Well, Ake. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I'd change your words slightly: "Religion is basically an attempt to explore and understand the natural process of birth, life and death." That's my perspective from my experience as a person who has religious faith.

On the other hand, I guess I could say that while your description of religious faith does not fit MY experience, it may be a fairly accurate description of the faith of SOME religious people. It seems to me that in almost every denomination, there are two very different perspectives that coexist very uncomfortably. Some people are comfortable with the unknown, with the "grey areas," and they belong to a religion in order to explore the mysteries of life. Other people see things mostly in black and white, and they belong to a religion because they seek "absolute truth" and control and all the other stuff that goes along with that perspective.

I have to say that I've been having a hard time with the Catholic Church lately, because the "absolute truth" people seem to be gaining power. In my home parish for the last three years, I haven't been allowed to teach in the RCIA program that brings new people into the Catholic faith. For the last two years, I was not invited to teach - and this year my pastor removed me from the program altogether, and refused to explain his reasons for doing so. He's been a good friend in many ways, but he acts like he's afraid of something every time I ask about being permitted to teach. Last night, I attended a scripture class conducted at the offices of the diocese, and it was dominated by the "absolute truth" people. Several minutes of the class were spent lamenting the fact that there are people (like me, for example) in the Catholic Church who do horrible things like voting in favor of Obama and gay marriage. I've taken several courses sponsored by the same office in the past, and they have always been very good; but this one seems to have been taken over by the know-nothings. And the cars in our church parking were leafletted with anti-Obama propaganda before the election, and it seems we have been taking one backward step after another.

But yesterday, I spent the afternoon with four of my favorite nuns. One of them, 80-yr-old Sister Mercedes, gave me a rather stiff talking-to when I sounded like I was losing heart. And the night before, I was at a Jimmy Crowley concert with some wonderful, elderly Irish nuns. If I didn't have these nuns around me so much, I think I would lose heart. Sometimes, I think they should ordain all the nuns as priests and bishops and see what would happen to the Catholic Church - I suspect there'd be some changes made, all for the good.

Oh, and I have to say I was encouraged by the fact that the South Carolina diocese spoke against the priest who wanted Obama supporters barred from communion. I was also encouraged by my own (rather conservative) Sacramento diocese, which spoke against a priest who seemed to be telling an Obama supporter to get her car out of the church parking lot. The diocesan spokesman said, "Either way, we don't condone any of this, and we certainly wouldn't criticize any parisioner for who they voted for." (story here (click))

So, I'll take the advice of my lovely friend Sister Mercedes, and not give up.

-Joe-