I was raised Catholic, but I'm not anymore. I feel really good about that decision — it's just not a right fit for me — but I have to admit I learned a lot of cool stuff from those Nuns and Priests during my 12 years in Catholic schools. I actually think that the dogma of Catholicism and of all religions, really, is pretty right on about what it means to be a human in this world. Something terrible happened to religion along the way. I guess it was that too many people got involved and tried to use it as a means for power and they started making rules and adjustments to create some sort of social order or manifesto. Either way it's a shame, because I believe all humans have an inherent desire for spiritual connection.
Growing up, I had Theology class nearly every day and I attended mass every Saturday evening until I was about 10 years old. I was taught a lot but there were three main points of Catholicism that I could never wrap my head around. These things seemed so impossible, so like magic, that it was crazy to believe it. So, after years of reflection, here are a few things that I think I have figured out about my mother religion. I might be wrong, but it works for me.
1. Jesus is the Son of God. Whoa. Taken literally this can mess a kid up. I was taught that God was a spirit- so how could Jesus have a spirit as a father? Did God have sex with Mary on a cloud? Ah, no. What I have since come to learn is that God is love and the knowledge of the self. Jesus is a man- a human like you and me. The word son means- he who is most like. So, here we go- Jesus is the man who is most like God. He walked the earth like you and me and his gift (talent) was his ability to understand himself and love and humanity. He was born with a talent that he fostered. He lived as we all should. He had the love of humanity in his soul, in his heart. He understood, he forgave, he loved without judgement. He was one of those humans that was most like pure love. He was most like God. He was a cool ass dude.
2. Jesus died for ours sins. I just figured this one out because I just learned the original meaning of the word "sin" which is to miss the mark. So, to sin is to miss the point of human existence which is to love and know yourself. Jesus died to show us that the point of human existence is to know yourself and to love yourself. He did just that. He knew who he was and he didn't loose sight of that even when everyone around him was trying to kill him. He would not be swayed. He stayed true to himself until his death- as you and I should, too, even if people try to "kill" us. And then, when he was hanging there, after nails where hammered into his hands and feet, he forgave- for they know not what they do. Damn. Talk about self-respect.
3. Mary is a virgin. I always liked Mary. She was so nice. She was a mother. One thing she wasn't though, was a virgin. I don't care, I'm sticking to this one. You see, I don't know for sure but I've read that the meaning of the Hebrew word for virgin had been mistranslated and that the original word meant something like, girl. I don't even really understand why the Catholics would want Mary to be a virgin and Jesus to be born of a virgin- it makes it sound all magical and unreal. It makes it sound dumb. I like to think that Mary was a really great young woman with a great heart that was chosen to be the mother of this human soul that she named Jesus. She raised him well, fed his talents, believed in him and his abilities, and sent him off to study with the Buddhist monks who taught him the art of Reiki in the mountains of Tibet. Then he came back when he was in his 30's and healed people with his hands and tried to spread the word of "God" (aka the word of love).
So, there you go; I've come to peace with my education. Although I gave up on the religion, I really do appreciate my Catholic education. Those teachers were good people and the church community I grew up in was really, really special. Religion is not for me, but it is for a lot of people and I respect that. They offer a lot of people a lot of hope. We all need a little hope and a little help every now and then- a little moral guideline so we are better equipped for peace and love. Life is all about learning to love anyway- ourselves and one another. Like that guy, you know, Jesus.
