My thoughts on religion. Let me show you them.

[fools_game]

So, I'm going to World Youth Day.

This is something I have intensively mixed feelings about.  In a large part, I am attending because it is expected of me, because all my friends are going, because it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, for the experience.

I find myself going through - let's not call it a crisis of faith, because it's not.  Faith is a

Comments

[fpvs]

That right there? All of what you said? That's why I sometimes find myself envying people who have faith and/or religion. The support, love, trust and community are what makes religion great. So long as they're not persecuting anyone. :P

Please don't ever hesitate in sharing these posts, as I find them intriguing and occasionally eye-opening. Though of course I did realise that not all Catholic priests are abusing arseholes. *hehe* There are bad apples in every orchard! The bigger the orchard, the more bad apples you may come across when picking trees clean!

[fools_game]

I seriously don't know if I'd be alive today if not for the support of my local youth group. I know that so many people have had negative experiences with the Catholic Church, but they seriously saved my life, and I'm pretty sure nothing's ever going to make me give up on it.

(On the priest/abuse thing: most of my Catholic high school thought I was being abused or having an inappropriate relationship with a guy called Fr Dave, the sweetest, gentlest, meekest man on the planet. Because I hugged him, onhoes. I got called into the counsellor's office and everything.)

[fpvs]

Woah. That's fucked up. They called you into the COUNSELLOR'S office!?! *stares*

[fools_game]

They're required to investigate all reported cases of suspected abuse - especially given the climate of the time, when all those cases of molestation were beginning to surface. I laughed in their faces, which probably helped, but the rumours hung around for a while - around me, fortunately, not Fr Dave, which could have been very bad for him.

[micheleeeex]

I'm Catholic too...and I agree with everything you said.

I'm joining my church youth group with my friend soon!

[fools_game]

I love my youth group so much. After I got too old to be a member, I became one of the leaders. It's such an awesome, positive environment, especially as compared to the vicious clique-iness of a lot of high schools.

[ejtheviking]

You can have faith without religion, you can certainly have religion without faith. You can be a good person without either.

Well said, I have faith. I just believe no religion has it right yet. It's good to have a support structure like you have though, give focus to your beliefs. The catholic church is far from perfect or modern, but without people like you to be both catholic, who ENJOY being catholic (religion shouldnt be a burden) it's never going to progress because the outmoded fuddies at the top will only be preaching to the same old choir.

Did I just quote Dogma in there somewhere... most probably!

[fools_game]

I totally respect that - I don't think I've got the gumption for it personally, but I think it's awesome when people don't need validation for their beliefs.