#zrs

Give Tom an award, he freaking deserves it.

Zhang Rishan / Qi Tiezui Week will be from May 9th to the 15th!

You can find the prompts for this week here!

There’s 3 things everyone knows to be true about the Irish. They love their drink. They have a temper. And they’re raised in a Catholic household. For me, all of these were true. And as a grown man, I still love my Irish whisky. I do have a temper. Although it is far more controlled than when I was a younger man. But as far as the still being a devote Catholic, well to steal a joke from comedian Sean Rouse, the first adult decision I made when I was confirmed to be an adult in the eyes of God was to stop going to church.

I’ve always been a curious boy. One who loves to ask questions because I want to learn why and how. For no other reason but to learn. Be informed. But the thing I learned most from CCD classes (which are basically like Sunday school, but during the week) and actual masses is that the answer that is most commonly given was either “It’s God’s will” or “That’s just the way it is.” Which is just a heavenly version of “Because I said said so.” And what kid was ever satisfied with that answer growing up? I know that just used to make me even more frustrated when my mom would say it about not getting ice cream for dinner. Imagine the irritation when I’d ask why God killed the dinosaurs. 

As I grew up and came into my teens, I became more aware of the things outside girls, video games and my circle of friends. Like why everyone was always making lame and tired jokes about my priest maybe being too close with me because I was an alter boy for a couple years. Only then was I starting to find out that this was an actual thing the Catholic church was trying to sweep under the rug. Thankfully it never happened to me and I had a hard nosed, no bullshit priest who was an incredible man. But to think that churches around the country were going through this. It was happening to loyal parishioner”s children and their neighbors children and the Church had the gall to pass the plate around each week and still ask them for the little money they had and tell them to confess their sins of using the Lords name in vain or accepting their gay son or they’d go to hell. These plus many more is why I could just never go back to Catholicism. 

My much younger sister looks up to me like a father figure since her father isn’t much in the picture these days. And for whatever reason, she trusts me. So she’s been asking me many questions about her own search for answers in the journey for faith. Which one is right? Why does this believe in this and that one doesn’t? And I answer them to the the best of my ability. Because I sure as hell don’t know which one is the right one. I doubt there is “a right one.” I tell her what I would tell anyone who has a crisis of faith and just wants to believe in something. Do your research. Ask questions. Get answers to your liking. And if it quenches that thirst in your soul, than it’s probably right. For you.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.