And thank you in turn for your level-headedness. I appreciate the sober and measured reply. You are of course quite correct that everyone has a right to their own journey, and certainly observant Catholics share in that right, but it seems to me (and this is of course 100 percent subjective) that many, many Catholics are out of step with their church’s teaching. Or, perhaps, that the church is out of step with many Catholics’ true beliefs. This is not to suggest that the church is ipso facto wrong or that there aren’t a significant number of Catholics who very much believe in and follow the church’s teaching on marriage. It just seems to be to be somewhat alienating.
I think we need a better foundation to dissent than “a whole bunch of people are doing it.” For many, the bible is sufficient foundation. But do not kid yourself — being serious about God is the only option unless you want to live a lost life.