Surrounded by athiests.
It's a popular topic these days, as most blogists know.
So what else is new?
Has anyone stopped to consider that this just might be the advent of the general apostasy Scripture tells us about?
Respectable Catholicism.
Another popular topic lately.
Catholics seem to be finally waking up to the understanding that being Catholic should never, ever be concerned about human respect... much less the number of followers a cardinal gets on Twitter, or his rank on Time's 100 list.
When Elizabeth Seton entered the Catholic Church she became an outcast to the New York social scene at the time. She never worked to be hip or included back 'in' her former high society circles.
Since Mother Seton's time, the Church in the U.S. often bent over backwards not to be too Catholic and to be accepted as 'fellow Americans'. Cassocks were pretty much relegated to be worn on Church property only, and the clerical suit took its place. Nuns at baseball games, and indeed, playing baseball became the image of religious life, almost as if to prove they were just like everyone else, except for the weird clothes. Those were soon discarded in order to assimilate even more into society - thus almost disappearing all together. The Catholic Church in the United States has a long history of trying to be respectable. Not all Catholics of course, but a fairly large majority of them - until Civil Rights in the '60's, but then that was simply a paradigm shift, which made way for a new establishment.
Anyway, the attacks and disrespect against Catholicism in society today just might be the chastisement we all need to become holy and take our religion seriously - with or without the externals. Oh, and damn the polls.
Just a couple of thoughts during siesta.
It helps explain why so many American Catholics support so-called same-sex marriage. Go along to get along.
ReplyDeleteI'm against it.
DeleteLarry, Over the last decade or so an increasing number of gays and lesbians have come out of the closet. This has meant that a huge number of people now know a gay or lesbian as a friend or family member. My own family is no exception. Gays and lesbians are no longer seen as being sex obsessed perverts but as people who work, pay taxes and fall in love (of course, some ignoramuses still erroniously confuse homosexuality with pedophilia)
ReplyDeleteOnce you realise a cherished friend or loved family member is gay/lesbian personal attitudes change. I think this is the main reason many (and not only young) Catholics are fine with same-sex marriage. My 80 year old, Latin Mass loving, rosary praying mother is one such person. Two of my work colleagues (both of whom are actively pro-life) also favour same-sex marriage. I don't think it's a simple case what you describe as "go along to get along".
BTW, I'm not writing this as a defence of same-sex marriage, but as an explanation of why things have changed - even amongst Catholics who are quite orthodox in many respects.
+JMJ+
DeleteI have a teenage relative who has bought a long wig and likes to walk around the house wearing his mother's chunky jandals. Of all the younger set, he doesn't seem to like me very much. When I told a friend of mine about it, she suggested that he sensed "judgment" radiating from me and was naturally put off by it. And she asked, "Can't you just be a relative to him instead of a Catholic?"
Faulty logic aside, I think many Catholics just want "to be relatives" to those they love.
(Chris, while this is a riff off of your comment, it's mostly offered up to Terry . . . and well, to everyone in general. =P
Once you realise a cherished friend or loved family member is gay/lesbian personal attitudes change.
DeleteI have a nephew who has declared he's gay. I still oppose same-sex marriage.
See how easy that was?
"of course, some ignoramuses still erroniously confuse homosexuality with pedophilia''
ReplyDeleteNot to de-rail your commentary about treating those with ssa with respect, but...
However, you could reverse your comment above and describe the mainstream media and catholique bashers in their treatment of the Church over the past decade or so.
Those folks had no problem sounding the alarm of what was happening to by and large males in their mid/late teens (which, frankly, we should thank the media for bring this attacks to light and holding some accountable).
However, these same people who sounded the alarm couldn't call a spade 'a spade' and call these preditors what they really were without offending (and therefore showing the preditors in the Church were what they were....just like we fear how we use the word 'terrorist')....clearly, at that point, things would not have been convenient for the media....so pedo was the next best term to the truth.
Sorry from derailing, but your comment made me think of what played out and how it played out.
How did this post get to be about gays? Gosh!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a joey ramone stencil. Whatever make catholic paintings in the street, like stencil, it would be a sin? Is ilegal tecnicaly talking but is necesary for the new evangelization?
ReplyDeleteI want your particular opinion of an artist and catholic.
I am not sure who did the stencil. I don't think it is sinful unless it was done illegally - I'm not sure where this was done. Some Catholic graffiti could possibly be a form of evangelization I suppose - if it was executed with permission on private property perhaps.
DeleteTerry Nelson writes : "the attacks and disrespect against Catholicism in society today just might be the chastisement we all need to become holy and take our religion seriously"
ReplyDeleteWe are starting to see a paradigm shift, but fortunately for us, we are being saved from any real persecution by those who are doing their best to make Catholicism respectable in the eyes of the world.
The libs have long since made their peace with the world, but so likewise have the supposed conservatives who bend over backwards to prove how sensitive they are.
adding on. It's not so much prove, as that when it comes down to it, I suspect they're actually somewhat embarrassed by the Faith.
DeleteOne of the good things about a Catholic church is that it isn’t respectable; you can find anyone in it, from duchesses to whores, from tramps to kings.
ReplyDelete– Rumer Godden, In This House of Brede