Returning to 'Traditional Family Values' and becoming a Christian Nation..."again".

For those of queasy religious/political stomachs. Turn away now. Don't say I didn't warn you. This may be similar to eating a bad Chicken Soft Taco at Taco Bell....except with reading and controversy, with less hot sauce.

I often hear outrageous claims from ultra-conservative-evangelical Christians that we need to return to 'conservative family values', or something along those lines, in this country. I've been trying to research when this fictitious time period was that we need to return to. One where violence, sex, cruelty, greed, jealousy and sin did not exist and people were free to say how much they love Jesus. Two distinct time period always come up. The first time period? The area of time before and after World War 2 all the way up until sometime in the early 1960s. I'm always told this time was 'better' and given no evidence, or worst...terrible evidence. One of the most shocking is the use of mass media. Granted, mass media has only gotten worse, but one CANNOT use mass media to depict how a time period really was, especially if it is television. On ore then one occasion, I have heard shows like "Leave it to Beaver" and "Lucy" were testaments to the time period. In some ways they were, just like popular shows are today. However, as depictions of everyday life? That is where the confusion lies. Using "Leave it to Beaver" as an example of how families and people operated during the time period the show ran is ridiculous. That is like using "Full House" to demonstrate what American life was like from 1987 - till whenever the show went off the air. You remember "Full House". Very popular. Very unrealistic.

The problem is, no one seems to do research or eve think about these sort of things. "Oh, we used to be so much better back then" is a terrible thing to say. It just isn't true. Humanity has always been the same. Actually, I would argue that we keep getting better as a race. The myth that our society and families have decreased since the 1950's, and using old television shows as evidence is unreal.

My favorite, and most often heard saying is: "We were created a Christian nation..." and then usually something else ridiculous follows. When did THIS notion begin to spread? We weren't founded with any religion! That is part of the BASIS of this country. People came to the USA to avoid religious persecution, not the other way around. Separation of Church and State is a founding principal of this country, so we don't fall into the trap that western Europe did for almost a thousand years. The founding fathers were generally NOT Christian. They were mainly Unitarian, or some Deists, and some atheists. In fact, the Treaty of Tripoli, passed by the U.S. Senate in 1797 specifically states that: "The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." The fallacy that many point to...the "In God We Trust" seal on our dollars and coins was not used consistently until, well, the 1950s (bad timing for me, I know) during the McCarthy scare. It seems to me that the Founding Fathers were more concerned about making sure this country never thought this country was founded on any religion.

Honestly, there have always been and will always be similar problems. Parents get divorced or have a falling out. People will fight and kill. People will do terrible things to each other in every way we can think of. I pray that there will be a day that these things WON'T happen, but lets not try to pretend that they didn't in the past. Ignorance is bliss, but one can only have so much bliss before they pass out.



To read more about the founding fathers and religion...check this out: http://skeptically.org/thinkersonreligion/id9.html

Also, Wikipedia helped me out doing this blog. Check it out too.

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"Houston, we have a problem."

Did you know that Jim Lovell never actually said that? He said something similar, but not the exact line. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Okay, in case you came into this hoping this entry would be about space, NASA, space travel, quantum theory or Tom Hanks...well you are out of luck. Quick tangent: Did you know that people freak out when you tell them that you hate Tom Hanks? Try it sometime. It is a lot of fun and the best part is you don't have to hate Tom Hanks...I do it all the time!

Wow. Enough tangents for now. I have a problem and it involves my faith. I'm a baptised and confirmed Catholic. I've gone to the same Catholic church since I was a year old. This isn't a Church I am loosely affiliated with or anything...I am bonded to this place, and I like it. I've played percussion at mass and events for the last TEN years. I've been highly involved with the youth of the church, going to camps, helping to create new programs and creating really great friends. I know tons and tons of people there. Some might think this is a travesty, but some of the younger kids look up to me. I love all that. It is great. However, there is a small problem.

I don't think I am Catholic anymore.

This might not come to any sort of surprise to a select few of you, as it is something I have been dealing with for a while, but this really is the first public shout of it.

This might not seem like a huge deal to some, but it is a big part of my life and who I am. It probably would be a bigger deal if I was leaving Christianity, but I am not. Not even close. However, this calls into question belief in a bigger way. I think the people with the most faith HAVE to struggle with their faith, otherwise it isn't really important to them . I struggle all the time but I feel it has made a stronger Christian. It has called into debate some of my Catholic beliefs though. The biggest part of what I have been having a hard time with is the notion of the Catholic church, dogmatic practices and Canon Law. I've always struggled with how it was possible to have Catholic by-laws (Canon Law) that were completely made up my man. No meat on Fridays during lent because of a dry middle ages fish market? Why? Why can't I fast in remembrance of Jesus's sacrifice in my own way? Why does there have to be a middle man in my reconciliation to Christ? These are big-time issues.

However, I also carry a lot the Catholic church in my current faith. The history and service of Catholicism is terrific. Transubstantiation is also an issue with me, but I do feel something - something - happens when I take the host and pray.

A lot of this comes down to the holiness of Catholic Popes, Bishops and Priests and the power of the institution of a church.

I don't know what to do, but I feel like I'm not putting in the value that I once did. I don't want to be fake about this...just going through the motions. I love what I contribute to the community. I like just about everything about my Catholic church.

I don't know what to do. Help me. Until then...you can see me at mass most Saturdays, playing percussion, trying to do what I can.

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