[livius]

I think there are several considerations. First of all is the fact that for 40 years, since Vatican II, Catholics have been allowed and sometimes actively taught to ignore the teachings of the Church. Only now, under BXVI, is this horrible era being brought to an end.

In addition, there’s no such thing as “The Protestant Church.” That is, there are lots of different Protestant churches, some of them more liberal, some of them less liberal. Since the very liberal ones are down to about five elderly members now (like the liberal Catholic parishes), the more alive Protestant churches, whatever their specific denomination, will have more dedicated members who have actually made a choice to be there.

Finally, there’s the fact that many Catholics do not leave the Church when they cease to agree with its moral or other teachings. They are cultural products and they just keep going because that’s what they do. On the other hand, Protestants who have made the effort to find an orthodox Protestant church will be more committed because they have actually made the effort in the first place, rather than coasting into it.

What you are seeing with Obama’s attack on the Church right now, btw, is an attempt to get the lousy, coast-along, “dissenting Catholic” group into official power in the Church. It’s not going to work, but he’s going to make it very hard for the good Catholics.

[Alex Murphy]

....there’s no such thing as “The Protestant Church.” That is, there are lots of different Protestant churches, some of them more liberal, some of them less liberal. Since the very liberal ones are down to about five elderly members now (like the liberal Catholic parishes), the more alive Protestant churches, whatever their specific denomination, will have more dedicated members who have actually made a choice to be there.

Finally, there’s the fact that many Catholics do not leave the Church when they cease to agree with its moral or other teachings. They are cultural products and they just keep going because that’s what they do. On the other hand, Protestants who have made the effort to find an orthodox Protestant church will be more committed because they have actually made the effort in the first place, rather than coasting into it.

An intelligent and well-spoken post as usual, livius. Thanks for pinging me to it.

[RobbyS]

Good catch.

[bboop]

We were taught, at an RCIA ‘retreat’ of several RCIA groups — to form our own consciences according to what WE believed to be right. The ‘nun’ (in street clothes, obviously liberal, straight from the LA Archdiocese, matched totally with the church where we were doing RCIA) couched her teaching in very ‘reverent’ language.

I had been a Protestant for 20 years at that point, and I recognized this SPEW of hooey. There was no mention of — ‘according to the Bible,’ ‘Jesus would have us,’ ‘the Ten Commandments talk about.’ Everyone dutifully listened. My husband did not even catch it.

I was there at the Lord’s prompting, but it was totally disgusting. (As was the RCIA teaching at this church). It gave me a good glimpse, however, into the BAD catechesis in the CC these days — which is TOTALLY intentional, I believe, much as the propagandizing that goes on in the public schools is.

We are in a cultural battle.