any tradition of independent thinking within Catholicism has barely existed outside the US

Hmmm. As usual, Peter, your generalizations are rather broad. What about the thinking in Catholic Universities through the ages - was it all indoctrination, rote memorization of rigid dictates? No, I don't think so. You paint a picture of the Catholic church as a monolithic, single-faced papal dictatorship whose members have always marched in lockstep with Rome. The history of the Catholic Church is far more complex than that.

As for the Cardinal that spoke in error about AIDS and condoms, all I can say is that a lot of us Catholics didn't believe him. He was wrong. That wasn't a myth - it was just misinformation.

A myth is a sacred story told to attempt to explain mysteries that are unexplainable. While the details of the story may be fictional, the heart of the story may convey profound truth that cannot be expressed in scientific terms. Much of what was written about Jesus may or may not be mythological in part - but the story of Jesus expresses profound truths that have inspired many through the ages.

-Joe Offer-