The tattooed feminist Catholic who chooses conscience over catechism

[rug]

Kaya Oakes, author and lecturer at UC Berkeley

by Eddie Siebert, S.J., The IN Network | Sep. 26, 2014

When asked to declare a religion, one in three Gen Xers and Millennials respond with "none." I'm sure this doesn't surprise you -- it's pretty standard to be Catholic in 2014 and have brothers, sisters, children and even spouses who are "nones." Now more than ever, being Catholic is a choice, not a given based on cultural and family background.

Some people are surprised that as a priest, I also have a gaggle of nones in my family. (As good Midwesterners, we tend to stick more to happy family news and sports instead of theological debate at the Thanksgiving table.) Living in Los Angeles, a city slightly removed from the Bible Belt, I also have quite a few friends who would fall into that category.

Occasionally, when my holy orders are revealed in conversation with nones I'm meeting, I'll notice a flash of panic in their eyes, as though I might start to force-feed them the Catholic Kool-Aid. Contrary to the way some of us have handled things in the past, well, 2,000 years, I don't quite think Jesus would want us to force-feed faith. (If he did, I'm not sure I'd know how.) I'm more inspired (and humbled) by St. Francis' command to preach the Gospel at all times, but only use words when necessary.

Anyway, I can't really blame the nones who feel a bit of paranoia. There's that popular perception out there about some Catholics. (Not you; you're fine.) I'm talking about the haughty us-vs.-them Catholics, the ones who tend to treat nones (often the ones they love) as ill-informed and inferior (as if that will help). Not reported as often are the many stories of Catholics who respect the consciences of nonbelievers. Remember how shocked the world was when Pope Francis openly did this at his first press briefing to the assembled group of journalists? Then there was his public letter in La Repubblica where he insisted God's mercy "does not have limits" and reaches nonbelievers, too, for whom sin would not be the lack of faith in God, but rather, failure to obey one's conscience.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/tattooed-feminist-catholic-who-chooses-conscience-over-catechism

[hunter]

1. This heretic finds this post rather close to home.

I don't have tattoos because I don't like needles. Not needles of any sort.

My "big heretic Catholic family" siblings were not so inhibited about tattoos. Trips to Mexican border towns and other bad neighborhoods were awesome, yet still I escaped the needles.

Even so, I'm still the sibling most likely to go to purgatory without collecting $200.