The thing that really drove me away was when they started with the handshaking in the middle of Mass. I absolutely hate that. I've been with friends to other Christian churches where they do that, and it seems fine. People are really friendly and warm, and the handshaking feels natural. People actually exchange a few friendly words. I enjoyed it. But, at a Catholic Mass, it feels forced, stilted and out of place. People whisper "Peace be with you." at each other, but it's scripted. It's in the middle of the sacred liturgy, so no one feels free to start chatting. It's just this dry, formal, little ritual, where you turn in every direction, and I hate it. It would be better if we did that before Mass started and could actually chat with each other, or say a few sincere words of our own. That's how it was at churches of other faiths that I went to.

Then there's the awful music. I love and collect songs of every type. These new-fangled Catholic hymns are atrociously lacking in any poetry or in any melodic beauty. They're awful. I miss the organ music. For some reason, a piano sounds crappy, when it's played in a Catholic church. I like the guitars, but the songs just aren't much good.

I miss how it used to be.