D
Detales
Guest
One of the ideas in the OP made me remember an incident from many years ago. The incident is an example of supporting your opposition by resisting. Here is what happened. I was living in Arizona at the time and much more into watching prime time news than now. One of the stories one night was of an RC pastor who was incensed that patrons of a nude entertainment club across the street were using his church’s parking lot when going to the club. He was doing evereything he could to wage legal and media “war” on this bad influence that set up shop, legally, across the street from the church. The club in question was in Connecticut. And here I was, most of the way across the country, hearing about this blown-up conflict.
As it happened, I got a job in Stamford, CT, about a month later, and ended up renting at a friend’s house in a nearby town. As it turned out, taking an alternate route to work one day, I happened on this club/church location. The club parking lot was packed, and overflowed, as reported, into the church lot across the street. Over the time I lived in the area this was always the case as I drove by here during business hours. I couldn’t help notice all the out of state plates in the lots.
I thought to myself one day, “The owner of that club ought to be tithing to the church in gratitude for all the free advertising!” Indeed, until the club was closed on a legal technicality, the Pastor’s efforts had the matter on the first page of the newspaper’s “local” section every few weeks, or in some form of local media. Evidently, judging from the number of cars at the club and in his parking lot, he was doing far more to increase attendance at the club than he did at his church!
I wonder if the same dynamic doesn’t hold true on here to some extent. While my experience is generally one of being welcomed here, and of not only civil but warm conversation, I see a lot of “enemies of the Church” stuff. In particular, there is a militant element on here that by slamming other’s way of perception–I would guess, correcty, l think,-- actually enforces the conviciton on some parts that Catholicism isn’t the way. This is particulary applicable to the idea that our God is a Loving God and we are all His children.
In other words, instead of lifting up the ideal that someone is making a sincere effort to know God, and is on here and presents an opportunity to dialogue, the person might get slammed by someone who in the end does more damage to the perception of the Church than good. Or maybe the forum or the Church employs gadflies to harass someone who has a different understanding? I don’t know. But judging from some conversations I’ve had on here, that feels like the case, even if it is not consciously so on the slammer’s part. (It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a business plan, lol!) Anyway, all that reminded me of the good Pastor who mutiplied, by being so adamantly against it, the business of the club across the street by at least, according to reports, a factor of ten.
As it happened, I got a job in Stamford, CT, about a month later, and ended up renting at a friend’s house in a nearby town. As it turned out, taking an alternate route to work one day, I happened on this club/church location. The club parking lot was packed, and overflowed, as reported, into the church lot across the street. Over the time I lived in the area this was always the case as I drove by here during business hours. I couldn’t help notice all the out of state plates in the lots.
I thought to myself one day, “The owner of that club ought to be tithing to the church in gratitude for all the free advertising!” Indeed, until the club was closed on a legal technicality, the Pastor’s efforts had the matter on the first page of the newspaper’s “local” section every few weeks, or in some form of local media. Evidently, judging from the number of cars at the club and in his parking lot, he was doing far more to increase attendance at the club than he did at his church!
I wonder if the same dynamic doesn’t hold true on here to some extent. While my experience is generally one of being welcomed here, and of not only civil but warm conversation, I see a lot of “enemies of the Church” stuff. In particular, there is a militant element on here that by slamming other’s way of perception–I would guess, correcty, l think,-- actually enforces the conviciton on some parts that Catholicism isn’t the way. This is particulary applicable to the idea that our God is a Loving God and we are all His children.
In other words, instead of lifting up the ideal that someone is making a sincere effort to know God, and is on here and presents an opportunity to dialogue, the person might get slammed by someone who in the end does more damage to the perception of the Church than good. Or maybe the forum or the Church employs gadflies to harass someone who has a different understanding? I don’t know. But judging from some conversations I’ve had on here, that feels like the case, even if it is not consciously so on the slammer’s part. (It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a business plan, lol!) Anyway, all that reminded me of the good Pastor who mutiplied, by being so adamantly against it, the business of the club across the street by at least, according to reports, a factor of ten.
, Catholics and Mormons agree that we are children of God.