God s Justice and Ours [Scalia on the Death Penalty]

First Things via Arts and Letters Daily ^ | June 4, 2002 | Antonin Scalia

[sinkspur]

There is just no way that the Pope's assessment of the efficacy of anyone's penal system in controlling criminals can be considered a matter of faith or morals.

Absolutely right.

It was precisely this "development of doctrine" that was condemned after Humanae Vitae was issued. Were we not told, in 1968, that, because the teaching had been consistent from the beginning, that that was the main reason to continue believing in the evils of contraception?

Now, after a constant teaching on the morality of capital punishment, millenia of consistency are tossed over the side, based on circumstances. Did the Church, as one wag put it, "Move from one certainty to another?"

CG, your argument "from authority" doesn't work, no matter how hard you try to make it. It didn't work for Paul VI, and it won't work here.

[RonF]

Actually I saw that, and was a little worried about a Supreme Court justice depending on John Wayne for information on American Legal History.

[Catholicguy]

You desire to seperate out an argue the specifics within an Encyclical and I am arguing Principle. One cannot be Catholic and oppose the authority of the Pope nor can one oppose an Encyclical. You and Scalia and Sinkspur can oppose Encyclicals and The Catechism, but look at who you are sididng with vs. the constant understanding of the Magisterium as taught by Pope Leo 13th (cited in an earlier post)and this current Pope

Catechism #892 "Divine assistance is also given...when...they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium (surely Encyclcials and the Universal Catechism apply here) a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent" whoch, though distince from the assent of faith, is nonetheless as extension of it."

[Catholicguy]

It was precisely this "development of doctrine" that was condemned after Humanae Vitae was issued. Were we not told, in 1968, that, because the teaching had been consistent from the beginning, that that was the main reason to continue believing in the evils of contraception?

Now, after a constant teaching on the morality of capital punishment, millenia of consistency are tossed over the side, based on circumstances. Did the Church, as one wag put it, "Move from one certainty to another?"

CG, your argument "from authority" doesn't work, no matter how hard you try to make it. It didn't work for Paul VI, and it won't work here

Sinkspur, you are doomed to head for your grave whining over the Pope not blessing contraception. Deal with it

[AndrewC]

Ditto the Bookmark

[Apogee]

Well, I was not thinking of the disciplinary aspect so much as the dogma aspect. The poster to whom I was replying seemed to say that church dogma was infallible, as well as certain writings of the pope, whether ex cathedra or not (if I have misinterpretted this, I am happy to recant).
In the case of the church dogma that the sun revolved around the earth - an Aristotelian notion brought down by Aquinas and incorporated into church teaching - the dogma was clearly wrong.

[sinkspur]

Sinkspur, you are doomed to head for your grave whining over the Pope not blessing contraception. Deal with it

Can't address the discrepancy, huh?

Figures.

I'd be really interested in knowing how you resolve this change in death penalty "teaching," based on changed circumstances.

Was the Church wrong before and is suddenly right now?

[Kevin Curry]

I see you boiled your brain in astringent again before blessing us with your incomparable wisdom.

[TexConfederate1861]

According to Church Doctrine, unless he (the Pope) is speaking "ex cathedra" it is not infallible, or unless it has been pronounced as a decree of a Church Council.....

[sinkspur]

I like OPH; he afflicts the comfortable.

Most around here take his remarks way too personally.

How does the Neverending Story thread differ from those dreadful Calvinist threads? I wouldn't condemn anybody to that outpost. As long as threads like this one remain in "News," they're fair game for anybody.