Do I belong in the Catholic Church?

[pragmatist91]

Sticknstring73, becoming more conservative with age is far from guaranteed. I keep in touch with a retired professor I met in university. He used to be a Republican when he was middle aged but he transitioned to democratic socialism. He is an elderly man with no external incentive to regularly attend activist rallies. Yet he continues to fight for the cause. If everyone naturally became more conservative with age, there wouldn’t be mainstream socialist parties all over the world. Yet, democratic socialists are regularly elected to some of the highest political offices on the planet. Such triumphs would be hard to execute if only 18-25 year olds were voting for them. Clearly they have support from all age groups. The same can be said for religiosity. Some people do become more religious and some people decide to abandon their religion entirely more than halfway through life. At this stage, I’m going to stick around to see what comes out of it.

St Francis, let’s analyze your analogy of an 8th grader who doesn’t think school is worth it. That 8th grader could very well be right. I got my college degree 3 years ago and I currently work at walmart for 9/hour. That’s quite a payout. The same can be said about Catholicism. You can play by all the rules, but you can still end up with a wife who was promiscuous in high school/college, with a divorce attorney on your tail, and feeling like you have nobody else to stand with you. I have no intention of abstaining from sex for the rest of my life. Either I will find a girl who blows my mind away (has a good career, 100% prolife, a virgin, conservative Catholic values, and physically attractive) or I will give up on that entirely and just cohabitate/live in sin. My point still stands that egalitarianism is not a top Church priority. I think it would be reasonable to require financial proof of charity. The dire circumstances of the poor are exponentially more important than privacy. Mass reform would not involve policing people. Mass reform would involve parishioner-oriented service (ie, having different parishioners come and publicly discuss dire circumstances/get advice). The Church, in practice, is telling people to get married so late because it forbids premarital sex and doesn’t support any type of planned community. The end results are predictable and depressing: kids hit puberty, they may hold off for a little while, they start having sex, 5-30 partners and several years later they are thinking about maybe getting married. If the Catholic Church went the route of a planned community, there would be great potential for alleviating this problem.

Abu, I’m not sure what you are trying to prove. The Bible instructs people to care for the poor and avoid getting caught up in materialism. If the Church mandated its wealthier parishioner to either leave or start helping the poor, they would not be perverting Christ’s message.

Guanophore, it will be determined by these factors: whether or not the Church starts moving in a more down to Earth direction, whether or not I’m able to find a suitable person to marry in the Church (and my standards are not easily met), whether or not the Church has a sufficient social support network, and whether or not the Church starts backing up more of its teachings with scripture. No, avoiding divorce is not the best option. My parents had a nightmare marriage. I was actually happy when they split up because it meant the house was no longer and inferno. Divorce is sometime a healthy option for disposing of an extremely toxic relationship. Even if both sides are making equal money, they can still lose a fortune on attorney fees. The only way I could justify getting married is if the woman is top 1% material (physically attractive, still a virgin, has a solid career, 100% prolife, and in line with God’s teachings). To me, marrying a woman that doesn’t have all of those qualities simply isn’t worth the risk. Regarding egalitarianism, Jesus warned people about getting caught up in materialism. That’s precisely what many wealthier Catholics are falling into. Regarding mass reform, see the points I made to St Francis. I have not read the entire Catechism from cover to cover but I know for a fact that there is no central blueprint for a planned community. All the documents where the Church tells people to wait until marriage to have sex are all the proof you need. Waiting until marriage is rooted in the commandments and that teaching should not change. But the Church does NOTHING to facilitate earlier marriages.

 

[Viki63]

For the most part, I do think that marriage is a scam so that the woman can continue leeching off of a man if the marriage ends. The only way I would even consider getting married is if the girl I’m with is an absolutely AMAZING human being. .

Just for the record, marriage exists to protect the children, so that they are not abandoned to poverty if the man decides to leave. I don’t know any divorced women who live off their husbands, but I know plenty of children whose single mothers struggle to provide them with the basic necessities. Child support helps alleviate some of that.
And of course you shouldn’t marry anyone unless you think she’s absolutely amazing.

n the issue of egalitarianism, there is plenty of evidence that the Catholic Church isn’t what it’s made out to be. Plenty of parishioners at my local church drive premium/luxury cars and live in houses that are much larger than what is required to sustain human life. I don’t think that’s right. If the Church was really adamant about egalitarianism, they would tell the rich parishioners they have to provide evidence of major charitable works or not be able to receive communion…

At my church, most people are very poor; over half are Hispanics who work in service industries. Our priest can barely keep the fires burning. I think those who have good jobs are contributing what they can. The church isn’t here to judge, but to offer support in walking the walk of faith. And people are always changing; there’s no way the church could keep track of where they were in their journey and whether they were far enough along.

