Saturday, May 21, 2005

The Conundrum of Cafeteria Catholicism

Cafeteria Catholicism is being currently practiced by an increasing amount of people not only in the USA, but also in South America and elsewhere. Many of these people are surprised the new pope does not hear their pain, or wish for change, or even back down on the Catholic stance that artificial means of birth control are sinful.

Artificial means of birth control includes condoms and many people including some Catholic clergy believe this to be wrong because condoms help prevent HIV infection.

However, whether they like it or not these people are not just committing the sin of using birth control, most of them are catching the virus due to having sexual relations outside of marriage.

In Honduras, most married men have lovers outside their marriage, and given the HIV infection rate of their wives, it seems like they're not using condoms with their wives or lovers. In this extreme version of Cafeteria Catholicism, they are being good Catholics by not wrapping their chorizo sausages, but I guess the marriage vows aren't too sacred to these Catholic men.

Now these people are obviously not following the teachings of Catholicism yet they still have the gall to call themselves Catholics. And somehow, I think if they did not have sex outside of Catholic marriage they would not have a raging AIDS crisis.

Yet many of the Catholic clergy in these countries are obviously willing to accept that these men are breaking their marriage vows but not able to accept the fact that as priests they are not supposed to be handing out condoms to help facilitate them breaking their marriage vows more safely. So who is truly insane and out of touch with the teachings and realities of Catholicism, the new pope, or the condom crazy clergy?

If you don't agree with the Catholic Church then why claim to be a member of it?

Change will happen faster within the Church if it does not have any members. The disciples of Jesus founded the Catholic Church and their successors established the rules, the flock has never ruled the Shepard in this religion.

If you want the successors to Peter and Paul to change the rules, a really good way to get them to do it is to stop supporting their cause.

Many Catholics, like The Voice of the Faithful, believe the answer is to work within the Catholic Church. But listen up people, the Catholic Church doesn't care want its members think. It is a one way street. The priests and church hierarchy tell you what to believe and you either follow it or you are a sinners.

So ask yourself, am I truly a Catholic? And if the answer is no. Then find a church or religion that will let you worship God in a way that is not in conflict with your beliefs. Perhaps in another 100 years or so the Catholic Church will have changed enough that your descendants can be Catholic again.

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