I Can't Believe it's not Transubstantiation

I received a text from a dear friend yesterday, and I need a place to offer a long-form response.

If I could go back in time and be a Catholic youth minister all over again I would. And I'd have more fun doing it too. I remember getting criticized back then for using a youth group curriculum that wasn't presenting enough theology and for allowing social time: dodgeball, ice breakers, movie nights. I gave some timid, bullshit response back then, but now I'd give a more data based response: half these kids are going to leave the faith anyway because they're gay/bi/trans or want to support the LGBTQ community/women's rights, so might as well make sure they connect with it so they don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. From what I've seen, strict parents make wild college students, and strict religious upbringings foster amorality and relativism. It's to be expected. Why would someone with such a traumatic experience ever "keep the faith". 

If I could go back, I'd present Catholicism as one of the many modes of operating in this world. I would explain all other religions and philosophies as equally valid from the standpoint that no one knows anything and we're all just guessing. I would make sure the students felt the freedom to choose their faith/non faith path for themselves. I would present cafeteria Catholicism as a good option, not something to be judged for. I'd explain that religions are man-made efforts to help us cope with the chaos of existing and that it's up to us to choose paths, philosophies, theologies that make the most sense in our own circumstances. 

I wish I could go back and undo some of the things I said. I remember giving talks about the rules of the faith or why God created Hell or how the sacraments improve our lives. I completely regret it but it's done. 

If I had become a priest (as I tried to do for years) I would have gone rogue at some point. I would've held up the chalice after saying "do this in memory of me" and pointed out that this is a memorial service. That's what those words mean. It's not some transubstantiated blood-wine from the corpse of a god-man. It's a way to remember Jesus's sacrifice. 

If I had become a priest I would've listened to people in confession, sure. Perhaps it helps to tell your problems to someone just to get stuff off your chest. But beyond that I would've referred them to mental health professionals when a problem was beyond me. It's more help than I ever received from that sacrament from any priest.

I'm grateful I'm no longer strictly Catholic. Yeah, I can still sit in front of the monstrance and feel a "presence" or whatever. It helps me still and I sit there sometimes to journal or stare or listen. Yeah I still pray when things are bad, not really sure if it's a god I'm praying to or just the voice in my head (definitely leaning toward the latter). But I no longer believe that Catholicism is an entirely good faith. It's strict rules around sexuality, gender and women's freedom are simply dated and hurtful. They HURT. And some Catholics take pride in that. They believe that their repressed lives that they force on others are somehow heroic. That it makes them martyrs for some holy cause rather than cowards too weak to express their own desires. And that disgusts me. To see these beautiful people, that Jesus no doubt would've loved, hated and judged by these bible-thumping radicals disgusts me. Jesus preached against the Pharisees, and somehow the "one true religion" he founded became the very Pharisaic identity he condemned his entire life. 

If Jesus could come back from the dead he would probably abolish Catholicism immediately. He'd storm through Vatican City selling Cathedrals and giving the money to the poor. And I'd enjoy the show. 

Catholics, this is your mission should you choose to accept it:

Abolish the Catholic Church and start over. Make it about love. Make it about service. Bring it back to its roots. Make it about offering a connection to the transcendental. Make it OPTIONAL. Make Sunday services joyful and full of love and inclusion and diversity. Make it malleable. 

BUT SPENCER WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IF YOU'RE NO LONGER A PART OF IT?????????????????????

Because it would be nice to see people live the lives they actually want to live rather than feel obligated to live in a prison of their own imagination. If I can help with that in any way, I will.