  & nbsp;  Well,  let me start from the beginning.  I was baptised and raised Catholic,  I didn't really have a choice in the matter. nbsp;
 So now I'm almost 18 and I wonder,  what does it mean to be Catholic?
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 I have lots of questions.
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 First,  i'll tell you a little about myself just to clear&
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a few things up because&
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I know people tend to&
nbsp;
have stereotypes in their mind when someone says " Oh,  I'm Catholic.
nbsp;
 First of all I'm a democrat ( okay,  so I'm not 18,  so it's not offical yet but&
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it will be when I sign up to vote this coming fall)  and so are both my parents.
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 I am liberal when it comes to social issues,  I support homosexual marriage,  I'm pro choice,  against the death penalty and against the war in Iraq.
nbsp;
 As far as fiscal issues go,  I don't encourage military spending and&
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I don't think we should have gone into Iraq in the first place but I do believe it is our job to clean up and do our best to help now that we are there.
nbsp;
 I do believe that wealthier people should pay more taxes,  not less.
nbsp;
 I wouldn't encourage large amounts of spending to increase the deficit.
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 I believe that money should be spent to benefit everyone,  especially those in need ( people who live in poverty,  without health care,  without money to buy food,  to improve their quality of life)
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not to wealthy&
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special interest groups just looking to benefit themselves.
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 As far as foriegn affairs go,  I think it's important to make alliances with other countries and work together to make decisions that benefit everyone instead of trying to be a hero and do everything ourselves.
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 This isn't a game,  it shouldn't be about winning or losing or power or money.
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 We are all human beings,  we are all equal.
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 Perhaps that sounds silly or idealistic but if more people were more accomidating of others instead of just looking&
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to benefit&
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themselves this world would be a better place.
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 I believe in preserving and protecting the environment and&
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I am against nuclear weapons.
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 I think&
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they only leads to trouble&
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and power struggles between greedy countries.
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 Perhaps that is not the detailed and organized&
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description that you would have wanted about my political belifs.
nbsp;
 Although&
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I understand the importants of politics and keeping up with current&
nbsp;
events and news to create my own opinions,  I must say that I have always had a hard time doing so.
nbsp;
 I am not an expert on U. S.
 history,  I do not read the business section,  I can not tell you the order of our past presidents,  or the names of our&
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CA senators,  I do not like economics or enjoy the stock market but I do have opinions and I do care about people and how we treat each other and our planet.
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 I am not yet 18 and I know I have a lot to learn.
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 I look forward to gaining knowledge and responsibility and I will accept the challenge and do what I can to make this world a better place.
 & nbsp;
 Okay,  so back to religion. I don't look down upon people who are not Catholic.
nbsp;
 I would never try to coerce someone into converting.
nbsp;
 I don't believe that people who arn't Christians will&
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burn in hell.
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I respect other people's belifs even if I don't agree with them.
nbsp;
 I did not enjoy going to church when I was little,  in fact I did just about everything I could to avoid it.
nbsp;
 I distinctly remember having conversations with a friend about how much we didn't like going to church because it was boring.
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 Even now,  I don't go to church every Sunday although I do enjoy going.
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 There is always a good message behind each mass,  talking about life and improving one's self.
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 The priest doesn't&
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try to present himself&
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to be&
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any different than the rest of us.
nbsp; nbsp;
He treats&
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us&
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as equals.
nbsp;
 None of us are perfect,  but we come together to learn in a search for inner peace,  satisfaction and happiness to share with everyone in our lives.
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 We sing,  we pray and we thank the Lord for all that we have been given.
nbsp;
 I am not familar with all of the stories in the Bible.
nbsp;
 I do not recite verses on a daily basis.
nbsp;
 I cannot tell you all the names of the diciples nor can I recite all ten commandments word for word.
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 Does that mean I have failed?
nbsp;
 Does that mean I'm not Catholic?
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 Some would probably say so but I believe that religion is not about whether you meet all the requirements or how much you pray each day,  or what you know.
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 I believe religion is a very personal matter,  it's about what works for you.
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 It is all about searching within yourself and learning to be a better person.
nbsp;
 Learning to&
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be grateful for what you have and give back to those who helped you and those who need help.
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 It gives me hope,  it gives me faith in a greater good in this crazy world.
nbsp;
 Church is not about being exclusive or elite,  it's about people coming together to grow in love.
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 Love for each other and love for God.
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 It's about believing in a greater good and working together to make a difference.
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 To help others,  to help yourself.
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 That is my opinion.
nbsp;
 Take it for what you will,  perhaps you feel differently.
nbsp;
 I don't mean to say that being Catholic and going to church is the only way to achieve these goals,
 by no means is that true.
nbsp;
 There are many organizations and groups you can join,  there are many other ways to go about doing the same thing.
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 This is just one path,  one that I happen to follow.
nbsp;
 I just wanted to get all that out there to clear things up for myself and so you know a little bit more about me and what my views are.
nbsp;  Well,
 I think that's about it for now.
nbsp;
 Let me know what you think.
nbsp;
 Take care!
