Cafeteria Catholic- Overview
Considering my history, I hope it’s easy to understand that I might not agree with all the teachings of my faith. Since my mother is divorced, some of those teachings, technically, make me an unwelcome member of the faith. Others would alienate my friends. Heck, I rarely receive communion because I’m suppossed to go to confession to cleanse my soul before, but it’s been nearly a decade since I went.
So I figured if I am going to write about faith, I should take time to go over some of the biggest issues that people have with religion and flesh them out here. You know the ones:
- Abortion
- Birth Control
- Confession
- Divorce
- Euthanasia
- Gay marriage
- Homosexuality
- Pre-Marital Sex
I already kind of spoke about Heaven and Hell, but I guess I will look back and see if that was really exhaustive on the idea. I’m sure I will think of others, but those are the first that come to mind. If you think of others, please feel free to let me know. I’d love to hear what others think of our approach to religion with the kids.
In a way, though, don’t most people treat their faith like a cafeteria? I know it’s true of catholicism. If you have any gay friends, then you have to set aside some of the tenets of catholicism. If you think it’s acceptable for a young girl ( in Alaska?) to terminate a pregnancy instead of becoming a teenage mother, then you are a ‘Cafeteria Catholic.’ Faith is complicated. I suppose if I am going to write about faith, it makes sense to state my beliefs explicitly.
The next issue for the Cafeteria Catholic- Abortion
Or, if you do not like what the cafeteria is serving, you can always find another restaurant. I was brought up Catholic, but found a church that brought greater light and meaning into my life. I will always be grateful for the values that I was taught by my devoted parents, but as I raise my own children, I am thankful daily for the blessings that I receive from my new faith.