As is well known, Catholic politicians occupy the entire range of the political spectrum, from far right to far left. Why is that?
Well, one reason is the absence of meaningful, public church discipline in contemporary Catholicism.
But there’s another reason. It’s tempting to classify conservative Catholic politicians as faithful Catholics, or “good Catholics,” while liberal Catholic politicians are merely “cultural Catholics” or “cafeteria Catholics.” But that would be deeply misleading.
A major reason that Catholic politicians can occupy opposite ends of the political spectrum is that Catholic social teaching is, itself, a mix of liberal and conservative positions. While conservative Catholic politicians may accuse their liberal counterparts of picking and choosing, their liberal counterparts may also accuse their conservative counterparts of picking and choosing. Both liberals and conservatives can claim, in good conscience, to be representing different facets of Catholic social teaching. Both sides are selectively faithful to Catholic social teaching.
As an illustration of what I mean, mouse over to the website of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Click on the “Life Issues” icon. When it comes to “life issues,” its official positions closely mirror the positions of a conservative Republican politician.
The only exception is its position on capital punishment, which–not coincidentally–intersects with “social justice” issues.
Now click on the “Social Justice Issues” icon. When it comes to “social justices issues,” its official positions mirror the positions of a liberal Democrat.
That’s a major reason why you not only have liberal Catholic politicians, but Catholic voters who elect liberal Democrats.
Catholic politicians and Catholic voters range along the whole ideological spectrum in large part because that same diversity is also represented in the social teaching of their own denomination.
While it’s easy to criticize liberal Catholic politicians, and Catholic voters who elect them, this isn’t simply due to their disregard for church teaching. Rather, the inconsistency has its source of origin in church teaching itself. What they do in the voting booth is a reflection of the mixed signals which they hear from the pulpit.
Steve: "Rather, the inconsistency has its source of origin in church teaching itself."
ReplyDeleteI would imagine that there are some conservative Catholics who would privately agree with you, but would not publicly do so.
As a slight tangent, I think it's entirely consistent to be pro-life and a nuanced pro-death penalty and to also advocate for a strong military. (Which is where I stand!)
"Catholic politicians and Catholic voters range along the whole ideological spectrum in large part because that same diversity is also represented in the social teaching of their own denomination. "
ReplyDeleteSeems like you are a bit confused. If the measuring stick is the US political system, then Catholic voters range "across the spectrum". But why is the US political system a yardstick against which you can say that the social teaching of the "denomination" has diversity? Why would you say that unless you are in total lockstep with either Republicans or Democrats then you are inconsistent, because these two philosophical systems are the paragon of the only two possible consistent positions?
"Now click on the “Social Justice Issues” icon. When it comes to “social justices issues,” its official positions mirror the positions of a liberal Democrat."
So maybe the Republicans are right on some issues and the Democrats are right on other issues.
"Rather, the inconsistency has its source of origin in church teaching itself. "
Showing some agreements with Dems, and some with Republicans hardly shows an inconsistency in church teaching.
Kim,
ReplyDeleteSeems like you're a bit confused. It's clear from the positions which the bishops are taking on many "social justice" issues that they are moving in lockstep with the liberal establishment. The liberal establishment is their yardstick. Radical chic.
Much of this could have been lifted verbatim from the UN or NYT.
This is reinforced by the fact that your church has clearly moved to the left on "social justice" issues like capital punishment and warfare.
Now you're changing the argument from an accusation of supposed inconsistency, to simply not liking the positions taken.
ReplyDeleteNo change of argument. I didn't say if I like or dislike the liberal shift in Catholic social teaching. I merely note the trend, a trend that follows secular left-wing opinion.
ReplyDeleteI'd add that the USCCB has had a liberal reputation for years now. I'm hardly the first person or only person to point that out.
Here's a Catholic's perspective on the state of Catholicism in America that just got published a couple of days ago. Here's some non-sequential excerpts:
ReplyDelete"Of course, just as Catholics finally arrived, they almost immediately set to fighting among themselves with a bitterness that would make even the most fractious Baptists blush.
American Catholics have struggled to balance their desire to assimilate into society with the fear of losing their faith in the nation's melting pot. These new controversies show that, in the Catholic saga, assimilation is winning.
That is because American Catholics -- and there are upwards of 65 million of us -- are going their own way on many matters of faith and especially on issues ranging from priestly celibacy to political candidates, and there seems to be little the bishops can do about it.
A recent Pew survey showed that despite a generally greater "brand loyalty" than most faiths, Catholicism in America is bleeding out, to the point that nearly one in 10 Americans identifies as a former Catholic.
For every one convert, four Catholics are leaving the church -- half of them to traditions like evangelicalism that they find more spiritually fulfilling.
Nothing draws media flies like a sex scandal, especially one involving a man of the cloth, but a funny thing happened on the way to Father Cutie's disgrace: He did not slink away in shame but instead proclaimed, with Luther-like dignity, that he wasn't worried what the hierarchy thought. "What worries me most is how God views me. The institution, the church, is something else."
Father Cutie is now reportedly considering whether to marry his girlfriend, has said priestly celibacy should be optional and has joined the Episcopal Church. What's more, 78 percent of Miami-area Catholics said they had a favorable impression of him, and 81 percent backed his call for a married priesthood, according to a Miami Herald poll.
That willingness of American Catholics to break ranks with such long-held tenets is evident in surveys on a number of issues, including church teachings regarding celibacy and birth control."
Read it all at Sunday Forum: What kind of Catholics are we?