HEY

Look beyond the darkness of doubt and find the light that never goes out.

HEY   "religion" saved his life, his marriage and gave him new potential and a purpose in life.

HEY   "religion" attracts all sorts of people from the good and caring, to the lost and needy, the generous and the greedy, the controllers and the cheaters who abuse and corrupt.

HEY    we have all gone through times of personal turmoil and have had to learn to deal with it.

Jesus had to deal with the religious people of his day even as we have to be wise not to make any person an idol in our lives.  Whether is is a religious person, or a sports star, or a glamorous film personality.

Jesus said: Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites
                  "These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me,
                    They worship in vain, their teachings are but rules taught by men"

                    "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the tradition of men.
                      You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down."

HEY  don't we all speak out of our own life, knowledge and experience.  I happen to have experienced and believe that religion that is free from controlling influences and is open to the spirit can nourish and strengthen those who put their trust in God.  Yes, when we see contradictions in the lives of people  who claim to be religious, it is troubling.  I know that I have the capacity to misunderstand if I do not have the complete truth; and isn't this what we are all searching for truth that we each of us can only see partially. 

The journey is inward and outward.

The question William Lobdel asks himself as he covers stories of sexual abuse in the Cathlic church and similiar problems in all denominations; was if an institution is corrupt, does that have any bearing on God?  Scandals that were suppose to be hidden where now being exposed.  The church tried to buy it's way out,  move the offender or lie and intimidate the offender.

Even worse was the actions of those who tried to cover up the actions of these predatators.

I feel like I am openning the door of my mind to darkness and to strangers.  Soul murders would not be too strong a word.  How can I help but be deeply troubled and saddened.  William is disturbed.
His doubts prevent him from carrying through his plan to enter the Catholic Church.

His heart said no.  His marriage could no longer stand the strain of unresolved issues.  He needed counseling and probably should have gone to A.A. instead of drinking again.  I think the priests in the Catholic Church live a very unhealthy lifestyle and many of them our alcolhlics.  They live by saying the same words doing the same rituals and they lose the poetry and art and music that really touches the soul. 

Karen Armstrong says that our theology should be like poetry.  A poet spends a great deal of time listening to his unconscious, and slowly calling up a word, phrase by phrase, until something beautiful
is brought forth into the world that changes people's perceptions.

And we respond to a poem emotionally.

Can the actions of a few destroy my faith?  I would think that this is only if your faith is in the wrong
place.