Our Faith is all about Eternity! Please remember this to help place things, aka reality, into perspective.
I think I am done.
Please, keep thinking. May I give you some things to think about? And also keep praying - nothing less than offering in sacrific to God that same mind used in thinking.
I think I am ready for a fire and brimstone church that is going to hold to the truth.
That's it? Why not be fire and brimstone in the Church Who is the Bride and Mystical Body of Him Who founded Her and is the Truth, and the Way, and the Life? You have that right, rather you have that duty! Have you never been told that your membership in Christ's mystical body conforms you to Christ in your unique role which is every bit as important as Priests, Bishops, and the Pope? And if you are to say you don't want to, then I'd ask if Christ wants it of you. From a previous Post:
My so called catholic church has a very feminine priest. He once explained how that it is ok to think about being attracted to the same sex, but not to act.
Either your local Church is Catholic or it is not. Your Priest is definitely wrong. Let him know! Let your Bishop know! If the battle cannot be won (though the war is), then find another local Church with a more orthodox Priest. I'm Eastern Rite, you are free to celebrate the Sacraments in these Rites as a Catholic in good standing if you wish. Other thoughts:
There is a tendency, especially on a Forum such as this, to see the Church merely in political terms. You will always run into problems with this way of thinking no matter what church or ecclesial communion you think you want to join - or invent for yourself. This is not the purpose of God freely revealing Himself to us in the Incarnation of His only begotten Son. Our Lord was crucified for a reason, and being a Christian I'm sure you know the answer as to why. But contemplate His words, "Unless you pick up your cross and follow me...", "No servant is greater than his Master...". Listen, there are problems in the Church in America today, as well in each part of the world with their unique and local problems, but when was there not? Do you read Scripture?
The original sin of Adam and Eve? The bloodshed of Abel by his brother Cain? Noah and the flood? Ham's rape of his own mother leading to the people's of Canaan? God's peculiar way of dealing with Abraham to be a great father in faith of many nations? Isaac? Jacob? The selling of Joseph into slavery by his own brothers? Moses establishing the covenant with God after God lead the people out of Egypt while they were already building a false god to worship? How Moses had to intervene for them...and again ... and again ... and again ... etc. since they were essentially 2 million babies always complaining and always breaking God's covenant and Laws? The wandering in the desert for 40 years so that that generation could die out for punishment for their sins only to have the 2nd generation blow it from the beginning in taking the promised land? And great King David? What about his sin of adultery-rape/murder? Yet God could forgive even him though there was a price to pay?
What about the infant Church? Why did St. Paul have to write so many epistles to begin with? Would you say those Christians were acting Christian? You think our sex scandals are something? What about the early Church in Corinth? What did our Lord mean by the tares in the wheat? In the Apocalypse, does not our Lord promise a struggle for His Church in the world to the end of time when He shall come in glory? And is not His glory fully revealed while hanging on the Cross, the axis mundi?
Listen, get a hold of yourself, in terms of Church history we have a minor crisis going on here in America. The Church has survived much, much worse in the past and still continues to preach the Truth in it's fullness and entirety even today. So there are sinful and wicked Priests and Bishops in America today. Well there has been an outstanding crisis in Faith here in the Church in America ongoing for the past 35-40 years. We, as a Church, have been lazy and have been compromising with the wealth of this world. So, we need to repent and start growing in our Faith again - not leaving it. That's just spiritual suicide - and it is not God's solution as per above. There are abuses occurring, we need to correct them.
The good news is - is that a younger generation is coming up and they are considerably orthodox and "conservative". They are also the future leaders and Bishops of our Church. Go to them, support them. The 60's generation of gay friendly Priests and "experts" of the "spirit of Vatican II" are grey haired old men and women today who have no following or message. Their agendas and ideas will die out when they do.
Jesus did not run away from His cross, don't run away from yours! If you truly love Jesus, you would defend and fight for His Church - not leave it! Concerning your decision I recommend the Sacraments and Prayer. Did you know that in a time gone by, when the Church was experiencing explosive growth (by the way, She is still the fastest growing Church/Religion in America and around the world in terms of total people, today, despite the scandals), the average Joe Blow, hoi polloi layman (or woman) spent, on average, 4 hours in prayer on a daily basis? How many Christians, Catholic or otherwise, are doing that today in America? What does that say about our love for Jesus? Why do we complain when we suddenly realize we have problems after shutting Jesus out of our lives on a daily basis? The Crisis in the Church today is one of lack of Holiness. Only through Prayer, the Sacraments, and fasting will we solve them.