When I was a kid, I thought my parish priest, Father Finn, should have been pope. I was 8, 9 10, 11, 12. I thought Father Finn was God incarnate.
I believed it all back then, everything the Church and the good sisters taught me. I believed that eating meat on Friday was a grievous offense to God. That unbaptized babies went to limbo. That every time you lied or had a bad thought or disobeyed your parents, you pushed the nails the executioner pounded into Jesus’ hands deeper.
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"Cafeteria Catholic" is an insult toward those who express freedom of thought. I was disappointed when I read how you returned to the church for the reasons you gave. Nothing will ever change except for the personalities of the new popes.
Also, think Renaissance, Reformation and Inquisition. Back then, expressing freedom of thought led to burning at the stake by the pope. Can't do that today, so "freedom of expression" from church leaders by bashing others with name calling such as "cafeteria Catholics" or cancelling participation in a parade, and on and on, currently replaces stake burning.
So well said......thank you
Thank you for this. My upbringing was the same, therefore the shock of the reality of the Catholic Church was great. The church is not about love, or god, or devotion, it is about power and money. When all of the evil began to unveil itself surrounding the priest scandal, I resigned, officially, with a letter to the doicese. I decided, after much deliberation, that I could not opt for the cafeteria style, to support an organization that has so much evil in it, and I now know that it did not support me as I thought. I am female, and we all know how the church stands on women.
Spirituality is within, not within the guilded walls.
Thank you. My feelings exactly.
"How is this Christ-like? How does this teach young people love and respect and acceptance?"
If I remember correctly, Christ never "accepted" sinful behavior. His teachings were along the line of "Go and sin no more". He taught forgiveness of sins and acceptance of people but constantly encouraged them to change their lives and avoid sinful behavior.
For Catholic students to march in a parade that espouses abortion and gay marriage would be disrespectful of the teachings of Christ.
I think Beverly Beckham should read (or re-read) "The Screwtape Letters", a work of fiction by a non-Catholic, that clearly details how easily we are seduced by modern thoughts into thinking that evil acts are not so bad after all.