Alito and the Catholics (The decline of an institution and the rise of its ideas)

The Weekly Standard ^ | January 23, 2006 | Joseph Bottum

[Aquinasfan]

But the New Republic was at least right that the rhetorical resources of Catholicism--its ability to take a moral impulse born from religion and channel it into a more general public vocabulary and philosophical analysis--have come to dominate conservative discussions of everything from natural-law accounts of abortion to just-war theory.

Very astute observation.

[Aquinasfan]

...and the Catholic Church is a national joke.

Piffle.

It's an overstatement. But the abuse scandal has damaged the image of the hierarchy severely.

[Aquinasfan]

Affluence also "liberated" them from children. We have the paradox of 4,000 square foot houses with six bedrooms and garages for four cars including SUVs that haul 8 people; this for a family with one or two children.

Ouch. The hollow home.

[RobbyS]

I should add, the hollow family. With both parents working, we have unusual latchkey kids in place like west Plano, TX--a high affluence area where 12 year olds have credit cards with $10,000 maxes and free reign. Wonder about drug habits?

[JoeFromSidney]

And he's right about the importance of just war theory, natural law, and some of the systematic thought that is coming back into our public culture. The bishops and the catechists have absolutely zero to do with this trend. It's the self-educated Catholics who are doing it, with the help of journals like First Things and of a few groups behind the scenes, such as the Association of Catholic Scholars and Opus Dei.

As it happened, in 1987 I asked my Bishop for an Imprimatur on my book on Just War doctrine. It was refused, on the grounds that it wasn't needed since my book wasn't going to be used for teaching.

Although the Bishops' "War and Peace Pastoral" made passing reference to Just War doctrine, in fact none of the exposition or recommendations drew on that doctrine. It was as though the doctrine didn't exist.

I wrote the book, in part, because the Bishops did such a poor job of addressing the moral issues involved in use of nuclear weapons. I tried to show that Just War doctrine was still applicable, and could give useful guidance even in a world with nuclear wepaons.

[bornacatholic]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/garrett1.html

[Emmet Fitzhume]

Sure, no problem!

God Bless!

[Emmet Fitzhume]

Yes, I misunderstood you.

My apologies.

God Bless you.