'Catholic Town', Heaven on Earth?

[pprimeau1976]

I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I think it’s a great idea. It would offer something that simply does not exist for most Catholics, a place and an opportunity to just BE Catholic all the time, associate with only Catholic people, and even sit on a park bench and say a rosary if you want to without fear of reprisal. That is not always the case in most places, and something that even Saint Michael’s Media tries to promote, in our own little corner of the world. Just a place to be with other Catholics, outside of Mass.

However…

I’m concerned that such a place could have the potential to morph into something that it shouldn’t be. A cult like atmosphere, almost like the Stepford Wives, but with Catholics. I’m not sure how he would stop that from happening, or prevent it from starting. It could become very exclusionary, and just plain scary.

Or it could just be a nice place to be Catholic and raise a family.



It’s certainly going to be interesting to see how it all works out for him. I know that I was very sad when Michigan didn’t get its act together and try to keep him here - another loss for Gov. Granholm…no surprise there.

~Liza

I wouldn’t worry about a Catholic cult forming.
Don’t get me wrong. It will (or is) percieved to be a cult town.

The only negative thing that could happen is that people could become “showy” about their faith and end up turning Catholicism into some social club in order to get ahead in Ave Maria, FL. And if the Return on Investment in Ave Maria, FL turns out to be a good one (fiscally, not spiritually), I can see people claiming to be Catholic who are not and eventually I can see legal problems.

The good thing about CAF and Granholm is that she can never be a presidential candidate, so we can throw her name around like Martin Luther!

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

I’m concerned that such a place could have the potential to morph into something that it shouldn’t be. A cult like atmosphere, almost like the Stepford Wives, but with Catholics. I’m not sure how he would stop that from happening, or prevent it from starting. It could become very exclusionary, and just plain scary.

I view this as a way to exclude the rest of the world, to some “chosen few” who can afford to live there. You are correct, it would be a cult-like mentality around Tom Monaghan’s interpretation of the teachings and rules.

Catholics are not meant to insulate themselves from the outside world. True, another poster said that they have been grouped together in the past for other reasons, but Ave Maria city is different.

Catholics are meant to be out in the world and work in the world, not put up a wall (real or virtual) to keep others out. That may have been the thinking of some members between Vatican I and II, but we are not called to hide out in buildings and churches all the time.

 

[Scottgun]

Unless these guys are planning to make a compound, or levitate the town above the earth like in some cheesy anime like Battle Angel, it is kinda silly to talk about them isolating themselves.

 

[lizaanne]

Unless these guys are planning to make a compound, or levitate the town above the earth like in some cheesy anime like Battle Angel, it is kinda silly to talk about them isolating themselves.

The Amish have been quite successful at this for decades.

~Liza

 

[Scottgun]

The Amish have been quite successful at this for decades.

~Liza

No they haven’t because people are free to come and go, and there is actually plenty of interaction with the so-called outside world.

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

I view this as a way to exclude the rest of the world, to some “chosen few” who can afford to live there. You are correct, it would be a cult-like mentality around Tom Monaghan’s interpretation of the teachings and rules.

Catholics are not meant to insulate themselves from the outside world. True, another poster said that they have been grouped together in the past for other reasons, but Ave Maria city is different.

Catholics are meant to be out in the world and work in the world, not put up a wall (real or virtual) to keep others out. That may have been the thinking of some members between Vatican I and II, but we are not called to hide out in buildings and churches all the time.

On general bases, yes, Catholics aren’t meant to do that. But at the same time nothing prevents them from doing that and it’s a personal choice. Some live in monasteries, totally isolated from the world (including no TV, Internet etc.). Is that anything wrong with that? Of course not. While a monastery life is totally different from the one in the town, I think that those who feel that they can be closer to God by living in such an environment, should get the opportunity to move there. We are all different and have different personalities, needs and dreams and as long as they get us closer to God they are all fine.

I wouldn’t be too surprised if it would be viewed as a cult by some as some protestants see Catholicism as a cult already already. But who care anyways?

 

[Tom317]

People who are concerned that Catholics will isolate themselves in AMT are not thinking it through. The residents will have to earn a living and most of those jobs will be done outside of the town, which means those workers will be in the world outside of AMT. Also, the town will have the usual streets for access and people are free to drive in or out of town as they please, it will simply be another town on the map.

I think it is high time that Catholics try to mold towns into more moral places.

