Oooh boy. Alright. Im Catholic. Born, rasied, went through the applicable sacraments to date, used to cantor for my church, spent my formative years in Catholic school, Catholic.
I find absolutely no offense to Catholic jokes. Sure, there are jokes you can hear and say "oooof low blow." But that goes for blonde jokes, dirty jokes.... any kind of joke. I don't sit here and say Oh my GOD that's so offensive. Someone is always going to poke fun at SOMETHING. Why should a joke that someone else tells (which by the way, most of the ones I've heard are pretty hysterical) have any effect on your personal faith and beliefs? They're not challenging you. They're not telling you you're wrong for what you believe in. What does it matter?
Typically I wont discuss religion for this very reason. Im a very laid back Catholic. Devout in the faith I have, don't get me wrong, but I also don't believe for a moment that everything I was taught in Catholic school is correct; the be all, end all. It's not. For instance, Friday is a Holy Day of Obligation for the Immaculate Conception. We were taught in Catholic school that only the conception of Jesus was a miracle. Not that Mary was pregnant one day and delivering 3 weeks later. It's impossible for Jesus to have been born on Christmas Day.
You have to admit, as Catholics, some of the things we were taught are not only less than accurate, but they're also outdated.
I believe love is love. And if you're gay and Catholic, God loves you anyway.
I believe if you are in a bad marriage and you get divorced that you shouldnt have to go through the process of an anullment just to be viewed graciously in the eyes of the church again.
I don't believe that I should have to give 20% of my income to the church just to prove how important a part of my life God is. I think that's crap.
I don't believe that you have to attend church every week in order to BE a good Catholic. You can pray anywhere -- God is always listening.
And SOMMS, I totally agree with everything you said in your last post.
"You're every gay man's wet dream!" ~ MA
If in Heaven you don't excel, you can always party down in hell...