I'm socially liberal; is there room in Catholicism for me?

[giddyromilly]

Yes, there is room for you. Unlike the political tents, Catholicism embraces all and it’s emblem is the Cross not an elephant or donkey.

Thank you very much!

 

[giddyromilly]

The second part of that is absolutely correct, but familiarity with sex and how it impacts lives as well as access to contraception causes abortion rates to plummet in the general population. The more teens know about sex, the less of it they have, and that caution extends into their adulthood.

 

[Theo520]

Not everything the Church teaches has to be mirrored in Federal Law.

 

[Convert3]

There is absolutely room for you in the Catholic Church. We are all sinners and struggle with many things in our daily lives. I joined the Church two years ago this Easter and am so happy I did. The more I read, the more I understand Church teachings. RCIA was a great start, but the learning process is continuous. As your love for God grows, you will strive more to understand the teachings and why we believe what we do. Being forgiven and learning to forgive changes your life in so many ways. Turning the other cheek or controlling your judgements of others can be a struggle for many, but are full of blessings. Liberal or Conservative, don’t we all want to be a better country? Governments will make laws for many reasons and they change all the time. God’s commandments are forever.
Welcome to Catholicism and you’re going to love the journey!

 

[LateranBasilica]

Catholic means universal. It is more than the politics or political labels of a nation.

To be Catholic and practising, the requirement is to live the commandments of God and to be obedient to the Magisterium.

 

[JMMJ]

Take away access to contraception and people who don’t want to have pregnancies will be much less likely to have sex

Stats, please.

 

[blackforest]

@giddyromilly
I haven’t read all of the replies, but please don’t get the idea - from CAF or elsewhere - that the Catholic Church is an ideological clubhouse exclusive to political conservatives.

The Church is neither liberal nor conservative; it is complex and counter-cultural. It ruffles feathers while espousing positions from either and neither side. I’m going to go ahead and play the ask-a-priest card because priests are used to hearing these concerns and can better address your struggles.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

First, I see you joined this forum only a couple days ago. You will find (this thread is a perfect example) that most (90%?) of the people who post here are “conservative” for lack of a better word. For most of them religion is black and white. There are no grey areas. There is absolute truth, and, by God, they know exactly what that is. Scary. However, this is definitely NOT the official teaching of the Catholic Church.

I suggest you read the section on “conscience” in the catechism – and yes, don’t forget to read the very next section about the formation of a good conscience. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P5Z.HTM
But section 1782 sums up the teaching of the Church pretty well: “Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters.” Two points I’d like to make: 1) note that there are no exceptions here–it doesn’t say “He must not be forced…except by the Catholic Church.” and 2) I think it’s significant that no one in 91 posts has brought up the subject of conscience!

I lay more blame at the feet of those who make women feel as if there is no other choice but to abort than I do at the feet of the woman herself. In cases of rape, incest, even elective abortion for financial reasons I find myself more upset at those who would make someone think there was no other recourse. Of course I wish that abortion would cease immediately, but fear that overturning Roe vs Wade would put a band-aid over a festering problem rather than curing it.

Sounds like good Catholic reasoning to me. And yes, abortion is a symptom of deeper causes. Making it illegal is exactly what you say–a band aid, not a cure.

I support contraception use as a means to drastically reduce abortions

Of course contraception is forbidden. But look up statistics yourself–how many Catholics–even those who go to Mass every week–don’t think contraception is evil?

I also love and support the relationships and marriages of my LGBT friends and family.

Depends on what you mean by “support” gay marriages. Certainly wishing them well and hoping they have a good life is not just permitted, but recommended. Voting to legalize gay marriage is not; there are alternatives. But again, your own conscience should be your guide.

As far as dogma, am I compelled to support bans on abortion, contraception, and LGBT relationships in order to be a good, practicing Catholic?

No. If that were true, the Church would probably lose 80-90% of its members.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

You will find (this thread is a perfect example) that most (90%?)

There are plenty of liberals here.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

There are plenty of liberals here.

It looks like there are two of us at least. I’ll throw in Bradski and niceatheist too, although they aren’t Catholics!

 

[TK421]

@giddyromilly

Hi Giddy,

It’s perfectly fine to be “liberal” on a variety of issues such as gun laws or healthcare or military spending or climate change, etc.

Abortion/contraception/gay marriage are all interlinked with each other: they’re about sexual ethics, the dignity and infinite value of the human person, and the recognition that marriage is sacred and a sacrament (it is more than a social construct). The secular liberal ideology that promotes them is incompatible with the Catholic Church. So yes, those views would need to be re-examined and you would need to come into conformity with Catholic teaching. The Church’s teachings on sex and the human body are unpopular and they have been unpopular since the 1st century, but they are truth and they lead to the highest happiness. These truths must be held even if it comes at the expense of your popularity, family, friends, job, safety, and life.

Luke 14: 24: And turning round, he said to them, If any man comes to me, and has not hate for his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even for his life, he may not be my disciple.

These are the official teachings from the Catechism on abortion, which apply to all Catholics (and to everybody else

Abortion - Catechism of the Catholic Church

Peace.

 

[giddyromilly]

Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience.

Thank you so much for this, as well as your thoughtful answers! I guess I don’t look for justification of my opinions as much as I look for any reason acceptable to keep them in the Catholic church. Maybe I’m looking at it backwards? In any case, thank you again. This has given me a lot to think about.

 

[Joe_5859]

I wouldn’t say that there are “no exceptions” with regards to following our conscience. The Catechism specifically mentions that we are to make sure that our conscience is “well-formed” (see CCC 1783–1785). Following our conscience presupposes that it is being informed by the teachings of the Church.

As we are fallen human beings, our conscience can be malformed and lead us astray. And if our conscience is leading us to do things or believe things contrary to Catholic teaching, we should spend time in prayer and study to figure out why that is.