Following The Truth: Catholic “Fluff” – The Enemy Within (Catholic or Open)

CatholicLane.com ^ | Feb 10, 2011 | Gary Zimak

[Salvation]

Catholic “Fluff” – The Enemy Within

by Gary Zimak on Feb 10, 2011

We don’t like to speak the truth about evil because we’re going to hurt somebody.  Let me tell you, you are going to hurt somebody, but that somebody is God.  If you would rather hurt God than your neighbor, there is something wrong with your spirituality.  It’s your obligation to speak the truth and everyone can take it or leave it.  But truth must be in us.  We live in such poverty of the truth today” (Mother Angelica).

I was recently asked to comment on an article that was posted on the Internet.  Although I hadn’t read it before, a strong feeling of déjà vu came over me as I digested the familiar details…Thousands of people are leaving the Catholic Church to join churches with less “rules” and unless changes are made, she will continue to lose people.  This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I wholeheartedly agree that changes must be made.  However, I strongly disagree with the notion that it is the Church who must change.  What needs to change is the tendency for some well-meaning individuals to replace clearly defined Church teaching with a vague, fluffy theology that is carefully designed to not offend anyone.

In an attempt to reach out to alienated Catholics and “stop the bleeding”, many Catholic publications, religious education teachers, priests and deacons have taken it upon themselves to “water down” or sanitize Catholic doctrine so that it is less offensive and more politically correct.  Their fear is that, unless this is done, the Church will continue to lose people.  While I commend their intentions and agree that we must reach out, withholding or ignoring the more challenging teachings of the Church does more harm than good.  Rather than change or ignore the truth, we should instead take the lead of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.  While continuing to reach out to those who may not completely agree with Church teaching, he never compromises the integrity of Church doctrine.

Although I always do my best to maintain a sense of charity, my articles tend to “tell it like it is” in regard to the Catholic Faith.  Why?  Because I love Jesus and His Church and I want to share the truth with my readers.  For the most part, people appreciate this and I receive favorable comments.  However, I sometimes receive the comparison familiar to most Catholic apologists and writers who present the true teaching of the Church – that of being a “Pharisee”.  I know exactly the types of statements that will elicit this backlash – support of the male priesthood as being designed by Christ, denial of Holy Communion for those in the state of mortal sin, the sinfulness of artificial birth control, pointing out that a homosexual lifestyle is wrong, commenting on the fact that marriage is only valid between a man and a woman, endorsing priestly celibacy as a gift from God, etc.  In fact, I can usually get quite a reaction just by supporting papal infallibility or stating that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church founded by Jesus Christ.  What I will sometimes hear is that, just like the Pharisees, I am focusing on the “letter” of the law and ignoring its “spirit”.  In these instances, I have noticed that it’s not so much supporting Church teaching that causes an uproar, but rather which teaching one supports.

Make no mistake; I commend the individuals who are attempting to reach out to those Catholics who feel alienated from the Church.  However, removing the more challenging aspects of the Catholic faith doesn’t help anyone to achieve their salvation.  Instead, it leaves them with the partial truth at best and false doctrine at worst.  It also leaves them very susceptible to giving up their Catholic faith entirely.  To me, that is a very serious problem which needs to be addressed.  Rather than ignoring the more difficult doctrinal teachings as if they didn’t exist, doesn’t it make more sense to explain them – especially when the path to heaven requires that they be followed?

Some may argue that it is more compassionate to reach out to marginalized ex-Catholics by removing some of the “rules” that caused them to leave in the first place.  I would counter by suggesting that if they understood the meaning of these “rules” and the fact that Christ is speaking through His Church, they would probably never have left.  However, the constant pressure from the media and the hedonistic society in which we live has changed the way that people view the Church hierarchy.  For many, the Holy Father and the bishops are no longer viewed as the men authorized by Jesus to teach in His name (Mt 28:18-20), but rather a group of power hungry, “out of touch” old men who are determined to hold on to their archaic, dictatorial empire at all costs!  Unfortunately, having that point of view will never allow one to accept the fact that when the Church teaches, it is Jesus Christ who speaks.  We must strive to make Catholics aware of that fact, as it lays the foundation for accepting the authority of the Church to teach authoritatively in matters of faith and morals.

