Can we talk about the pope?

People might be leaving the religion after high school, like me, though I did attend a Catholic university, but those who stay are more conservative than ever and will entrench with the pope and the administration. Browse these forums for awhile.

I keep thinking my parents are going to be the last liberals in the Catholic Church.

http://catholicforum.fisheaters.com/index.php/board,27.0.html

Like fanbois who blame the media when their team gets put on probation, it's the evil media's fault for the pedophile scandal.

And of the younger priests I know, they're much more conservative than the previous generation of priests (now, hopefully there are less pedophiles in that mix as well).

It's not like it's only a problem for Catholics, though. There have been countless rabbis accused of similar things, though obviously not as widespread and there's not the systematic coverup.

 

I suspect the government doesn't want to open that can of worms.

They'd have to start investigating all major religions, and the resulting shitstorm would be . . . well, fascinating to watch, but not really productive.

 

And the Bell System before divestiture.

 

"You know what I think we should do with these religions? Tax 'em! Tax these motherfuckers. If they're so interested in foreign policy and domestic policy....let 'em pay their admission price like everybody else!......The Catholic Church ALONE could wipe out the federal budget deficit....if all you did was tax 'em on their REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS!" - George Carlin in 1988.

 

Good points are being made here about the church itself growing more conservative. The Atlantic had a great story in 2002 about that, how conservative Catholicism and Protestantism are taking root in the poorest of nations, big-time. An interview with the author is here:

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/unbound/interviews/int2002-09-12.htm

You can see this played out now in, for example, Uganda and its proposed law to, essentially, kill the gays.

For the Catholic church and perhaps other denominations (and Islam as well, which the author wrote about as the biggest competition), it's a numbers game. The population is exploding in the Southern Hemisphere and the world's poorest nations, while Europe is declining, North America is growing but not a lot, and parts of Asia are declining as well. Why spend the money and time mollifying the American church when your numbers in Nigeria are flying upward, and they're all totally down with what you think?

 

http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/03/a-vast-anti-catholic-conspiracy.html

"Selective indignation" is not all that far off the mark.

 

Conservative Christianity plays well in poor and impoverished places and among those who wish to exploit the poor and impoverished. The best 2 examples are the Roman Empire's conversion to Chrisitanity as a means of keeping the masses in line and the use of Christianity to rationalize chattel slavery in the United States.

 

Quoted as yet another example of the genius of Carlin.

 

My wife is Catholic, although every year she gets a little more separated from the church. I attend mass with her once a year (Ash Wednesday this year, Easter a couple times, etc.)
It seems to me -- at least the places I've been exposed to the Catholic Church -- that the growing conservatism has less to do with the top than it does with the bottom. Younger people are leaving the CC after years in Catholic schools or churches. However, the older members of the church (people who are generally a bit more conservative anyway) aren't going anywhere. So maybe the Church is pulling back the reins a little in order to maintain what they already have.
Just a thought...

 

Hmmm, a business that looks to maintain its oldest clientele while not doing much to attract younger buyers, all while putting out a product that has some rather big flaws and question marks. Where'd I see this again? Ohh yeah, Cadillac from about 1970 until 1990. How'd that work out for them?

 

Could be MU. But as with the younger priests I know who are more conservative than the previous generation, the younger people who do stay with the church seem to be more conservative than the previous generation. So they're losing people but the new batch of young people and leaders who do get entrenched seem more conservative than before.

 

I figured you were going to make a newspaper crack.
Seriously, though, not saying it's right or wrong. Just what I've observed in somewhat limited exposure.