JE #7

I was raised catholic and attended a private Catholic school from grade K-8.  I used to want to be a priest but I discovered too many conflicting ideas in the institution. The church preaches about love but demonizes and discriminates people based on their style of dress to whom individuals love.

I am not a practicing Catholic but I do attend baptism and weddings.

I do not approve of institutionalized religion, especially Catholicism. However, I find the Bible itself appealing through my own interpretation and I do not believe that sexuality should be defined by the church. What’s more, I do not believe in anything institutionalized religion has to say about anything how to live your life.

It upsets me to see my parents and my family so accepting of oppression, claiming that it is “God’s Will.” It is not okay! I feel that God has nothing to do with matters related to how we live our lives on earth. I feel that institutionalized religion borders people’s minds, it is a working establishment that is hierarchal and oppressive. Institutionalized religion restricts personal growth by condemning critical thinking. It forces dependency on a group of individuals who have little understanding of the complexity of life. Instead we should focus on facilitating autonomy and agency through critical thinking.