The Catholic Church

I am a former altar boy. I attended Catholic grade schools (2), a Jesuit high school, a Jesuit university, a Jesuit graduate school and a number of parishes throughout my youth. I married a convert to Catholicism (from her Baptist roots.) My own family had been Catholic going back for as long as we could trace -- perhaps 8 generations?

I am no longer a practicing Catholic. As an altar boy I and others steered the younger boys away from the predatory priests, and there were a few of them. There were "good" priests too, and good pastors who dutifully reported such behavior. And those bad priests were routinely transferred to another parish, a generally unsuspecting one.

I am now following Buddist tenets in my daily life, without believing in the mythology.

I still sometimes visit a Catholic church; I understand that I do believe in God -- but the specifics if Catholic doctrine seem strained and self-protective to me. Doctrine from all religions seem shallow to me; man-made explanations to fill in logical holes.
Religions practice "god'splaining" to exercise moral superiority and attempt to convince us all that they "have the truth" -- "that they are the truth!"

The truth is -- in us. In our humanity, in our kindness, in our compassion. We are responsible to be that truth throughout our lives. Our behaviors are our truth. Our highest instincts of "love" are our salvation. And our gift to the world after us.