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To: Alex Murphy

The Catholic Church has never defined herself according to the beliefs of the statistical majority but rather by adherence to the teachings of the divinely protected Magisterium. What Susan Jacoby is attempting to do is to redefine what it means to be Catholic. This in itself is an act of anti-Catholic bigotry, denying the Church the right to define itself.

In essence she is saying that rejection of those who hold Catholic beliefs does not constitute anti-Catholicism because she and others do not reject Catholic people who do not hold Catholic beliefs. In other words, the only good Catholic is a non-believing Catholic.


14 posted on 03/14/2007 8:13:40 AM PDT by Petrosius
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To: Petrosius; ArrogantBustard
This in itself is an act of anti-Catholic bigotry, denying the Church the right to define itself.

Precisely. Sort of like defining "Protestants" as "anyone not Catholic or Orthodox".

31 posted on 03/14/2007 9:56:28 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
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To: Petrosius; Between the Lines; Alex Murphy; siunevada; Salvation; wmfights; wagglebee; jo kus; ...

"In essence she is saying that rejection of those who hold Catholic beliefs does not constitute anti-Catholicism because she and others do not reject Catholic people who do not hold Catholic beliefs. In other words, the only good Catholic is a non-believing Catholic."

This is a problem we all face when we maintain a big tent, but don't discipline the members. The world will always cull out those that stand against its values using perjorative terms as "extremists" or "fundamentalists" and until the church separates itself from the world lovers, the world will always claim its friends as the true church and the faithful as the aberrant ones. That is one of the reasons that there are many denominations and Independant churches. If we are going to be targeted we might as well be on our own, not as some apostate defines us.

That is also why, in this forum we distance ourselves from the label "protestant" and fly under the Calvinist, etc. banners.


46 posted on 03/14/2007 11:05:01 AM PDT by blue-duncan
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