tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post1490086193033686662..comments2024-01-17T03:08:25.317-06:00Comments on The Progressive Catholic Voice: Open Letter to Archbishop Nienstedt – #2PCV Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519134580470262558noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-20882736062397255252012-10-15T12:06:33.050-05:002012-10-15T12:06:33.050-05:00The Institutional Church is not dying, because it ...The Institutional Church is not dying, because it serves the needs of millions of Catholics around the world who desire authority, conformity, tradition, ideological certainty etc, all the things the current Institutional Church is good at providing. <br /><br />I sense the Church is consolidating. <br /><br />The leadership understands that they will never satisfy progressives by compromising, because any movement they make in our direction will encourage even more calls for liberalization. <br /><br />If Church leaders were to attempt some measure of liberalization, they'd lose the enthusiastic support of conservative traditionalists, and then everybody would be mad at Church leaders, and Church leaders would no longer have a base of support. <br /><br />To put it in purely political terms, Church leaders are doing just what American politicians on all sides do these days, they're playing to their base. <br /><br />Imho, not only do current Church leaders not care about what progressives have to say, they are deliberately using the ideological conflict with progressives to build the enthusiasm and loyalty of their base, the traditionalists.<br /><br />This would explain why Church leaders are focusing so much on hot button controversial niche issues like gay marriage. It's because of this focus that you and I are talking about Church leaders, thus making them more important.<br /><br />The Church leaders are not dummies, and they can read the generational demographics as well as anybody else. They must already know it's only a matter of time until they lose the gay marriage fight in the United States.<br /><br />I don't think they care.<br /><br />Winning this fight isn't what matters to Church leaders, what matters is consolidating their base of ideological and financial support. Mastering this challenge is how the Church survives for endless generations. <br /><br />When gay marriage does become legal across the U.S. it will bond Church leaders even closer with their traditionalist base of support, as the defeat will strengthen the underdog psychology of being heroic tragic victims of secular culture etc etc.<br /><br />Philhttp://catholic-talk.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876502085465766394.post-44960203222399039972012-10-15T05:21:39.125-05:002012-10-15T05:21:39.125-05:00No...you are not alone. The Institutional Church.....No...you are not alone. The Institutional Church...as it exists today...is dying...and will die because the hierarchy will never consider the idea that they might be wrong. The faithful is turning a deaf ear to the rigid, self-righteous, self-preserving words/teachings which marginalize, demonize gays...scattering the sheep as it were...but we run to our True Shepherd whose Words will never pass away as He predicted. Jesus will gather us ALL like a hen gathers her chicks to protect and love us ALL. Eventually...decades or centuries the errant ways of the Church will be acknowledged and what ever hierarchy survives, will, as in the past admit though not directly their error using the opening statement as they always do..."AS THE CHURCH HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED..."dave446https://www.blogger.com/profile/17695131129065070310noreply@blogger.com