Posted on 05/06/2009 10:49:58 AM PDT by markomalley
During the 2008 presidential campaign, there was a steady drumbeat of opposition to Barack Obama from some U.S. Catholic bishops, which only increased after his election. But despite the attention these attacks received in the media and on Internet blogs, polls show that the Catholic people are not listening. He has been criticized:
• for being the most pro-abortion president ever, even though he wants to develop programs that will reduce the number of abortions while keeping it legal under most circumstances (he supports restrictions in the third trimester with an exception for the health of the mother);
(snip)
These critiques seem to be falling on deaf ears. In the presidential election, Catholics voted for Obama, and Hispanic Catholics, who are a growing percentage of U.S. Catholics, gave him around two-thirds of their vote. Since the election, Obama has continued to do as well if not better with Catholics in the polls.
(snip)
What is wrong? Why are the bishops not being listened to?
Many think they lost their credibility because of the sex abuse crisis. Others say it was even earlier when the laity rejected the hierarchy's opposition to artificial birth control.
I think part of the problem is that the bishops stopped listening and teaching and started ordering and condemning. With an educated laity it no longer works to simply say, "it is the teaching of the church." This is the equivalent of a parent shouting, "Because I said so."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.washingtonpost.com ...
Or maybe he is the religious version of the folks who are advising the Repubican party (h/t to the Great One for that term): "if you want to gain votes (parishoners), you need to move to the left"
And we can see how moving to the left has worked, both for certain Christian denominations and for the Repubican Party.
ping for your lists
Newsweak. The same periodical that lied about korans being flushed down the toilet at Gitmo.
The Pravda Media echo chamber continues.
“la la la, I can’t hear you, la la, la”
Those polls include a sizeable percent of non-observant (non-Catholic) "Catholics".
Read the details of the pimped polls.
Public education should be discredited in total if that was the basis.
The laity didn't reject anything; it was the clergy, including large numbers of the heirarchy, who thought they were being tres moderne by ignoring the Church on the matter of birth control, and the rebellious clerical attitude did indeed scandalize and confuse people.
So if people aren't listening to the bishops, it's thanks to decades of teaching from people like Reese.
This Jesuit is an outright liar about Obama’s positions.
Boy oh Boy. It is gonna be a sight when these so called priests find out there is NO democracy in Heaven, you can’t curry favor by speaking lies in Heaven, and Jesus’ mercy is his JUSTICE and his JUSTICE is His mercy. Lawdy! to be a fly on a cloud when some of these “priests” and “catholics” meet their Maker.
I know if I will barely end up in purgatory, I pray for mercy AND justice for these fools.
The Pope will welcome Zero, because it gives the Pope an opportunity to preach the gospels to someone who desperately needs it.
There was actually a time when the Jesuits were Catholics.
I wouldn't be surprised if Zero never meets with the Pope.
The order needs a slap but there are many good and obedient priests in the Jesuits so I wouldn't paint with such a broad brush.
God is watching and listening......HE will know the score at the end.
If the Bishops were successful in convincing women not to have an abortion, there would be no need to convince politicians and educators. It would also help to say a few words now and then about shacking and hooking up.
And that servant, who knew the will of his lord and prepared not himself and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not and did things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more.
Just another hit piece by a cafeteria catholic, in an anti-Catholic publication.
There are STILL good Jesuits. Fr. James Schall comes immediately to mind....though there ARE several others. ;-)
Keep praying for the spiritual cleansing of all our clergy.
I wouldn’t believe anything NEWSWEAK has to report. They might even be more dishonest than the NY Times.
How ridiculous! Bishops aren’t supposed to say that anything “is against Church teaching”? Of course they should say that when it is true — it’s their job as shepherd. And of course they should explain the teaching both publicly and in catechetical education, but something tells me the liberal media won’t cover explanations — just sound bites, so I don’t think it is entirely their fault if the message is not getting out.
It's not so much that the bishops now are *NOT* doing that (they are tremendously better than they were even 10 years ago), but the problem is that they have to overcome 30 years of institutionalized liberalism, preached in the ambos, taught in the CCD and schools, and lived in the media.
It will take time. But, if the Lord tarries, it will get so that the Magesterium is the norm and heresy is the exception.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.