Why I Haven't Left the Catholic Church

Recently, I received a text from a friend asking for my input on a dilemma she's been having. Her story is not an unfamiliar one: She was raised Catholic, but, like many others, has come to question her faith as an adult, especially since becoming a parent. Understandably, she doesn't want to pass on a particular belief system to her children simply because it is the one she was raised with. She told me that her daughter hadn't been baptized since she and her husband weren't sure whether they were going to raise her Catholic. She asked if I would explain to her why I've decided to be a member of the Catholic Church specifically, as opposed to another denomination or no denomination at all. Since I've been a lazy blogger lately, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and share my response with you.

*Disclaimer (of course I need a disclaimer, it's the 21st century!): The following is an email, not an essay. I wrote it in the span of about 30 minutes - as quickly as I could while my daughter was distracted, which never lasts for long. So if you're looking for some nitty-gritty theology with a thesis, supports and footnotes, you're gonna be looking for a long time. There's a lot more I could have said but didn't simply because there wasn't time. This email was meant to defend Catholicism specifically, not Christianity as whole (In other words, I don't try to explain why I believe in the resurrection, the deity of Jesus, etc.). It is not meant as an attack on other denominations. I'm proud to have been raised in and remained a part of an ecumenical Christian community and I am a big supporter of Pope Francis' devotion to Christian unity.

Without further ado, I give you "Why I Haven't Left the Catholic Church"...

Hello at last! I'm gonna try and answer your questions as well as I can with Sophie running around trying to get my attention. Obviously this is an important topic so I wanna make sure I'm not skimping on anything...

First, real quick, about the whole Baptism thing... The way I see it, is that even if you aren't sure whether you believe it actually does her any good, it certainly won't do her any harm. Worst case scenario, it does nothing for her, but you get to have a nice celebration of her life with friends and family (and hopefully get some gifts/money out of the whole thing, haha!). And those members of your family who are still practicing Catholics will be happy and peaceful. Best case scenario, you get all that plus some special graces from God! Almost everyone does some kind of version of Baptism whether they are people of faith or not (Usually they call them Dedication Ceremonies for people who aren't faith-based), so why not do the same for her and not worry too much about the fact that it's a Catholic one? Anyway, that's just my two cents on that.

The question of why I'm a Catholic is a pretty big one. I think it's easier to answer the question of why I haven't LEFT. I went through a stage in college where I felt like it was enough to just be a Christian and not a Catholic, but here are some things that ultimately made me decide to stick with Catholicism:

- It's the only denomination that can't be traced back to anyone except Jesus (i.e., Martin Luther started the Lutherans, John Smyth founded the Baptists, etc.)

- Very few institutions in history have survived as long as the Catholic Church. I'm a big believer in the saying, "The proof is in the pudding". In other words, results speak louder than doubts. In the case of Catholicism, the fact that it has not only survived so long, but survived in spite of all the persecution and doubt that it's had to battle, convinces me even more that it has something real to offer. 

- There are definitely teachings that I don't understand, but I've come to realize that that's OK. I don't understand most of the things my doctor does, but I still trust him with my life (literally) because I understand that he's the expert, not me. Are there doctors who screw up sometimes, even BIG time, even costing some people their lives? Yes. But that's not because science and medicine are flawed, it's because the doctor is a human being and human beings are all flawed. We would never decide to abandon medicine because there are some bad doctors out there. And no one would ever say that they refuse to see a doctor until they understand everything the doctor does, because that would require going to med school yourself, which would be ridiculous. I look at church leaders the same way. Do they screw up sometimes, even BIG time? Yes. But that isn't because the faith is flawed, it's because church leaders are human beings and are flawed just like the rest of us. I wouldn't abandon the faith on account of some bad leaders. And I'm not going to refuse to commit to Catholicism until I understand everything about it (That would take years and years!) The good news is that, while a bad doctor can cost you your life, a bad church leader doesn't have to cost you your soul, because God is merciful and knows your heart, and Christ has already won the victory over sin and death through the resurrection (That whole concept isn't unique to the Catholic denomination either). 

- While I can see why people have trouble with the symbolism and statues and sacraments, etc... I see it very differently. I don't see it as idolatrous or distracting. To me it's just the opposite. God made us physical beings. He didn't have to do that, but he did. So to say that physical manifestations of faith - such as the sacraments, statues, candles, incense, and all the jazz - to say that those are idolatrous and distracting doesn't really add up for me. Can people use them that way? Of course (again, flawed human beings!). But we flawed human beings can find a way to distort pretty much any good thing. In reality, every other denomination has its own physical manifestations, even if it's just the simple fact that they worship in physical buildings, have ceremonies, use musical instruments... We can simplify things as much as we want, but at the end of the day, we are literally incapable of worshipping in a way that is purely spiritual, because WE are not purely spiritual (and neither is God, for that matter!). And we certainly cannot live the Gospel in a way that is purely spiritual, because to neglect the physical needs of people would be to directly disobey Christ. The sacraments and such have always served to make me feel closer to God because I AM a physical being, and so IS Jesus. It's like keeping photos of your loved ones around the house, doing a toast in honor of someone who can't be there with you in person, or hanging onto the belongings of family members who have passed away. It keeps me grounded and humble.

- I almost forgot... MIRACLES! You just can't find them anywhere else the way they appear in Christianity (all denominations), but especially in the Catholic Church. All the incorruptibles, apparitions, stigmata... Even if you don't believe that ALL of them are legit, it's pretty hard to make the case that ALL of them are lies. If you research into it a bit, it really will blow your mind the kinds of things that have happened!

And there you have it. Later on I may post a Part 2: my follow-up email with thoughts on Mass being boring.