Why dont we use the word Church anymore?

[Joysong]

It would be good to rethink this in light of the word Sacred Scripture has seen fit to use: “assembly”. I doubt the word would be any more appreciated by those who are indignant about the word “community.” [The Assembly of St. xxx] Or we could use the words The Congregation of St. xxx, as it states in the second reference below. Doesn’t this concern seem a bit caviling?

There are 65 references in the Duoay-Rheims bible calling the Israelites an assembly, and St. James uses the word as well in speaking about the New Testament christians.

James 2
2 For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel, and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire,

Leviticus 23
36 The eighth day also shall be most solemn and most holy, and you shall offer holocausts to the Lord: for it is the day of assembly and congregation: you shall do no servile work therein.

Deuteronomy 16
8 Six days shalt thou eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day, because it is the assembly of the Lord thy God, thou shalt do no work.

 

[Al_Masetti]

Sometimes “clergypersons” want to appear to be trendy and with it and hip.

So they change the words they use to describe themselves.

Sometimes, it is just pretentious.

Sometimes, not.

Sometimes, there is a desire to “reach out” and be “ecumenical” and use the lexicon of other religions and denominations, which gets us into ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE … 'cause those alternate words already have established meanings.

And we want to take a word with an already established meaning and use it to mean something else.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong about “Catholic exceptionalism”.

Sometimes, there are some deep-seated, deep-rooted, individual psychological issues … if folks belong to the Catholic Church, then … they are afraid of appearing superior if they have the truth… so maybe they become defensive about “superiority” and talk down to others by adopting or attempting to adopt the lexicon of other groups, to which they do not belong.

They just end up looking or sounding ridiculous.

Or worse … watering down the Catholic faith.

 

[Rykell]

Sometimes, there are some deep-seated, deep-rooted, individual psychological issues … if folks belong to the Catholic Church, then … they are afraid of appearing superior if they have the truth… so maybe they become defensive about “superiority” and talk down to others by adopting or attempting to adopt the lexicon of other groups, to which they do not belong.

They just end up looking or sounding ridiculous.

This is certainly a very negative assumption, for I doubt the poster really knows the motivation of all these churches in applying that label.

In post #29 where three “communities” are listed, has anyone noted that they are identified specifically as CATHOLIC communites? That should spell out within the very name that these churches have a very specific identity. Nobody would believe that they want to avoid sounding “superior.” some traditionalists excepted]

 

[Al_Masetti]

This is certainly a very negative assumption, for I doubt the poster really knows the motivation of all these churches in applying that label.

In post #29 where three “communities” are listed, has anyone noted that they are identified specifically as CATHOLIC communites? That should spell out within the very name that these churches have a very specific identity. Nobody would believe that they want to avoid sounding “superior.” some traditionalists excepted]

I have been listening to “these people” since the early 1960’s.

All I can advise or respond with is this: Spend nearly half a century “hanging out” with a variety of parishes, organizations, pastors, chaplains, priests, brothers, nuns, professors, lay helpers, people who have gone directly to the Pope, people who have gotten bishops and priests fired, etc, etc, etc, and listen to the stories they tell.

And then come back and tell me I have no idea … that I don’t know the motivation … etc.