Disturbing, Isn't It?

Thanks to Maggie posting the MPR article of the archbishop's interview, I learned that it is important to be "100% Catholic".  I'm Catholic, Roman Catholic, as a matter of fact.  I believe the earth is round and actually a sphere.  The Church excommunicated Galileo for postulating that.  I believe in a married clergy.  Until 1365, so did the Church.  I'm not a fan of slavery.  Until the 19th century, the Church refused to condemn it.  And it took Civil War in the United States for the church to realize that slavery is actually bad.  I've seen theologians like Matthew Fox (OP) and Karl Rahner (SJ) ostracized and on the verge of excommunication for postulating new ways of theological thinking.  Adolf Hitler was a Roman Catholic.  He was never excommunicated.

In 1969, Paul VI issued the encyclical, Humanae Vitae.  Wonderful document, it really is.  But it's premises are wrong and the resultant teaching has left many a catholic and many a priest scratching their heads.  (Bishop) James Shannon left the priesthood and episcopacy because of that document and its short-sightedness.

The Church has a long history of simply being wrong.  I believe its wrong in how it is currently dealing people who are not heterosexual.  I believe it is wrong in how it is currently treating women.  I believe it is wrong in how it is treating anyone who has a valid disagreement and wants to dialog, because dialog is not allowed.  Apparently, the Spirit of God only breathes in the hierarchy of the Church and nowhere else.  I can't believe that.  And I can't blindly accept whatever a bishop or priest says without understanding and basis.  I need to critically examine what is being said before it becomes a part of my belief system.

Because I do believe in God, the Father Almighty.  I believe in Jesus the Christ, His Son.  I believe that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead.  I believe in the Spirit who breathes LIFE into the church and that the church is gift of Jesus to those of us who believe.  And I believe that one day I will be reunited with Him.

The fact that I accept gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and respect their rights as people of God and as citizens of this country does not make me any less Catholic.  The fact that I believe that Holy Orders should not be the purview of celibate men does not make me any less Catholic.  The fact that artificial birth control needs to used in many places and in many situations does not make me any less Catholic. 

I will continue to blog about this, as it is a very painful time for our church and for me personally.  I love the Church.  I hate being away from it.  But if I can't be free to openly and freely dissent with teaching that is clearly fallible in a culture that is clearly broken simply makes me sad.