Catholics are deciding for themselves

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My response would be something akin to “Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.” I am so tired of people - people that obviously know what Church teaching is, but intentionally disobey and encourage others to do likewise - that use the abuse scandal to justify everyone every anti-Catholic belief under the sun.
 
Not much of an article really. It seems to boil down to the argument that “since I think everybody is doing it, it must be right.”

Of course, not everyone is “doing it” and even if they were, our personal convictions are poor judges of what is right.
 
That is a rather scathing editorial. I’ll try to address the author’s general points in order.
  1. It would be nice to know how Ms. Harren got from life is sacred to disgruntled Catholics and pedophilia. The sex-abuse cases are certainly a problem, the right to life is the key issue. It is that upon which all the social doctrines rest. (See www.priestsforlife.org)
  2. H. Em. Bernard Law was not given “a cushy job at the Vatican”. He was appointed as archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major (I think this is the correct basilica). If anything, this removed him from the US, since he is supposed to reside in Rome (since he is no longer a diocesan bishop).
  3. Now, we roll into a litany of relativism.
  4. I don’t know how to address the last paragraph briefly, other than to say that Ms. Harren does not know what she is talking about.
 
A few observations:
Catholics, like all other human beings, have always decided for themselves. Sometimes those decisions are right and just and moral, no matter who makes them. Sometimes they are not. There is nothing new or particularly newsworthy in that.

The list of behaviors and practices is interesting. It might be supplemented with things like -
  • Stealing is commonplace;
  • Adultery has been going on for a long time;
  • Lying is an everyday fact of life; etc.
Although a “lifelong and practicing” Catholic, this individual seems to have been duped into buying the old calumnies about the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the Holocaust. It’s a wonder Gallileo was left out.

It’s helpful to remember Saint Paul’s analogy of the Church as the Body of Christ. A body has many members, and sometimes illness or injury afflicts one or more members of the body. The eye can be blinded, an arm may become paralyzed, an infection can enter the body and cause much suffering. When this happens to one we love, does our love diminish? Do we not do all in our power to help the body heal? How much more, then, will the Divine Physician do for His bride?

Please pray for those who, like this individual, allow the present trials to tempt them to discouragement, despair, or opportunism.
 
What does acceptance of evil by society (even if supported by law) have to do with the Truth? The Church teaches the Truth, even if only a handful of people accept it and try to live by it. The Church doesn’t change its teaching once a certain percentage of people decide not to live by it.

The Church is universal (Catholic). MMH’s claims of vast acceptance of these various evils may apply to some societies, such as the U.S., but it doesn’t apply to others. The Church doesn’t change its teaching from society to society based on the degree of its acceptance.

Obviously, Mary McDonough Harren has given up even trying to be Catholic and has become a secularist who happens to go to church. She claims to be a lifelong practicing Catholic, but it’s apparent that that life has all but died long time ago.

She is now deperately grasping at anything, truthful or not, that can be made to support her liberal ideology. If by chance she honestly wishes to seek answers to her questions, which I seriously doubt, she may want to visit www.catholic.com.
 
Hmm…, she seems to have no problem with abortion, contraception, vasectomy, divorce, pre-marital sex, in vitro fertilization, gay marriage, or stem-cell research. So in what sense can it be said that she “is a lifelong practicing Catholic?”

JimG
 
Can we overwhelm the paper with a petetion?

Can be bring her before a public tribunal and accuse her of libel and slander both?

She dares to speak for me/us as Catholics, but none of those words are things I believe. I feel as though I have been victimized…and never mind the larger Catholic Community.

My response to her directly is this: Thank you for giving us a good example of a schismatic statement. I hope God can find you because he sure isn’t looking for you there!

By her own words she is not Catholic and I wouldn’t even consider her to be a follower of Christ. She is lost and as long as she persists in her own liberal delusion, she will remain there.

I just wish she would only speak for herself, not the rest of us.
 
Its very simple:

One can DECIDE to be a PRACTICING Catholic or not…

One CANNOT decide which church teachings one chooses to accept or reject based on personal feelings,etc… and REMAIN a Catholic in good standing.

To paraphrase my favorite “cantankerous” Priest, Father John Corapi…" I dont waste my time prostylizing anymore… my mission is to explain the faith and preach it to those who accept it…if you dont believe Jesus is in that Eucharist, if you dont wanna accept all the teachings of the church, FINE! see ya! Go find one of the 100s of feel good religions that float your boat"! 👍

I LOVE THAT GUY!
 
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Wichita:
I am writing a response to a commentary in the local newspaper by a “lifelong practicing Catholic”. I would like to hear your response to this article.

kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/editorial/8978331.htm
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I for one don’t accept abortion, and in regard to the other things, I think it’s called disobedience, isn’t that the reason we are in this predictiment in the first place ? Adam & Eve disobeyed.
People that reject the Churches teaching are in protest :rolleyes: I for one won’t be a latter day protester, but it is a struggle from day to day.
Only a supernatural event will rock this old world back into gear, and who knows it may not be so far away, what are we becoming ? closet pro-test-ants:ehh:
 
This lady needs to keep practicing, cause she obviously hasn’t gotten it right yet.
 
She mentioned “primacy of conscience.” She didn’t say that the conscience had to be well-informed. Othewrwise, primacy of conscience is just the old “be your own pope,” scam.

She needs lots of prayers, because she’s not a Catholic anymore (if she ever was)
 
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Becky58:
This lady needs to keep practicing, cause she obviously hasn’t gotten it right yet.
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Priceless!

My only question is why would this woman want to call herself Catholic anymore? There are plenty of “churches” that teach in agreement with her entire list.

And what exactly was she practicing anyway?

I confess I am puzzled.
 
I concur with all of your statements and think that this is persecution in our own times. She is like the wolf in sheeps clothing describedin todays gospel. And just like the priest said we can’t change them only God has thatpower but we sure can pray for em.

Peace n GB
 
Geez Louise! Just 'cause ‘everybody’s doing it’ doesn’t make it right. Such a basic life truth, don’t you think?

This woman is just angry and fed up. Poor thing. Yep, those Catholics can choose … to be wrong…no one’s stopping her or those to whom she referred.

As for the Church’s ‘justifications’…well, there wasn’t any, was there? Wasn’t that why the Pope formally apologized for all these wrongs committed by the Church during those times? Catholics believe in repentance and forgiveness. I love that our Pope sought forgiveness for those dark years. Time to move on and continue to heal, but people like this woman bear grudges.

I pray for her and all the others in her position. What a sad article.
 
I am praying for her.

In my book, she is not a good practicing Catholic, rather just a person who claims to be while defying the Church in many ways and thus proviing she is not.

We cannot discard teaching of the Church because they are difficult or unpopular. We are called to live in the Truth and Love of God regardless of how others live.
 
I have a fourteen-year-old daughter who sometimes uses the “everyone is doing it”, “you are so out of it” and “that’s unfair” arguments for a long list of disagreements.

I expect this type of reasoning from an adolescent. As her parents, we must help guide her to a higher level of critical thinking and morality. Although we attempt to explain our reasoning to her, it is not unusual to expect her simply to obey until she reaches the stage where it makes sense to her. (My friends with older kids say they really do mature eventually.)

Unfortunately, I hear the same level of reasoning and rationalization from those claiming to be adults. It’s frustrating and sad.
 
Elizabeth B.:
I have a fourteen-year-old daughter who sometimes uses the “everyone is doing it”, “you are so out of it” and “that’s unfair” arguments for a long list of disagreements.
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Ask her is Jesus would do it? And if she says yes, have her explain why Jesus would to you.
 
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