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I write this to you because in my country, many persons take a story as true on the surface of the bearers of those messages without making efforts to interrogate. As such, my country men are interested in what is popular than what is logical and sometimes truth is buried on the table of popularity. I went to Church on Sunday with your reasons for absconding Catholic Church at heart. As anticipated, the priest did not fail me, he called for fundraising after the communion. Then, my question was, WHAT FOR?

It was then that I recalled that you never accused Catholic Priests of embezzling money. If you did, then, that would have been a more serious problem because it is theft and is punishable under both civic and religious laws. I thus, became very critical of your assertions and I have few basic questions for you: has there ever been a fundraising in your parish without a palpable project at hand? Well, in my parish on Sunday, we have a building under construction and there are two Deacons to be ordained priests later during the year. This explains the rationale for the fundraising and people gave willingly. Meanwhile, do you think there would be fundraising if people stop judging the performance of a priest at a parish based on the number of infrastructural development he brought during his tenure? When CWO, CMO, CYON, CHOIR etc celebrate their days and request for fund, is it not for the growth of these societies? Has anyone ever taken money from you for the basic sacraments especially of penance and Holy unction? Does the Church sell graces to you?

The last time I checked, no one has ever been forced to raise fund in the Church. It is undisputable that there are basic levies leveled on groups like CMO and CWO but they are all highly affordable by all. If your point is, "fundraising should never be central" at the Church, then, I stand by you. But the fact that it has never been central dislodges the truism of such assertion. I know that most times, rich people try to show their wealths in Church and very stingy rich ones feel ashamed if they can't measure up with their colleagues, I hope that is actually not your problem, Dear Amanda?

To understand you better, I sought for a little connection of the prejudice through which your thought pattern concerning the Catholic Church was formed. I recalled that you once claimed at an earlier interview that you were disgraced out of the Church because of your dressing pattern by the Parish Priest of your Church at Enugu; upon which in your previous interview, you vowed never to attend Church again. If this is true, why then are you of recent trying to hide under the guise of fundraising?

I have this feeling within me that there are much to the interview than the eyes can see. Moreover, your interview reminds me of your central character in your award winning Purple Habiscus, Kambili Achike, who sought for a more liberal Catholicism which allows her to be inquisitive and speak up her mind. Your mention of agnosticism explains this further as the path you would love to chose if given the chance.

Well, your statement that gave me sleepless night is this: "when I see a progressive Catholic Church, I will go". What do you really mean by this? You have the appellation of being an intellectual feminist, pro choice and a promoter of abortion for women. You are a huge fan of a free world which legalizes gay marriage. Since the Catholic Church is against all these, does that make her unprogressive? Seemingly, the fact that you mentioned that many churches are more open and accommodating explains that better.

Kindly be reminded that the Church is highly conservative and will never say yes to any feminist, neo-liberal, counter culture and fascist western ideology which is sympathetic to the novel world agenda of destroying religion, culture and family. If being progressive means means all these things, then, your poisonous eloquent verses are dead on arrival.

The Church is not a social gathering, it is a religious institutions. It is wrong and at the same time impossible for you to force her to conform to your personal views. She is the standard of morality so long as she stands by the dictates of God and natural law. By her nature, she is conservative.

You also claims that the Church teaches you guilt in a certain way. Yes, the central Catholic message about sin is not merely "go, your sins are forgiven", rather it has an active imperative, " go and sin no more." It is true that people want to follow Christ on their own terms and you have outlined your terms. Most people hate to embrace the discomforting and convicting aspect of Christianity which Catholicism presents. I will kindly advice that you continue to question more with a child-like disposition to understand. We have a rich cultural heritage in the Church and these cultural heritages are not understood by antagonising agnostics but child hearted individuals who seek God with faith and reason. The Church is always open and ready to welcoming all her stranded questioning Children; we need the Mother Church more than she needs us... Come back home.

FROM Omeogo