Church on moral issues

[Eric2718]

This is not a question but a comment.

I personally have visited other Christian churches over the years and know quite a bit about them. There are several things about the Roman Catholic church that I wish were better and that I find in these other churches is better. I’ve found local congregations where the love between the brethren was so powerful it was almost palpable. I’ve found local churches where the preaching was much better than we usually get in a Catholic parish, etc.

But in the end they all cling to one or more doctrinal errors.

Just one example:

The Catholic church is the only church of any size (and claim to universality) that does not allow divorce and re-marriage. I have sympathy for people who read the “exception” clauses of verses to mean that in the event of adultery that people are free to remarry. But on a practical / real basis the churches that allow this usually also allow remarriage for divorces that end for reasons like “irreconcilable differences”.

No wonder so many people shack up in our society rather than marry. I think the reason is partly because “marriage” now is not permanent in our society. It’s serial monagomy that over one’s lifetime may allow for 2, 3, 4 or more marriages. Since marriage is not permanent then there’s little difference between the person who has 4 marriages and the one that lives with 4 different partners over time.

Only the Catholic church holds a hard stance against this. Even the Eastern Orthodox church (for which I have considerable fondness) allows divorce and remarriage for reasons other than adultery.

It is this faithfulness to doctrine that keeps me Catholic.

Those who accuse the Church of being some sort of diabolical entity who just seeks to merge all religions, etc.: haha! The Church condemns contraception and divorce & remarriage – hardly a way to win a popularity contest!

I so admire our Church for it’s stance on doctrinal issues.

 

[yukonbrad]

The church does have the annulment process to allow divorced Catholics to remarry. I would remind you as well that in SOME circumstances the church does not recognize marriages outside of the church as valid and the civil disolution of such (divorce) does not impede remarriage in the church.

 

[Eric2718]

The church does have the annulment process to allow divorced Catholics to remarry. .

Yes, I know. But allowing 2 people who never really married to marry is different from just allowing people who are actually married to divorce and remarry. Again, why I’m proud of our Church. The rampant divorce (between those really married) and remarriage in this country has contributed to the whole idea that there is no point in marrying and 2 people just live together without marrying instead.

 

[yukonbrad]

Now I see what you are getting at. Unfortunately this “attitude” has crepped into even the church and the annulment process as it seems that annulments are being handed out as easily as divorces in the secular world. Used to be a high standard to meet to get an annulment but today, well, there does not appear to be as such.

 

[Carlan]

This is not a question but a comment.

I personally have visited other Christian churches over the years and know quite a bit about them. There are several things about the Roman Catholic church that I wish were better and that I find in these other churches is better. I’ve found local congregations where the love between the brethren was so powerful it was almost palpable. I’ve found local churches where the preaching was much better than we usually get in a Catholic parish, etc.

But in the end they all cling to one or more doctrinal errors.

Just one example:

The Catholic church is the only church of any size (and claim to universality) that does not allow divorce and re-marriage. I have sympathy for people who read the “exception” clauses of verses to mean that in the event of adultery that people are free to remarry. But on a practical / real basis the churches that allow this usually also allow remarriage for divorces that end for reasons like “irreconcilable differences”.

No wonder so many people shack up in our society rather than marry. I think the reason is partly because “marriage” now is not permanent in our society. It’s serial monagomy that over one’s lifetime may allow for 2, 3, 4 or more marriages. Since marriage is not permanent then there’s little difference between the person who has 4 marriages and the one that lives with 4 different partners over time.

Only the Catholic church holds a hard stance against this. Even the Eastern Orthodox church (for which I have considerable fondness) allows divorce and remarriage for reasons other than adultery.

It is this faithfulness to doctrine that keeps me Catholic.

Those who accuse the Church of being some sort of diabolical entity who just seeks to merge all religions, etc.: haha! The Church condemns contraception and divorce & remarriage – hardly a way to win a popularity contest!

I so admire our Church for it’s stance on doctrinal issues

yes, absolutely, however, too many of our Priests are falling short in the preaching of the moral doctrines today. Rarely do we hear, contraception , abortion, divorce and remarriage, same sex marriage and the homosexual sin preached from the pulpit. I do not know what they are afraid of when there is such a need these days for that kind of proper moral preaching. There are too many dissident,disobedient cafeteria Catholics practicing by their own rules. Peace, Carlan

 

[Glennford]

Now I see what you are getting at. Unfortunately this “attitude” has crepped into even the church and the annulment process as it seems that annulments are being handed out as easily as divorces in the secular world. Used to be a high standard to meet to get an annulment but today, well, there does not appear to be as such.

I sometimes have similar thoughts, but then I consider what the prevailing attitudes toward marriage are in our post sexual-revolution world, and then I wonder how ANY marriages can be valid. The sexual revolution was a real thing that really and seriously affected the way people think about sex and marriage. That should, logically, have a large affect on how many marriage are nullified for defects of consent.

 

[Eric2718]

yes, absolutely, however, too many of our Priests are falling short in the preaching of the moral doctrines today. Rarely do we hear, contraception , abortion, divorce and remarriage, same sex marriage and the homosexual sin preached from the pulpit. I do not know what they are afraid of when there is such a need these days for that kind of proper moral preaching. There are too many dissident,disobedient cafeteria Catholics practicing by their own rules. Peace, Carlan

The priest will catch criticism and even complaints to the bishop if he upsets the apple cart so to speak. This is a strong thing to say about our bishops but really if they don’t preach on the doctrines you mentioned publicly from the pulpit then that’s pretty good evidence that’s what they expect from their priests. They set the example. And I think the priests “hear” that so don’t preach on it. Despite knowing that many, many of the people hearing their sermons live together unmarried, contracept, etc.

Oh well, could be worse. We could be living around 400 AD and half of all bishops were outright heretics by teaching Arianism.