In my twenties I left the Roman Catholic church. There were just too many things (papal infallibility, birth control, women priests and the whole "do what you're told" mentality) that I was unable to sign my name to. My parents and friends argued for a pragmatic approach (citing the obvious use of birth control in Catholic families) but I felt that the church demanded that a list of things be accepted without question. I felt that if you didn't believe in certain things you couldn't consider yourself Catholic.

The current P.C. agenda (not hidden, not secret, not threatening) has a parallel in church doctrine. It is difficult to pick and choose what you will and will not believe in. It is easy to simply accept the package. But sometimes the easy way is not the right way.

Parenthetically I find myself in an odd situation regarding the right-left labels. I am an amateur musician running a small corporation tha services the financial sector. My folkie friends think I'm the reincarnation of Genghis Khan while my business friends think I must be a communist. Isn't it interesting how much more comfortable both sides are if they can stuff me and my beliefs in to tight little box labelled "other"?