[chitownxo]

Although I am by no means a perfect Catholic, I'll try to answer a few questions....

First, technically Catholics don't worship Mary in a god-like sense. We venerate her as the mother of Jesus. She is the holiest of all women, and we treat her as such.

Catholics don't allow Protestants to take Communion because it implies a unity that technically isn't there. I was always told that the Protestants in the congregation are to pray that one day the schism will be healed.

I've always been taught that the Pope isn't infallible, except in matters of theology. I don't know that I 100% believe this, but there ya go.

In Confession, as explained to me a couple of days before my confirmation, the priest acts as an intercessor for you. You go to Confession to confess sins, and then you and the priest pray together. You do a penace (usually a prayer, although I once had to be nicer to Mr. Chitownxo's mom - which is really hard!) I will say that the times I force myself to go, I do feel better about things. It's nice to have someone to talk about things that you're not really proud of...so much cheaper than a therapist!

It is techinically part of our mission to spread the word, so to speak. I have no desire to convert anyone...I figure if anyone else wants to become a Catholic, they'll ask me, and I can point them in the right direction.

As for the non-baptised child, according to my father who is busily quoting the Baltimore Cathecism to me as we speak, there was never an official Catholic dogma that taught that the child would go to hell. It's not spelled out...according to my father the Super-Catholic, a non-baptised child does not go to hell, and it was never a teaching that they would. Hell, when translated, means absence from God, so I think that's a missunderstanding.

If anyone else has any questions, I'll answer them as best as I can. If you feel more comfortable PM-ing me, that's cool too.