At a young age I went to Oka in Canada to spend time with Trappists there. I read the Our Sunday Visitor regularly (and subscribe to it today, along with America, Commonweal and US Catholic). In college I came under some Quaker influence - a Quaker-founded college - which was geared toward a very moderate, non-dogmatic, peaceful, and non-judgemental Protestantism. I have practiced a general Christianity, attending Mass but also services at various churches where the preaching or the music contributed to my spiritual sense and inspiration.
Now, when I ran across CAF I decided to see what is was all about, and perhaps get some satisfactory answers re Catholicism. I always admired certain aspects of Catholicism, how it built hospitals and schools around the world, the examples set by Fr. Damien and Mother Theresa, the humble service of priests, monks, nuns and others.
In all honesty, I have run across such dogmatism, such 'holier than thou' attitudes among many posters, such bitterness toward Protestantism, that CAF seems to have increasingly pushed me toward a generalized Christianity that seeks to follow Christ (Matt. 25) but avoids a sharp sense of tribal sectarianism. In other words, I respect different expressions of Christianity but have trouble enbracing the insistence of traditional Catholicism or of evangelical Protestantism, both of which seem to insist that they alone have a monopoly on the true meaning and spendor of the gospel.
I guess I've become a free-thinking Christian in that I treasure the right to think for myself, toss various doctrines over in my mind, accept or reject or simply be 'not sure' about them. I find that Catholicism seems to require that I give up this freedom. For example, I believe that priests should have the option to marry, but when you say this traditional Catholics may look at you like you're an egotist who is defying the Pope. I don't believe in insisting that Catholics all toe the line when it comes to married couples using artificial birth control once they have the number of children they believe they can care for.well. I personally would permit Catholics to have varying opinions on such central dogmas as transubstantiation, the Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity and bodily Assumption of Mary. I have serious trouble with many of the saint stories, which so often sound more like pious legends or myths than fact. Ditto for many of the apparition accounts. When I see a long line of robed Bishops processing on EWTN the thought runs through my mind: where are the women? And there seems such an emphasis on preserving ancient and medieval traditions, while I tend to look forward and emphasize the importance of change in our changing world.
Nonetheless, I enjoy reading the views of others and appreciate the opportunity and privilege of working out my own opinions through this venue for dialogue, I seem to have drifted toward some would describe as mainline Protestantism, the widespread form which permits a wide divergence of theologvical views, insisting only that we seek to be loyal followers of Christ and seriously attempt to live by his law of love.When I consider that ther emay be a million solar system out there, any petty claims to undestand this vast and amazing universe can sound hollow at best.
But my faith in God is very deep, and I do try to live daily as a faithful disciple of Christ. It's all the requirements to believe this or that doctrine that tend to alienate me.