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[quote=Anonymous]I am a lifelong Catholic, thinking of leaving.  The latest priest abuse report is putting me over the edge.  Yeah - I know.  It's nothing new.  But I guess everyone has their own point where they can't rationalize things any more or their own breaking point.  I'm heartbroken to think I am at that point, but I am.   A topic for another post I suppose.  If were just about me, I'd probably just stop going for a while and take it slow to figure out where I might belong in the future, spiritually.  But I have two kids - both baptized as Catholics, one has gone through the sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion.  I am trying to figure out what to do with the older one when school starts this fall.  Do I put her in CCD classes (as planned) or ... do I hold her out, and figure out another option, either quickly or later?  We are an interfaith marriage - Catholic/Jewish - and so the idea of respecting different religions and faiths and heritages has always been important to us.  For this reason (as well as for the promotion of social justice and advocacy), Unitarian Universalism have always been intriguing to me.  From my understanding, the values that they affirm fit very closely with those I hold.  I am definitely planning to go to some services this fall to check it out and learn more.  I am also thinking I should go to an Episcopalian church as well to explore it, since I am not sure I am ready personally to give up the more "Christian elements" of the Catholic mass (though I do absolutely understand the differences between RC And Es).

The question I have is -- If I do decide not to enroll my DC (3rd grade) in CCD, how do I explain this to her?  For anyone who has gone through this with your kids, how have you approach a change in religion?  It's not exactly a conversion, but it still feels pretty big.  I don't want to get into the specific details of abuse with her, beyond what is age appropriate.  But religion is so tied up in family and history for me, it's hard to explain that I have willingly brought her to an institution that allowed this to happen to children.  (I guess that sentence alone sort of answers it for me, but.... am looking for some answers).  Be kind.  I am struggling - and want to do what is best for my children, while also respecting a faith that has been meaningful to my parents/me (acknowledging that the worst of this faith has let so many people down - to put it mildly).  [/quote]

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