[Response to 2013 WSJ article] Cultural Catholicism and the End of Life: “You Earned It”

309 words of Wall Street Journal article posted on triablogue Blogspot ^ | Wall Street Journal August 29, 2013 : blog on August 30, 2013 | by PAUL MOSES Wall Street Journal copied by John Bugay

[RnMomof7]

I’ve mentioned that Roman Catholicism is so onerous because it puts its hooks in you at various times in your life – from baptism as a child, to “first confession” and “first holy communion”, then Confirmation as an early teen, then marriage, baptism of your own children, etc. It’s a programmatic cycle.

There is another point at which Rome is prominent, and that is at death. As the “Baby Boom” generation continues to age and die, people will continue to be focused on this phase of life, either as people focused on the end of their own lives, or that of their aging parents.

Paul Moses, a journalism professor at Brooklyn College/CUNY”, has written a piece for the Wall Street Journal this morning entitled “A Liberal Catholic and Staying Put”, which puts this in view.

Beginning the article with some comments from the atheistic “Freedom From Religion Foundation”, which urged discontented, liberal-minded Catholics to “Summon your fortitude, and just go”, he rejects this notion with the following comments:

To me, these invitations reflect a shallow view of the Catholic Church that reduces its complex journey to the points where it intersects with the liberal social agenda. Pope Francis’ pastoral approach has shown a more merciful, less judgmental face of the church—one that always existed but needed to be more prominent in the public arena.

After my father died last year, I realized that my instinctive resistance to these “just go” arguments—from the atheists, the secularists, the orthodox, the heterodox or anyone else—runs deep. It began when I observed how impressively the church was there for me in a moment of need (emphasis added).

This is where the programmatic structure of Roman Catholicism vis–à–vis human life comes into play. And while Moses accuses the “atheists, secularists, orthodox, heterodox, and anyone else” of having a “shallow” view of “the Catholic Church”, here basically is a basically shallow and un-engaged liberal New York professor coming into touch with the ritual shallowness of “the Church” and liking it.

Early on the morning after he died, I went to my father's parish, St. Peter's in lower Manhattan, to find out what to do to bury him. I found one of the priests in the sacristy after the early Mass. The Rev. Alex Joseph took my hands in his, spoke a beautiful prayer, told me of his own father's death years earlier and added, "Our fathers are always with us." I was much moved.

Given Professor Moses’s credentials, both as a professor and as a Roman Catholic, I found myself wondering why he would be first of all surprised, and then “much moved” by such a shallow and basically universalist statement by the priest “our fathers are always with us”. It seems to me that this priest was hedging his bets.

For any of you pastors who have had to attend at funerals of non-believers, you are probably aware of the difficulties of addressing this situation.

In Moses’s case, his father was a life-long Roman Catholic.

We decided to have my father's funeral in the Staten Island parish where he had worshiped for 25 years … Bernard L. Moses, who died at 88, had loved Father Madigan’s homilies, and to hear [Father Madigan] speak at the funeral Mass was to understand why. My father had advanced up the ranks of the New York City Housing Authority to director of management. Citing his concern for tenants, Father Madigan used the traditional Catholic term “corporal work of mercy” to describe what my father did. It explained for me, in those difficult moments, why my father, who was well-schooled in Catholic social teachings, had passed up the opportunity for a more pleasant career in academia, or a more lucrative one managing private housing, to work in housing projects instead.

Again, Moses is surprised by the motivations behind his own father’s career choices – that his father’s position in the liberal government program is reinforced by “Catholic social teachings”. The father’s life was spent first of all on “the sacramental treadmill” on Sundays, then during the week, doing government-sponsored “corporal works of mercy” was enough to get him into heaven, under the liberal Roman Catholic schema.

If we wonder why the United States can so willingly adopt the liberal agenda, this is one great and largely invisible source of power for that engine.

This article reminded me of something quite the opposite, related by J.I. Packer in his “A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life”. Packer said:

Few of us, I think, live daily on the edge of eternity in the conscious way that the Puritans did, and we lose out as a result. For the extraordinary vivacity, even hilarity (yes, hilarity; you will find it in the sources), with which the Puritans lived stemmed directly, I believe, from the unflinching, matter-of-fact realism with which they prepared themselves for death, so as always to be found, as it were, packed up and ready to go (emphasis added). Reckoning with death brought appreciation of each day’s continued life, and the knowledge that God would eventually decide, without consulting them, when their work on earth was done brought energy for the work itself while they were still being given time to get on with it (pg 14).

