it's good to converse. Thx for being respectful and for thinking these things through w me. It's always interesting to know the other side, even if we don't agree.
Also know that my responses, like me, are flawed. I want to become a sister (nun) someday but I'm still learning

And to reiterate, Calvanists are predeterminists. Catholics and many non-Calvanists are not. Our actions weren't scripted by God, but rather, worked around, especially if we did something where God is not, I.e. Sin (you kill someone, for example.)

Also in Christianity, anything perfect is a part of God. Therefore, if God has a plan, it's perfect bc it's His. He knows all, and most importantly, he is all loving. God IS Love. I get what you're saying, but I think we have different ideas of plans here, and that's the issue. God doesn't say "okay, and then Matt does this, and I'm going to make him do it bc it's part of my plan." He says, "oh, so Matt is apparently going to do this (I didn't make him do it, I can just tell the future) so in response, I'll send this bird here" bad example, but it illustrates my point

Wait, what? That's the Christian Scientists. They say prayer is the only form of healing. Again, I'm a doctor and a catholic, and the Church applauds that. As I say, American Protestantism has ruined my faith. The official teaching of the Catholic Church is that evolution is real. A catholic priest came up with the Big Bang theory and was applauded for it. Again, can't speak for American evangelical denoms, but there is not one aspect of science that the Church takes issue with. We even explain miracles with science and See no issue it in

Also in Catholicism: DEFINITELY get medicine and DEFINITELY get scientific knowledge, both honor God

Pretend you can see the future. You look at someone ordering some food and see that they are going to order a cheeseburger. Just because you looked into the future and saw what was going to happen, does that mean that person didn't choose?God doesn't write out what every person is going to do, He just happens to live beyond space and time and therefore knows what we're going to do. That is what omniscient means, after all: all-knowing