Maybe, with a little more work, you could shake off the "Bad Catholic" label and join the radical Catholics? They fought the draft (http://c9.mdch.org/) in Vietnam and against more recent wars (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/10/protesting-nuns-branded-terrorists/) and speak out for women's rights and healthcare (http://religionandpolitics.org/2012/10/26/the-nuns-not-on-the-bus/).
Which is to say, as a former Catholic, I definitely recognize not all Catholics meet my expectations (i.e., toeing the Vatican line). Even with that knowledge in hand, though, when someone introduces themselves as Catholic, I assume they are by-the-book-and-Pope until they suggest otherwise. That's kind of the point of individuals gathering under a religious banner; it's opting in, saying you believe as this group does.
I honestly wasn't much aware of the legacy of radical Catholics or the parts of the Church that emphasized social justice until I met Andy at IUP and, later, my half sister. I even wondered for a bit if I could return to the fold at some juncture (so much of a Catholic Mass is still a comfort to me), seeing those radical Catholics as allies. For me, at least, that option dissolved in 2002 and has never been something I could reconsider. In the end, I found a UU church with a pipe organ and a reverend who sings opera, so I guess I found my spiritual home after all. :)
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Which is to say, as a former Catholic, I definitely recognize not all Catholics meet my expectations (i.e., toeing the Vatican line). Even with that knowledge in hand, though, when someone introduces themselves as Catholic, I assume they are by-the-book-and-Pope until they suggest otherwise. That's kind of the point of individuals gathering under a religious banner; it's opting in, saying you believe as this group does.
I honestly wasn't much aware of the legacy of radical Catholics or the parts of the Church that emphasized social justice until I met Andy at IUP and, later, my half sister. I even wondered for a bit if I could return to the fold at some juncture (so much of a Catholic Mass is still a comfort to me), seeing those radical Catholics as allies. For me, at least, that option dissolved in 2002 and has never been something I could reconsider. In the end, I found a UU church with a pipe organ and a reverend who sings opera, so I guess I found my spiritual home after all. :)