I have come to the realization that I am what my high school priest refers to as a "cafeteria Catholic." He defined this as someone who picks and chooses what aspects of Catholicism they wish to subscribe to whilst disregarding the rest, much like someone who scoops up all the deliciously wiggly lime jello and leaves the dubious looking potato salad for the next chump in line. This may come off as a smart move, but there is a definite problem. You see, you're supposed to take the potato salad, 'cause if you don't, you can't call yourself a Catholic.
Personally, I am pro gay marriage and pro stem cell research, but am stuck somewhere in the gray, indiscernible middle on the tricky subject of abortion. In religion class today an interesting topic was brought up. I'll refrain from using my instructor's real name, so let's just call him Father Schmaltz. Father Schmaltz said, and I'm paraphrasing, that if someone takes an oath on the Holy Bible but does not practice that bible's teachings, they are committing a grave sin. His example was President Obama, who was sworn into office by placing his hand on Abe Lincoln's own personal good book, but was still a staunch pro-choice advocate, and therefore was sinning against Our Lord when he became Commander In Chief. I retorted, inquiring if the same could be said about a president who threw America into a war that many argue should never have been started in the first place.
I was somewhat surprised at his response. Father Schmaltz said we would have the answer to that in twenty years, when all the facts surrounding the situation are finally brought to light. Maybe this Iraq war was a bad thing, but maybe it was justified.
I thought this was stupid. I was again surprised when he vehemently pronounced that Joe Biden, who is Catholic, should be excommunicated(for those of you who aren't familiar with these fancy religious terms, to be excommunicated essentially means one would be cut off from the church and unable to receive the sacraments). I then started to wonder if the former of the two statements made Father Schmaltz a sort of "cafeteria Catholic" himself. The value of a human life, I would think, is still a quintessential piece of the costly and morally questionable cherry pie in the lunch line of politics and faith.
This brings me back to the potato salad. Is it truly a fattening mayonnaise covered mush or am I seeing it the wrong way and it's really a fresh green salad that is essential to a healthy lifestyle? Should I trust my eyes and move along or accept it when people tell me it'll be good for me? I do not know. I still can't accept the fact that I need to cram everything onto my plate. Until I do, I guess I'll have to remain standing with a half empty tray in hand, waiting on the fringes of the lunch line until I can finally sit down and eat.
