This morning on the way to work I heard again a 2005 interview Ken Myers did with Catherine Edwards Sanders about her (then new) book, "Wicca's Charms," which is about the spiritual hunger and cultural realities driving the growing popularity of neopaganism.
Introducing the interview, Myers observed that many people attracted to Wicca report that they've been drawn by its "authenticity," meaning it feels more real to them than traditional, established religions.
. . .
A revealed, dogmatic religion like Roman Catholicism will have a very difficult time in conditions of modernity, precisely because we are all conditioned to think in terms of the Self as the final arbiter of truth. To exist in proper relationship with the Truth, I believe, requires passionate inward appropriation of external, objective realities. The key point is faith that there is a such thing as religious truth independent of my own subjective judgment. If people don't believe that, I don't see how a religion like Christianity is sustainable over the long term, at least not in any meaningful sense.
Imagine what he's saying here. Even if a religion feels wrong for you -- in fact, IS wrong for you -- you should accept it because, well, because some authority says that it's so.
As a former Catholic (and I mean the whole ten yards: Catholic school, daily rosaries, nuns recruitng me for the convent, teaching CCD, Catholic pentacostalism, retreats, etc.) all that I can say is: Fuck that shit.
8 comments:
I second your "fucking that shit."
Fucking Catholics. It's no wonder I ran away screaming.
As a recovering Catholic, I agree with your comment. Sums up my feelings.
Hecate, did you survive the Catholic Charismatics too? At least it gives you a lot of Bible to annoy the fundies with.
I'm not a recovering Catholic but I am a recovering fundamentalist. I spent years singing the la la song while putting my fingers in my ears because I didn't dare question things that didn't add up. I finally said "fuck that shit" and quit Christianity altogether and am so content and at peace with Paganism.
Add me to your "Fuck That Shit" list. Seriously -- my hand just itches to slap people who say such idiotic drivel. And get paid to do it.
Jan at Rosemary Cottage
As someone with a similar description, this is the source of my "If it feels wrong, then it's got to be right, but it sill feels so wrong, but it'll soon feel right if I keep up with it, but I don't want it to feel right..."
A holy and happy Fuck That Shit *in an operatic stylee* from another ex-catholic...
Very nice blog, thank you for the details on the shots, it will make me progress.
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