Tony Blair Agrees With the Catholic Church—Except When he Doesn't

Catholic World Report ^ | Carl E. Olson

[marshmallow]

The former Prime Minister seems like a nice enough chap and all that, but he also has an irritating habit of wanting it both ways when it comes to being Catholic. Perhaps it comes from being a politician; perhaps it is symptomatic of something else, such as being a child of the current age. Whatever the roots, it is on display in a recent interview with The Telegraph (ht: Deacon Greg Kandra):

As a Catholic convert, he ''accepts the doctrine of the Catholic Church’’, but ''I’m not a doctrinal ideologue’’. He feels ''no great revulsion, quite the opposite’’ for the Church of England, which he left. He became a Catholic because of his Catholic wife, Cherie, and their family: ''I didn’t really analyse a great deal. I just felt more at home there.’’

And then:

Very well, then, I say, look at gay marriage, a proposal that troubles many adherents of all the main religions. No comfort for the faithful here: Mr Blair is out of line with his adopted Church. ''I understand why people take a different view,’’ he says, but he is in favour of gay marriage. Indeed, it is not really possible to find a public policy issue where he takes a specifically religious view against the prevailing secularism. It is, rather, a broader point: he thinks religion is a benign force in a modern liberal order, not a hostile one.

So, he accepts the doctrine of the Catholic Church, except when he rejects it. And when he rejects it, he apparently doesn't understand (despite his protests otherwise) what he has rejected since he's not really into doctrine or analyzing the specifics of Catholic teaching. This description is, I think, both telling and on the mark: "Indeed, it is not really possible to find a public policy.....

[Olog-hai]

. . . so why did he convert? Catholicism being his wife’s religion ain’t enough.

[prof.h.mandingo]

As a Catholic we have too many mush headed idiots like Blair in the church. The pulpit around here is getting more into preaching that you have to take the full course not pick and choose like the “cafeteria Catholics”. About time.

[Caulkhead]

“. . . so why did he convert? Catholicism being his wife’s religion ain’t enough.”

You’ve clearly never met Cherie. He probably just wanted a little peace. . . . . .

[Olog-hai]

He won’t get it if he keeps this up.

[I still care]

This is the great problem of Catholicism.

Because there is so much ritual in it, people “slide”. They think all they have to do is the ritual, and they are ok with God. I know “Catholics” who do the ritual and barely believe in God.

Jesus said narrow is the path that leads to salvation. A true saving faith - that is more rare than people realize.

And before people say I am unfairly targeting Catholics, IMHO evangelicals have much the same problem - too many think if they say the Sinner’s prayer and that’s it, they are just fine.

[Salvation]

It sure helps to have both parents Catholic when raising the children, although I think he is beyond that. Aren’t his children grown?

[SuziQ]

Sadly, Tony Blair sounds like many American Catholics. They are more concerned about being thought well of by their fellow citizens than about God’s teachings.

[Claud]

Ritual is a part of every relationship. From anniversaries to birthdays. And “Do this in remembrance of me” is nothing if not a template for ritual.

I see what you are saying. Yes, we can slip into doing things perfunctorily. But even so, am I not showing by an exercise of the will to *participate* in said ritual that I value my relationship with God?

[I still care]

I can see the value of ritual, and that many people find it helps their worship.

But having grown up as a Catholic, I unfortunately found more people that left their Christian growth in the hands of clergy and ritual than I am sure Jesus intended. As long as some are following rules, they don’t have to bend their hearts to really learning of the Lord.

I was astounded, after I became a REAL christian (after being an atheist just attending a Catholic church for appearences sake), to talk to several people who were very involved in the church and find they thought I was very strange indeed for actually talking and thinking about God. But they were the ones that used to insist I go to confession and Christmas mass!

Tony Blair has no problem with the civics of the Catholic faith. He thinks he’s Catholic. But both you and I know he can’t be, not if he denies the deity and importance of Christ.

[NKP_Vet]

Anyone that calls themselves Catholic CAN NOT be for sodomite “marriage” and abortion. They are against the word of God. They are non-negotiable moral issues of the Catholic Church,
and Catholics can not compromise on these issues. Sodomy and abortion are a sin against God. Homosexuality is indeed an abomination.

Tony Blair should be ashamed to call himself Catholic, because he’s not. If he believes in sodomite marriage he is not in good standing with the Catholic Church and should not present himself for Holy Communion.