defrocker!!!

I wanted to comment on Ms. Lively up yrself herself, der Spliffes writings on the Church and religion in general. How often I am spurred by others posts- oh, great idea!!- and here is one such time. Instead of commenting, however, i'm posting. This is not to be read as a retort to Spliffy, but an attempt to explain my own relationship w/ the church.

I will admidt to really liking being a Catholic - so much so that I like to call my uppity self a Roman Catholic . It was an identity growing up, and one I still like. I try to go to church every Sunday- even into my late 30's I was going @ a 95% clip. Generally, I like the Pope (wept when the last one died).

However, I fully understand that there are many total shitty things about the church. When Sinead O'Conner ripped up a pcture of the Pope on SNL many years ago, I was down enough with that. I hate thinking of all the abused children and am glad that the fuckers are caught. Yes: woman= priests and priests = married. The Inquisition. Birth control. The Crusades. My attitude towards women sexually. It's damaged many peoples lives. y'know.

But, I can't escape the fact that it actually was the Catholic Church that lead me to a chill rendition of Christs message. I like Christ, though I will leave it up to you to see if he is Caesar....err, God. However, his message-- Love ones neighbour as theyself--and the corallary One should love their enemies, because what credit is it if one loves only his frenz?-- is perfect. I reject the Protestent theory "We are only saved by God saying we are saved (the Faith alone theory of salvation)" by saying "But Jesus TOLD US TO ACT - I don't care how one slices it, one MUST ACT in the act of Loving". No amount of standing around waiting is any good. And as imprtant as loving the neighbour is LOVING ONESELF- he did say "Love thy neighbour as theyself", so yes, Jesus says "love yrself". So, I do embrace the official line of the Church- One should Love and Love often. It's the best way to live- I only wish I could better toe the line.

Now, Spliify writes on the spiritual and such. I'm not sure on spirits. Maybe. I can't explain away consciousness, so maybe.... Sometimes I do ......feel........some sort of spirit that binds us all to-gether. We are all humans, and to dust we shall return. I'd like to think. But I've always felt that -- here's the Marx-- we are all to-gether and by rites we should all be working to-gether. (yes, to me Marx and Christ are very closely aligned- fancy stories by Jesus, fancy stats by Marx, but generally the same)*. So, maybe. God existing? Maybe. But the real crux is putting into practice what , well, the great protestent declaration :"What would Jesus Do?". I ask myself that lots of times. And yes, I'm sure Bush wore one of those bracelets back in the day, but he's such a Cicero..........

So, I like being Catholic, but I'm never far from the truth that it does damage poeple, and sometimes very terriblly. However, in my life- despite many things- I feel it has been an important and good part of my moral structure, especially now that I can think for myself. I mite be ignoring things it did to me growing up, the attitude towards women, sin, sexuality, etc..., I totally undrstand. Others may have been fucked in these spheres. But, as introspectively as i can, I can only come up with one feeling: being Roman Catholic has been good for me, even if I'm working on the "Belief in God" business.

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* .....unless you Roman/American senator types try to decontextulize their work and then pick on the intelectually theory-less to push them around. Fuck you, Catos.