In the most recent Godsquad column for Newsday, Rabbi Marc Gellman responded to this letter from a typical American "progressive" Catholic:
"After a period of alienation from Catholicism, during which I joined another tradition, I was eventually disillusioned and returned to try to promote some new ideas about Catholic education. I suggested that the clergy stop insisting on complete acceptance of Church doctrines. Instead, the message should be that, once you become a Catholic, you are a Catholic even if you believe in abortion, divorce or have no faith in the existence of God. I also suggested improvements in religious education for Catholic children. There's too much time spent on boring study of the Bible and theological beliefs. I suggested that a few select Bible stories would be enough for children. With respect to the balance of Catholic traditions not presented in those few select Bible stories, I recommended simply issuing free Bibles to children at the end of their religious education so they could read about these other things on their own. So far, my suggestions have received a cold reception, but are they really so ill-conceived?"
Rabbi Gellman's answer puts the average Catholic apologist to shame. It includes these observations:
"Here are the reasons why Cafeteria Catholicism has no future and is a bad idea: First, in the cafeteria, you could leave behind the beliefs you most need to move closer to Christ and to the Church. You've actually done that in your selections. Abortion, for example, which you've left off your plate, is wrong not just because it's condemned by Catholic teachings. It's wrong because it is the taking of a human life, and that life is sacred; its claim trumps even the most agonizing sacrifices of the mother in helping bring a child into the world.
Leaving behind this teaching (and others that disturb you) happens when you place your own personal judgments over the inherited wisdom of the Church. Would you say a slave-owner should have the right to construct his orher own personal brand of Catholicism in a way that allowed slavery? Sometimes the best reason to struggle with a moral teaching of one's faith is that it contradicts the conventional wisdom of secular society or of your own personal desires. You need the Church not to pander to you but to challenge you. Cafeteria Catholicism cannot challenge you.
Bible study is not boring. It can seem dry at first, but so can the study of history or philosophy, biology or literature. Would you jettison those disciplines just because you found them tough going on your first exposure? Both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament record your sacred history and the evidence of God's revelation. This history and revelation are neither simple nor transparent.
Understanding Scripture requires diligent study and faithful teachers, but there's no way to a Catholic life that sneaks around the Bible.
The only way to a Catholic life is through the Bible. If your experience with Bible study has been unfulfilling, find a new teacher, not a new book.
Finally, your way leaves behind the life-giving power of the community of believers. Their presence at the mystery of the sacrament of the Eucharist and other sacraments is as important as the sacraments themselves. The Church is not the brick and stained glass.
The people of faith bring Christ's teaching into the world together and sustain each other in this great quest.
The next time you visit the cafeteria, try to taste everything. As the Psalmist taught us, 'O taste and see that the Lord is good.' (34:8) God bless you in your tasting."
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