The Catholic Church is not overwhelming liberal. The Catechism, the Sacraments and the strong moral teachings of the Church itself are evidence, especially when most of the rest of those labelled Christians are racing each other to see who can fall completely into corruption the fastest.
Those Anglicans who are still Christian are swimming the Tiber or heading East. Missouri and Wisconsin Synod Lutherans are holding their theological postion, but they are losing congregants fast, and the rest of the Lutherans seem to have abandoned Christianity. Same as the Methodists. Same as the Presbyterians - even the PCA is trying to get female clergy in imitation of the PCUSA. And so on. The relatively few non denominationals that practice Christian orthodoxy seem to fold up and die when their pastor retires or dies.
The thing that may appear to those outside the Faith is that the Church fosters and tolerates too much. Slowly, especially certain territories have swung away from strict adherence - but that has always happened. Look at the letters of Paul for evidence. The Church is slow to react - it always has been. Bishop Marcion was preaching increasing heresy for many years, for instance, until Marcionism was finally declared heretical. And the history is full of examples.
I am glad you are prolife, but would like to ask you if you agree with the RC position on the infallibility of Scripture and interpretive method? Such as expressed in Providentissimus Deus?
I believe that after all the translations (and English is a lousy theological language - God gave us the entire Bible in Greek), that the Scripture that you have in the Bible you are currently reading is probably close, but not inerrant. The interpretation, if led by the Holy Spirit, is. I believe that the Church's interpretation is correct - infallible - given the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church (commissioning it at Pentecost with Jesus telling us that He will be will us (the Church) always).
Providentissimus Deus was written to address apparent contradictions between Scripture and the physical sciences or one portion of Scripture and another. It is the Church's interpretation - and remember that bats are not birds; rabbits do not chew cud; locusts, grasshoppers and beetles have six feet, not four; and there are no flying four footed animals. There are a whole bunch of NT quotes from the OT which don't exist in the OT in either Greek or Hebrew.
I believe the Bible can be interpreted correctly, just not by every Tom, Dick and Luther's milkmaid.
I am well aware of the decay the Anglican and other institutionalized churches, which, like Rome, evidence less commitment and more declension in moral views and certain key truths than their evangelical counterparts (but who are also overall declining), as shown by survey after survey. This does not mean the RCC is officially liberal, but what one effectually coveys by toleration is an issue.
Meanwhile many Catholics would rather see a John Kerry remain a liberal Catholic rather than become a conservative evangelical, while a monk told me that all Catholics were damned who do not believe stories like Jonah and the Fish are literal. And this is the church he wanted me to join.
But having been a RC, even for some years after i was manifestly born again, i do understand.