... It was just a continuation of the conversation, Joe: "It takes a lot more than a few broken rules to get out of God's good graces", to whit, I replied "It presupposes a belief in God however..."

I admit a healthy respect for the intangible, however.
Just not the white-beardy type

Back to Square minus Fourteen Seventy Splat, by the looks of it, Joe.

To me, obedience was central to the Catholic Faith.

Otherwise I could say I was following the teachings of the Church.
It's not the kind of thing I would normally talk about, but a relation of mine who knew that every time she would get pregnant, she had an over 70% chance of having a child with Cystic Fibrosis, recalled 'God's Will', and put herself in his hands.
She has had 6 children, two of them died at the age of 12 and 19, respectively, and one is eight years old, and the prognosis is not good.

She, and people like her give TOTAL obedience to the faith. Unquestioning faith.

I could not live up to those standards (for those are the standards, Joe), and for once in my life, I find myself agreeing with Martin Gibson.

Benedict XVI will consolidate the Church he has inherited, and is not going to reform much more, I think.
He will settle for a 'smaller, less troublesome' one.

How many facets on a schism?