No it’s not vague. Statistics show that more people leave Catholicism in the US than enter it. Statistics show most Catholics contracept (a very alive topic on this forum). Statistics show Protestants are more likely than Catholics to vote against abortion and gay marriage rights (and ironically, Protestant churches tolerate political difference whereas the Vatican doesn’t!) Catholics concede that Protestant converts have a lot of Biblical knowledge, and some accuse Protestants of hijacking the Catholic Church (all topics discussed in this forum)!
With that kind of weak manifestation of their faith, can we be honest and concede there are NOT 1.2 billion Catholics, as many keep saying? Protestant churches are much more honest and will deny that people who show that kind of weakness are true believers. To us the situation is more dire… statistics show only 4% of people under 30 attend church regularly. The situation is even more dire in Europe, from the testimonies of missionaries to England, France, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania that I have met. In all of these countries, the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches are MORIBUND.
Where is the desire among lay Catholics for REVIVAL?
That desire is right here. I can only speak for myself but that is what I pray for. Again, as many have pointed out truth and popularity have nothing to do with each other. Have Catholics who believe been remiss in preaching the gospel? Probably. Will that change? There is no doubt in my mind.
Exactly. So how does meddling into politics and opposing people’s secular civil rights fit in with not condemning them? How is this open arms, to say they don’t have the same civil rights as men to choose what to do with their own bodies, or that they don’t have the same rights as straight people to form committed, loving relationships?? Is this open arms? No, more like a message of hate.
Meddling in politics? Are they not Americans? Have they no right to advance their views in public? What is the constitution for if not that? Freedom of religion means freedom to practice that religion including in the public square.
Women have chosen to do what they want with their bodies. If that makes them pregnant they now have another life involved. God says that murdering that child is a intrinsic evil and the Church simply points out this fact. That is hate, killing a child to “fix” the result of previous actions.
Gay people have been forming whatever relationships they wanted to for a long time, for thousands of years. To now want to steal the exclusive relationship of “marriage” is not to claim rights denied, it is to usurp something God ordained and civil governments have codified long ago as well.
When Jesus said “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” he also said “render unto God that which is God’s.” Marriage is God’s.
What’s so immoral or moral about meddling into secular politics? What does this have to do with Gospel preaching?? Or even love?? Why does politics even matter?? Why don’t we see the Catholic Church advocating bringing back laws against divorce? Why don’t we see the Catholic Church advocating bans on porn? Has the abortion and gay rights issue hijacked the Catholic Church? How do we know that the Catholic Church isn’t hijacked by the USCCB? Isn’t there an honest debate between the conservative and liberal Catholics going on here? I don’t see the much-touted unity of the Catholic Church.
Yes, some gays and some who have had abortion will still enter the Church. But let’s be honest, most will feel angry, condemned and judged.
It is possible to enter the Church without repentance. Priests and bishops and lay Catholics do not have the power see into the souls of men and women. One can go through the motions. How many Catholics, born and raised have done just that and have never been back except for weddings and funerals since?
Feelings are not the difference between salvation and condemnation. Jesus is the one with the power to judge. All that we can do is point out the truth, which in this case is that if someone comes to the Church from a non-Catholic background having been baptized, or if a Catholic is returning home, the requirement is a good confession.
If you were to look up the sacrament of confession you would notice that it involves not simply telling your sins to the priest, but also true sorrow for having sinned, repentance, in other words, and a firm purpose of amendment, in order to be a valid confession.
It is Christ that is forgiving those sins through the priest. You may fool the priest but you cannot fool Christ. If there is no repentance or firm purpose of amendment, that is, not to repeat the sin, there is no forgiveness, even though the priest has given the absolution.
If a person feels hurt because the Church has taught or preached or publicly advocated against a particular sin, is it not reasonable to think that they have not really repented anyway?
As to what the Church believes re: homosexual acts, just read the first chapter of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. That sums it up.
It sounds like you’ve been reading some kind of “Jesus Seminar” speculation. Keep in mind, those guys are only speculating - they are only saying, “What if the Scripture writer had meant to say … instead of whatever he actually said.”