I'm Just Going to Say It.

After much debate and speculation, I’m finally going to make clear what people have only guessed at…I’m Catholic.

My blog has thus far documented my weekends and my shows and my office shenanigans. So let’s get serious for a moment, kids. What’s my take on religion? Well, dear reader, you’re in for an unsolicited tour through my core principles. Just as the internet intended.

I’ve been meaning for a while now to clarify my feelings on faith, but today particularly encouraged me to look more closely at my beliefs. Not to mention of course that if you know me (or my Facebook page) you know that I’ve been working on a sketch show that explores the ups and downs of growing up Catholic and choosing to keep the faith amidst a society that would suggest otherwise. Well, here I am, a firm apologist ready to do anything but apologize for my faith or my religion…which to me are two very different however interdependent entities. Disclaimer: the statements to follow are my opinions. They are not hard science, they are not meant to insult anyone else’s personal beliefs…but I do stand behind my beliefs 100% and if we can’t challenge each other, then what are we doing here? In short, this is an exhibition, not a competition…please, no wagering.

I attended a service today at a Unity church with my friend, Gillian. I’ve never been to a Unity Church before, nor do I claim to know anything about the institution aside from what I saw today. I can say it was about what I expected. There was a lot of singing, a lot of talking and lots of smiles and handshakes. The individual rooms in the church house had names like Friendship and Sunshine. The service ended with a rousing rendition of “You Love is Lifting me Higher”…yes, of Ghostbusters II fame. At this point my description may seem to you, dear reader, to be ringing with just a hint of judgment. Not the case…I have all the respect in the world for people who seek God in their own ways. As the sign outside the service hall read, “The paths to God are as numerous as a man’s breaths” (I may be paraphrasing, but this quote was attributed to Mohamed). I’ll buy it…we all come to God in our own way. Better someone find God in their personal way than not at all. Just because I find God in candles and chalices, doesn’t mean someone else can’t find Him in Jackie Wilson. But that brings me to my first point of non-contentious contention…I absolutely believe there is a God….a physical, all encompassing, loving, creating, and yes, even judgmental God. Now, belief is the key word here. I don’t know there is a God anymore than I know how the F the Oceanic 6 will get off the island. But I have all the faith possible that God exists and that the universe is the result of that. While I don’t think there is one path to Him, I also stand firmly behind my particular chosen path, Catholic Christianity. I have faith that Jesus is the human manifestation of God, that with the Holy Spirit he is part of the Trinity, that he was mothered by a Virgin, and that he rose from the dead. Again…I buy it. This is my faith. It is unwavering, and I’m the first to admit that it cannot be fully understood by any person in the context of the world.

Enter religion.

Religion is the channel by which people attempt to reach God from the confines of this world. It’s a club, a charity organization, a social network…it is not God. Religions have been formed for a million different reasons over the course of history. It’s a human tendency to seek community and to seek answers to our origins. Religion addresses both. Everyone and their mothers (Happy Mother’s Day!) are bashing religion these days, and some reasons are justified. But I won’t be doing that here. Let’s focus on the positive for a moment…As I observed today, religions can bring a wholeness to people…a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose…not to mention the tangible outcome of contributing to society by helping the poor and the sick.

So why do I choose Catholicism time and time again…well, it’s my home. Living up to its name (Catholic means universal), it’s the same no matter where you go in the world. It’s a warm reassurance when I enter a church and see the Stations and smell incense and hear the same readings for that particular Sunday on the liturgical calendar that is being read everywhere else in the world. For me, no amount of clapping and singing and Friendship Room donuts will ever replace the spot in my heart I have for traditional Vatican II ritual. That said I have been just as guilty as the next guy of being a “cafeteria Catholic.” As with any other club, there are tenets with which I just don’t comply. No need to specify. The point is when I am asked how I justify my actions that don’t match the Church’s teachings, my answer is that I don’t justify my decisions, I struggle through them. I have come to believe in the last few years of my brief adulthood that relativism is a dangerous thing. I’m married to the Church, and as such I won’t walk away from it over a couple of minor disagreements. But I will examine my actions carefully to decide where the line between religion and faith is blurred. To abbreviate…I tend to struggle with what “rules” of the Church are based legitimately in the teaching of Jesus and what parts are just plain crowd control. For me, the fulfillment the Church offers outweighs the conflict. It is my way to God.

In essence today I went on a date with another only to reaffirm my commitment to my one true love.

There is a lot more I want to say…A LOT…but there is only so much time in the day. Thanks for reading.