Religion Dispatches
Why has the Catholic Church made so many controversial statements about Jews as it wrestles with a sexual abuse crisis? One could argue that, in the heart of a wounded Church, a play is being made for the shroud of the victim.
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Coming from Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, this stunt is likely to provide support for those who believe that atheists and secularists are just out to destroy a church they believe to be evil.
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From an all-male hierarchy that trains priests to look only to their superiors for guidance, to a theological emphasis on secrecy, to the “creeping infallibility” that confers divine authority on church leaders, the Catholic church needs reform—at a structural level. And it’s up to the laity to begin the process.
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On any given day, Christianity is invoked to justify pacifism, violent uprising, both opposition and support for government health care, even support and opposition to genres of music. Do we have to reevaluate our conceptions of ‘what Christians believe’ in the same way we’ve had to do it for Hindus, Native Americans, and others?
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In the midst of the worst crisis to hit Roman Catholicism in centuries, it is clear that the all-male rule of the Church has failed.
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In the midst of new developments in the Catholic sex abuse scandal and in light of last year’s surprise invitation from the Pope to conservative Episcopalians, a new invitation is extended to disheartened Catholics.
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When Pope Benedict refers to the ever-growing scandal threatening the Church as “petty gossip of dominant opinion” he shows, for all his theological learning, a shocking disregard for both his flock and for the moral standing of the institution he heads. Is it curtains for the Church as we know it?
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A passionate call for reform from a scholar of religion and cradle Catholic. When does an institutional theology become so rotten that it needs to be taken out at the roots? It’s time for a new reformation, with justice for victims of sexual abuse.
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As DC law changes to require equality for same sex couples seeking to adopt, the Catholic Church (which has been in the adoption business for generations) opts to close up shop rather than to abide by the law and treat gay and lesbian families equally.
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Benedict urges Catholic priests to use digital tech to teach and to evangelize, but the Holy Father may be underestimating the power of the non-hierarchical ethos of social media. Here’s hoping we might actually see a Vatican 2.0.
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