This Is Where My Journey Has Taken Me

[bonnie_halfelvn]

To my church-going friends: If you watch this, please pay special attention to Mr. Fry's opening remarks - he has no quarrel with individual Catholics (or members of any denomination), and neither do I

Comments

[pinkrouge]

Very, very well said.

[bonnie_halfelvn]

He gives a powerful argument.

[ravennaneroon]

I think it's important to remember that the church is an institution built by Man (note the use of the generic and genderless term) for Men based upon the prevailng interpretation of the Word- which was never written by the Divine, only by men (the gender) who had an interest in remaining in power. The corruption lies at its beginning- not necessarily at its heart.

I am certain that if this Pope does not directly address the problem of molestation in its ranks the Western governments which have criminalized such behavior will be forced to further margininalize the Catholic church. That would be very unfortunate for those who find comfort in its tenets.

[bonnie_halfelvn]

Unfortunately, the current Pope was in charge of addressing the pedophiles in its ranks from the beginning, and he failed beyond belief. His deeds since becoming Pope only show that he continues to love the institution more than the people it is supposed to serve.

All the institutions and organizations I am and have been a part of are flawed. Like anyone, I can ignore flaws to a point - if I see the overall greater value. In the case of the Church, which, like many institutions, claims to hold itself to a higher standard, I could no longer just be in my little congregation and ignore the words and policies of the highest authorities, which, as a member, I ultimately represented.

[ravennaneroon]

Kudos to you for seeing the big picture and refusing to compromise who you are for what you represent.

[snowywolfowl]

I think he did a very good job of drawing the distinction between religious faith and religious dogma. Too often I think they become confused and what starts as a legitimate criticism of an organization becomes a personal attack. He did a great job of avoiding that here.

He was very clear on his points here and makes a great case for being, as I like to say when asked my own views on religion, "respectful but wary".

[bonnie_halfelvn]

He is very impressive.

[mithluin]

I am very happy to be Catholic

[bonnie_halfelvn]

I am glad you have a vehicle to do some good in the world.

I am not a former Catholic - I am a former Methodist. But I will not be a part of any religious institution that has discrimination written in its Book of Discipline. If my brother is not worthy in their eyes, they are not worthy in mine.

Moreover, it's not just my faith in the Church that has been destroyed - it's my faith in the Bible and all it stands for.

So while I belive in a spirituality and a higher being, the context of that belief is in a state of flux. The only thing I am fairly certain of at this point, is that I will not be part of any organized religion again. My beliefs will no longer be fashioned by other people and their man-made rules, based on writings that no one clearly understands.

[mithluin]

I understand your dissatisfaction with organized religion, and think it is very important to follow your conscience in these things.

What he says about Quakers here is generally true - they are very much opposed to imposing beliefs on anyone, and consider quiet meditation an important form of worship. You won't find Quakers doing much proselytizing ;). So, as organized religions go, that one might be more to your tastes. But I wish you well on your journey, wherever it takes you.