 

[mamacita]

**I think it is a great thing!! Especially for those of us who want to raise our kids in an area w/ like minded individuals instead w/ all the hoopla that takes place in society today that was not an issue 50 years ago. Think about all the violence occuring w/ kids these days, such as the teens who beat up the old man awhile back in FL, the 2 other teens that made some mom and innocent son have sex together, etc. That IS NOT normal, nothing wrong w/ trying to keep our kids away from the harms of what others think of as a “normal” society! I wasn’t subjected to all this junk as a child, why should my kids be???

I would live there if I could, you’d never have to worry about who your kids friends were, the neighbors that are contracepting and watching porn on the tv, etc…just my :twocents:**

 

[mamacita]

No they haven’t because people are free to come and go, and there is actually plenty of interaction with the so-called outside world.

**
But as far as their towns go, there aren’t non-Amish living among them. If the Amish venture out to the zoo (as we have seen them there many times) that is by their choice.**

 

[Tom317]

What is aclu’s gripe about this?

 

[Scottgun]

But as far as their towns go, there aren’t non-Amish living among them. If the Amish venture out to the zoo (as we have seen them there many times) that is by their choice.

But I don’t think this town is planning to require one be Catholic to join are they? Anyway, my point is nothing in the proposal that I have read suggests isolation.

Scott

 

[mamacita]

But I don’t think this town is planning to require one be Catholic to join are they? Anyway, my point is nothing in the proposal that I have read suggests isolation.

Scott

**
I have no idea if you have to be Catholic or not. If it was a requirement it would be all the more reason to want to live there… to be surrounded by people that share your faith, how awesome would that be??**

 

[PapaSquash]

My understanding is that you do not have to be Catholic. Obviously most people would be, but under equal housing rules you can’t sell land only to members of a any particular group.

I have looked into moving/opening a business there. It’s expensive. I’m not one for a pre-planned community, give me an old house in a city. My wife, however, loves the idea of intentional communities like Ave Maria and Celebration.

 

[Nevarlander]

What is aclu’s gripe about this?

The ACLU likes to complain about everything.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Yes, the different forums here attract different personalities. I avoid the Non-Catholic Religions forum… it simply is too distressing.

That said, I am not sure that Ave Maria is such a good idea. Rather than isolating ourselves from the world, shouldn’t we be out in it, setting a better example than what occurs?

Well exactly. Although, there does seem to be a tradition in the States of organising communities of a single religion, as a form of Christian witness - the New England Puritans did that.​

If OTOH this is a way of escaping the rough & tumble of being the leaven in the lump, then that is not such a good idea. If it were impossible to be a Catholic & to live in society alongside everyone else, that would be a reason to gather together in separation from the rest of society. Are things that bad yet ?

 

[Truly_Beloved]

I was poking around on Pulte’s website (the dominant homebuilder for AM), and was disappointed that the housing was (1) fairly expensive, and (2) generally small. If God blesses the residents of AM with large families, I’m sure they’d like more than one or two choices for a 5 bedroom house.

 

[Michael_C]

Funny…if this were “Baptist Town”, Moslem Town" or “Seventh Day Adventist Town”, a lot of folks here would be howling that it should be shut down, was unfair to Catholics, was unconstitutional, etc.

The Baptists and Muslems I know would cheer for a place that gives refuge from killing unborn babies and bans porn.

 

[Scottgun]

The Baptists and Muslems I know would cheer for a place that gives refuge from killing unborn babies and bans porn.

Plus, Sweeny is just dead wrong in his bad-faith caricature of the forum partcipants here.

 

[Sweeney]

Plus, Sweeny is just dead wrong in his bad-faith caricature of the forum partcipants here.

So apparently “here” means THIS board, not the Non-Catholic Religions board or the Forum as a whole. Silly me.

I had’t seen much evidence of this Baptist/Moslem/Catholic “kumbayah” spirit until now.

 

[francesco920]

I wonder if they’ll have processions and all those other good Catholic traditions that used to mark most European villages… The small Italian village my mom grew up in still has a lot of those traditions. I think Ave Maria will be a very interesting town,and it is a great idea in my opinion because it will provide many Catholic families a place where they can raise their children free from influence from the mainstream culture of death. Ave Maria could become a place from which a Catholic revival could start and spread throughout the whole country. Wouldn’t that be great!? The thought of it makes me excited :bounce:

The Devil will try very hard to make this fail, though. He has already mobilized his elite unit, the ACLU, to try and bring the evils of contraception and abortion to this town. Ave Maria needs our prayers.