Nattering Naybob: The Red Ranger, as you know we both have had some distractions at work (damn job!) and at home so our little blog has been on hiatus for a little while. I think going forward we can be back to normal for the immediate future at least. Due to the recent SGM dormancy, this content of this post is slightly outdated bit I think is still note-worthy.
We discussed in a previous post (in somewhat tongue-in-cheek fashion) what a breath of fresh air Pope Francis seemed to be at the time of his installation this past Spring. My comments to you were concerned mainly with the symbolism of the new Pope’s eschewing of much of the pomp and ceremony that seemed to be the currency of Francis’ immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict, and of many previous Popes in general.
But recently came news, via The Huffington Post and other news outlets , of a potentially seismic shift in the way that the Catholic church does business. While giving an interview to an Italian paper called La Civilita Cattolica, he basically said that the Catholic church has been too obsessed with enforcing its stifling, archaic stances on gays, abortion and contraception… more specifically, on the church’s absurdly impossible opposition to both abortion AND contraception.
I am what you would call a “lapsed” Catholic. I felt that I could no longer support a church whose hierarchy turned the other cheek for decades while its priests, bishops and in some case, cardinals, were inflicting horrible acts of abuse on young boys. Most odious to me, other than the actual crimes and resulting cover-ups themselves, was the fact that the church was draining the pockets of many in its flock to help pay for the multi-million dollar lawsuit victories awarded the victims of church-sanctioned pedophilia… while doing nothing to sell of its own stashes of gold, paintings, and statuary first (we’ll see if Francis does anything about this display of conspicuous consumption in future months and years).
But Pope Francis’s comments seem to signal a realization that the Catholic church needs to adapt to the times in order to re-focus on its true mission of helping those who need to be saved, rather than condemning those they think should be damned. If Pope Francis is successful in the Herculean job of changing the culture of the church, or at least starting that journey, then I would be curious if Republicans would also modify their nonsensical opposition to both abortion AND contraception. I have to temper that wish with the fact that the institution of Modern Republicanism is trending more and more towards fundamentalist / evangelical Protestantism, and accordingly may not find much legitimacy in anything that the Catholic church does or says anyway. Much like they treat Obama.
The Red Ranger: Again as you know I am not a very religious person but I respect those who are. I find it interesting that you refer to the Catholic church as a business as that is sometimes how I view it. They are more interested in pulling in donations than actually helping their congregations.
If the pope changes the Catholic church’s stance on abortion, contraception, gays, etc. I will then change my stance on religion and be a staunch supporter of the banning of all religions. If a religion can change its basic tenets on a whim to bring itself into the mainstream and perhaps enhance its monetary pool then it is really not a religion but it is a business as you suggested that is just catering to the needs of its customers.
If I were a long time parishioner of a parish where the priest has been sermonizing against abortions, gays, etc. for the past twenty years and all of a sudden one Sunday he comes in and says, “You know all those things I have been preaching about the last twenty years, forget it, abortion is OK, a homosexual lifestyle is fine and by the way we have a sale on condoms 3 for $15 and you can pick them up on your way out”. Just doesn’t seem right to be able to change like that.
I would have much more respect for the Catholic church if they actually dug in their heels and held firm to their beliefs regarding abortion, contraception, gays, etc. Perhaps God is testing them by putting so much immorality in the world now. If the church caves then we are on a path to certain destruction. It will be slow but ultimately we will get to a point where anything goes and whatever each person wants to do as long as it makes them happy will be acceptable.
I do not understand why you feel that opposition to both abortion and contraception is absurd. If someone is able to display self-control and take responsibility for their actions then there would be no issue. However, when people are always looking for their immediate satisfaction regardless of the outcome then I could see how there could be an issue here. I guess this just goes hand-in-hand with the anything goes attitude that so many people have today.
Nattering Naybob: Interesting take you have there, Red Ranger. My problem with being opposed to both abortion AND contraceptives, is from a policy perspective, not from a moral one. I do not believe that morality can be imposed. It must come from within. Your interpretation of the Pope’s interview seems to me, to fit right in with what he is worried about: that the Catholic church has become more worried about castigating certain types of behavior, rather than welcoming imperfect people into their fold. As the Pope himself perfectly summarized the problem in his interview:
“We must always consider the person. In life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation. It is necessary to accompany them with mercy. When that happens, the Holy Spirit inspires the priest to say the right thing… God is in everyone’s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else, God is in this person’s life…This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all, not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people. We must not reduce the bosom of the universal church to a nest protecting our mediocrity.”
Unless he turns out to be a total phony who might later “clarify” his statements, this Pope is a true man on the cloth. He seems to be a genuine follower of the teachings of Christ, who many cite at every opportunity but whose message of unconditional mercy is not observed.
Second Grade Minds 