"Those who attend a few times a year think it's fine (59 percent); those who attend once or twice a month are mostly opposed (only 43 percent support it); and those who attend weekly or more are not big fans of two guys getting married (26 percent). In other words, there is a positive correlation between Mass attendance and adherence to the Church's teachings.” (The statistics cited by Donohue come from the Institute’s own findings.) Read complete article here...So, it all depends. Real Catholic don't kill babies and real Catholics don't believe that Adama and Steve can get married. Cafeteria Catholics, on the other hand, rationalization any number of immoral situations: e.g., the murder of children in the womb, the use contraception including abortifacients to thwart God's will for the marital act, same-sex marriage, fornication, shacking up, cheating and stealing, women's ordination, etc.
The question is...why do these CINOs (Catholics in name only) bother? Jesus said, "Not all who say 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom, but only those who hear the word of God and keep it." So why do all these folks continue to play church? What's their motive? I think Scott Peck pegged it in People of the Lie when he quoted Martin Buber's book, Good and Evil:
Since the primary motive of the evil is disguise, one of the places evil people are most likely to be found is within the church. What better way to conceal one's evil from oneself, as well as from others.....Evil people tend to gravitate towards piety for the disguise and concealment it can offer them.If I can claim to be a "devout Catholic" while promoting the killing of children as a "compassionate" solution to a difficult pregnancy situation, I can, perhaps, rationalize in my own mind that I'm a caring person rather than an accessory to murder. If I parade around as "tolerant" toward immoral "gay" sex, I can feel justified about my own sexual sins and proud of myself for my superior open-mindedness versus all those rigid and judgmental Christians who quote the Bible.
It really isn't all that hard to explain when you think about it.
I'm Catholic who attends Mass usually more than once a week, but do not believe the church to be correct on everything. I just continue to pray and hope that eventually the church will get through this stage where people feel so divided. So I suppose I'm a CINO to you... but you are just as alien to me. I can't understand how anyone can see things in such stark black and white. And obviously, you have many issues with my shades of gray.
ReplyDeleteIt is also worth noting that the study showed that even among Catholics attending Mass on a weekly basis (or more), only 1/3 felt that there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship, and that a majority of all Catholics surveyed were in support of a civil marriage "like you get at City Hall."
ReplyDeleteVery interesting study! A link to the full report:
http://www.publicreligion.org/objects/uploads/47/Catholics_and_LGBT_issues_2011_FINAL-1.pdf
How do you decide what the Church is wrong on? We are all called to accept the deposit of the faith. Certainly churchmen can be guilty of mistakes and lapses of judgment but when the pope and magisterium teach in union that is the ordinary infallibility of the Church.
ReplyDeleteIf you can decide what's right and what's wrong doesn't that make you your own pope? That's what protestants do. They have no authority except their own personal interpretation of Scripture.
We are called to have an informed conscience and that means forming our consciences according to the will of God as taught through His Church. There have been times when I've put my own desires ahead of the Church, but it sure didn't make me happy and I found out I was wrong pretty quickly.
That's why I call it as I see it, because I don't want anyone to be lost in the end. God is not the ruler of Candyland and one mortal sin can send a person to hell.
What's with the sudden obsession with homosexuals?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Anonymous-
ReplyDeleteWhat's with the sudden obsession with homosexuals shoving their lifestyle down everyone's throats? It's not enough that these people are wallowing in their own sin, but they're trying to drag everyone else into it with them. I've heard plenty of stories about homosexuals bragging about "converting" heteros. Many of these people aren't just looking for freedom of sexuality, they're looking for freedom to pervert whoever they chose, including children! Open your eyes, people.
The poll on Catholic attitudes was funded by the gays. No wonder the poll didn't distinguish between those who practice and those who don't. LOL! The pro-gay Arcus Foundation who funded the poll also give megabucks to religious groups that promote homosexuality. Follow the money!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=9723