But if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, you have your choice: choose this day that which pleaseth you, whom you would rather serve, whether the gods which your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorrhites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
JOSHUA 24:15 DOUAY-RHEIMS
These are hard times to be a Roman Catholic. In the past, persecution drove Catholics away and strengthened others. In other times past, tolerance and comfort made Catholics a bit complacent. Temptation triumphed where persecution did not. But these are unusual times. Remaining Catholic is like remaining faithful to a wife that is a wanton whore. If it was difficult to remain faithful to a good wife, what are we to do when that wife has turned bad and gone to whoring? That's a rough dilemma.
God is always faithful. Unfortunately, prelates and priests are not. We should always cling to Christ. But Protestants and Orthodox will argue that the Roman Catholic Church is not the only church. We can cling to Christ and simply move to another church like some evangelical going church shopping. But the temptation to schism is a siren song calling us to take one small step away from the One True Faith. I've already been a Protestant. No thanks.
The atheist makes the claim that the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church is all the evidence you need to decide that all religion is a fairy tale. The problem is that I don't see any atheist saints. None of them stand in any moral superiority to anyone I know. Granted, some atheists don't rape children. But we can say that about every group of people including Roman Catholic priests. The atheist sings the siren song of apostasy. I've already been an atheist. No thanks.
I can't be a Protestant again. I can't be an atheist again. What else is there? This is why I remain Catholic.
There is no other religion or philosophy in this world that attracts me. I know because I have explored them all. I have been there, and I have done that. I could give a well argued apologetic for becoming Catholic and remaining Catholic, and I probably will. But from a personal perspective, I remain Catholic because I don't have any options. If I thought there was something better, I would go for it. But there isn't. I am a Catholic, and I will always be a Catholic.
The Roman Catholic Church will survive its current self-inflicted wound. I expect the healing to happen long after I have departed this life. But when that day comes, I will die a Catholic.
