Radical Catholicism, by Karen Hall

I used to pride myself on being mainstream. I didn’t want to be an intellectual or a scholar. I did not want to write books that would be read and admired by eleven of my friends. I wanted to write for regular folk. I liked being invisible and was always grateful for the fact that as a writer, I could be. As far as my beliefs went, I considered myself what I called a “meat and taters Catholic.”

And then I became a “radical.” I did so without moving an inch. Instead, the world moved under my feet, and, sadly, the Church moved as well. Everything around me shifted and suddenly I went from being mainstream to being considered a member of the fringe element. I did so because I could not swallow “it’s all good,” just as I cannot now swallow “Jesus gets us.” I knew that it was not all good. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that it hasn’t been “all good” since Adam and Eve. And yes, I came to be considered part of the fringe element because I clung to my Bible. I had to. It was the only thing not moving. …