"...we're just as guilty anyway."

Traditional Confessional

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St. Elisabeth's Church in Grave, The Netherlands

(Image from Wikipedia)

I really like Kate Marie's post "Catholicism meets the therapeutic culture" over at What's the Rumpus?

But what the nontherapeutic hell is a "rumpus"? (It's this, you lazy ignoramus. -ed.) Anyway, I'm innocently, dreamily stealing some of her post:

My husband, Catholic-in-training, was told during one of his recent theological rap sessions that there are no wrong answers -- that when it comes to the Gospel, every interpretation is valid. We amused ourselves last night by thinking up statements Sadeeq could make to test just how far this "diversity of interpretations" doctrine would stretch.

Sounds like an utterly debased priesthood-of-all believers perspective that they're teaching to poor Sadeeq. What's the point of becoming Catholic if that great church is descending to an ecclesiology so low that you'd have to turn over a rock to find it? Sounds like the pope will need a new job soon -- or will need to get his old job back.

Anyway, here are a few of the diverse interpretations that Kate Marie and her Sadeeq have come up with during their brainstorming session:

"For me personally, Judas is the true hero of the Gospel."

"What I think the Gospel is telling me is 'Choose Barabbas.'"

"Don't you just hate Peter?"

"In my opinion, 'love thy neighbor as thyself' is really more of a suggestion than a commandment."

"I think Jesus shows us that there really is no such thing as sin."

I can imagine just how well that one about St. Peter -- the foundational rock of faith for the Catholic Church -- will go over in the next rap session. I believe that Sadeeq will find the limits to the therapeut's diversity sentiment.

Kate Marie invited readers to post their own suggestions, so here's mine:

I think that when Christ said, "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart," he means that we should go ahead and have a good time by physically consummating the adultery that we already have in our hearts because we're just as guilty anyway.

That ought to help Sadeeq in his turn toward Catholicism. Meanwhile, readers are free to post their own suggestions, here with Gypsy Scholar or there with Kate Marie.