Is Catholicism losing relevance in today's world?

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Ahem. Maybe we should start by reading Matthew 23 and 1 Timothy 3.

The problem is not with teachings, the problem is that the clergy which is supposed to preach these teachings is so insulated from real-world problems that it does not understand the challenges involved. They don’t marry, so they have no idea what it takes to raise children (but they will preach that everyone else should do it). They are exclusively male, so they have no idea what it means to be pregnant or give birth (but they will spout metaphysical nonsense on the subject day and night). .
Huh??

That is like saying that because an Oncologist has never had cancer himself, that he is not entitled to treat you.

Or that a policeman who has never been robbed cannot protect you.
 
Delmo and Swizzlestick-Amen to your responses!

Calilobo-it looks like you have already bought into the secular world-view. You are believing the lies. As another poster said, we are to be of this world, but not in it.

I am glad to be different and I will proclaim it from the hilltops if I have to! I am a new Catholic and waited for the day I would become part of the Catholic family. My rebirth happend at the Easter Vigil. Alleliua!

You need a good dose of TRUTH. Go into prayer and ask the Lord to help open your eyes, ears and mind!
God Bless
 
Calilobo, I have followed some of your posts, and I know that you are frustrated. That doesn’t change the Truth.

I have been married for 30 years to the same woman, a person whom I met when we were teenagers. We have grown together, cried together, been sick, been happy, raised a family. I would not change that for anything. I would not trade my family in for wealth, good looks, fame, or anything else.

The world is not as it should be. The fall caused bad things to happen. There are things that are genetic, there are chemical imbalances in the brain, there are psychological scars, there are flowed decisions. They just are.

Yes, pregnancy hurts. Yet, women are the strongest people I know. I am in awe of my wife for giving life to our children.

People who are attracted to others of the same sex have issues that they themselves are not to blame for. It is a terrible burden. But it doesn’t mean that we modify what is right and wrong to accommodate that burden. People with same sex attraction need to live with the burden. It’s not a happy, unicorns and rainbows answer, but that is the way it is.
 
Ahem. Maybe we should start by reading Matthew 23 and 1 Timothy 3.

The problem is not with teachings, the problem is that the clergy which is supposed to preach these teachings is so insulated from real-world problems that it does not understand the challenges involved. They don’t marry, so they have no idea what it takes to raise children (but they will preach that everyone else should do it). They are exclusively male, so they have no idea what it means to be pregnant or give birth (but they will spout metaphysical nonsense on the subject day and night). They don’t have to work to eat, so they don’t understand what financial solvency is (but insist that congregations should fund their expensive lifestyles). The only problem on your list they know is homosexuality, and we’ve all seen how well they could deal with it during the last scandal.
Is stereotyping, broadbrushing, and bigotry OK if your target is priests?
 
In today’s modern culture in which:
  1. It is prohibitively expensive to raise children, and the world is becoming overpopulated;
  2. We are learning more about gender and sexuality, and we realize that homosexuality is normal in a certain percentage of the population, and therefore there are no longer any secular reasons to deny marriage rights to gay couples;
  3. More and more people are acquainted with a gay person and realize that gays are normal human beings, and should not have to suffer from denial of right to marriage;
  4. There are no longer any financial incentives for people to stay married or to have children, and it is possible to be financially solvent and successful living alone;
  5. Lifespan is increasing and it’s a tall order to remain committed to one partner for life;
  6. Postmodernism is the only way to ensure peace and coexistence in a diverse society in which not everyone is Christian;
  7. Women have careers and pregnancy is a major impediment to women’s careers;
  8. Pregnancy is a form of suffering to women and is a health risk, and women should not be forced to go through it;
  9. The Magisterium is no longer trusted because of sex scandal and historical scandal;
  10. Denying civil rights to certain classes of people is a form of hate, and societies that have exercised civil tolerance have continued to flourish and maintain high standards of living.
  11. It is now impossible to maintain work or business if you do not support gay marriage rights;
Can we admit that Catholic teachings on abortion, sex, marriage, and contraception are losing relevance in today’s modern world?
What you are asking is if the Church is losing relevance
in an increasingly narcissistic culture? Of course
it is. The exercise of Christian virtues are always
rejected by narcissists I.e.charity, self denial, etc.
To a narcissist the only relevancy is his own desire.
 
