I lifted this from Anne over at The Gods are Bored, who in turn lifted it from Jason over at The Wild Hunt who is quoting Pope Benedict’s remarks from a recent encyclical.
“There are certain religious cultures in the world today that do not oblige men and women to live in communion but rather cut them off from one other in a search for individual well-being, limited to the gratification of psychological desires. Furthermore, a certain proliferation of different religious “paths”, attracting small groups or even single individuals, together with religious syncretism, can give rise to separation and disengagement. One possible negative effect of the process of globalization is the tendency to favour this kind of syncretism by encouraging forms of “religion” that, instead of bringing people together, alienate them from one another and distance them from reality. At the same time, some religious and cultural traditions persist which ossify society in rigid social groupings, in magical beliefs that fail to respect the dignity of the person, and in attitudes of subjugation to occult powers. In these contexts, love and truth have difficulty asserting themselves, and authentic development is impeded. For this reason, while it may be true that development needs the religions and cultures of different peoples, it is equally true that adequate discernment is needed. Religious freedom does not mean religious indifferentism, nor does it imply that all religions are equal.”
Let’s look at this lovely little bit of prose ….
“There are certain religious cultures in the world today that do not oblige men and women to live in communion but rather cut them off from one other in a search for individual well-being, limited to the gratification of psychological desires”
I am a married woman, just recently celebrated my 15th anniversary in fact, and I am commited to staying married until the day that one or the other of us draws our last breath. Not because I think that divorce is a sin, or because I feel obliged to marry as a fulfilment of my life’s purpose, but because I made a promise … a promise to someone I love. We both agree that life will be hard and that there will always be times when we’re not head over heels in love. But as friends, as lovers, as what we believe to be soulmates, that it … its us “till death.” How dare anyone look at my marriage as anything but sacred. How dare someone, a man who should be the ideal of acceptance … of tolerance … of love (you know those things that Jesus spoke of) belittle the sacrament I entered into as nothing more than “the gratification of psychological desires.”
“Furthermore, a certain proliferation of different religious “paths”, attracting small groups or even single individuals, together with religious syncretism, can give rise to separation and disengagement. One possible negative effect of the process of globalization is the tendency to favour this kind of syncretism by encouraging forms of “religion” that, instead of bringing people together, alienate them from one another and distance them from reality.”
While I would agree that the small group/solitary aspect of Wicca … or much of Paganism in general … can, and does lead, in some cases, to a feeling of seperation, or isolation. In short, being a Witch alone can be quite lonely, it can be hard. But it also does not invalidate my path. Even if I never step foot in coven space again, even if I never step foot into sacred space again with others, I know what things I place my faith in. And while I will confess to being eclectic, the Catholic church should fess up as well. All religions that live, change. They evolve, they shift, they borrow (or downright steal) elements from other faiths.
As to the accusation that I am in some way “distance(d) … from reality.” I guess I can also confess that I believe in some strange shit. Things like magic and reincarnation and karma and soulmates. I guess you can cell them strange, but by that ruler you could describe some Catholic beliefs as rather odd.
At the same time, some religious and cultural traditions persist which ossify society in rigid social groupings, in magical beliefs that fail to respect the dignity of the person, and in attitudes of subjugation to occult powers. In these contexts, love and truth have difficulty asserting themselves, and authentic development is impeded.
There is so much wrong with these two sentences I barely know where to start. Let me simply say that for a religion that embraces much in the way of magical thinking (transubstantiation anyone?) to call this harsh would be kind.
According to this:
- because I believe in magic, I have degraded my personal dignity
- I am victimized by my belief in magic, in psychic abilities, etc.
- I lack love and know lies
- I am less than I should be
While I pine, in some ways, especially as I cope with turning 40, about how far I have failed to come in my life. It is not a result of the religion I chose. I am not less than I should have been … Wicca healed wounds on my soul that my Catholic faith couldn’t touch. But not because it is an invalid faith, but because it was the wrong faith for me.
For this reason, while it may be true that development needs the religions and cultures of different peoples, it is equally true that adequate discernment is needed. Religious freedom does not mean religious indifferentism, nor does it imply that all religions are equal.
As if it wasn’t bad enough, then they draw out the big guns. My religion isn’t as good as theirs … they will grant me the right to choose my own faith, but they deem it as an inferior one, as less than equal.
I guess once you know that this is what he really believes, all the rest makes sense.
I was raised Roman Catholic. I was even, for a period of time, fairly devout. However, add my inability to understand why only men could be priests to my disbelief during the Religious Education class which taught that masturbation was as bad a sin as murder as both earned me a one way ticket to hell and you get the equation that led to my finding Wicca. Granted its a little more complex than that, but those 2 moments of realization in my life led to my leaving first the Catholic church and the questioning that followed led to losing my Christian faith.
Despite that I have always maintained a level of respect for the position of Pope, much like the level of respect I hold for the Dalai Lama. As a result I am truly sorrowful, though by no means surprised, by the utter lack of tolerance this excerpt illustrates. I am offended, and a little bit hurt.
But, in the end, I don’t really worry about it as while many of his followers would name me a sinner (included and not limited to Pope Benedict), or at least a wayward soul, I think that Jesus himself would’ve been okay with who I am.
And as for God … the Divine … my Lord & Lady …
I know It/They like me just fine.
Blessings
Mama Kelly
