I'm proud to be Catholic.

I'm proud to be Gay.

Nothing else I really want to say.

The Catholic Church as I have known and believe, is not the only way to get to God. It is not the only way to know God, or even be saved.

Catholics will say Catholicism is the most direct, and fully encompased religion, most immersed with the Idea and BEING of True God and the most complete of them all, but is not the only one/way and respect all other religions :yes: .

(there is a statement my Grandma tells me that in the bible, there is a passage that says.. "In my fathers house there are many rooms") She says that many people from many religions can be saved and go to Heaven, and those are the many rooms part.

It has something more so with Saints and Angels being God's hands Eye's, Angels.... which are very important.

Compared to the shoulderblade, knee-cap etc.... they are all PARTS of the body and Not ONE piece is more important than the other... but some pieces are expected much of them, and from that which much is given much is expected.

I hope that analogy made sense.

It is sad to see how HUMAN some people can be, Even Saints... but even certain Saints where the worst of sinners, but that is what it is about.. not a contest on who has the worst dirty laundry on who.... but that in the Human scope of things there is hope... and people can do good, and be better.
But certainly nothing on this earth is perfect... the Catholic Church has even said... it is not perfect.... the Church is made up of mortal men with mortal failings, but that there is Hope there to make those things that have been broken... to be fixed.

Preists are said to be Apostles decidendants of the Original Apostles that have gone down the line through generations, bestowing the Gift of the Holy Spirit to each one just as Jesus had done the very same way to his original Disciples.... NOW.... here is where the flaw comes in...

If a Priest takes an Oath before they are ready... and haven't reconciled sin.... they are open to the temptations of the Devil. That is where a LOT of the problems in the church have all been from. The Crusades.. the pedophilia.. those are priests that have not Reconciled there sins and have not given themselves 100% to God while alive on this planet. They are still living selfishly which is not somehing Jesus, wanted any of his Disciples to be.

The Err is human. Not the Religion. The Religion as I see it is perfect... it is the Human aspect.... just like Jean Grey has the human apsect that can turn her Dark Phoenix. Just as I see Phoenix as Perfect. Bad analogy but wanted to tie it in to something.

It gets too complicated to explain the Divine Mysteries that go with it but they are there, to help reconcile the evil that man has done, even in the Name of the Church which is Blasphemy and to me is not the Church.

The Church has allways been likened as the Body of Christ which is the Body of God.... like all bodies sometimes there are Germs and that is natural so that one can build endurance and become stronger... and the Body will fight the disease with its immune system, just like the Church will fight (and or help) cure the people who have sinned, inflicted damage.... it is capable of reparing itself.

It is amazing to me to see the Catholic Religion be brought up here at the Phoenix Board... there are alot of things that connect with the struggles of Jean and my struggles... and then the connection to God that I have. They go by Many Names but are the Same. One bringing the other. Trinity, Phoenix. etc.

It fascinates me.