Roger  wrote:
> Lots.

Presuming that you mean the Catholic Church (since the Church of Rome is 
a rather ambiguous term), I'm sorry to hear that you think so.  
Nevertheless, your specific problems should not be much of a concern.  
Specifically, you say:

1. Catholics refer to priests as "father".

Jesus's scriptural correction to those who equat their religious leaders 
to God is not particularly applicable to the way Catholics traditionally 
address priests.  It's clear enough that a literal interpretation of 
this passage from scripture is doomed.  Should you refuse to refer to 
your biological father as your father?  By using the term, Catholics 
originally meant that the priest was someone to whom they looked to 
guide and correct their lives, much like an earthly father.  It does not 
mean that the priest is equivalent to God.

That said, I agree that the practice of referring to priests as 
"father" can be confusing.  It is nevertheless an ingrained cultural 
element of a billion people around the world, and unlikely to change 
soon.

2. Catholics aren't encouraged to read scripture.

You're just mistaken about this one.  Catholics are certainly encouraged 
to read scripture on a regular basis.  To begin with, four unique 
passages from scripture are read or sung at each Sunday or solemnity 
mass, and three at each daily mass.  Not to mention that the texts and 
prayers for mass are taken largely from scripture.  In addition, 
Catholic parishes generally have bible study groups, small Christian 
communities (which read and study scripture as one of the three integral 
elements), and any number of other activities.  Catholics who pray the 
Liturgy of the Hours read scripture up to five times per day in addition 
to that, including large chunks of it in the Office of Readings.

If you are attending Mass, then you're seeing only a specific aspect of 
Catholic faith; specifically, that of coming together for Eucharist.  
Scripture is an important part of that celebration, but it is first and 
foremost a communal and liturgical celebration.  I suspect you'd find 
more reading and discussion of scripture in other parts of the church 
life.

3. They pray for the unborn.

Yes, Catholics pray for the unborn.  They also are among the most 
fervent opponents of other evils of the world, including wars in Iraq 
and other around the globe.

I'd like to point out, additionally, that by watching EWTN you are 
exposing yourself to the ultra-traditionalist, ultra-conservative branch 
of the Catholic Church.  It's not a good viewpoint from which to draw 
conclusions about the entire church.  The Catholic Church is a big 
church -- by far the biggest in the world, in fact -- and it's 
understandable that you should have trouble "taking the pulse", per se, 
of such a very large group of people.  You're almost certain to fall 
into some specific subculture that has characteristics opposed to the 
Church as a whole.

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