On the issue of Mass, I don’t expect it to be entertainment. I don’t think that simply having a choir and a youth group will solve the problem. People need to remember that for the majority of Catholics, their only interaction with the faith might be that 1 hour when they sporadically attend Mass. People are struggling with all sorts of problems, many of which can throw them off course. I think mass should place greater emphasis on making sure the people attending are living pure lives outside of church, as opposed to a ritualistic form of worship…

When I attend a protestant church, as much as I appreciate the sincerity and love for Our Lord that is evident, I feel that something is missing. They’re given long sermons, loud enthusiastic music and pep talks, to make up for the lack of the one thing that is esssential: the Eucharist. Our Lord is present, and offers himself to us. That is what makes the Catholic church the one, true and holy church, imperfect as she is.

.

 

[Latias]

Pragmatist, it would seem that one solution is to find some politically progressive Catholics or come up with a perception of the faith that is apolitical. The latter would be quite hard because one would receive impressions that the Church is very politically conservative due to its opposition to abortion and gay marriage and strong anti-communism. And it would seem that any progressive rhetoric is just rhetoric. As for myself, I no longer have the latter perception of the faith, and I have become immensely disillusioned.

Imagine an 8th-grader saying this about school. School is a lot of work, and the benefits do not necessarily show up anytime soon! But the benefits most certainly do exist…

The economic benefits of schooling comes from the acquisition of educational credentials that allows one to differentiate themselves among other people in the labor market on the basis of academic ability and work ethics. It is not necessarily that what one learns in school has economy utility.

If a child had this understanding, they would require education quite cynically since it has no economic value in and of itself.

Have you read the catechism?

One could get a strong impression of the Church’s attitude and that of its members through the sentiments and positions of its members (or those that are most vocal). Also, it would seem that the Church endorses the autocratic Salazar regime in Portugal. One could ask whether that comported with Catholic teaching. Even the Church may be ambiguous abort what precisely it endorses, the behavior and attitudes of its parishioners would have the strongest influence in how one form’s his/her perceptions of the Church.

 

[St_Francis]

…St Francis, let’s analyze your analogy of an 8th grader who doesn’t think school is worth it. That 8th grader could very well be right. I got my college degree 3 years ago and I currently work at walmart for 9/hour. That’s quite a payout.

I know someone who entered a field when no college degree was required. 30 years later, despite extensive experience, he can’t get hired in that field because he has no degree.

Not all college students walk into high-paying jobs when they come out of college, most do have to start at the bottom. I am sorry you have to work at Wal-Mart for the moment, but at some point, you will go farther than the man with the same experience who has no degree.

And suppose you embark on your alternate plan and lose your virginity and cohabitate with someone… and *then *meet this paragon of perfection? She will have maintained her virginity for her husband, and you will have thrown yours away.

The same can be said about Catholicism. You can play by all the rules, but you can still end up with a wife who was promiscuous in high school/college, with a divorce attorney on your tail, and feeling like you have nobody else to stand with you.

Very true, being Catholic does not prevent bad things from happening to us. Look at the Catholic communities in the ME who are having all sorts of bad things happen to them.

But Catholicism offers comfort and the knowledge that one’s suffering has value. Without those things, what can keep a person from despair?

Moreover, non-Catholicism offers no more protection against being hurt by other sinners than does Catholicism.

I have no intention of abstaining from sex for the rest of my life. Either I will find a girl who blows my mind away (has a good career, 100% prolife, a virgin, conservative Catholic values, and physically attractive) or I will give up on that entirely and just cohabitate/live in sin.

What protection does living in sin offer you?

And if you find the girl you describe, what will she think of you in your current state? Don’t you think that a girl like that would be looking for a guy like that?

And how will she have gotten to that state? Say she’s around your age, which I figure to be under 25. Did she study something really difficult like computer science or medicine, and that’s how she has a really great career?

Most people your age have not studied something spectacular and are in a position similar to yours. They studied poli sci or lit and are employed, at best, as go-fers in an office which concerns itself with what she studied. But you plan to overlook those girls, who are like you?

