Why I'm Not Catholic

Every once in a while these topical issues start trending.  My Facebook tonight showed me two very interesting and absolutely different perspectives.

I myself posted this status:
"For some weird reason that has absolutely NO theological basis, I get really excited about Conclave! Something about the tradition of it. Habeant papam ;) #history #latinnerd"

Both of these perspectives come from very intelligent and seemingly introspective people, and they got me thinking.

Perspective #1 (guy I knew briefly through the -Protestant- Christian summer camp I worked at several years ago):
[in response to the above status]
"I did too in 2005, 6 years before I became Catholic. I am twice as excited now."

This got me thinking.  I was always really curious why anyone would sincerely convert to Catholicism.  What appeals to me is the history, the gorgeous buildings, the majesty of thousands of years of tradition that the Catholic Church embodies.  But, then I remembered that the tradition that appealed to me was countered by the corruption that drove me away.

Perspective #2 (guy I know from when I studied abroad in Oxford several years ago):
[his own Facebook status, edited for space]
"So, I posted a status today about the Pope. It was snarky, insulting, and frankly, really funny. I did this because I believe that the Catholic church, as a world influence in our current point in history, is damaging. It shelters abuses and hatred of all variety, and on a personal level, it represents a major institution in the world that systematically dehumanizes me, and others who identify as homosexual around the globe, and acts as an anchor dragging down the upward progress of human evolution... I am not kind when you speak to me of these people, and their claimed lineage to a mythic Christ figure... if you are a friend of mine celebrating the papal inauguration, and the abuses they have carried out and made no recompense for do not taint their character and impugn their claims of divine patronage, we will probably not have nice conversations. I am terrible, and fierce. And they are wrong...[he deleted the previous post and explained why] I am shooting you, hoping to injure the Pope..."

Homozexuality and the Catholic Church seem to be inseparable as of late. I stand with the second man only so far as that he points out that the church has really made no strides in curbing, being transparent, or punishing abuses and corruption inside.  I also think that their reliance on tradition often holds them back from the true gospel calling.  The second man believes that any organization that holds back homosexuals is abusive and dealing in evil.  This is a heartbreaking issue, and I truly do understand his argument as much as I possibly can without being gay myself.  I have people who are very close to me who are gay, and my heart breaks for them.  Christians ought to stand for love and dignity for all people, and we are very bad at doing that often.

The issue from both perspectives comes down to this.  God created the universe with a certain rhythm.  He created it so that he could create us so that we could be loved and enjoy the best of things.  But something went wrong.  The universe was fractured.  It was fractured by humans choosing what they think is best for them, what they desire, over what is really best for them - God.  Ever after the world was corrupted.  We were corrupted.  Jesus of Nazareth came to fix that corrupt.  So we wait, leading others to believe in this Savior, until the world is fully mended.

I do not believe that there is only one church (there is only one family of God however), and I take issue with important points of Catholic doctrine.  But mainly, as a historian and as a Christian, I cannot stand with any institution or organization that is harmful, and corrupt in the highest degree.  I love my Catholic brothers and sisters, and I pray the new pope is truly a believer who will follow the calling of Christ, but I will never be a Catholic.

An Important Expression of Truth

My students are always very put off when I introduce them to the term homo sapiens. I then explain that it just means the discerning of wise man. We are, as humans, essentially different because we have been given to ability to think on an extraordinary level. And from that comes this weird idea called morality.

We would all probably agree that if one man was harming another man, and both of them were in need of help, that we would help the one who was being harmed, not the one doing the harming. Also, historically people would not have flinched if their community or society chose death as the.punishment for an outrageous immoral crime. It would be totally simple to them. Death is the punishment, the just deserves. One of he main things we don't consider so often in OUR world is that the community would choose death primarily because it is an "expression of the moral importance of certain crimes".

Stories and books and thoughts are so important because they help us understand eachother a little bit better. This thought from Lewis made me understand the culture I live in just a bit better. We do not place moral importance on crimes or misbehavior. The disgusting behavior I see everyday in the next generation continues because they truly don't see anything wrong with how they act. The right or wrong of it, the principle of it simply does not matter or is not clear.

I think this simple idea is one of the keys. People just don't see. These things have no weight. We are far too easily pleased. We are far too eager to remain plugged in to the matrix and not open our eyes to seek what is truth.

(Reading The Weight of Glory by CS Lewis)

The Cheerleader

I ran into a girl I knew in high school for the first time in years the other night. She was gorgeous, with flawless skin, beautiful smile, a voice I didn't think she deserved, and she was a cheerleader. I didn't think very much of her back then. It seemed she could be cruel at times and could dish it out but couldn't take it, which I abhor. She is a few years younger than me, and we were always only acquaintances. I remember being genuinely shocked when I found out she was the daughter of a preacher. And then, it was reported to me that she had called me a very rude name during one period of time after only knowing a very skewed half of the story. Needless to say, I didn't really like this girl. She left a bitter taste in my mouth, mainly because she genuinely hurt my feelings a couple of times without ever really knowing me.

When I ran into her at a city wide church event all these years later she was so sweet and smiled, and looked genuinely happy to see me and the minister I was with. At first, I was immediately on my guard. Is she faking it? What's she really thinking? But then I started to be introspective.  Because of Jesus, I am a COMPLETELY different person now than I was five years ago (actually almost six... weird). Those things don't define me anymore. And then I thought,  ya know, I'm judging her now in the exact same way I resented her for judging me all those years ago.

It struck me as so odd! Who knows if Jesus hasn't totally turned her into a different person? What if she was being genuinely nice? Doesn't she deserve the same chance to show who she as as I want people to give me?

Just like Paul and his sin of religiosity and persecution of the innocent, everybody has the chance to experience revolutionary change! And then, thanks God, those stupid disgusting mistakes of the past are wiped away, and though they may explain who we once were, they in no way DEFINE who we are today.

Now, that is true liberty.  That is true redemption.