[narses]

The Director of Religious Education told us that in the dark old days there was a "legalistic" effort to define sin and to build lists of sins. But happily since Vatican II the Church has realized that a sin can not be so "legalistically" determined. A sin is now based on the concept of relationships. A sin is an act distructive one's relationship with God or with the community.

Good grief, you are kidding, yes?

[Goodman26]

Unfortuately I'm not kidding. And I'm talking about probably one of the 20 wealthiest parishes in the country (of the approx. 20,000.)

The reason no resolution to the current crises is at all in sight is that it is not just some of the bishops and cardinals who don't get it. There is a big divide. I believe the majority of the lay people active on parish councils, as CCD teachers, etc. feel that the problem is that the Church is still too uptight and rules driven -- that Vatican II didn't go far enough in dumbing down the concept of sin and loosening the rules. For example, reading between the lines, I believe they feel that something black-and-white like celibacy is a problem that Vatican II mistakenly overlooked and failed to toss out.

The only solution is for more people -- like me I guess -- to get off our rears and join parish councils and become CCD teachers, and so forth, and not just walk away from the whole scene and surrender the field to the liberals -- though they have the battle 95% won.