Richard Bridge says: Joe, if your church does that to you, do you not see that there is something badly wrong with it?

Well, Richard, yes. But in any organization subject to political forces, people lose their jobs and get smeared by opponents and get accused of things they haven't done. I suppose I could have given up, but this is MY church.

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Stu says: I'm not sure I understand you fully on the subject of believing in God: are you saying you could be a Catholic and not actually believe in the existence of God? I'm not talking about the various ways in which people within the church perceive God personally, but the actual, fundamental existence of God.

You ask good questions, Stu. No, I suppose a person couldn't be a Catholic with having some kind of belief in some kind of God. Believing in God is part of the definition of the term "Catholic" - but my belief is my choice, not something imposed on me by some authority. Baptism is the only sign of membership on the Catholic Church, once it is conferred, it cannot be taken away - and Baptism can be conferred by anyone, even by a non-believer. I have no particular respect for authority, and view myself as my own authority - I do not think that obedience to authority is an essential part of the definition of being Catholic, although many authoritarians would disagree with me on that. And on some days, I suppose I have no particular belief in God, or maybe I do. I guess I always have some sort of concept of "the divine," but it changes constantly. Rigid, authoritarian, judgmental views of God are not part of my thinking at all. I think Pope Francis and Pope Benedict would agree with me, but not John Paul II.

I guess if I would define God, it would be something like "the underlying and unifying essence of all that is." But that definition is subject to change at any moment. I think that's what seriously spiritual people seek - some ultimately good essence that underlies and unifies everything. But essences are elusive - and undefinable.

-Joe-