👍
The Catholic Church will always teach the TRUTH. It’s us that need to wake up and start living that TRUTH in our daily lives. Then we will see a change for the better in our world. God have Mercy on us if we don’t and our children. We can already see the harm being done. God Bless, Memaw
 
In today’s modern culture in which:
  1. It is prohibitively expensive to raise children, and the world is becoming overpopulated;
  2. We are learning more about gender and sexuality, and we realize that homosexuality is normal in a certain percentage of the population, and therefore there are no longer any secular reasons to deny marriage rights to gay couples;
  3. More and more people are acquainted with a gay person and realize that gays are normal human beings, and should not have to suffer from denial of right to marriage;
  4. There are no longer any financial incentives for people to stay married or to have children, and it is possible to be financially solvent and successful living alone;
  5. Lifespan is increasing and it’s a tall order to remain committed to one partner for life;
  6. Postmodernism is the only way to ensure peace and coexistence in a diverse society in which not everyone is Christian;
  7. Women have careers and pregnancy is a major impediment to women’s careers;
  8. Pregnancy is a form of suffering to women and is a health risk, and women should not be forced to go through it;
  9. The Magisterium is no longer trusted because of sex scandal and historical scandal;
  10. Denying civil rights to certain classes of people is a form of hate, and societies that have exercised civil tolerance have continued to flourish and maintain high standards of living.
  11. It is now impossible to maintain work or business if you do not support gay marriage rights;
Can we admit that Catholic teachings on abortion, sex, marriage, and contraception are losing relevance in today’s modern world?
Ha,ha! humorous.

NO, actually the opposite is true. The kind of post-Enlightenment decline we are experience points EXACTLY to Christianity as vital and essential to smart human beings who naturally desire a real point and purpose to life.
 
Thank you, SwizzleStick and dmar198 for your articulate and spot-on rebuttals to CaliLobo!
 
:t:
Huh??

That is like saying that because an Oncologist has never had cancer himself, that he is not entitled to treat you.

Or that a policeman who has never been robbed cannot protect you.
👍

Or that I go to a male doctor with female problems, well how can he understand my problems, of course he can , he has studied enough, and met with enough female patients also to know, even though being a male he wont have had the any of the normal female problems.
 
In today’s modern culture in which:
  1. It is prohibitively expensive to raise children, and the world is becoming overpopulated;
  2. We are learning more about gender and sexuality, and we realize that homosexuality is normal in a certain percentage of the population, and therefore there are no longer any secular reasons to deny marriage rights to gay couples;
  3. More and more people are acquainted with a gay person and realize that gays are normal human beings, and should not have to suffer from denial of right to marriage;
  4. There are no longer any financial incentives for people to stay married or to have children, and it is possible to be financially solvent and successful living alone;
  5. Lifespan is increasing and it’s a tall order to remain committed to one partner for life;
  6. Postmodernism is the only way to ensure peace and coexistence in a diverse society in which not everyone is Christian;
  7. Women have careers and pregnancy is a major impediment to women’s careers;
  8. Pregnancy is a form of suffering to women and is a health risk, and women should not be forced to go through it;
  9. The Magisterium is no longer trusted because of sex scandal and historical scandal;
  10. Denying civil rights to certain classes of people is a form of hate, and societies that have exercised civil tolerance have continued to flourish and maintain high standards of living.
  11. It is now impossible to maintain work or business if you do not support gay marriage rights;
Hmmm…I’ll bite:
1a) Only if you’re selfish
1b) No, the world is not overpopulated…that is a myth used by people to devalue life
2&3) Newsflash: men and women are different, and thus complimentary. Put two married heterosexuals in a room together for a year, and you have a chance of finding a baby with them at the end of that time. Put two gay people in a room together for a year, and there is ZERO chances of finding a baby with them at the end of that time. Read a biology book if you don’t understand.
4) Only makes sense if you’re selfish
5) Only makes sense if you’re selfish
6) No, just quit being selfish
7) Not for my wife, and unselfish people
8) Driving a car is more of a risk…perhaps we should not allow women to drive
9) Obviously a bigoted, uninformed statement. The Church fixed the problem. The real risk for sex abuse of children is in the public school system…If you are really against child sex abuse post a thread about the public school system.
10) Only if you re-define “civil rights” and re-define “hate”. I think we should rail against the United Negro College Fund because they are denying my “civil right” to a scholarship because I’m white. Why do they hate me so much??? We should also rail against the Air Force because they are denying me my “civil right” to fly a fighter jet because I don’t meet the physical requirements. Why do they hate me so much??
11) What does support or non-support of same sex unions have to with selling chicken, cars, widgets?
Can we admit that Catholic teachings on abortion, sex, marriage, and contraception are losing relevance in today’s modern world?
Only for the selfish people
 
