List of Posts About the Catholic Church and Catholicism, in Another Blog

To paraphrase a description of a character in the Babylon 5 series, I am 'Catholic, but not born Catholic'. I converted to Catholicism in 1986 or 87 - I can't remember which, although it'll be recorded somewhere. I've discussed aspects of my conversion in other posts.¹

The point is that I'm a Catholic because I made a conscious decision to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church.

No Half-Measures

As a post's title said, quoting the archbishop of Denver, "Being Christian, Being Catholic: No Half-Measures" (May 20, 2009). Being Catholic is more than going to church on Sunday and getting ashes on your forehead once a year.

Which means that I can't be 'sophisticated' in some senses of the word, and keep 'all that religious stuff' in an idea-proof container over in the corner, to be taken out at convenient intervals, and live the rest of my life as a worldly-wise chap.

Catholic Beliefs, Applied

While writing "Iraq and America, and the Catholic Question" (August 13, 2009), I remembered that I've mentioned my Catholic beliefs in other blogs. Particularly Another War-on-Terror Blog. I'd been writing for that blog for over a year before starting A Catholic Citizen in America in September, 2008.

Particularly because of the religious and cultural aspects of the war on terror (a phrase which is no longer in official use), I had opportunities to discuss my beliefs in that blog. I've discussed perceptions of Muslims and Islam by Americans, and westerners in general, fairly often.

Muslims, Muslimas, and This Catholic

Although I am definitely not an apologist for terrorism, I have more sympathy for Muslims than many Americans.

Part of that comes from my understanding that, western chauvinists notwithstanding, quite a number of Muslims strenuously oppose terrorism.

I think it helps that I'm not a 'real American' by many of those chauvinists' standards. (August 11, 2009) I am by choice a member of a religious minority: and converted in large part because of my efforts to understand what, specifically, was so evil about the Catholic Church.

Finally, although my attitude toward Muslims and their beliefs is 'obviously' liberal, and my beliefs about opposing terrorism are 'obviously' conservative - when they're not 'obviously' liberal - I'm neither. "Conservative? Liberal? Democrat? Republican? No, I'm Catholic" (November 3, 2008).

Selected posts relating to Catholics, the Catholic Church and Catholicism in Another War-on-Terror Blog:

• "Hijabs, Myths, and Flashing Flesh"
  (August 12, 2009)
• "Terrorists, America, and Generalizations"
  (July 28, 2009)
• "A Digression, About This Blogger"
  (June 20, 2009)
• "Department of Homeland Security No Longer Fears American Veterans?"
  (May 14, 2009)
• " 'Pope Turns Back on Peace Dialog' - Sort of "
  (May 11, 2009)
• " 'the Catholics are super-duper terrorists': Who Knew?"
  (April 1, 2009)
• "Missouri Focus Group MIAC: Ron Paul Supporters May Be Terrorists"
  (March 23, 2009)
• "Murderous Muslims, Catholic Extermination Camps, and Common Sense"
  (February 8, 2009)
• " 'Self-Satisfied Ignorance?' Eucharist, Quran, and Atheist Book Trashed"
  (August 5, 2008)
• "Army Takes Down Crosses at Kosovo Chapel: Sentiment, Regulations, and Common Sense"
  (May 29, 2008)
• "War, Peace, Truth, and the Pope"
  (April 17, 2008)
• "Spiritual Leader of 1,000,000,000 Doesn't Meet With Los Angeles Advocate!"
  (April 15, 2008)
• "Spiritual Leader of 1,000,000,000 Doesn't Meet With Los Angeles Advocate!"
  (April 15, 2008)
• "The Pope Comes to America: A Prediction in a Very Catholic Post"
  (April 13, 2008)
• "Freedom of Speech for "Fitna" and Hezbollah, and a Prediction"
  (March 23, 2008)
• "What is an American? For that Matter, What's America?"
  (March 12, 2008)
• "Of Bias, Veils, and Crucifixes"
  (February 25, 2008)
• "Islamic Extremists, YouTube Censors, and Thinkers: They Care"
  (February 24, 2008)
• "Assassinations, Weapons of Mass Destruction: Nothing's Simple"
  (February 14, 2008)
• "Mosque Burned in Tennessee: What Does it Show?"
  (February 13, 2008)

Related posts:

• "Iraq and America, and the Catholic Question"
  (August 13, 2009)
• "Being Christian, Being Catholic: No Half-Measures"
  (May 20, 2009)

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¹ I've discussed my conversion in the context of other subjects in posts dated September 26, 2008, January 27, 2009, and February 19, 2009, and others.

"Firebase Earth" (April 5, 2009) is a narrative of history and my conversion, told in a style that's not generally used for such things.