Cohousing-L Mailing List: re: organized religion in coho

[Venner, Marie (venner.dcrp]

Has anyone else detected a little bias against people who participate in 
an organized traditional religion here (still no desire to impose on 
anyone else)?  I have, and feel obliged to correct some potential 
misperceptions.   The Catholic church (the people, who are by canon law, 
the Catholic church) I know, and the hierarchy in many cases, is very 
oriented to serving the disadvantaged, supporting gays and lesbians, 
working with other denominations, and championing community and 
grass-roots solutions to problems as well as advocating for structural 
change in our society.  I was privileged to participate in a meditation 
group for serveral years with fellow Catholics, Quakers, Buddhists, 
Mennonites, a UCC minister (and lesbian) and atheists and agnostics, and 
we shared common social justice commitments and values.  I feel like some 
of the stereotypes some list members may have of people who participate 
in organized religion are about as bad and far off the mark as thinking 
that blacks all live in poverty in high rise apartments in single family 
households in the inner city.  At the same time, I know we would all like 
to think of ourselves as open-minded.   This is just a little request for 
those of you with poor conceptions of organized religion to continue to 
try to keep an open mind.  For those of you who made some distinctions, 
thanks.

Marie Venner