My point still stands that egalitarianism is not a top Church priority.

You have offered nothing to indicate that this is anything more than an emotion-fueled opinion. What Church teachings support your position? None, because this is not a teaching of the Church.

[quite]I think it would be reasonable to require financial proof of charity. The dire circumstances of the poor are exponentially more important than privacy.
Where di you live that the poor live in such dire circumstances?

Mass reform would not involve policing people. Mass reform would involve parishioner-oriented service (ie, having different parishioners come and publicly discuss dire circumstances/get advice).

This would be possible, and even happens, but it would be totally inapprpriate in teh context of Mass. We do not go to Mass to get something out for ourselves, we go to out something in for God, Who has given us everything.

The Church, in practice, is telling people to get married so late because it forbids premarital sex and doesn’t support any type of planned community.

Planning and running communities is not the job of the Church. It is up to the laity to do that, with the guidance of the Church re: morals.

There have been and are Catholic communities here and there; it used to be that all of Europe was composed of Catholic commmunities.

The end results are predictable and depressing: kids hit puberty, they may hold off for a little while, they start having sex, 5-30 partners and several years later they are thinking about maybe getting married. If the Catholic Church went the route of a planned community, there would be great potential for alleviating this problem.

Yes, a Catholic society would probably be a great help in this regard. What do you think you can do to help in this?

PS: could you respond to people’s posts separately? I had to erase a lot of your post because it became too long with my replies, and that is really hard to do on a hand-held device

 

[pragmatist91]

Just for the record, marriage exists to protect the children, so that they are not abandoned to poverty if the man decides to leave. I don’t know any divorced women who live off their husbands, but I know plenty of children whose single mothers struggle to provide them with the basic necessities. Child support helps alleviate some of that. And of course you shouldn’t marry anyone unless you think she’s absolutely amazing.

At my church, most people are very poor; over half are Hispanics who work in service industries. Our priest can barely keep the fires burning. I think those who have good jobs are contributing what they can. The church isn’t here to judge, but to offer support in walking the walk of faith. And people are always changing; there’s no way the church could keep track of where they were in their journey and whether they were far enough along.

When I attend a protestant church, as much as I appreciate the sincerity and love for Our Lord that is evident, I feel that something is missing. They’re given long sermons, loud enthusiastic music and pep talks, to make up for the lack of the one thing that is esssential: the Eucharist. Our Lord is present, and offers himself to us. That is what makes the Catholic church the one, true and holy church, imperfect as she is.

I know of several men, including my own father, who were completely screwed over by the divorce process. During my father’s divorce, my mother engaged in very heavy litigation in order to drive up my father’s attorney fees and she made false allegations of abuse to get custody of my brother. In the US, there are very few legal safeguards to prevent such abuse. A woman can cheat on her husband, have an abortion, mismanage the family finances, and still take 1/2 (or even more) of the stuff, even if the husband was the one earning most of the money. It should be no surprise that more men have a strong aversion to marriage.

Well you must live in a poorer area. In my area, there is considerably more money. Requiring people to surrender material resources they don’t truly need would not be a determination of whether they are going to heaven and hell. I highly doubt that Christ’s vision for humanity involved an economic system where the most talented people have to be bribed with hoards of wealth in order to do something for the rest of humanity.

Despite all the problems present in the Catholic Church (and believe me, there is a lot to write about that topic) I would be hesitant to join a protestant church due to how liberal they are with abortion, homosexuality, etc.

 

[pragmatist91]

I know someone who entered a field when no college degree was required. 30 years later, despite extensive experience, he can’t get hired in that field because he has no degree.

Not all college students walk into high-paying jobs when they come out of college, most do have to start at the bottom. I am sorry you have to work at Wal-Mart for the moment, but at some point, you will go farther than the man with the same experience who has no degree.

And suppose you embark on your alternate plan and lose your virginity and cohabitate with someone… and *then *meet this paragon of perfection? She will have maintained her virginity for her husband, and you will have thrown yours away.

Very true, being Catholic does not prevent bad things from happening to us. Look at the Catholic communities in the ME who are having all sorts of bad things happen to them.

But Catholicism offers comfort and the knowledge that one’s suffering has value. Without those things, what can keep a person from despair?

Moreover, non-Catholicism offers no more protection against being hurt by other sinners than does Catholicism.

