What Should the Catholic Church Do Now
The sex abuse scandal in the Catholic denomination has been going on for a decade or two. One year ago the largest shoe fell, Theodore McCarrick. He was a high ranking Catholic official tasked with stopping sexual abuse. It turned out he was a serious abuser himself.
There continue to be contributors who want to help the Catholic denomination rid itself of this problem. Mostly they just say evangelize more. Then, Bishops and the Pope have convened conferences setting out bureaucratic mandates. One recent idea was a little different saying (paraphrasing), "Let's call a time out from chasing the sex abuse issue. Instead, let's get our heads together and figure out why so many baptized Catholics drop out of the church as adults."
The writer admitted there would not be only one cause, but at least the most important question would be asked. Sex abuse surely is only one of many reasons membership of the Catholic branch and most others is falling.
The Catholics have an advantage over most Protestants. It has several first class research universities. A blue ribbon panel could reviews published research from these institutions and report what it found. While nearly all research about human minds, psychology, sociology, communications, etc. have conflicting conclusions, lots of it leans toward some conclusions and away from others. Research on homosexuality, marriage, abortion and ancient history might find that what the church has taught all these years is not correct, or at least questionable.
Businesses need to sell good products to the public at a reasonable price to survive. Their products need to be at least as good as those of competitors.
Today's product called the Catholic Church needs to compete not only with other denominations but with the most rapidly growing market sector, no church. No church is perceived as a more honest product.
The Catholic Church can compete but it needs a revised product to meet the demands of today's public.
this has nothing to do with this post. I am wondering, tho' if you have read up on Japan lately. they are talking about a demographic crisis. they had it good for 60 yrs or so after WWII. abortion, no kids, not too many old folks, lots of young people. but sooner or later the bill comes due, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteThat has been brought up in posts by readers a couple of dozen times or more and I've responded. If was discussed 40 years ago when I was first a Mayor and supported abortion rights. We are approaching a ratio in the U.S. where there will be more people retired and receiving Soc. Sec./Medicare than there will be working and paying in. There is no solution except a combination of older people receiving less and younger paying more. There are only so many physical resources, land, labor and capital to provide for our consumption. If we over consume, because there are too many people for example, things will not be as they once were. Having more children will not solve the problem. That is way economics is called "the dismal science." It's so honest it hurts.
ReplyDeleteyes. I know all that. I know a few things about economics myself. fascinating subject. one could argue that having more children is no short run solution. it might help a helluva lot in the long run however. unless they turn things around there may not be many Japanese 50 yrs from now. you probably have no problem with that scenario.
DeleteIt may be there are fewer Japanese, white people, black and brown people. No one knows. We do know this: Children were, probably back when we were born, mostly what economists call "producer goods." They were an economic resource for their parents' survival. Now children are consumer goods and must compete with bigger houses and cars. If governments want more children, they must make them cheaper. In the U.S. government is making them more expensive, providing less free things within education, and guess what, people are having fewer of them. It's baked into the math. The dismal science shows no mercy.
ReplyDeletebut the age of chivalry is gone. that of sophisters, economists and calculators has succeeded and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever. Edmund Burke
ReplyDeleteA white people thing. That's what Muslims say, "We must be the glorious top people again like we once were." Probably Chinese say the same. Yawn.
Deleteyou are a real stick in the mud as they say. I thought that you might find a little humor there. instead I get an ideological "statement". that aside, he does make a point.
Delete