Another one of my pet hates is when people call themselves Catholic but feel quite happy to disagree publicly with basic Church teaching on matters such as abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, etc. etc.
There is a smug assumption behind it that the individual concerned is better informed on whatever matter is being discussed, and the Church will eventually have to change the "backward" policy when she catches on to public opinion.
When I returned to the Church, 14 years ago, I was very conscious of the fact that my own arrogance had previously led me astray: I was a scientist, and if you couldn't prove it, then it was a matter of opinion, and my opinion was better! So I made the deliberate decision to work from the basic assumption that, if there was a conflict between my reason and Church teaching, it was my reason that was at fault. Of course, I now know that this is very old hat - St Thomas Aquinas said exactly the same thing ... (great minds, hey!?)
I think that we're too diffident about proclaiming the fact that there is such a thing as Truth, and that the Church teaches it. Maybe we don't want to upset anyone and say, bluntly, "you are wrong." But my dictionary defines the denial or doubt of any defined doctrine of the Catholic faith as heresy. And maybe we need to have that spelled out.
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