What protection does living in sin offer you?

And if you find the girl you describe, what will she think of you in your current state? Don’t you think that a girl like that would be looking for a guy like that?

And how will she have gotten to that state? Say she’s around your age, which I figure to be under 25. Did she study something really difficult like computer science or medicine, and that’s how she has a really great career?

Most people your age have not studied something spectacular and are in a position similar to yours. They studied poli sci or lit and are employed, at best, as go-fers in an office which concerns itself with what she studied. But you plan to overlook those girls, who are like you?

You have offered nothing to indicate that this is anything more than an emotion-fueled opinion. What Church teachings support your position? None, because this is not a teaching of the Church.

[quite]I think it would be reasonable to require financial proof of charity. The dire circumstances of the poor are exponentially more important than privacy.

Where di you live that the poor live in such dire circumstances?

This would be possible, and even happens, but it would be totally inapprpriate in teh context of Mass. We do not go to Mass to get something out for ourselves, we go to out something in for God, Who has given us everything.

Planning and running communities is not the job of the Church. It is up to the laity to do that, with the guidance of the Church re: morals.

There have been and are Catholic communities here and there; it used to be that all of Europe was composed of Catholic commmunities.

Yes, a Catholic society would probably be a great help in this regard. What do you think you can do to help in this?

PS: could you respond to people’s posts separately? I had to erase a lot of your post because it became too long with my replies, and that is really hard to do on a hand-held device

With the current economic realignment, you will have a lot more college grads working low pay dead end jobs in the near future. You will see a lot of college grads who never manage to break through the ice.

I am not planning on losing my virginity anytime soon. I am going to date around and see if I can find someone worthy of marriage material. For now, that’s not an imminent problem.

In regards to marriage, non-catholicism (not getting married) does offer some protection since it’s easier to walk away from it all. There is less potential for legal problems.

I’m not sure what you mean when you ask if a girl would accept me in such a state. Are you referring to my underemployment or my issues with catholicism? I would not overlook a girl in a low paying job as long as she has aspirations to get into something high paying. I am making plans to go to grad school in a field different from the one I majored in, hence I’m working towards a goal.

What proof are you asking to see? It’s clear from the Church’s inaction that economic equality isn’t a priority. It’s not something you can prove by showing what the Church does, but by showing what the Church doesn’t do.

God does not expect 1 hour a week from us. He expects 168 hours a week from us. Most people aren’t going to devote 10-15 hours a week to coming to Church. That one hour is all they are going to do in terms of driving somewhere to get together as a group. That’s why such things would have to be done during that 1 hour. Of course, such reforms are going to keep the Latin Mass catholics up at night, but you can’t make everyone happy.

The leity is doing an absolutely terrible job of running things. As a computer enthusiast, I hate to say it, but the Amish have better organizational structure in their communities than Catholics do.

 

[tweedlealice]

Welcome back,
You are on a journey and it is bringing you home.
There will be no church that you agree 100% with their dogmas. The Holy Spirit is pulling you back. Go to an RCIA group to help you understand the teachings.
DEAR Father,
Receive those of us who love you into your arms Comfort us with your Holy Spirit. Jesus guide our steps.
In Christ’s love,
Tweedlealice
Jeremiah 29 / 11 I have a plan for you. It is a plan for good and not for evil. It has a future and a purpose.&

 

[adamhovey1988]

I’ve done some intense soul searching over the past year. My religion is one area that I’ve thought about very deeply. I was raised Catholic from birth, but I am very out of touch with the Church. I’m 24 years old, the son of immigrant parents who came to the US (divorced), a pragmatist/utilitarian, and a democratic socialist. I’m questioning if I even belong in the Church. On one hand, I support certain teachings like:
You are a human person aren’t you?
-opposition to abortion/death penalty/euthanasia/etc
-opposition to the LGBT movement
-saving your virginity for marriage
-helping the poor/anti-materialism

On the other hand, there are aspects of the Church that I don’t accept:

-Lack of social/emotional support for the younger cohorts
-Mandate for a civil marriage contract in order to get married
-Economic egalitarianism is not emphasized and the Church is too friendly/content with capitalism
-Mass is just too low-energy/ritualistic for me (I attend sporadically)
-Too many teachings aren’t rooted in black and white scripture
-Lack of a coherent socio-economic model by which people should live

I’m not starting this thread to troll or mock the Church. I’m just trying to figure out if I belong given my views. I’m willing to elaborate on the points I made if needed. But I don’t want the thread to get derailed and turned into an argument over why I am the way I am.

