Here’s Margery Eagan (reg. req’d), a lifelong, still-churchgoing, self-described “so-called cafeteria” Catholic, on the bishops’ decision to force Catholic Charities out of the adoption business rather than abide by state anti-discrimination laws:
Most days, I tell myself this band of blind men will not drive me from the church of my birth, the faith of my family and a source of strength, comfort, joy and, some days, even transformation.
Why let the terrorists win?
… But some days – and this is one of them – itâs particularly hard explaining to my children why mother keeps dragging them to a church which, fresh from turning a blind eye to child abuse, now decides gay adoption is âgravely immoralâ and does âviolence to children.â …
Celibate men isolated from the world may not know, up close and personal, any healthy, happy, gay households. But lots of todayâs children do, and they, and the rest of us, see this latest pronouncement for what it is: bigotry born of ignorance.
This archdiocesan emperor has no clothes, by the way. Everybody knows who allowed the âgravely immoral violenceâ to the children, year after year, again and again.
And yet, she stays with the Church. Why?
All through the long history of this church, popes and bishops have disgraced themselves. They have been rigid and petty and closed and cruel. Yet Catholics in the pews have remained filled with grace, embrace and consoling love. So many still are.
I stay because the Catholics in the pews, not the bishops in the chanceries, are the true church.
And I will not let them take it away.
Though I’m an outsider to this debate, I’m guessing that Eagan speaks for a lot of American Catholics. I wonder when, if ever, their voices will truly be heard by the Church they love.
for all their policies
<
p>
And when I figured that out- I left
<
p>
They won’t change till the pews and coffers are empty
<
p>
My advice to Catholics struggling with this issue and others pertaining to the Catholic Church(you’d be surprised how many notice when you are no longer attending Mass and then ask you directly if you’ve left the Church)is …..
<
p>
What would Jesus Do? Would he turn his back on these children and those that are offering them a home?
I actually just wrote a blog about this very topic.
<
p>
I’ve waited patiently for the Church to turn around. I’ve waited patiently for the Church to preach – not interfere in politics. I’ve waited patiently for years and have not only seen no difference in policy, but things just get worse and worse.
<
p>
I left the Church – just recently – and as of yet have felt no remorse or regret. They deserved it.
<
p>
Maybe if they completely reverse course, I’ll come back. However, no amount of protesting by the people behind the pews is going to change it. We’ve been there and done that and it didn’t work. I think the only thing that will work is a complete boycott. The church will either have to change or it will die.
<
p>
I hope it doesn’t die. I hope it changes. The universal message of the church, coupled with what I used to think were it’s central tenets (help the poor, etc) is a smokescreen: they’re far more concerned about fetuses and The Gays!
did you move to Canada?
<
p>
I didn’t. I stuck with the nation I love, and I continued to fight for peace and justice.
<
p>
I feel the same way about the Catholic Church. I won’t leave because of the (I believe mis-)guidance of the Bishops. Instead, I have open, frank, and uncomfortable dialogue with my priest. We talk one-on-one about the social impact of abortion, gay marriage, divorce, the death penalty, poverty, and war. We consider which scripture applies, and hash out intentions and interpretations of apparently differing remarks made by the apostles and others.
<
p>
This does a few things: it further educates me on issues of my Church. It reminds the priest that there are both liberal and conservative Catholics. We both believe it strengthens our bond to each other and the church to have these frank discussions.
<
p>
Don’t leave the Church. Become more active within the Church, helping others to see the spiritual light that you’ve seen. By definition, nobody has a monopoly on understanding Christ.
It was not because they are conservative and I am liberal, it is not because of the priest abuse, but all of these things showed me what the Church really is, a top down organization, that doesnt read its Bible, doesnt see what Christ truly taught, and is spirutally dead. The Church was spiritual but now it is just a series of people coming into it confessing one day and sinning the next, I now completely understand why the Reformation occured. Please I strongly urge all on the fence Catholics to become Episcopalian or Lutheran if they want to retain the myticism of Catholichism without all the bad rules and hiearchial decisions, or if they truly want to challenge their faith seek out an alternative Church that truly speaks to their hearts. The important thing in the end is not what Church you belong to but that you know God and know Christ and just follow your hearts and not a senile invalid in a pointy hat.
irrevocably changed our election system-
<
p> the United States of America allows me to effect change every 2 years if I and others of similar mind can convince enough of our fellow citizens that the course our Nation is on is the wrong track
<
p>
The Catholic Church has nothing comparable to this.
<
p>
They willingly accept your money but not your advice on issues that directly affect your life
<
p>
There is no dialogue, but rather edicts that are handed down from on high. The priests and Bishops may listen to you once in a while but it is a small price for them to pay- listening– for the income you are giving them week after week after week which turn into years rather quickly – still with no real change
<
p>
It is a system I have no wish to perpetuate;however- the core message they preach about, Jesus and his works, still resonate