But how is it possible that “watered down” Catholic teaching can actually cause people to leave the faith?  Shouldn’t it make it easier for them to stay?  In actuality, by diluting Church teaching we make all religions the same.  If we remove all doctrine besides “God loves us just the way we are”, then why should one be Catholic?  After all, that is taught by every Christian church.  If we take that approach in an effort to appease those who may otherwise leave the Church, guess what happens as soon as Father Murphy gives a boring homily or asks for more donations?  Guess what happens when they don’t like the music or waking up for Mass on Sunday morning?  They will find another denomination that has good music and doesn’t require mandatory Sunday attendance.  Why?  Because what’s the point of being Catholic if all religions are the same?  Since all of the substance and core teaching of Catholicism have been removed, why not go to a less demanding church?  This pattern of “church-hopping” will then continue every time their personal beliefs differ from their “church-du-jour”.

The issue of people gravitating toward less stringent and more appealing doctrine is hardly new.  As evidence of this, St. Paul warned his colleague Timothy of this very problem which was occurring in the Church of Ephesus:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.  As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Tm 4:3-5).

While I believe that, as teachers of the faith, we should do all in our power to present the positive aspects of Church doctrine, sometimes people will just not accept the teaching.  Our Lord encountered this very situation when He attempted to explain the necessity of eating His Body and Blood.  Upon hearing it, many of His disciples stated, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it (Jn 6:60)?”  Did Jesus beg them to come back?  Did He change the command?  Did He water down the message?

No.  He let them walk away.  Likewise, while we must reach out to inactive and alienated Catholics, we must always do so by charitably explaining the true teaching of our faith, not by changing it!

[Salvation]

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Tm 4:3-5).

[Salvation]

Gary Zimak is the founder of Following The Truth Ministries (http://www.followingthetruth.com), a lay apostolate created to assist Catholics in learning more about their Faith. He is a regular guest on EWTN Radio’s “Son Rise Morning Show”, Ave Maria Radio’s “Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo” and appears frequently on several other Catholic radio programs.  In addition to writing for CatholicLane. Mr. Zimak hosts a daily program on BlogTalkRadio and posts frequently on his blog, Facebook and Twitter.  He is a member of Catholics United For The Faith and the Knights of Columbus and resides in New Jersey.

[Salvation]

I appreciate all of you for NOT “watering down” Catholicism on FR. People always need to know the truth.

Blessings in this second week of Advent.

[Alex Murphy]

…Thousands of people are leaving the Catholic Church to join churches with less “rules” and unless changes are made, she will continue to lose people. This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I wholeheartedly agree that changes must be made. However, I strongly disagree with the notion that it is the Church who must change. What needs to change is the tendency for some well-meaning individuals to replace clearly defined Church teaching with a vague, fluffy theology that is carefully designed to not offend anyone.

Fluffy theology, you say?

While Catholics believe the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it is true, one cannot take individual biblical quotes or passages and say each one is literally true, Pope Benedict XVI said....

....In his message, the Pope said clearer explanations about the Catholic position on the divine inspiration and truth of the Bible were important because some people seem to treat the Scriptures simply as literature, while others believe that each line was dictated by the Holy Spirit and is literally true. Neither position is Catholic, the Pope said.
-- from the thread How to Read the Bible as a Catholic

...while fewer believers know much about the Bible, one-third of Americans continue to believe that it is literally true, something organizers of the Synod on the Word of God called a dangerous form of fundamentalism that is “winning more and more adherents…even among Catholics.” Such literalism, the synod’s preparatory document said, “demands an unshakable adherence to rigid doctrinal points of view and imposes, as the only source of teaching for Christian life and salvation, a reading of the Bible which rejects all questioning and any kind of critical research”....
-- from the thread A Literate Church: The state of Catholic Bible study today

[cloudmountain]

Jesus, God Himself, came to us. He performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the thousands.
He knew human nature, since He created it.
He was not listened to by more than a comparative handful of Jews and Gentiles.
So HOW ON EARTH do we think we can evangelinze anyone? :o) If Jesus couldn't change their hearts, after eye-witnessing Him, His words and His works, how can we?