You are a human person aren’t you? Then you belong in the church

 

[guanophore]

Guanophore, it will be determined by these factors: whether or not the Church starts moving in a more down to Earth direction,

What does that mean, exactly?

whether or not I’m able to find a suitable person to marry in the Church (and my standards are not easily met),

Which standards are those?

whether or not the Church has a sufficient social support network,

This depends upon your parish, really. I would encourage you, if you don’t find what you need, consider that God is calling you to work in this much needed ministry.

and whether or not the Church starts backing up more of its teachings with scripture.

have you read the catechism? Any particular teachings you have in mind?

 No, avoiding divorce is not the best option.  My parents had a nightmare marriage.  I was actually happy when they split up because it meant the house was no longer and inferno.  Divorce is sometime a healthy option for disposing of an extremely toxic relationship.  Even if both sides are making equal money, they can still lose a fortune on attorney fees.

Avoiding divorce is always the best option, but you are right, sometimes a couple staying together is worse. I was raised in a home like what you describe here. In such situations separation is healthier. But that does not mean the couple should divorce.

The only way I could justify getting married is if the woman is top 1% material (physically attractive, still a virgin, has a solid career, 100% prolife, and in line with God’s teachings). To me, marrying a woman that doesn’t have all of those qualities simply isn’t worth the risk.

Please belay my previous inquiry on this point.

Regarding egalitarianism, Jesus warned people about getting caught up in materialism. That’s precisely what many wealthier Catholics are falling into.

It is important to separate the sins of individual Catholics from the Teachings of the Church. The Church does not support this course of action.

Regarding mass reform, see the points I made to St Francis.  I have not read the entire Catechism from cover to cover but I know for a fact that there is no central blueprint for a planned community.

What, in your opinion, would such a blueprint resemble?

**

pragmatist91:
All the documents where the Church tells people to wait until marriage to have sex are all the proof you need. Waiting until marriage is rooted in the commandments and that teaching should not change. But the Church does NOTHING to facilitate earlier marriages.**

I think you lost me here. Are you saying that people are unable to be continent until they are married, and the Church needs to hurry to get them married so they will not burn with passion?

 

[tweedlealice]

Welcome back,
You are on a journey and it is bringing you home.
There will be no church that you agree 100% with their dogmas. The Holy Spirit is pulling you back. Go to an RCIA group to help you understand the teachings.
DEAR Father,
Receive those of us who love you into your arms Comfort us with your Holy Spirit. Jesus guide our steps.
In Christ’s love,
Tweedlealice
Jeremiah 29 / 11 I have a plan for you. It is a plan for good and not for evil. It has a future and a purpose.&

 

[fisherman_carl]

The only way I would even consider getting married is if the girl I’m with is an absolutely AMAZING human being.

Famous last words. Lol.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[fisherman_carl]

Perhaps, you should become a priest.

 

[pragmatist91]

What does that mean, exactly?

Which standards are those?

This depends upon your parish, really. I would encourage you, if you don’t find what you need, consider that God is calling you to work in this much needed ministry.

have you read the catechism? Any particular teachings you have in mind?

Avoiding divorce is always the best option, but you are right, sometimes a couple staying together is worse. I was raised in a home like what you describe here. In such situations separation is healthier. But that does not mean the couple should divorce.

Please belay my previous inquiry on this point.

It is important to separate the sins of individual Catholics from the Teachings of the Church. The Church does not support this course of action.

What, in your opinion, would such a blueprint resemble?

I think you lost me here. Are you saying that people are unable to be continent until they are married, and the Church needs to hurry to get them married so they will not burn with passion?

In regards to being more down to earth, the Church needs to get its head out of the clouds. Your average person living in the West is not going to be a practicing Catholic because the religion has no practical appeal to them. Most people never were and never will be religious enough to live Christian lives on religious merits alone. Catholicism will only make a mainstream comeback when it has practical appeal. What does practical appeal look like?

