Please, I understand the rules about birth control and all that. I understand that certain actions have consequences and that we must pay for our sins.
I didn't grow up catholic and a lot of what I imagine about being a catholic child is negative. It was in terms of what it would be like to grow up catholic that I was speaking. It seems they were very restricted about . . . I was thinking about the marvelous freedom and innocence I experienced growing up in a different era with one best friend who was catholic and one was presbyterian. It seems to me from what I have seen about parish life that catholic children grow up in a repressive atmosphere today. It is difficult to put it into words. I guess the easiest way to say it is that a person can have too much religion in their life. Religion doesn't necessarily equate with spirituality and holiness.
My little catholic friend and I parted when she went off to catholic school. I begged my parents to let me go there and was sad about it for a couple years or so. Now the older I get I am sometimes glad that I went through the public schools and got a real taste of life.
Sometimes I wonder what catholic men are really like. The nice ones. I know there are some real scumbag catholic men but most of them would be considered nice by society but they . . .seem to lack kindness and compassion. But they would almost give their lives to save the church.
I know catholics can have a lot of fun when they are adults and much of that involves drinking. Some of that is no different from protestants. You just see the ugly side of people when they are drinking.
When I first got interested in the catholic church, I wanted to go to a dinner for St. Patrick's day. I took my granddaughter and her friend (had a hard time getting the little girl's father's permission to go but he relented - think it was the Lutheran/Catholic thing but can't be sure.
When we got to the dinner I paid (can't remember how much) and there wasn't anywhere to sit. We had to sit on the floor as a few others did, too. People just stepped around us. I still don't know how I feel about it but, looking back, I didn't feel particularly welcome although after dinner I think some person offered for me to come sit with them,
It didn't keep me out of the church but I guess I expected something that wasn't there. It was the clique thing. Catholics are very tight with each other.
I don't know why I am telling you any of this, but from your writing you come across like so many men. Observe the rules at all costs but don't let yourself see the pain and suffering right under your noses.
Now I don't need to lecture you about what some protestant men are like. I found out the hard way.