Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, even idiots can breed....

Dolan is an abomination of a human being...not that the rest of the Catholic leadership is any better. I honestly have no idea how people can still call themselves Catholics. This organization offers nothing to anyone at this point. The few good things they do...Dolan just threatened to take off the table.

Good. Non-religious groups could do a better job anyway.

Thanks Amanda. Not that crazy of an idea. We have talked about it believe it or not. She won't do that because both she and my father are very active at their church. She does not want this to be "a public" thing. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I very much appreciate your "out-of-the-box" thinking with that idea. I did not come up with it btw, she did and rejected it on her own.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I have found each of the to helpful and encouraging. One of the nicest things about starting this blog is the opportunity to "meet" new people. Many of you who commented regularly do so on this blog or converse with me elsewhere (twitter, other blogs). Thanks you for taking the time to care about my personal issue. It means a great deal to me to able to talk about these things with other like minded people (other than my wife, who is also an atheist and a great person to talk with). Thanks again for all of your thoughts. ---RB

Thanks for stopping by Joolz. I appreciate the comment. I have suggested that to her and she is not interested. I think that she is going to need some more time to figure this out on her own. It is hard to help someone who is not yet willing to accept advice.

Thank you for your comment. I much appreciate it. I think you touch on some important issues. She needs to understand that she can only focus on changing her behavior and not theirs. That is very much worth pointing out to her. I believe that we did just find a service to help my grandmother out 3 days a week. That should greatly lessen the burden on my mother. Thanks for stopping by and adding so much to this discussion.

Thanks Grundy. I wish your mother well. I do not think that divorce is a huge issue among most Catholics, but it clearly is to my mother. I need to try the "god helps those that help themselves" line...if I can say it with a straight face...may need to practice saying a bit.

It is downright scary how right vjack is above me. People of that church would have fallen over each other to defend this clown...

Thanks for your concern and for the link. I agree with what you are saying. I also very much agree that not all abuse is physical. Mental and emotional harm are quite dangerous and very real.

I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. The "headliners" are important because they reach so many more people than the rest of us. People like Dawkins, etc have encouraged many more people to question their faith or to embrace their atheism than I most likely ever will. I think that has value and is needed.

I also think that vjack is correct in saying that the strength of atheism is at the grassroots level. Each of can and does make a difference in the small areas that we work through. The atheist movement will live on and hopefully continue to grow stronger.

It is my hope that both areas grow. That new headliners emerge and that the grassroots level continue to gain support. If those things can happen, then we will continue our forward progression and continue to become a powerful force.
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