The Slow But Steady Splintering of Christianity


Ross Douthat, a columnist in the New York Times, wrote a long article a while back about the drifting nature of Catholic ideology. It seemed to me to represent much of Protestantism as well. 

A friend of ours who is a practicing Catholic said the adult lives of her several children and their children is much different than was hers. Her life centered on church life. Events at the church and friends at the church were front and center. There were not many other things going on in her life.

Some of her children do not affiliate with any church. Those that do slip it into their lives whenever there is room but it is not a high priority. They attend occasionally but not much more than that. The center of their lives are other things and other issues.

Her observations were something of a metaphor for Douthat's article. Big sections of all branches of Christianity are drawn to issues outside of theology and the social life of the faith. In the Catholic branch we have those preoccupied with poverty. They bond with friends both in and out of the Church over this interest. There are parents and friends of gay people. They bond with people in the Church with a similar mindset but also with people outside the Church. The friendships and social life with those outside their faith comes at the expense of a life centered on Church only.

I don't have to tell anyone who reads this blog about the faction of Catholic (and Protestants) who have hair trigger emotions against abortion. They, too, become involved with political parties and other groups outside their Church who are against abortion. 

These attachments outside the church have enormous financial implication. People involved in social and political causes are expected to donate money. When devout Catholics become bonded to non church groups they are expected to give both the church and an outside cause. 

Inevitably, it means church members give less than back in the day when our friend's life centered on her church. 


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