reconciliation of faith 2

The day after I sealed the basement, my parents insisted on taking a trip down to the Basilica of
The National Shrine ofOur Lady of Fatima. http://fatimashrine.org/ Admittedly, its a very beautful setting and the grounds are quite peaceful. (I took a book - Phillip Pullman of all people - the Dark Materials series which I'm reading now was widely condemned by Catholics with no imagination in much the same way that the Da Vinci Code is now except this series wasn't made into a movie.) I attended mass with my parents (at my mother's insistence). She commented that she was not happy with my apparent lack of fait, or at least the lack of interest I show in the formalities of my faith and that I don't show my kids the faith in the way that she did for me and my brothers. She also made a comment comparing my faith and one of my brothers (who I know is atheist but of course hasn't told anyone else in the family yet) with my other brotherwhom she claims is a good Catholic boy. Of course I bit my tongue because I'm pretty sure the brother she's referring to is a very good liar.

I've been wondering this for a while now, but why do I still consider myself to be Catholic even though I don't toe the apparent party line on most issues. The Philip Pullman quote below seems to be a good basis to start. The church is such a big part of my extended family's daily life and routine and it was such a big part of my childhood, that I can't just drop it. I have to acknowledge the grounding that it has given me and I have to incorporate its wisdom into my life. To do otherwise would be to waste it. I commented to someone that I try to take the wisdom out of every experience and to not do so with my religion would be contradictory.

I suppose there is more to it than that, but it's a point of note anyway.