What does it mean if a Learned Catholic claims also to be 'progressive.'

[IsaiahSpirit]

There was a learned Catholic in a discussion with me; which
involved history over the last two hundred years.
There was politics touched on; I’d rather not got into detail,
and he used sometimes harsh polemics regarding the ‘right,’ and people on the ‘right.’
He wrongly assumed that I thought all progressives are pro abortion;
and so on. The thread, is over on another forum.
What does it mean to be Catholic in religion and ‘Progressive,’ politically?

 

[stpurl]

You’re going to hate this, but quite honestly, in modern society, it means "What the person says it thinks it means’.

If you have John Smith claiming to be progressive, John could mean anything from, “I’m in favor of married women priests, abortion, intercommunion with anybody, and same-sex marriage” to, “I’m in line with everything the Church has always taught, but as a progressive I believe that women should earn equal pay, that we should have universal health care, and that the Church should be doing far more to help the poor”.

You won’t know what issues are considered to be progressive (either by progressives themselves, or by ‘the average person’, or by 'conservatives) by the individual himself or herself until/unless that person tells us.

And be prepared to hear, even if you can bring up documentation from a ‘neutral site’ like the National Catholic Register which list certain concepts or items as ‘progressive’ to be told that the soi-disant ‘progressive’ absolutely does not accept ‘these’ as progressive. . .

 

[IsaiahSpirit]

Peace and warm regards.
OK, he actually gives a lot of effort in a homeless culture;
and I can sense his empathy with the poor.
I did try to convey to him; that while I’m neither ‘right wing,’ ‘left wing,’
conservative, liberal, or democrat or republican;
that it is a good idea not to go beyond what is written.
They almost, all use the democratic platform to get elected.
The have tenets, and policies written that are diametrically opposed
to Church Teaching; and except the one’s like pro life democrats; adamantly
strive to bring about the agenda of their platform against religious liberty,
free speech, the Sacredness of every human life — bring about intense
real suffering.
I tried to convey that history has shown that the poor are used to bring
about certain ideologies that take away these freedoms; that we, not only
are these freedoms routinely oppressed with harsh peer pressure on the young
but are more and more legislated and adjudicated.
And that there is increased real hostility in propaganda and polemics because
of this against The Laws of Nature and Nature’s God (ref. Declaration of Independence)
– especially the more specific Judaeo Christian ethic.
~
It seems to me, that with so many; whether they call themselves ‘progressive’ or not
have become much more of ‘one mind’ in carrying out a certain morality.
This kind of secular humanism, combined with ‘Caesar type bread to the poor to gain favor,’ is a very dangerous ‘form of godliness’ and that type of ‘theocracy’ has been more and more accepted by so many. Maybe I should have added that fears of the religious right gaining too much power; really seem to be much mitigated by freedom of religious
expression. Bring about better protection for Christians not having their children subject
to veiled or open seducing teaching, a violation of the First Amendment; and that laws
protecting the Sacredness of Life; along with compassion from the Church in society,
to help families - mothers - like what John Cardinal O’Connor started in NYC
(Good Counsel Homes, Sisters of Life, Coworker of Life) growing
much bigger with compassionate exhortations to be involved — will bring about a more
culture of life climate. And it there is much fruit of bring people to Christ with The Gospel of Life in the hedgerows and highways. I suppose Jesus Christ would say,
they listened to John The Baptist and are getting into Heaven. So while John Cardinal O’Connor related that The Holy Bible has been printed by the millions and is the most
popular book in the world for a very long time; The Church will never stop it’s fight
for the ‘words of God,’ called human persons; the Salvation of souls is helped very much by this Matthew 25:31-46; Beatitude; doers of the Word taking care of windows and orphans witness at Proclaiming The Gospel of Life.

Anyway, thank you for your reply.

 

[IsaiahSpirit]

The Sisters of Life, in Denver witnessed receiving communication from someone
that just because there was 40 Days For Life or like witness (I don’t remember specifically; that they did not go through with the abortion and are very happy with their daughter. I’ve heard other true accounts of this wonderful work of cooperating with
the Grace of God. I wish I could visit every congregation in Christendom; and give testimony.

 

[IsaiahSpirit]

Just one more thing; the reason I gave testimony of these things learned from all the way to the writings of Leo xiii; and many more up until now; to him;
was the importance the importance on how to raise awareness of these things
to battle, and confound ‘the wise,’ who continue to try and bring these things about.
~
I know John Paul ii, and others tried to form an integral concerted effort for a vast
‘sign’ of contradiction to the world with every part of The Church.