  1. It is prohibitively expensive to raise children, and the world is becoming overpopulated;
    Now why is it becoming more expense to raise children? Could the unfair distribution and access to resources have anything to do with this? I guess killing children is the correct answer and calling for a fair distribution and access to resources (you know, the stance the Church takes) is the wrong one.
  2. We are learning more about gender and sexuality, and we realize that homosexuality is normal in a certain percentage of the population, and therefore there are no longer any secular reasons to deny marriage rights to gay couples;
    You don’t have a high regard to homosexuals do you? I’m asking because your above pretty much reduces homosexuals to being people who can’t control their sexual urges. I assume this is why you don’t understand that the Church has no issue with homosexual people (being a homosexual or having SSA isn’t immoral) but with homosexual acts (which are immoral, just like a heterosexual engaging in sex outside of marriage).
  3. More and more people are acquainted with a gay person and realize that gays are normal human beings, and should not have to suffer from denial of right to marriage;
    Kind of covered in my response to point 2, but I would like to point out that from a biological (i.e. science) viewpoint homosexuality isn’t the norm, it’s a natural abnormality. Would you also like to discuss other normal human beings that are denied the right to marry?
  4. There are no longer any financial incentives for people to stay married or to have children, and it is possible to be financially solvent and successful living alone;
    That’s always been the case and last I checked the main focus of marriage hasn’t ever been financial incentives.
  5. Lifespan is increasing and it’s a tall order to remain committed to one partner for life;
    It’s called self control. The internet has made it, incredibly easy, and it will only get easier in the future, to engage in all sorts of illegal activities (fraud, identity theft, stalking, etc). Would that mean it’s a “tall order” to expect people not to engage in these activities?
  6. Postmodernism is the only way to ensure peace and coexistence in a diverse society in which not everyone is Christian;
    Yeah, because it has worked so well so far.:rolleyes:
  7. Women have careers and pregnancy is a major impediment to women’s careers;
    Do you hate women? I’m asking because your above pretty much seems to have no issue with women having to conform to an economic system (careers) that is designed for men. One would think someone who doesn’t hate women would call for this economic system to be changed to support one of the main unique differences between women and men instead of wanting women to act like men with bigger breasts.
  8. Pregnancy is a form of suffering to women and is a health risk, and women should not be forced to go through it;
    Seriously, do you hate women? Women shouldn’t be forced to go through pregnancy either equates to women shouldn’t be allowed to have sex or that women are so incompetent that they shouldn’t be held responsible for the natural and expected outcome of sex (possibility of pregnancy).
  9. The Magisterium is no longer trusted because of sex scandal and historical scandal;
    You think the sex scandal is the worse scandal to ever occur in the Church? Um, ok.
  10. Denying civil rights to certain classes of people is a form of hate, and societies that have exercised civil tolerance have continued to flourish and maintain high standards of living.
    Apparently freedom of religion is no longer a civil right.
  11. It is now impossible to maintain work or business if you do not support gay marriage rights;
    Why is this? Because certain people call for the denial of civil rights to some based on those individual’s religious beliefs?
    Can we admit that Catholic teachings on abortion, sex, marriage, and contraception are losing relevance in today’s modern world?
 
