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MY CATHOLICISM
My mother was Catholic and my father was Jewish...just imagine what that does?
It caused discord in their child as I never knew which one I was.
My mom wanted us all to be Catholic, but the synagogue Dad would have us attend
I’m not sure how or what battles were fought but Catholicism won out in the end.
They decided to bring us up Catholic and build us a basic Catholic foundation
They sent us off to Catholic school to give us a well-rounded Catholic education
But it didn’t take long to become disenchanted-Yes, the nuns were pious during mass
But back in the classroom if we broke any rule, those same nuns had no trouble kicking our ass.
The ruler was their weapon of choice, they’d hit us on the fingers, the wrist or the thigh
They’d even smack us on the mouth if we talked out and I never could figure out why
Or how these same nuns who at mass seemed filled with religious devotion
Could treat us in a totally un-Catholic way...and seemingly devoid of emotion.
In fact I couldn’t wait to get away from the nuns and their strict Draconian rule.
It seems I never found the God my parents had hoped for in the halls of that Catholic school.
As I grew up and could think more for myself and was able to gauge and assess
I found I was not only disenchanted with the nuns but I agreed with the church less and less.
Their views on divorce, birth control, gays and the fact women could not be ordained
Along with the pedophile sex scandals meant my Catholicism was permanently stained.
Of course Catholicism is a religion..you don’t have to agree or believe
And since I could in good conscience do either, the Catholic church I chose to leave.
Recently Pope Francis has been giving the Catholic church a slightly more liberal nudge
By saying as long as gay people are looking for the lord then, “Who am I to judge.”
While, divorce and birth control have not entered the discussion- as far as I can tell
And he hasn’t addressed the bigger problem- the priest pedophile carousel.
No, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to being Catholic- on many points we just don’t agree
It seemed I learned a long time ago in Catholic school that the Catholic church isn’t for me.
But I might be inclined to begin to forgive the church and the nuns for kicking my ass
If I walked into church one Sunday morning and a woman was performing the mass.
