Which is "Arbitrary," the Old Time or New Modern Religion


The Catholic gas bag, George Weigel, is at it again explaining why the anticipated German modernization of the Catholic faith is "apostasy." He believes the old Catholic church with its male only clergy had things exactly right by kicking out divorced and homosexual people and eschewing birth control and abortion. He sounds like the Southern Baptists back in the days of slavery and segregation, "The only good rules are the old rules."

Politics within the Catholic Church are like politics everywhere. Always there is a faction trying to move things to the new era and a faction trying to stop all change. I must repeat my favorite metaphor, trying to stop change is like putting toothpicks in front of a bulldozer and expecting to stop it.

The single biggest mistake Catholics are making is hanging on to the male only hierarchy. I know the old line, "Women are a powerful force in the denomination." That may be true, but women are not as powerful as men. Until that changes, women, and men who agree with them, will walk out of church. Men can keep on explaining the reason they should be in charge but it will fall on deaf ears.

Whether it is female clergy, abortion rights, gay rights or the role of women in a marriage, the Catholic church is not lined up with society. This, even though its members come from the society. So long as the church is out of step it looks like an institution of a foreign country. Of course, to a large extent it is.

Weigel claims the liberal rules of modern society are arbitrary, put there for the sinful pleasure of those who make such rules. The old rules, of course, are not arbitrary. I suppose Weigel comes to this conclusion by noting the old rules were made by men.

The coming German synod will provide a thoroughly researched debate that will challenge the cherished old rules of the Catholic right. I don't know the legal rules within the church but there will be demands the German branch be kicked out of the world Catholic Church. This will not happen because the German branch brings in too much money. Somehow, the news rules, gay priests and so on, will be allowed while Rome will hang onto the old for a while longer.  

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