Posted on 07/29/2008 4:39:52 PM PDT by annalex
The fact remains that the Catholic Church was anti-republican until the second Council, and that the Catholic clerisy was traditionally politicized, which was antithetical to the founding ideas of this country. Now if you want to talk about discrimination against someone simply because of their religion (and I'm talking about individuals here), then yes, Catholics were unfairly targeted, along with Jews and Mormons. Nevertheless, the urban political machines that arose in the late 19th century were largely Catholic institutions. Moreover, I cannot fault the founders and other Americans of the 18th and 19th century for being suspicious of Catholic influence contra our Enlightened Republican form of government.
BTW: The increase in influence of the protestant clerisy during the second and third Great Awakenings was also greated with horror by true republicans. Religious belief was a right left to the people, but clericalism itself was a cancer to be fought.
The American Catholic church is experiencing unprecedented shrinkage - a net loss of 10 million+ members in the last year. While it's fair to say that Mainline Protestants are declining faster in terms of percentage, the Catholic Church has lost more in terms of overall numbers...
2008 Pew Study = 54m Catholics
2007 USCCB count = 64m Catholics
Excepting a small but vocal percentage here.
My lists:
1. That which I appreciate about the Roman Catholic Church: (a) Its geographic organization, (b) Its antiquity, (c) Its perseverence, (d) Its insistence on standards.
2. That which I criticize about the Roman Catholic Church: (a) Its handling of scripture, (b) Mariology in all its forms, (c) Pelagianism, (d) Unnecessary burdens, (e)opulence, (f) Rejection of Christian Unity.
The strengths do not overcome the weaknesses, because the handling of scripture and Mariology are not able to be overcome. Its Pelagianism undercuts the doctrines of grace.
Nonetheless, we all could learn from the RC insistence on standards within a tightly organized ship.
You’re right. Catholics have been on the forefront of defending the unborn. I would have no problem working alongside any Catholic.
Many Catholic churches in our area have closed down. They say it’s a lack of priests.
I bet even they would work alongside Catholics, even if we don’t believe the way Catholics believe (about extra-biblical doctrine). You can love others without agreeing with them.
I thought everyone knew about shrinkage.
The many of these same churches are participants in NY Yankee pitcher Andy Petite's little Youth Explosion shindig that he purchases for city.
Protestant countries — the United States, England, most of western Europe, Australia. What do these countries have in common?...
...let’s see...what do they have in common? Why, except for the U.S., atheism...
My sister worked with Evangelical Christians in the pro-life movement here in Rochester, NY for many years. I am promoting Evangelical/Catholic cooperation because we do share common goals, including spreading the word of Jesus Christ and defending the unborn.
I'm a conservative and a veteran (Vietnam Era). Both sets of my Grandparents came here in the earlier part of the 20th century from Lithuania. My Dad and my Uncles all fought in WWII. My brother also served and our nephews have done the same, including one who fought and was wounded in the Battle of Fallujah.
Our nation is facing the possiblity of having a radical socialist as President. Those of us of like mind need to stand together and do whatever we can to prevent turning our Constitutional Republic over to the radical socialists. An understanding, respect and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics could cement a block of voters who can defeat Obama and the radical socialists!
An understanding, respect and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics could cement a block of voters who can defeat Obama and the radical socialists!...
...hopefully your considerable writing skills can reach out to the good dr eckleburg and the others ‘amen’ing each other as they dole out headslaps to the Catholic Church...
Read some Akin; he is good at drawing the fine distinctions between the two but also point out commonalities. I'd post his A TIPTOE THROUGH TULIP and JUSTIFICATION: "BY FAITH ALONE"? but it would be about the hundredth time these excellent articles are posted on FR.
Remember that most of what is said of Catholic Theology is anti-Catholic propaganda.
Agreed. we are all inthis together. We have to stand together and help each other, what with the Muslim whackos on one side and the secularists on the other.
I don't like this word. It tends to cover two different things, one good, the other bad. It is good and in the service of Christ to study the Holy Scripture, the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, the history of the Church, understand how different communities of faith interpret the scripture and what theologies they have. On that, so long as the Christiandom is divided there will not be an agreement, but it is still good that there is the knowledge of what the other side (or sides) teaches.
It is wholly unproductive to engage in propaganda, especially when the other side is misrepresented. In the case of the Catholic Church, this is the great service to mankind that the 1993 Catechism is: it has become a matter of finding or not finding something in the Catechism to dispel anti-Catholic myths.
Twelve hundred years of blood and sword, terror and torture, stand directly as evidence in opposition to your words.
The Church is silent on the question of social order. We do well under persecution, hostility, and we are happy to inform a government that wishes to be informed, no matter whar social form that has.
Of course Catholics are politicized: we have a command from God to teach all nations. A country that tells a Catholic to leave Catholicism at home as he walks into the ballot booth is no longer a free country. Likewise for Evangelicals.
Secularism of American founding Fathers is benign, because it was rooted in the non-establishment clause. The modern anti-constitutional secularism that is creeping in under the legal theories of separation of Church and state is something malignant and new, and it strikes at any Christian who takes his religion seriously. Hence the basis of cooperation and respect between the Evangelicals and the Catholics.
Great man, the only thing wrong with him was his Calvinism.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.