Not much has changed with human nature in 2000 years, has it?Our task is to TRY.

[frogjerk]

While Catholics believe the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it is true, one cannot take individual biblical quotes or passages and say each one is literally true, Pope Benedict XVI said...

Fluffy theology, you say?

Is the following Biblical Quote true: "Then Jesus said to them: "Amen, amen, I say unto you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, the same also shall live by me. "

[Salvation]

http://www.freerepublic.com/~religionmoderator/

From the Religion Moderator’s page:

Remember this:

The demeanor of the poster says more about his own confession than the post says about yours. When he is being rude or mean it drives people away from his confession and towards yours. That is of course if you can resist the urge to meet fire with fire, in which case neither confession is appealing to the lurkers. The poster who “turns the other cheek” wins every single time.
If the other guy is throwing spitwads at you on an “open” thread it probably means he has run out of ammunition. Take it as a backhanded compliment. You won, walk away.

Spiritual maturity is not a prerequisite for posting on the Religion Forum. If the other guy is being childish, be patient with him.

Abusive spammers contribute nothing other than their spam and they don’t last long on Free Republic.

[ConorMacNessa]

"Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me." John 14:6 DRA

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[Borax Queen]

Thank you for the ping, Salvation. Blessings to you also.

[Judith Anne]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3O_cV4bxRk

John Rutter magnificat

[CynicalBear]

>> For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Tm 4:3-5).

Like the myth of the bodily assumption of Mary and that she is now the “queen of heaven”?

[old and tired]

Although I vehemently disagree with you that your examples prove your point, I do agree that watered down theology has lost us at least as many Catholics as authoritarianism. All that Kumbaya handholding crap turns people off and appeals to a lukewarm faith. People are going to go looking for the Truth.

[thesaleboat]

“Then Jesus said to them: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, the same also shall live by me. “
Communion, and this happens at every Catholic mass.

[Alex Murphy]

I vehemently disagree with you that your examples prove your point

What was my point?

[Bigg Red]

Good piece. Thanks for the ping.

I have often wondered just how many fallen away Catholics left because the truth was watered down so much.

[frogjerk]

AMEN!

[moodyskeptic]

good post. I’ve been unhappy with my Church since the seventies for pandering to the squishy mainstream. Most American parishes embraced lousy pop music, hand holding and creepy liturgical dancing. This, I believe, sends more Catholics away than some poorly-defined dissatisfaction with “old” dogma. The only hope for the Church is a return to Truth, modern “correctness” be damned. There are over 1,000 Protestant denominations, world-wide they total about equal the RCC... so if anyone has a problem with the hard line taken by the RCC, let them go join one of them. See ya, hate t’be ya!

I know many recent converts, and I also know MANY drifting Catholics and from what I see, historical SOLID unchanging morality is the attraction, not the deterrent... of my Church. Protestant-style Catholic parishes that embrace “modernity and reaching out” are the problem and not the solution.

[Salvation]

Myth?

Tell me, please, where is her body buried then?

It has never been found.

[Salvation]

It would seem that these new translations are bringing them back.

[cothrige]

While Catholics believe the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it is true, one cannot take individual biblical quotes or passages and say each one is literally true, Pope Benedict XVI said....

Why do we see more and more techniques of the Left here among those claiming to be conservative? Taking a quote, tearing it from context, and then using the damaged remainder for shock value and to imply horrible errors is definitely not something real conservatives would do. But, it is very popular among liberals.

It is also, and perhaps ironically, precisely the kind of thing the Holy Father was decrying in the comments from which you quoted. Just as you take one phrase and insist it is a literal truth all to itself, regardless of any original context, he warns against unwisely ripping one sentence or passage from scripture and trying to use it apart from anything which surrounds it. It is incorrect both intellectually and theologically.