General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Do you know why Catholics put money in the collection plate at Sunday mass? [View all]Fresh_Start
(11,330 posts)Unlike most people on DU, my family immigrated to the US with one suitcase and the clothes on their back.
They made the choice to leave the country of their births and the country of their residence to come the US.
They made the financial sacrifice to pursue their dreams of a better life.
Like most Catholics, I learned to pray long before I learned to say the pledge of allegiance.
I attended Church and had a religion long before I knew any concept of citizenship.
I would also say that my family is not unusual in leaving their country but keeping their religion.
That is almost uniformly the immigrant experience.
Religion is more than a belief system, its a culture and an identity as you have pointed out in your brilliant OP.
Understand that I have chosen to leave my faith more than 25 years ago, but I still feel connected.
My family is still observant, every family celebration includes acknowledgement of the faith.
While I left over some policies that I could not longer tolerate, I can see that good that the church does as well as the harm that the church does. For many people, the good outweighs the harm.
Over 55% of the US Catholic Church budget is spent on providing healthcare both within the US and abroad.
Another 25%+ is spent on providing education within the US.
There are other charitable efforts supported by the church as well.
I can't ignore the good the church does to condemn it and its practitioners.