Vox Populi
ksantiago@theguidon.com

My grade school teacher would always end our Christian Living Education classes by writing the word “Christian” on the blackboard.

“We are nothing without Christ,” she would say, erasing the first six letters she had just written. Left with an I-A-N on the board, she reiterates her point by going on to add, “I Am Nothing.” This was my first real grasp of what believing in God meant.

Growing up, I allowed myself to be guided by this principle albeit its childish nature. I personally value the concept of “being nothing without Christ” as one that holds to be the simplest, most logical way to explain my religion. I find it to be the easiest approach to take when I am faced with explaining my belief to a non-believer.

However, I oftentimes feel that being Roman Catholic limits my growth as person. Even though I’ve taken quite a number of religion classes from 16 years of Catholic education— and I would not have had it any other way–—I do not feel one and the same with my Church.

This isn’t an issue about my faith in God. What I have the problem with is the way this Church is run because it silences its people. The Church’s teachings seem to be etched in stone and there is no changing them. Though it’s hard to admit, Catholics do not have a voice of their own.

The Church must accept that although it holds the responsibility to guide its people, it must work with, not separate, from them.

A lot of times I question why I belong to this Church. Is it because of my own desire to belong to the community and its ideals? Or am I only here because I was born Catholic and it is convenient to stay?

Institutions are supposed to allow us to grow; the Church, albeit guided by the goal of having us accomplish such, is the complete opposite. We have not adapted to the times and we certainly have not seen Church teachings in a new light that suits the demands of the modern world.

This flawed character seems to be deeply rooted in Church tradition. My theology professor would always tell us that we cannot expect to be governed by law which has been put in place centuries ago. We must learn to keep up with the speed of the times.

It is disheartening to admit that we are trapped in a static bubble: unable to move and get out of the chaos. No matter how much a lot of us would like to defend the Church, our supposed refuge, it has failed most of us in more ways than one.

Tell me, how can one put their trust in an institution that preaches universality and openness but condemns the behavior of homosexuals, turns a blind eye on a lot of women’s issues and is ruled by leaders who are accused of incidents like corruption and abuse?

As much as a huge number of us would like to stay loyal to our religion, we cannot escape the fact that there is a disconnect between the Faith and its believers.

We operate with such a primitive notion of thinking that once the Church declares what’s right, anyone who goes slightly off-track is seen as defiant— even though one has reasonable ground for sticking with his opinion.

While “We are nothing without Christ” might hold true, the Church must also realize that it is nothing without its people: a people it has promised to selflessly love, a people whose voices need to be heard.