Comments on: Poll: U.S. Catholics Want to Be Episcopalians

By: Me and the Pope, a Memoir § Unqualified Offerings

Me and the Pope, a Memoir § Unqualified Offerings — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 14:15:17 +0000

[...] not “Back! Back!”) And it’s not like he was my Pope, or even the pope of American catholics. The Church is withering in the white North. Maybe a more liberal papacy would [...]

By: PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science

PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:36:40 +0000

Who Should Change: the Church or the Church's Detractors?
Writes Dean Esmay
I must admit to being a little baffled by some of the negative reactions to the new pope by his detractors. Honestly now: if you so radically disagree with the pope on core issues, isn't the solution to become... hmm, there's a wor...

By: Dmark

Dmark — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 01:52:17 +0000

Well, with the new Pope who seems to now have been pre selected! I hope I am wrong but from what I've heard so far about the new Popes views, he is going to set the Catholic Religion back, several hundred years! He is a strict Old Fashioned Priest with views of the good "Old Boys" days, when the priest ruled by fear and intimidation. They elevate themselves so that they can control the weak! I believe woman have the most to loose. I hope I am wrong and that the new Pope realizes his Job really is to Unite All peoples with moderation and caring for all Religions. I was told that Ratzinger said Catholisim is the only True religion--if this is true--I hope he changes his opinions. If he pushes things back, then lets see the number of Catholics that exist when his reign ends, I predict there will be less! Maybe I will become Episcopalian and I'm a conservative Republican, but with an open mind and value common sence above all!

By: Just Me

Just Me — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:07:25 +0000

Also, there are ways to address problems in the church (like the whole child molestation thing) without changing the things that make the Catholic church the Catholic church.

Also, I don't know how much you can argue that the issue of celibacy led to child molestation charges, I remember that percentage wise there was/is no higher a percentage of child molesting priests in the Catholic church than in the general population.

The problem with the molestation issues, wasn't celibacy, but the fact that the church didn't handle the child molesters well, and tried to protect the church at the expense of the victims. It is pretty easy to set up a policy to deal with those, without totally changing who is or isn't ordained into the priesthood.

By: Jack Tanner

Jack Tanner — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 12:13:44 +0000

'maybe they want their church to grow up and address itâs many problems'

Last I heard the Catholic church wasn't forcing anyone to attend mass. The faithful are free to come and the disgruntled are free to go.

By: McGehee

McGehee — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 01:31:01 +0000

Or maybe they want their church to grow up and address itâs many problems.

Um, the Catholic Church is at least 1,990 years older than you are.

By: whatever

whatever — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 01:11:11 +0000

> Asking people to leave their church is akin
> to telling them to leave their country

Not EXACTLY. Leaving your church doesn't require relocation. In most cities in the U.S. it means attending services down the street.

The debate comes down to changing an organization so that it fits your views or joining another organization that already agrees with your views. The closest simularity would be a club since religous observation and practice is voluntary - in the West anyway.

Some other blogger (Instapundit?) already adressed today that church doctrine is not democratic, is not a popularity contest, and that U.S. Catholics make up a very small minority of the world's Catholics. I think if you don't like any particular church that you can find one in the U.S. that would fit any view you might have.

By: carla

carla — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 22:25:34 +0000

Or maybe they want their church to grow up and address it's many problems..specifically with the culture of celibacy being part of the sexual molestation problems.

Asking people to leave their church is akin to telling them to leave their country. While it makes for cute rhetorical pixels...it's hardly fair and it brushes up against dishonest.

By: Scared Monkeys

Scared Monkeys — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 19:38:01 +0000

Isn't The Pope Supposed To Be Catholic?

By: bryan

bryan — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 17:21:46 +0000

Because they'd have to give up their allegiance to Notre Dame football.

By: Sean Gleeson

Sean Gleeson — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 17:04:56 +0000

Highly intelligent and insightful folks who agree with me
For the past couple of days, I've done little besides excoriate the press for its clueless coverage of the late pope and the Church. Today, for a bit of a change, I'm linking to some very astute observers around the nation, who excoriate the press fo...

By: PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science

PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 16:44:16 +0000

Public Opinion and the New Pope
I agree with Matthew Yglesias: there is an odd obsession with many in the media and the idea that public opinion is somehow relevant to the question of what the new Pope should do (or how an existing Pope should behave).

In the past everytime the P...

By: Just Me

Just Me — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 16:04:29 +0000

"If one wants to belong to a hierarchical church that performs most of the same comforting rituals but without all the dogmatic rigor, why not simply become an Episcopalian and be done with it? "

I agree.

By: Brian J.

Brian J. — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 15:57:05 +0000

Only Catholics go to Heaven?

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 15:42:48 +0000

Maggie:

First Abe Lincoln, now Jesus. Andrew Sullivan is going to have a field day.