The Roman Catholic system is an on-going treadmill that in no way takes into account the realities of God’s Biblical Revelation – neither the joys of it, nor the realities – but rather, wraps itself around its own processes and the false salve of “you earned it” to the dying and reassurance that “you can still earn it” to shallow, unthinking liberal Roman Catholics like the professor Paul Moses.

[metmom]

You could ping caww when you talk about her.

That would be the courteous thing to do.

[CynicalBear]

>>A Catholic complaining about a “rigid” form of Chrisianity?<<

Yeah, from those who's religion demands submission of will and intellect to the leadership.

[Dick Vomer]

The Lord knows what’s in my heart as well as what is in your heart. He knows the true nature of my comments and those you have posted. Is it with love or anger? Fear or with peace in your heart to help a Christian brother. Or using the words of the Lord as a club to try and exact some sort of pleasure out of condemning others trying to find their way to Christ.

. I’m not into putting down others bathed in the spirit and love of the Lord. I stumbled upon this thread and then went and looked at your and some of your buddies’ posts.

I find it amusing that you all spend so much energy denouncing and repudiating Catholics when it can be spent sowing seeds written in a manner that isn’t condescending and full of PRIDE in your supposed infallibility in who is going and your intimate knowledge of the only true path forsaken any suggestion that just maybe others are trying to find their way to the Lord from different directions. Like those of a drunk, adulterer, cheater, liar, thief, murderer, and other sinners who just maybe are using any lifeline to pull themselves from sin and try to get to the safe shores of a Christian life.

I see all the warts and hypocrisy in the Roman Catholic Church. The indulgences, the greed, the graft, the pederasts/homosexuals, the infiltration of the communists, all of it. But the Church itself and the Lord are the beacon. They are all that really matters. The Lord will look down at my miserable, bent and twisted wreck of a soul and know what was in my heart and in my life and will judge me. You have no idea how I’ll be judged. Just like I have no idea how you’ll be judged.

But I do know that I won’t make a hobby of putting down another man’s attempt to find the Lord and find the way home. Like I said before to someone that mailed me.

“they sound lonely and like sad little men yelling at the waves crashing into the beach to stop and pay attention to them.

When I realized what the thread was all about I said an “Our Father” and tried to quell the small amount of anger that I had. It passed quickly and now I only feel sorry for them. I’m not “better” than them, but I don’t get joy out of putting others down in a condescending manner bathed in the cloak of our Lord’s love.

Just shaking my head and smiling. Life is good. Bless you.” (end of message)

I’m looking outside, ready to spend time with my wife, daughters full of love and life. I only feel love. Sorry that I won’t bite at the troll bait but life is very short and Life is just wonderful. God Bless you and I hope you find comfort in what you and your friends do for recreation.

[metmom]

Not to mention all the hoops they have to jump through to merit grace.

If you don’t do it just right, no heaven for you.

Purgatory if you’re lucky....

[CTrent1564]

I did and I was not talking about her when I posted Gamecock. I clearly asked her a question and she has not responded. I was more to the point talking about You and your inability to post relevant to the subject at hand and another poster [and I don’t care to get into a ping contest with them either] that just played the ole FR Protestant game of throw a scripture passage out there and that settles it as if they have it all figured out with posting that passage!!! Really?

I don’t care to waste my time debating with simpletons. So I was hoping to avoid to even have to post what I did just above. Move on and take your snipe post to a board or with posters that share your views about posting.

[Syncro]

Your name is Paul?

New American Standard Bible
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.-- 1 Corinthians 11:1

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Not to mention all the hoops they have to jump through to merit grace.

Grace and Justification, Catechism of the Catholic Church

"If he won't listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector." --Jesus

[CynicalBear]

>>Are you CAWW: Hello, Mcfly, Mcfly, Mcfly<<

You were not on a private message board.

>>And that was not the question I asked.<<

Here's the question you asked.

>>Do you believe in the Resurrection of the Body? Yes or No<<

Now, Catholics do NOT honour the resurrected body. They honour the body that was sown in dishonour. They honour the body that was "sown in weakness". So your question was simply a diversion from the topic of who and what you are "venerating" and I pointed that out.