Let’s just remember what Jesus said about this world: “my kindgdome is not from this world”, “whoever tries to save his life will lose but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it” “you are not from the world but I choose you out of the world”.

So going back to the OP…when did the catholic church started worrying about what this world thinks??
 
I suppose it depends on how one defines relevancy. The more wicked the world becomes the more relevant the Church becomes to mans depravity.
 
  1. Pregnancy is a form of suffering to women and is a health risk, and women should not be forced to go through it;
It is very strange to me that in the many centuries during which pregnancy and childbirth actually were quite dangerous, there were no calls for abortion to be legalized and the like. But now, when the risks of pregnancy have declined so much is when the calls for “free” birth control and abortion are all brought up.

And in fact, these calls were not made until the advent of birth control seen as ultra-reliable…

Additionally, I would like to say that I think the once-important view of women as mothers has taken a nosedive in favor of women as sex objects since the invention of the Pill. Oh, the irony!
 
Abortion (and justified infanticide after birth), homosexuality, and divorce are long-standing issues. Within differing cultures, they’ve been socially acceptable at various times, predating Christianity by a wide margin.

Catholic values may be losing acceptance within contemporary culture, but that’s just how it goes. When evaluated from a wider context, they’re just as relevant (or irrelevant) now as they’ve ever been.

Presumably, early Christians didn’t “do in Rome as the Romans did”.
St Francis:
It is very strange to me that in the many centuries during which pregnancy and childbirth actually were quite dangerous, there were no calls for abortion to be legalized and the like.
Lack of belief has much to do with it, even among those who profess to be Christian. I don’t mean a vague concept like “the existence of God”, but rather belief in the truth of orthodox doctrine and authority.

I digress here, but I don’t really buy such arguments as poor catechism being the root of the problem (which is suggested so often here). By my experience, it’s certainly an issue for some people. However, I’ve known just as many older folks (some of whom received splendid religious education from before Vatican II) who can accurately quote church teaching, yet dismiss much of it as ignorant, outdated, or even devious invention. Some never actually believed what they were taught, others lost their trust in it over time.
 
Is there a larger Church in the world today than the Catholic Church? The world isn’t the issue. the West has lost its bearing. Its not unprecedented look at communism.

The empty shell of nothingness in the west seeks to be nothing more in this world than what they invest in. Its an empty, fearful existence of bondage which seeks to suck you into the bottomless pit it dwells in chasing the importance of their flashing moment of mortality in fear of robbery. They seek happiness through pleasure which results in emptiness, in short they run from pain. And that is exactly why Good has the final say.

They fear you. They fear your solidarity. And that is exactly why Christ said “Fear Nothing” You are the crown of creation, but the confusion is bleeding you of your own freedom, and for not a single good reason.

If you literally took your message right to the streets, they in fact would fear you, and they should. Being a real friend, a real parent or sibling means, I’ll be your friend, but I won’t accept your negativity.
 
The reduction of Christs Church is a sideways attack on Christ, its about equal to saying. We don’t hate you Jesus, we just want your Church to go away so the rest of the Christian tents will fold up also and disappear. Then we could not hate you and place you in box, in the closet and reflect when need be, or if ever.
 
The world doesn’t hate Jesus.
A lot of people loathe what many do and have done in his name, so very true. A lot don’t believe he’s divine, or agree with his beliefs–yes.
But I wouldn’t say he, Jesus, is specifically “still so hated by the world”–or ever really was.

.
I disagree and absolutely believe the world hates Jesus, Christians and any true moral authority. People want to do what they want to do and do not want anyone to correct them or cause them to have guilt.
 
The world doesn’t hate Jesus.
A lot of people loathe what many do and have done in his name, so very true. A lot don’t believe he’s divine, or agree with his beliefs–yes.
But I wouldn’t say he, Jesus, is specifically “still so hated by the world”–or ever really was.

.
Christ said: I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Light… yes, it is Jesus specifically which is still so hated by the world.
 
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