Business of Guilt: Easter Sunday 2011 Catholic Church in Las Vegas

I am always interested in the things people feel like they have to do. whether that is call your least favorite aunt on her birthday because she got you some present years ago, buy flowers for your mother every time you see her, or, you know, go to church on major religious holidays, it's always a little funny to me.

Of course now I am in that latter crowd. When I was growing up I had to go to church on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday because my mom and dad said I had to. When I got a little older, I sort of carried my own path. Of course now that I'm married again I am back in that "church-going-for-church's-sake" crowd.

I'm a married Catholic actually. Catholic by accident (baptized) but I didn't do that whole Sunday school thing. My wife on the other hand was one of those Sunday school regulars. Confirmation, lit the candle, all that jazz. When we met she was a heathenous cheerleader; of course now that we're hitched, she's talking about how '‹Å"when our children go to Sunday school -- '

We took our vows in a Catholic church and I love her very much. We don't really go to church all that often. Sometimes when the stresses of our bigger city homes; Los Angeles and New York; got to her, she'd go off by herself usually. I would sometimes go with her but only because I wanted to.

We were in Las Vegas this past Easter and sure enough we had made occasion go head out to church. We went to the 10am service at St Viator Catholic Church and right away I could tell we were in the right spot. This place was packed out to the gills with all manner of people from all different walks of life.

We managed to get a spot by the back wall but only because we showed up near half an hour early. Of course the pastor at this church was all about making everyone in the crowd feel bad. He kept mentioning how few of the people here on this day were here last week, would be here next week, etc.

This is the thing I really dislike about church and organized religion; the way they guilt you into things. My dear sweet wife merely wanted to share her faith on this Holy day; we happened to be in Las Vegas, St. Viator was where we ended up.

Of course everyone else in that crowd knew that they were even guiltier than my wife and I '" many of the twice a year crowd bowed their head in shame as they stood shoulder to shoulder with their pious, church going neighbors.

Of course when those many plates went around; everybody's got a price.

Even the Church.