Extremists Drive Church Agenda...So says the Distorter

As much as I hate linking to the National Catholic Distorter, this editorial was "interesting"...For those who have followed the recent Catholic Charities fiasco in Boston, and the protest that ensued for allowing "Catholic" mayor, Thomas M. Menino, who has supported gay rights and the right of women to choose to murder their unborn babies, to be honored by Catholic Charities. And let's not forget the fact that Catholic Charities has allowed children to be adopted by gay/lesbian couples. It's quite "interesting" to see the Distorter "lose it"!

For what is going on in the Boston archdiocese is, in many ways, a case study of what is occurring in the larger body of the church in the United States and elsewhere.

For Menino is also, apparently, an outstanding (and increasingly rare these days) advocate for the poor and the downtrodden.

Except if one happens to be a defenseless unborn baby...

If, as we suggest, Boston serves as a kind of bellwether on these issues, one can take courage from the independent spirit that Boston Catholics are displaying in so many ways. Simultaneously, we can lose heart at the realization that we may face the future as a church more split and divided than whole.

Much depends on how bishops handle the controversies, on what voices are given credibility, on how broadly or narrowly they construe the church and those who constitute the church.

The voices of credibility are those who speak the truth!

The bishops have a policy of prohibiting Catholic organizations from honoring those in public life who oppose Church teaching. But NCR sees it differently:

Of course, as we all know from other matters, bishops are autonomous and can interpret and apply such directives as they see fit -- or simply ignore them. (emphasis added)

Everyone is entitled to his own personal interpretation. Each person can be his own arbitor of truth. Why, it's utopia!

Obvious as the point may be to some, it is worth noting here that such scrutiny is likely not to be applied to politicians who advocate slashing benefits for the poor and/or the ill; who vote for preemptive war and the development of weapons of mass destruction; who argue for exemptions to allow torture; or who support the death penalty. They will avoid scrutiny not because it is patently stupid to expect the activities and votes of a politician to match up line by line with church teaching but because gay issues and abortion, unfortunately, have become for many the only proof texts of Catholic orthodoxy.

Shall we mention the forbidden phrase?. . .Non-negotiable issues?

Reasonableness and rationality dissipate when the absolutes of religious teaching are applied in an arena where compromise is key.

Compromise is key? As we know from our catechesis from the Distorter, the only absolute is that there are no absolutes. And sin? We are lead to believe that the 'spirit' of Vatican II threw it out the opened window so we no longer need to be burdened by a guilty conscience.

Church leaders are being pushed and bullied by bands of extreme zealots who may refer to themselves as “authentic” Catholics but who have no bona fides beyond their small circles of discontent.

Keep in mind that if one strives to be faithful to Christ and His Church, he is, by NCR's definition, an "extreme zealot".

We can become the absolutists, the literalists who keep cutting off limbs and poking out eyes to fend off that which we find disagreeable. Or we can rediscover the robustness of true Catholicism.

The "true" Catholicism according to NCR? No thanks...I prefer unadulterated truth, that which has not been poisoned.

One who strives to follow Christ must be prepared to take up his cross and follow Him. He who abhors sin and strives for virtue will be labeled as an "extremist", "fanatic", "fundamentalist", "zealot" or worse. It's part of the program. We should be prepared for it as Jesus told us.