Yesterday I went to Mass for the first time in months. I found out you're Catholic pretty much for ever: you don't forget the prayers, the songs, the sit-stand-kneel routine. You still get bored at the homily even though you like the priest. Why go back if i'm such a heretic? Because "sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name."
That aside, I'm glad I was raised Catholic. The Catholic Church is friggin huge. So big and intimidating that it attracts a lot of conspiracy theories. So big that there are actually vigorous disagreements in the church that pose no threat to the stability of the entire Communion. We have Opus Dei, Liberation Theologians, Jesuits, Sisters of Mercy, and Mel Gibson. Is this diversity a good thing for the Church?
Yes. Without diversity, there is no dialog and no fruitful questioning. Is disagreement and discord warm and fuzzy? Anything but. However it does strengthen faith, if not commitment to deeper principles like community of faith.
There is only one Bible. Is there only one way to interpret its messages? No.
Do the ideas in the Bible mean the same thing to all peoples throughout history? No.
Can we accept people into our churches whom we perceive (with our beam-filled eyes) to be unrepentant sinners? We really don't have a choice.
Can we pray with people who we know are downright wrong? I sure hope so.