[MamaB]

Oh, baloney. I love to read historical books. In fact, when I first started college, I wanted to major in history. I had wonderful history teachers in high school and they brought it alive. One of my favorite classes was ancient history. I learned a lot in my genealogy research and that helped bring it alive further. When I was researching my late husband’s ancestors years ago, some lived during the Black Death. Frankly, I learned a lot more about that than I really wanted. Such a sad time when whole towns died and no one was there to bury the dead. That is when I learned about the Catholics killing people for having their own Bible. Another very sad time. Reading is my favorite hobby and why I was so worried about my recent eye surgeries. My last surgery was a month ago but they are still inflamed and swollen. Thank God, I am no longer seeing double. He is the answer.

[CTrent1564]

ealgeone:

Rather than getting into a long post, I just posted the Catechism of the Catholic Church which defines it quite succinctly in the first few paragraphs in the link below

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a11.htm

Another link that is written more from a catechetical perspective, ie. to instruct the faithful

http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/resurrection-of-the-dead.html

Finally, a more theological explanation from the newadvent site with appeals to both Sacred Scripture, Creeds of the Church and Tradition as expressed via the Church Fathers.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12792a.htm

Hope this helps.

[CTrent1564]

So the question again is as follows:

Do you believe in the resurrection of the Dead? Yes or No. Simple question asking what you believe. Not what Catholics believe or what you think Catholics believe.

Catholics Honor the deceased Person, and Persons to a Person have both a Soul and Body. Christ the Divine Person rose from the dead, both Soul and Body, Not just soul.

So we honor the deceased saint [Person- by honoring their relics, and since we believe in the communion of saints, we also believe we are in communion with their spirit in Christ. Thus, in the end, the entire Saint [person] will be united with us and Christ in heaven, and that person will have both a soul and body.

[metmom]

The post where you referenced her was to Cynical bear.

[CynicalBear]

So let me ask you. How do you feel about Jesus words to the Pharisees about their legalistic approach to righteousness. Was He being too harsh because, after all, they were just trying to work their way to God?

[CynicalBear]

I fear they will rue the day they find out what they “merit”.

[metmom]

Courtesy pings are expected and even advosed by the mods when talking about someone by name in your post.

Catholics sure like to get all over non- Catholics when THEY don’t do it.

[metmom]

Taken put of context yet again.

[MamaB]

So, people who disagree with your views are simpletons? How very interesting. Very few Catholics back up their beliefs with the Bible. I wonder why. Could it be that tradition and what man says is more important than the Bible?

[Religion Moderator]

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

Do not call names.

This is the Religion Forum and the guidelines are at my profile page which you can see by clicking on my name at the bottom of this post.

[CTrent1564]

MamaB:

No simpletons are those whose post over the years demonstrate they are simpletons. There are posters here who disagree with me, but they can write well reasoned and well written post, with proper citations and not turn them into Dissertations with tons of cut and paste stuff.

In addition, they discuss the topic at hand, not take a post to another tangentially related topic. Which for the record, was exactly what some of those previous post did. I have no tolerance for that type of posting nor do I care to post and discuss with “individual posters” who post accordingly.

Posters who might disagree with Catholic teaching on point A or B is fine, but stick to the topic at hand and don’t assume that I will approach it from some narrow American Protestant perspective. I will not. Most FR Protestants here never tell you what they believe or even what Church they belong to nor why they believe what they believe or on what basis they believe it.

The Veneration of Relics and Honoring Deceased Saints goes back to the earliest part of the post Apostolic Church, 100 to 140AD, etc, as indicated by Saint Polycarp’s Martyrdom. He was a pupil of Saint John the Apostle. No Church Father or Church Council in period from 140 AD till before the Time of Luther, Calvin and Zwingli ever challenged it.

So lets be clear, you go with those guys interpretation, Catholics go with the earlier tradition of the Church. Both read the same NT, yet came to different views. I as a Catholic go with the Catholic understanding, and I have cited why. You go with a Protestant perspective for whatever reason you do, although I am not sure any Protestant that posts in this thread Knows why other than the fact that the Catholic and Orthodox do it, so it must be wrong. heck of a way to think and reason through life.

[CTrent1564]

Religion Moderator:

fair enough, but perhaps you should put in your rules for posters when they post someone else to stay with the topic at hand, not move it to tangential topics. Again, this is only a suggestion, for the record.