Old Paper

Lisa Messenger
English 101-2015
Mr. Dowdye
Informative essay
March 11, 2002
648

Being Catholic In America


It may be hard to express your spirituality in this world. It is definitely difficult to

be Catholic these days. There are many reasons why it is so difficult. One reason is

American culture conflicts with Catholic values. Another reason is child abuse by some

members of the clergy. Also, there is conflict with other Christian denominations. Lastly,

things , such as terrorist acts, cause people to wonder if God really exists.

American culture stresses the importance of being rich and caring about only

yourself. Catholic values stress the importance of taking care of others as well as

yourself. Catholics try to follow Jesus in helping the poor and ill. American culture tells

people that if they are beautiful they will be loved, but Catholicism tells them that God

loves unconditionally. In America, the poor and the ill are basically considered to be of

lesser value than the rich and healthy, but Catholics are aware of the fact that Jesus saw

the poor and ill as very worthy people. American society is based upon wealth, fame,

beauty, and class; in contrast, Catholicism is based on love, faith, and hope. It is difficult

to follow Catholic values when this culture has so many opposite values.

There is the shameful child abuse by some members of the clergy, although, not

by all the clergy. This has caused great pain and suffering in many lives. It has caused

arguments among Catholics, as well as between Catholics and others. For example,

catechumens in the

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at a local south Baltimore church are beginning to

question whether or not they want to belong to a denomination where the officials do not

report child abusers while claiming to be followers of Jesus. There are no easy answers

for something like this. To a rational person, it is obvious that such a violation of a

person's dignity calls for justice. It can be hard to remain loyal to the Church under these

circumstances. The recent news reports of this type of situation are finally bringing

justice into these situations. At the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, a priest was arrested

by the FBI for viewing child pornography.

Another hindrance to Catholicism in America is the conflict between Catholic

Christians and Protestant Christians. One reason for this is that Catholics ask the saints to

pray for them, and some Protestants misinterpret this as a form of worship, although,

Catholics do not worship anyone other than God. Another issue is that of statues in

churches. Communion has also caused a debate. Catholics believe that Jesus is actually

present in the bread and wine, and a some Protestant denominations also believe that, but

certain Protestant denominations refer to this as cannibalism. This problem affects

Catholics in America and other countries.

The terrorists acts on September 11, 2001 have caused some people to doubt

God's existence. That is a problem for Catholics, Protestants, and people of all religions.

The shock of such an event can do psychological and spiritual damage to a person. There

was a lady who, when being interviewed on television, said that she did not feel like

attending church or praying because she had lost someone during this tragedy.

Being Catholic in America can be full pain and strife. Whether one experiences

cultural conflicts with values, abuse by a member of the clergy, conflicts with other

Christians, or the doubt caused by an event such as terrorism, the decision to become or

remain Catholic is one that is difficult, and, a times, it can be a questionable decision.

Having talked to many Catholics, it seems that this is something they think about quite

often, especially in these last few months since the World Trade Center and the Pentagon

were attacked and with the recent public knowledge of child abuse within the Church.

Time will tell what happens to Catholicism in America.