This. I used to go to church on the holidays for my parents and then for my in-laws, but I just can't do it anymore. I can't sit there listening to that prejudiced vitriol simply out of respect for someone else's feelings.

Well done. I actually scrolled back up to see if I missed something. How did I miss that huge boob?

I particularly like Nietzsche's take on it. If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, then isn't he both good and evil? So where's this Satan guy come in, and why is God so threatened by him? Why does hell even exist if God could just wish it away? Either he's not all-powerful or he's a spiteful SOB.

The indoctrination starts so early! My sister and her husband just recently went into a toy store and noticed the boys' aisle was filled with construction toys and doctor's kits while the girls' aisle had the toy mops, dusters, kitchens, etc.

Even my dad is losing faith in the organization. He is disgusted by the child abuse (who isn't) and doesnt understand why priests have to be celibate. (Not bc of the child abuse, but bc he doesn't think a celibate priest can counsel a married couple with no personal knowledge of the tribulations of marriage.)

I agree it all depends on the diocese...or rather the region of the nation. I'm in the Philly area, so there are a fair amount of liberals around.

I'm not surprised Catholics still consider you "one of them." I never say I am a Catholic. Rather I say I was raised Catholic. Yet oddly enough, I feel I will always "be" Catholic. I'm not Christian. I don't believe in a Christ. However, that is the one form of Christianity to which I can relate. If I had to choose…

My siblings and I were raised Catholic. None of us practices it. My sister just married an avowed atheist. When I told my coworker, she asked how could a "Catholic girl" marry such an extreme opposite. I thought that was a bizarre question. I think the Catholic church is perfectly positioned to turn people into…

I learned years ago that a person's size does not always indicate a person's health. I used to take spinning classes at my gym, and one day an overweight woman came in as a sub for the regular teacher. I noticed a group of gym brats snickering at her when they realized she was teaching.