Dear American Catholics, stop calling yourself Catholic and quit the church

[PeaceNikki]

This is a piece by Andrew Seidel, an attorney for FFRF, if you're not following him on Facebook, you're missing out.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/freethoughtnow/dear-american-catholics-stop-calling-yourself-catholic-and-quit-the-church/

With the pope’s impending visit, the wall separating state and church is going to be breached as politicians attempt to please their seemingly large Roman Catholic constituencies. But how many of those constituents are actually Catholic? His visit might be a good time for America Catholics to reflect on their faith and ask, “Am I really a Catholic?”

The Roman Catholic Church claims almost 1.2 billion adherents worldwide and a steadily declining percentage of Americans, now about 21%. But can they truly believe everything that a Catholic is required to believe? Do they even know what they are required to believe?

If you consider yourself a Catholic, you owe it to yourself take a hard look at the beliefs required by your Church’s religious law. Arguably the most repellent precept in canon law is also the most important for people claiming to be Catholic:

“. . . [A] religious submission of the intellect and will must be given to a doctrine which the Supreme Pontiff or the college of bishops declares concerning faith or morals . . . therefore, the Christian faithful are to take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.” Canon 752.

This anti-human, totalitarian sentiment lies at the heart of all religions, but one rarely sees it so clearly stated. This also means that Catholics cannot pick and choose from the tenets of their religion. According to that law, there is no such thing as a “cafeteria Catholic.”

...

If you use birth control, you’re not a Catholic. If you don’t believe in magic, you’re not a Catholic. If you find cannibalism abhorrent, or even slightly distasteful, you’re not a Catholic. And that’s OK! But now it’s time to find the courage to stand up and tell the world, “I’m not a Catholic.”

Much more at link.

And his Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=750945458347916

[trotsky]

1. "religious submission of the intellect and will must be given"

Yikes. Lays it out pretty plainly there.

[mountain grammy]

2. My Catholic friends used to head to mass on Sunday

saying "off to the magic show."

[onager]

3. SO glad this is a "safe haven" right now.

Otherwise your thread would have 5.297 responses from the Catholic apologists, pseudo-intellectuals, and general shit-stirrers telling us all how WRONG!1! this article is.

We'd be hearing that the Catholic Church invented science and civil rights. And it just LOVES women. How 'bout all those nuns, huh? Checkmate, atheists!

Thanks for posting. Unlike many similar articles I've read, that one doesn't equivocate or mince any words.

[mr blur]

6. Well, at least the ones that aren't banned from posting would.

[PeaceNikki]

7. I know! Andrew wrote a piece the other day about Catholic hospitals.

I truly appreciate that because the religious left tries to tout the RCC takeover of health care like it's a good, altruistic deed. It's frightening and dangerous, especially for women.

In case anyone is interested, this is a very very hot topic for me personally: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/freethoughtnow/religious-affiliation-should-not-trump-patient-health-catholic-hospital-denies-life-saving-tubal-ligation-to-pregnant-woman/

[beam me up scottie]

4. What onager said.

Great op, Peacenikki!

[nil desperandum]

5. Then there's always another good reason

[PeaceNikki]

8. Well, sure, but, but, but...

[beam me up scottie]

9. Well if that ain't the truth.

[LostOne4Ever]

10. Left the faith in high school and never looked back

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]That said, I still have and wear a crucifix that my late grandmother gave me as a child.

That is about the only connection I have left to the RCC and I keep it more for her than them.[/font]