Why religion is more important than knowing what wine to serve...

Okay, I'm damned well fed up with the obtuse commentary regarding Church beliefs and how "out of touch" the leadership and rank & file of Catholicism are. Really.

So if you're one of the rare folks reading this who just might be wondering what all the fuss and furor is about, not only on the topic of the HHS mandate covering birth control but also s lot of other topics; e.g. abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, human cloning, embroyonic stem cell research, then just read a bit further.

Point #1--Our religious beliefs should overshadow E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G else.

This is because our religion dictates how we deal with the Almighty and more than likely determines how we'll spend eternity. Eternity? You know, that whole "time without end" thingy we'll experience after leaving this particular life. Speaking strictly for myself, I would put that right at the top of my list of things to worry about above politics, patriotism, etc. Because "eternity" goes past a year or two. It's forever.

This all takes us to...

Point #2--We don't get to pick and choose what rules we live by.

This ain't Burger King, I don't get it "my way". Some of the tenets of the Church are fairly easy to deal with, then there are the rest of them.

If I'm told to not eat red meat on Fridays during Lent, I don't eat that steak I've got in the fridge. If I'm told not to stare at Sally who's wearing a skirt so high and tight it could be a scarf, I practice some "custody of the eyes" and look away. Quickly.

I can try to slip and slide all I want. Rules is rules and mine are all contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I don't have to agree with them, it helps if I enthusiastically support/believe in them. Any questions can be speedily resolved by either my parish priest or another competent authority. "Competent" means sanctioned by the Church and her representatives.

I have to go with what is prescribed and avoid what is proscribed. Because it's part of my beliefs and my beliefs are The Truth.

Which takes us to...

Point #3--Religious belief isn't meant to be an exercise of "I'm okay, you're okay" thinking.

This isn't similar to you liking the black suit while I'll prefer the navy blue and it's just a matter of taste. There is just one Church with the Fullness of Truth. End of story. If you're not Catholic that doesn't mean you're predestined to Hell, it means you don't have the resources available to you that I do. You may be able to do more with less, I don't know and shouldn't spend too much time thinking about that. I should be the best advetisement for Catholicism I can be, because I'm supposed to help lead nonbelievers into the Church. I'm a member of The Church, not "a" church. I don't have "beliefs", I have knowledge imparted to me by the Bride of Christ and it's duly appointed representatives in the person of the bishops, priests and other Catholics.

When I talk of my religion, unless I say "in my opinion", I'm telling the absolute and unvarnished Truth as it exists and I understand it.

Just how do I "know" the Catholic Church is the True Church, the actual Bride of Christ, instituted by Him to endure till the end of time? Simple enough; I left the Church in my youth and kicked around for about thirty or so years. Since I'll read just about anything (except porn novels, they're SO boring) I started coming across writings by a dissident theologian, Hans Kung. Kung will slam the Church left, right and up the center. I read his book "Christianity" in which he takes no prisoners in detailing the various transgressions and sins of Church leadership for the last two thousand years. It was in reading that book that the thought came, "Just how does a merely human institution survive for so long with so much corruption?" Ladies and Gentlemen; let me tell you that if theres one thing constant in the Catholic Church, it's corruption.

The answer is of course that a merely human one won't. It's persevered despite the human failings of it's leaders, preserved by Divine Intervention.

Thats the Cliff Notes version. There was more involved but most of it is of secondary importance to the argument I'm making.

So in summary of the three points; Catholics don't act out of personal preference except with the thought they'd prefer not to go to Hell. It isn't particularly easy, it isn't meant to be. If a Catholic deals with a nonmember of the Church they should try to evangelize, be a power of example if nothing else is allowable.

Finally, when the rest of the culture goes one way and the Church tells me to go another I should say it loud and long that "I'm right" and no apology required or desired. Should a vast number of fellow Catholics (such as those supporting abortion) lack the conviction I do, I'll speak against them, pray for them and not be swayed by them. When I stand before the throne of Almighty God I'll be alone and having to answer for my life all by myself. No excuses will be allowed.

Therefore, when something is proposed that goes directly against Church teaching, Catholics will stand up and sound off. A good example is this HHS mandate. There shouldn't be any talk of compromise, you don't compromise with evil. We Catholics know following this mandate is evil. There is no question of being reasonable, we're doing what should be done. That by itself will qualify as reasonable. For a detailed look at what Catholics believe and how we're supposed to act, go here: http://old.usccb.org/catechism/text/

So, any questions? Just fill the comm box.