n I’m glad to see that Andrew Steiner is sticking up for all those poor atheists and agnostics who are getting crushed under the rule of the big bad Catholic Church (“My God, what in Lord’s name was I thinking?” Jan. 23, p. 7). But just to keep him on his toes, let’s go through his perspective step-by-step, shall we?
First, what I think happens to people after they die is my own personal belief (I’m a Christian, by the way), and I don’t insist on sharing it with every Muslim, Jewish or homosexual friend I have. This would make me an obnoxious Bible-thumper, and nobody likes that.
Likewise, my friends do not feel it necessary to insult my belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amazingly, such verbal abuses don’t come up in casual conversation between civil people. Go figure.
Now let’s talk about discrimination. He stated that the Catholic Church discriminates against women by not allowing them to become priests. Good thing we have such a shining example of acceptance as Steiner. He would fight for a person’s right to believe in nipple-loving purple unicorns. Just don’t say you’re Catholic: Those people clearly aren’t worthy of his respect.
But Steiner has already presented us with a long list of his faults, including pride, greed and gluttony. Well guess what? He is exactly like every other person I have ever known, myself included. We all have problems in our lives – no one is perfect. As he said himself, it doesn’t take religion to make that obvious. That’s why I’m glad that nothing I can ever do would make God love me any less.
Yet, Steiner still calls this a weakness of Catholicism, wondering why “a child-torturer can obtain the same paradise as the Pope.” That doesn’t sound like a judgmental religion to me, but I guess some people disagree.
Moreover, Steiner suggests that this fatherly God character is actually cruel and manipulating, “using fear of punishment to maintain order.” My parents gave me tons of rules as a kid and made me do all sorts of chores that I hated. My dad even paddled me on occasion.
But you know what? It turns out that they don’t hate me at all. In fact, they loved me so much that they did everything possible to make me grow up right. It was only when I gained a little maturity that I realized this. And today, when I do something I know is right, I’m not even afraid that my father might not love me.
Steiner and I have one thing in common: We both hate preachy people. So why did he feel the need to rant against the Catholic Church and imply that all Catholics are damning fanatics? Steiner seems to display the hatred and obstinacy that ruins his view of the Church.
So why should I listen to him? He should give himself a little bit of “reconsideration.” Or just shut up.
David Pierce
SMG ’08