Faith Too Politically Correct?

[HagiaSophia]

I’ve seen numerous complaints by Christians from just about every main faith group that certain portions of their faith appear to be turning politically correct rather than spiritually so. An excellent quote from William H. Willimon, United Methodist pastor and writer:

“There was a time when Christians wanted to be obedient and faithful. Lately we are content to be sensitive. Once we aspired to justice and righteousness. Our present concern is that we be kind. If kindness alone were enough there would have been no cross. Jesus would have formed a sensitivity group and urged us to share our feelings, or a support group where we could affirm each other. Knowing full well the limits of humanity, the seriousness of our sin, and the depths of evil, he formed the church and charted a different way.”

Have any of you observed this happening in your own churches and if so, how has it been expressed? In my own, I’d say the NCCB has finally showed much of its true self (hanging head as I admit it).

 

[WhiteDove]

LOL how true!!!

On the other hand, remember, not all that’s ‘politically correct’ is bad. For instance, the idea of racial and ethnic inclusiveness is a big part of that mindset, and very much out of the Gospels. Another example would be compassion for the disabled. I remember well a time when the retarded were institutionalized and handcap access was unheard of.

That being said, I think the Church has become way too ‘touchy feely’, afraid to call sin sin and skirting important issues out of fear of violating the core tenets of political correctness, which are never hurt anyone’s feeling, and tolerate anything, no matter how disgusting, offensive or outlandish. And, never never judge, unless it’s a conservative!

 

[Annunciata]

We never hear a homily on the evils of abortion because our pastor feels he might offend someone in the congregation who might possibly have had one… Annunciata

 

[HagiaSophia]

WhiteDove:

And, never never judge, unless it’s a conservative!

Ah you’ve touched one of my favorite “buttons” = judging - it is used today as if we have to accept all ideas as equal, all creeds as equal, or we are “judging”; judging is what we are supposed to do, we make choices - juding the state of another’s soul is something else entirely. But I digress off thread…sorry.

 

[HagiaSophia]

Annunciata:

We never hear a homily on the evils of abortion because our pastor feels he might offend someone in the congregation who might possibly have had one… Annunciata

I’ve heard them on abortion - in fact was at a Mass where three women walked out and accosted the priest after the Mass, one reminding him that they were a major “donor” and that they were offended about his remarks and were going to report him to the
Bishop.

Thankfully, he thought on his feet and said, “If you want to report me to the bishop for being pro life, please do so.”. They left in a huff.

OTOH several parents of small children were offended when the subjecy of sex abuse cases came up, their kids immediately wanted to know what it was all about and they were furious with the pastor.

 

[Steve_M]

Annunciata:

We never hear a homily on the evils of abortion because our pastor feels he might offend someone in the congregation who might possibly have had one… Annunciata

I can thankfully say I’ve heard quite a few, not full homilies, but parts of homilies about the evils of abortion. I’ve only officially been Catholic for about three months, and the emphisis on abortion is one of the the things that have shocked me the most. Shocked in a good way.

 

[Faithful_2_Rome]

Political Correctness leads to the LIE

Catholic Righteousness leads to the TRUTH!

 

[La_Chiara]

HagiaSophia:

OTOH several parents of small children were offended when the subjecy of sex abuse cases came up, their kids immediately wanted to know what it was all about and they were furious with the pastor.

I have never heard a sermon given in such a way that a child would know something that the parents wouldn’t like (unless the parents have cocooned the child from life.) My child (now a teen) doesn’t watch TV except when visiting her relatives because we don’t have a TV. So there are a few subjects that I had to introduce to her for fear she would learn from her little friends first–for example, abortion and birth control and the priest abuse scandal. I have always been hypervigilant that the priest would discuss controversial issues in a way that I would need to follow up with her. But I have always prepared her when an issue was big on the news.

If anything, most kids are far too knowledgeable about things just from TV and movies. I’ll never forget the First Friday Mass at my daughter’s parochial school when the priest was asking how many kids had seen Titanic. I remembered clearly that it was PG-13 because my daughter was 6 and in first grade when it came out. I was appalled that at least 25 percent of the children in the K-12 parochial school raised their hands at having seen Titanic. Mind you, only 8th graders would be 13. So I think we need to worry about the rot that kids get from TV, from movies, and from their little friends rather than what they hear at Sunday Mass. At least, what they hear at Sunday Mass is discussed in the context of moral values, sin, and religion.