1. Vibrant social atmosphere where people support one another and there is a strong sense of solidarity and community. The Church’s in my area have mostly older people and are 4/5 empty during Mass. It should not be much of a surprise that people turn to other venues to connect with people.
2. A coherent socio-economic model where if a person does A, B, and C, they will get D, E, and F. An example of this would be young Catholics getting married at 18 and then living in a boarding house with other married young Catholics until they complete their educations/become financially stable. Right now, the Catholic Church is a mess. Frankly, it makes wal-mart look organized and that’s saying something.
3. A place where you can go and most of the unmarried people will be virgins. In the rest of society, people are having sex all over the place. There are all sorts of problems stemming from such free flowing premarital sex. If the Catholic Church became a place where people could avoid all of that, it would be a huge plus. However, even within the Catholic Church, plenty of people sleep around and aren’t virgins on their wedding night. This is closely related to point 2, since the problem could be significantly reduced if young people actually received help and were able to get married when their bodies are ready to reproduce. Most people are not going to wait until marriage to have sex if it means marriage won’t come until 25 or 30.
4. Create a smaller, simpler set of rules for the religion. Don’t create rules that can’t be backed up with the bible. Call it the sola scripture approach, but that approach is more likely to sway people to Christ than a religious monarchy that has gone off the tracks before. Things like cannabis usage (and other mild drug consumption), condom usage, mandate for civil marital contracts, etc come to mind. I’m sure I could think of many more but those are the ones I could think of right away.
   Well what do you think the alternative to divorce should be? If people are living apart and they hate each other to the core, you might as well go all the way and end it. An even better PREEMPTIVE strategy would be to do away with legal marriage all together so that a messy legal battle isn’t even possible.

I disagree, the catholic church is indirectly supporting materialism with its aversion to moderate democratic socialism and its utter refusal to enforce egalitarianism. I guess this is one area where we will have to agree to disagree.

The blueprint for such a planned community could take multiple forms. The Catholic Church has had about 2000 years to figure this out. I have not even had 1% of that time (only started thinking about this stuff over the last 2-3 years). An Amish style model of a semi-porous community (minus the aversion to technology and moderate accumulation of material goods) is one possibility. A closed, fundamentalist mormon-style compound is going a bit far IMO since it would limit transparency too much. A third option would be to have small plots of land with communal living for certain age brackets (young Catholics who will marry in their late teens and older people whose spouses have died and have nobody to care for them. There would be separate mico-communes for each of those 2 groups obviously. The finer details would still need to be worked out, but these are the rough parameters I have in mind for a socio-economic model.

 

[Abu]

pragmatist91 #33
the catholic church is indirectly supporting materialism with its aversion to moderate democratic socialism and its utter refusal to enforce egalitarianism.

False.

The Christ has never “enforced” nor taught enforcement of pragmatist91’s “egalitarianism”, as to mean that the Church “would tell the rich parishioners they have to provide evidence of major charitable works or not be able to receive communion.” How gross!

Catholic Social Teaching
Critical Comments Selected by Gerald Darring
shc.edu/theolibrary/resources/comments_cst.htm
Drew Christiansen, S.J. Theological Studies (1984) 674. “The social teaching of the conciliar and postconciliar period, of John XXIII, Paul VI, and Vatican II, radically altered Catholic thinking on social ethics in an egalitarian direction. Catholic egalitarianism emerged out of two theological developments: the methodological shift to signs of the times and the retrieval of the patristic idea of human solidarity. In combination, the application of signs of the times to contemporary developments revealed inequality as the central social problem of the period, and the appeal to solidarity gave theological warrant to egalitarian social policies.”

Jean-Yves Calvez, S.J. “Economic Policy Issues in Roman Catholic Social Teaching” (1987) 23. “Strictly speaking, the tradition of Catholic social teaching is not egalitarian. There was even a time when it was anti-egalitarian. However, Catholic teaching has persistently linked justice with a demand that society provide at least minimum living standards for those left out or crushed by the economic system. In other words, even before assessing other aspects of an economy, the church insists that all members of a society must be ensured a decent standard of living. Its underlying assumption is that without such a minimum standard, no genuine society can be formed.”

Create a smaller, simpler set of rules for the religion. Don’t create rules that can’t be backed up with the bible. Call it the sola scripture approach,

Precisely the error of the Protestants. How gross.

Real Catholics know the value of Pope Emeritus Benedict’s wise teaching that “Society does not have to protect itself from the market, as if the development of the latter were ipso facto to entail the death of authentically human relations…Therefore it is not the instrument that must be called to account, but individuals, their moral conscience and their personal and social responsibility.” (Caritas et Veritate, Benedict XVI, 2009, #36). [My emphasis].