Losing faith in faith: Religion should not overstep its bounds

I have a lot of experience in dealing with the Catholic church. I had the pleasure of being raised Catholic. I know my way around a rosary, I can tell you that much. Fortunately, college came along, and I have been a Christmas and Easter church person ever since. I would be lying if I said that even for a moment I have regretted my decision.

"Outdated" is the one word that best describes the Catholic church I know. Every Wednesday night, my mom would drop me off at church for my much dreaded CCD class. The church started to lose me here. I have no idea what CCD stands for. My own guess is that it is an acronym for Creating Catholics through Dictatorship or possibly Catholic Children's Dogma. But CCD, whatever it meant, was mandatory at the Nagurney house.

I would head to my classroom where some deeply religious person who thought that they were acting in my own best interest would go to work on my mind for the next two hours. This kept up for 10 years. I was even confirmed.

I objected to everything I was told, and was told I was not allowed to do so. I drove one teacher to retirement.

My point in sharing these experiences with someone other than a skilled psychiatrist, is to show that the Catholic church is anything but a haven of enlightenment. Few Christian views on social issues are. This is just the way it is, always has been and most likely always will be. In my experience, churches are in the business of bombarding you with well-meaning rules that never work out.

The Catholic church, or any church for that matter, seems all too willing to do your thinking for you. Almost every discussion I had with a priest or whoever during my CCD days included the phrase, "You have 'free will' to believe what you want." Still, you had better agree with them when they say that photography steals your soul, or you'll get a lot of frosty looks at tureen dinners and bingo games.

I have come to expect this from the church, and I feel people should continue to expect this.

The next time the Vatican sticks its neck out and gives some boldly brazen statement saying that slavery was bad, or whatever, don't be angered, just ignore the message and the messenger altogether. Ditto for door knockers who are keen on Jesus, Hare Krishnas in airports, the ubiquitous Gary, whoever.

My aim in writing this is not to say that all religion is a bad thing, so spare me the threatening E-mail. I do know a lot of wonderful people who are regulars in church. Religion is not totally devoid of positive attributes. I do, however, think that religion has an obligation to limit itself to churches, synagogues, mosques, the Branch Dividian compound in Waco or wherever services are held. Religion should never try to assume a greater role in your life than you want it to assume, nor should it try to become a political force. (Somewhere, Pat Robertson is plotting as I write this, I just know it.)

Look at what happens historically when religion oversteps its boundaries: We have the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, any number of delirious statements made by the Vatican, school prayer, the Ku Klux Klan, the Christian Coalition, the 104th Congress; all kinds of scary things.

Above all, think for yourself and question what you are told by anyone. All truth, the commodity in which religions profess to be exclusive dealers, is personal and subjective.

Like Mark Twain said, "Sacred cows make the best hamburger."