"Step Outside Yourself," Pope Francis Advises

Today has been very difficult for those of us who are outside the box. As the fight goes on here in the United States regarding the status of gay marriage, people's nerves are shot. We know the Supreme Court heard the two cases but we won't know the results until June. I suspect that the Court will split the difference and say, "do what the voters want," so Prop 8 will stay and DOMA will go.

And the fights are raging on my Facebook page. One person got called a hypocrite because she believes in Jesus and she believes in gay marriage. That brickbat was thrown at her from an extremist religious person. Then I got compared to "a Jew who supports Nazis" for having the same belief as my friend. That brickbat came from the other side of the fence, from an atheist. Oh my G-d that one hurt!

In all my years of life, 64 of them, I've never been so insulted by friend or foe. I've had people tell me I was "spitting on the Cross" (and that friendship was ended because I don't like being considered a blasphemer) and that I was influenced by the Devil because I support gay marriage. I've also been called irresponsible and deluded for believing in G-d. But like a Nazi supporter? OMG, I'd rather be dead! 

I have always been an ardent anti-Nazi. I hate Nazis with a white-hot passion (I know, I'm guilty of a sin of hatred; but I really believe that THEY come from the Devil). When I was younger and able to get around, I belonged to three anti-Nazi groups. One of them was my day job for a time. Any time the Nazis came around here, I was out demonstrating. I and other anti-Nazi activists carried signs, shouted insults, and sung songs. I went with a group of people from New York City to protest neo-Nazis in Skokie, Illinois. We all went on a bus and we slept in a rabbi's house on sleeping bags. The rabbi said he thought we should just ignore the Nazis but I argued back. "Hitler started with 7 people. They said it couldn't happen there and it did. It CAN happen here." 

We demonstrated, and I carried some of the materials and made phone calls for people, because it was the Jewish sabbath. I functioned as a "shabbos goy," for religious Jews who wanted to be there with us but who also needed to follow their own religious restrictions.

On the bus back home, somebody made a comment that it was "easy for Christians to be Nazis." I was very, very angry, and I retorted: "You don't have to be Jewish to hate Nazis." (It was a takeoff on an ad for bread that was around at the time: "You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's.") Then, I exploded in fury. I pointed out that the Church that I had attended taught me that it was wrong to kill other people and that made it harder for me to be a Nazi ever. Just because I am Christian, that does not, ever make me a Nazi or like a Nazi supporter.

Look, this Christian anti-Jewish stuff really bothers me! I was never taught all that crap about the "Jews killing Jesus." It was the Romans, pure and simple. It doesn't matter if the Sanhedrin instigated it. The Romans did the dirty work. 

And nowadays, I always declare: "This anti-Semitism is crazy. Jesus was a Jew. He lived as a Jew. He died as a Jew. He never meant to be anything but a Jew." All we Christians are worshipping a Jew.

So any so-called Christians who hate Jews are really anti-Christians. And any Jew who likes Nazis is a sick self-hater. That's the bottom line here. Hitler and Mengele were anti-Christs. 

Now the sad truth is that, in its long history, the Church did a number of things that were evil. The Crusades, the Inquisition, collusion with the Nazis...all these things are bloody, profoundly evil parts of the Church's history. They were part of the many reasons that I became unchurched. But, Pope John Paul II, in his youth, was a supporter of the Jews during World War II, even as the then-Pope Pius was colluding with the Nazis. Even as the Church stayed silent on the Nazi genocide, there were individual nuns and priests who gave their lives to help save Jews. There were righteous Christians, even during that dark time. In Israel there are trees for Righteous Gentiles.

I don't like the Church saying that homosexuality is wrong. I believe it's genetic. I don't agree with Catholic theology on this. There, I've said it outright! But does that mean I have to hate the whole Church? Do I have to hate my husband's gentle aunt (the nun) and sweet cousin (a devout Catholic)? Do I have to hate the new Pope too? 

Will the Church do nothing good at all for people who are suffering, such as those who are in countries at war or people who are mired in poverty? Cannot the Church be an ally in these areas? Why should I not let this be so?

It's hard being caught between these extremes. It's hard having my New Age, liberal heart and soul being condemned so often and so roundly. I know that Pope Francis doesn't believe in gay marriage in the Church. That was clear to the world from the first day of his election. It's one of those "agree to disagree with," unchurched areas in my life.

As a Cardinal, Pope Francis had initially agreed to let Argentina have gay marriage in the civil sphere but refused it in the Church. That is, until the extremists pulled him back and made him start talking nonsense about the Devil.

Today, Pope Francis gave a message to the public. It's really worth a read. Don't just go past the link here. If you can possibly read it, I entreat you to do so. This message touched me so deeply that I cried.

www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=50288&page=2

Here Pope Francis encourages people to step outside themselves and be compassionate and kind. He says: "God always thinks with mercy: do not forget this. God always thinks with mercy: our merciful Father. God thinks like a father who awaits the return of his child and goes to meet him, sees him come when he is still far away." Mercy! Oh that is exactly what I need today!

He expands on this:

God thinks like the Samaritan that does not approach the victim to commiserate with him, or look the other way, but to rescue him without asking for anything in return, without asking if he was Jew, if he was pagan, a Samaritan, rich or poor: he does not ask anything. He does not ask these things, he asks for nothing. He goes to his aid: This is how God thinks. God thinks like the shepherd who gives his life to defend and save his sheep.

Holy Week is a time of grace which the Lord gifts us to open the doors of our hearts, our lives, our parishes—what a pity, so many parishes are closed!—in our parishes, movements, associations, and to "step outside" towards others, to draw close to them so we can bring the light and joy of our faith. Always step outside yourself! And with the love and tenderness of God, with respect and patience, knowing that we put our hands, our feet, our hearts, but then it is God who guides them and makes all our actions fruitful.

May you all live these days well, following the Lord with courage, carrying within a ray of His love for all those whom we meet.

Instead of focusing on all the polarities and controversies, Pope Francis asks us to come together with mercy and love. He doesn't assume that people who are different are necessarily "evil." They may be lost, they may know something that we have yet to learn, or they may simply be different.

How much kinder these words from a Catholic Pope are than the cruel words of the extremists who believe "my way or the highway"!

At this moment in time, I'm more inclined to step a little bit further into the Church and see what is happening there. I listen to Pope Francis. I try to learn from him. Eventually, he's going to have to get to the hard issues. It's not going to be fun for me when he gets there. But I can tell you this. I don't think he is going to throw mean brickbats at us. He's not going tell us to get the Hell out of his Church. He is not going call us hypocrites or supporters of the most evil beings that ever walked the earth (Nazis). He's going to tell us that he disagrees with us and he's going to explain why he believes as he does. But he is ALSO going to realize that we too have our own beliefs and consciences and that we are all trying to get on our own roads to salvation ("all of which are valid," according to Rabbi Schlomo Carlebach).

All I can do is thank Pope Francis for that kind message. I really needed this when yet another friendship is breaking because of extremism. G-d Bless you Pope Francis, with all my heart and soul.