The shame of it all

Image by Tony the Misfit via Flickr

Over the weekend I went camping, as my previous post stated, I was not to excited about it. But I did come to a realization, one that I am sure I have known for sometime, but was not willing or able to state. But now I am.

1. What you belive and what you preach/teach must be the same message
2. People will find out if you are “faking it” to fit in
3. Liberal Catholics are a cancer to the Church

There are more I am sure, but the top three will work for now. Lets look at each one, starting with number 1.

What you belive and what you preach/teach must be the same message

I have worked (volunteered) in two parished over the last 20 years, and both are liberal, one overtly and the other, behind the sense. I prefer the overt to the hidden. The first parish was the overt parish, they were openly and proudly liberal. They celebrated it in every aspect of the parish life. I must say it was a lively and active parish, one that I enjoyed working at. I was not always happy with the Mass or homilies, and towards the end the educational programs started to fall of the liberal cliff, but over all I would say my years there were rewarding.

I left that parish for the second parish, the hidden liberal parish, to help establish a new and innovative youth ministry program for the middle school youth.

I had been attending the parish with my parents and sister prior to making the switch. Over all the Mass was well presented and it seemed, on the surface to be a moderately conservative parish. Maybe a tad liberal, but you really had to look for it. When I entered in to the “inner sanctuary” of the parish office I was shocked to hear and see the overtly liberal view points. They where well hidden in the Church, but the office, when know one was around was an out in the open liberal party.

From the Priest who once had a pro-abortion bumper sticker on his car to the REP director who truly believed she alone understood the faith better than any man who ever served in the faith. A closet “priest” want-to-be. She was my first contact with in the parish sanctuary. She was my boss. Now having come from an overtly liberal parish I was sure I could handle anything, so upon discovering that she did not belive most of what the Church stated was no big concern to me. I figured I cold roll with it, develop a program that was true to the Church and maybe even convert a few hearts along the way.

On the outside she presented herself as a conservative Catholic woman who dedicated herself to the betterment of human kind. But the inner truth was she was a frustrated woman who wanted the power and prestige of the priest. It made for some very interesting conversations and moments.

We did become friends, and even had a few laughs over our differing views, mine the conservative and hers the liberal. But like all things built upon sand, sooner or latter the waves of time will wash the sand away, and that is just what happened to our friendship. But that is not for this posting, so back to the point.

As time went on our conflicting points become more and more and the issues that started out as minor details become major teachings. I refused to teach anything that was not solid Catholic teaching. And to her credit, she to would not teach anything that was not solid Catholic teaching, but she also would not teaching anything that was not of her belief system. So teaching that gay sex is a sin, nope she would not cover that one, for fear of hurting their feelings (to hell with their soul as long as they felt good about themselves). Male only priesthood, she would teaching, with a twist of the unfairness of it all. and so it would go, sleeping together before mirage, good to go, RCIA candidate, as long as your breathing and attend, I will ask nothing of you.

Once again I thought I could deal with this all, but I was wrong. In the end I was unable to continue on.

The homilies never overtly stated liberal points of view, the priest used the same basic tactic, I don’t agree with the Church, so I will just skip over it.

A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins would say. Well in thus case it wasn’t medicine that was covered in sugar, it was the Catholic Church and Her teachings. If the message was difficult and challenging, than they would either skip it or make it “politically correct”. Make it all nice and friendly. Because we all know jesus never challenged us to carry our own cross….

The hidden liberal is much more dangerous, they deceive and well basically lie, make you feel safe and comfortable before the make the pass on you. they work like con-men and spinsters, spinning the web of warm and fuzzy feelings all to suck you into the liberal trap of “if it feels good, it must be ok” or the trap of “There are many truth, it’s all relative”.

The second trap was the main trap of choice for the this particular parish REP office. The whole your truth is not my truth argument. As if to say that the bible and God had many truths, and the truth were floating and drifting, allowing you to pick and choose the truths that you wanted at that particular time.

It’s an alluring thought, relativism. Allow me, a fallen man, to choose what is right and wrong for me. I must admit I was attracted to the whole idea, and even drank a few glasses of the whole liberal kool-aid over the past 20 years or so. And sure at the time it tasted good,even gave me a rush of energy, but like all sugar products, the rush ends all to soon and the crash is hard.

With the first parish I knew what I was getting into, with the second parish, the kool-aid was dressed up to look like the blood of Christ, it was deceiving.

I left that parish and am now in a new parish, a conservative parish…

People will find out if you are “faking it” to fit in

The problem with the second parish was when I started to see the deceptions, I would hear a homily or a teaching and know that what they were saying was not what they believed. It took a toll on me, it made me question my faith and my Church. How can the true Church of Christ have liars in it? But I knew that Jesus would always protect His Church from herself, and that Jesus chose Judas, so there was hope.

The truth always comes out, and the liar is always found out. And for me, the day I truly accepted the fact that the liberal line was nothing but a liberal lie, I left that parish and have not looked back. But it has harmed my ability to look forward.

Liberal Catholics are a cancer to the Church

The cancer of the liberal Catholic is still in me, it is blocking my ability to grow in the faith. Yes I changed parishes, yes the new parish is conservative, but the lingering question of “are the wolf in sheep clothing” sits heavy upon my mind.

The argument that we need to just let them be is an argument to allow them to poison the minds and souls of unsuspecting Catholics and converts. Teaching them a polluted version of the faith. One not established by Jesus Christ, but one established by themselves. We can not just sit back and allow this, we must fight.

I was once an active member of the parish, I treasured the ability to offer my gifts to the parish, now I struggle with just attending Mass every Sunday. And I question what I may have done, what my part in corrupting souls of Catholics and others. I find it hard to trust and to get involved, and for me, being involved was how I celebrated my faith. So I no longer can celebrate the faith I love so dearly. I know I will work through this, and that I will once again celebrate my faith, it may be in new and exciting ways, or it may be in the same old exciting ways, but I will once again celebrate. I am just confused…

The cancer will be cured one day, I am sure, I pray for that day, I pray for the conversion of hearts, I pray for the liberal Catholic who truly believes what they spew and I pray for the ears that must be subjected to it.

God Bless

Paul