Posted on 04/04/2009 3:29:51 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
This is a distressing new Gallup poll. It shows that churchgoing Catholics are far more likely to approve of moral behavior (sex between unmarried people, homosexuality, etc.) that their church deems immoral than are churchgoing Protestants.
This is a conundrum to me, one I thought about a lot when I was a Catholic, and troubled over. Why is it that Catholics have a Pope and a Magisterium -- a clear teaching authority -- as well as a complex, coherent and profoundly intellectual moral theology ... and yet these things, which ought to give it a tremendous advantage in maintaining the obedience of its flock, avail the Catholic Church little? It shouldn't be that way, logically, but it is in practice.
Lee Podles, an orthodox Catholic, has some thoughts.
[I wish I didn't have to say this, but I do: this is not an anti-Catholic post, but rather intended to spark discussion on various reasons why this poll found the things it did. As someone who would like to raise my children to believe in what my faith teaches, I'd like to know what works, and what doesn't. Anybody who tries to derail the thread by making specious claims of anti-Catholicism will find their posts unpublished. So don't even start.]
The way of message boards I guess.
Lot’s of volatile posts and not reading all the posts, on my part and others, for sure.
Never intended to slam your family so please don’t think so and if I did, please accept my apology. Been there, done that and it’s not pleasant. It’s a discussion I have with one of my brothers all the time...and I tell him to get over it, leave the Church he seems to hate, no big deal. But he won’t yet he’ll continue to talk to me about it, how much he disagrees with the Catholic Church. My attitude is, if you disagree so much and hate it so much, just leave and find something you agree with. Same thing with a friend. She talks about how much she hates this or that about the Church and how her parents would never forgive her if she left, etc. But she hates the Church and doesn’t believe in most of what is taught. Why bother still going to Mass, etc.? Just find another religion. She was seriously injured in a car accident back when we were in college, so she blames God. She blames the Catholic Church for not allowing embyronic stem cell research (cos she thinks it will cure her), she blames the Church for not allowing abortion because they’re not humans yet, etc.
My attitude is if you don’t believe what your Church/the Bible teaches, then leave, find one that is more suitable, and stop trashing or trying to change the one you’re in. I have tons of problems with the American Catholic Church that has become liberal and isn’t following the dogma and doctrine of the Catholic Church. The teachings are there and have always been there.
Thank you...you have the right attitude, IMO.
If you are "the face" of Catholicism, I don't know why you think anybody would want what you have!
You give all Catholics a bad name!
You're not even civil!
Christ is the face of Catholicism.
Why are you so angry?
Why are you trying to portray me as “so angry?”
You can add paranoid to angry. That's how you come across...can't blame me.
You have posted a series of personal insults. This is not permitted in the Religion Forum. It is also a powerful sign of the weakness of your position.
It isn't a "personal insult" but, rather, an opinion. Whether you approve or not, I'm still entitled to my opinion.
What are you doing on this thread, anyway? Obviously you are here to cause problems but it won't work because nobody pays you any respect. You are probably an embarassment to the good FR Catholics! So,
Bye-bye!
There are lots of CINOs and JINOs because those religions also have a pretty heavy ethnic/familiar tradition.
Not as many PINOs (although they exist, witness Episcopals and certain non-Missouri Synod Lutherans), because Protestant/non-denominational Christians are identified more by religious belief than cultural connection.
Put differently, PINOs just describe themselves as atheists or agnostic, while CINOs call themselves Roman Catholic.
False dichotomy: it's both.
Whether you approve or not, I'm still entitled to my opinion.
And whether it suits you or not, I'm still going to point out your resort to the personal attack.
Obviously you are here to cause problems...
Mind-reading and ascriptions of personal intent are likewise not permitted on the Religion Forum.
Do you feel exempt from the rules?
Dude? I hope you don't think I've forgotten about you. I've had to do a few things because, unlike you, I kinda have a life. Be that as it may, I'm happy to help you barrass yourself further. lol.
Im happy to help you embarrass yourself further.
Im happy to help you embarrass yourself further.
Im happy to help you embarrass yourself further.
Im happy to help you embarrass yourself further.
***Yes. I do have a say. I left the Rcc. Voted with my feet.***
What about your soul?
***I suspect that this actually will have begun to heal now that you have had two Catholic popes in a row.***
Very perceptive, indeed. We pray to God that it is so.
***We were taught, at an RCIA retreat of several RCIA groups to form our own consciences according to what WE believed to be right. The nun (in street clothes, obviously liberal, straight from the LA Archdiocese, matched totally with the church where we were doing RCIA) couched her teaching in very reverent language.***
It is only by the Grace of God that the Church survives catechesis like that.
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