This, I believe.

Disclaimer: I wrote this entry as a way to pour my heart out to cyberspace. It may sound naive at times, and it may ignore the fact that religion as well as politics have a constant power struggle that is bigger than all of us down here. But I still wanted to say that religion is something pure to me, and so so personal and beautiful.

With the Catholic Church under the microscope recently, I feel the need to put my thoughts out into the world. I have so many things to say, I guess I’ll just tackle them point by point.

First, let’s talk about the scandal and get it out of the way:

Child molestation charges
What those priests have done is despicable. It’s not only a crime, but it has destroyed those kids lives forever. I can’t even imagine the horror they and their families must be going through. This topic angers every person out there, Catholic and non, and it’s a BIG freaking deal.

Pope resignation requests
Should the Pope resign over this? I have heard two stories that are not necessarily mutually exclusive: that the Pope did not respond to requests for action from US church authorities to do something about the problem a couple decades ago, and that the Pope was one of the leaders in establishing a more stringent and vigilent community from the inside, without resorting to the media to publicize what was going on (which is now criticized). I don’t know the details of any of these stories. I can only have faith that his apology was heartfelt, that he recognizes this is a problem, and that he will give it priority in our lifetime for resolution. I don’t think that a resignation would help the situation, but strong action on the Pope’s part would.

Priest celibacy vow in question
The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard a friend of mine say is “They should let priests marry, so they don’t have to relieve their urges on children.” I cannot tell you what an ignorant and off-base comment that is. If any human being has difficulty sticking to a celibacy lifestyle, they will find a way to cheat (wouldn’t be the first or the last time), but they do NOT all of the sudden turn into child molestors for “lack of women” in their lives. That is just incredibly ridiculous. To prove the point, I’ll ask the question out there: men who have difficulty getting girls and think they will probably never find a loving woman, are you now looking into children because they are easier targets? The answer is a resounding NO. IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY. Pedophiles are sick individuals who are into children from the start. It was NOT a choice rooted in lack of options. These people are truly SICK. Allowing priests to marry should not be a solution to the child molestation problem. It might be a modernization alternative to look into, but do not be fooled by thinking this makes any strides into solving the child molestation issue. In fact, I’d venture to say that the priesthood has been a safe haven for child molestors and therefore it attracts pedophiles into it. It is probably the most pedophile-friendly profession out there. It’s very sad, but it’s a definite possibility. Something has got to be done to bring sanctity back into the priesthood and shoo away molestors.

Now, let’s talk about the religion itself

Sorry if some of these thoughts sound a bit unrelated an detached from one another… I just have a lot of things in my head that want to come out:

The Catholic religion is under fire. This won’t be the first or the last time, and it is by no means the ONLY religion that gets criticized.

The first thing critics will do is say “the [whatever] religion must change their stance on…” – here’s where I say Not So Fast. Changing a religion to accomodate the times or the latest scandal is a mistake.

It is no secret that every Catholic has their own interpretation of the religion, and their own way to live out in their day to day. Many are on birth control, many have pre-marital sex, many have extra-marital relations, many support abortion, many never go to church, or do other similar things that are considered against-Catholic beliefs. Some of the church’s core beliefs may not seem to tie with pop culture, but people will continue to live out their lives the best way their conscience allows them to. That’s the beauty of our community: nobody is “holier than thou,” and everybody assumes everyone else is sinning. In Catholicism, we are all sinners by default, and you will not find a clique in a church that kicks out other Catholics for sinning (how hypocritical would that be?). Sure, there are certain exceptions (like not allowing a certain senator to take communion because he supported abortion — how ridiculous was that?), but for the most part it’s a pretty accepting religion. In churches I have been a member of, there have been support groups (internal communities) for gay individuals and for divorcees. The church “laws” may be against certain actions, but, as a community, the concensus is acceptance and avoid judgment. Again, there may be stupid exceptions out there, but this has been my experience and it’s what I love about my religion in particular.

Like I said, we are all different and live our Catholicism in different ways. We are all not cut from the same stone, and being Catholic does not mean believing in every single thing the Church puts out there. The key point to remember here is that Catholicism is a religion with a set of beliefs, just like all the others. Trying to change the core beliefs of a religion to fit the times is like trying to get someone to change their sexual orientation: it is simply not even something someone would have a choice over. Beliefs are exactly that: things you BELIEVE. Nobody can tell you you can’t believe on something anymore. So, for people to come and say “Catholics have gone too far and must change whatever” is as outrageous as expecting Jewish people to start believing in Jesus. Demanding a change in beliefs is just not a solution.

At the same time, there is a difference between changing beliefs and evolving.

I do call myself Catholic, and, although I do have some disagreements with my church around certain issues, I do firmly believe in the items written in our “Creed.” Everything else has been added and interpreted from the Bible at some point or another, and some things are just no longer current, and (in my opinion) should be revised; not because they are hot topics, or because there is a scandal around them and we are in fire-fighting mode, but because we Catholics have a single defining trait, and that is LOVE. Anything that goes against this one important trait, must be revised (in my opinion). Just because the core beliefs stay the same (such as what’s written in the creed), does not mean that the church is not allowed to evolve in other aspects. To illustrate, it’s the difference between believing Jesus was born of Virgin Mary (faithful belief), and condemning the thought that the world is round (sign of the times).

If you really want to understand what the Catholic religion is about (FOR ME), think of it as a permanent focus on what would Jesus tell us to do? He’d tell us to not turn others away, to not reject others, to not judge others. I am not perfect, and I don’t follow these teachings to the letter: I’m a sinner, and I will be one every day of my life, and that is ok, because we learn from our mistakes and sinning keeps our conscience actively teaching us what is right from wrong. In any case, those are the messages Jesus left us. Jesus never said “gays are an abomination,” or “priests should be celibate.” Those were not things Jesus ever made a statement about. Jesus focused on loving others just as you love yourself. And that is what Catholicism means to me. Everything else is secondary.

These are my thoughts on my religion. I find it sad that critics delight themselves in throwing the first stone. Do they deserve to be put on a pedestal? I don’t think so. But I guess this is part of that power struggle I mentioned earlier.

In conclusion, child molestation is wrong and something has got to be done about this. The church should work in tandum with local authorities in this matter, without turning it into a witch hunt (which would be a slippery slope) with the purpose of saving the sanctity of priesthood and restoring the faith of the community in its religious leaders.

We all need a little bit of faith, and just remember why we love our religion in the first place: God’s love for us, our love for others, unconditional compassion, and forgiveness. That is all you need to know.

ina