The Top 40

IOW, an escape hatch for bad behavior.

Glass house, rock.

My religion abandoned me, yet I remain spiritual. Dalrymple attacks with the broad brush that which he knows not. Vatican II, pederasty, communist infiltration of the religious orders. It is neither spirituality nor religion to light candles in the wake of terrorist attacks or plane crashes or deaths of rock stars, and while I do not disagree with Dalrymple in his overall assessment, it pains me to note his lack of differentiation between the spiritually lazy and the perversion of the churches.

In re "My religion abandoned me, but I remain spiritual...."

Increasingly I see that the gulf between my Catholicism and that of "recovering ex-Catholics" (who are, in a word "still spiritual") is that my choice to become a Catholic at age 66 is/was unpolluted by my struggles against my parents - my choice alone, for better or worse.

It seems clear that the disappointment engendered by the Church's scandals in the 20th century exists mainly in the hearts of those who cling to the magical thinking of their childhood -"if I follow all ritual all will be well. If I never step on a crack my mother's back will never break. O what a good boy (girl) am I." Perhaps encountering the Truth of the Catechism after having already struggled through the greater disillusionment of child abuse and the heartbreaking hostility of the "feminist" culture against the very existence of men makes for a fundamentally different experience.

I don't know.

Catholicism is for me like sitting forever in a very bright and well-lit room, in front of a mirror. No place to hide, and nothing that is not revealed. And that is, at long last, a safe place to be.

I converted to Catholicism in '13, having opined in the comment section here about the possibility of doing so. I don't regret it at all, because for every scandal, every shameful thing uttered by our current pope, I know that nothing under the sun is new, we are all in the mud, and yet, some of us are still looking at the stars.
It is the loneliest thing in the world, being a Catholic in a family of incurious, nonreligious, and utterly materialist people. But in a way, that is as it should be. I go to Mass, alone, listen to mediocre homilies, and yet, in midst of all the Gothic architecture and statuary, the insense and darkness, there is truly a Presence. It is found in the silence. And that is why I remain a Catholic, a struggling, lonely Catholic. No regrets.

@Rob DeWitt
It seems clear to you, because you, like Dalrymple, speak of that which you know not. God bless you for your choice. I pray for my Church every day, knowing she has endured far worse than this. Born and baptized, I will also die a Catholic. I never claimed my faith abandoned me.

Gwen,

You're right, I effortlessly conflated your response with the insanity of my leftist neighbors. I can only imagine, and read about, the experience of being a cradle Catholic and having to go through the last 60 years of chaos in the Church.

My fault. Sorry

There are those, who experience the immense cruelties of life even in the absence of war. They are unable to believe that a/the Creator of all would permit such atrocities.
Yet, they spend their lives behaving decently with kindness and courage. For them, living their lives otherwise would be a betrayal of what makes life worthwhile.
Elie Wiesel, or maybe it was Viktor Frankl, tells the story of concentration camp Jews putting God on trial for betraying His principles of justice and compassion.
For hours the dispute ensues, represented by pro and con positions on correctness of the charge.
The jury of Jews find God guilty! What to do? It is late in the day, they note; time for their daily evening prayers.
Live and let live. Live and help live. You don't have to believe in God to believe and be in love.
Rumi, that great Persian poet and sage, said something to the effect that 'this world is all about loving and not loving enough.'
One of Muktananda's definitions of religion was, 'To see the one self in all, to possess a forgiving heart, to rely on your own efforts, to behave with the awareness of everyone's divinity.'
What's a heart for if not for giving? What is the awareness that sees divinity in the worst-behaving humans? Until we answer those questions truthfully [not necessarily honestly], let's keep groaning and growing. Meanwhile, be the imperfect but excellent bhakti yogis you are.
To close the sermon, I would add at the end of Philippians 4:8, 'and behave accordingly.'
Prepare to be a Winter Soldier.

I cite Eddie Vedders question, how can a cleric-religion give me what I already have? I am glad religion gives people some of what they need. Good job. But for me, it took exhaustive study to come to my spirituality/understanding. Happy new year all.