Elenamary

One of my phrases I often repeat is “I am fornicating, gay advocate, planned parenthood working, pro-choice, Catholic”.

I really dislike it when people think that because I am Catholic, I am not liberal. Or that because I am liberal I am not Catholic.

A formerly Catholic friend of mine who now calls herself an atheist, laughed when I told her I was Catholic.  Without pause she said “You are a bad Catholic”, I grinned “No, I am the best kind of Catholic.”  I view my Catholicism the same way I view my patriotism and my commitment to the democratic party.

My government, my country, may be funding a war in Iraq, abstinence education, enlisting undocumented immigrants to fight wars, and commits war crimes, but this is still my country and I am still an American.  I do my best to make my country better, not by giving up on it but by declaring loudly I am an American.  I am an American who voices her opinion against her appointed president, against unjust laws, against misappropriated funds.

I may not agree with the democratic party but it is still my party.  I work within it not to give up on it but because I want to make it my party.  I want government officials who truely represent me.  I want my Catholic Church to be my Catholic Church.

I have not given up on my party, on my country or on my religion because I love all of them and want them to truly represent me.  I want them to represent me because I believe in the end, they can be good and helpful institutions.