The Church Needs to Change: Says Cardinal

[SGOS]

http://news.yahoo.com/catholic-church-scrap-phrase-living-sin-cardinal-191231402.html

Vatican City (AFP) - A Catholic cardinal suggested Tuesday that the phrase "living in sin" for cohabiting couples should be banned, saying it alienated people from the Church.

"To label people is not helpful," the unnamed prelate was quoted as saying at a major Vatican meeting on family issues gathering some 250 bishops from around the world.  "The language has to change," he said, according to a spokesman for the extraordinary meeting known as a synod, speaking at a daily news conference on the closed-door talks.  "The Church should instead encourage a "gradual" rapprochement with unmarried couples,"the cardinal urged.

At the opening of the synod on Monday, Pope Francis urged bishops to "speak freely" in the talks set to run until October 19.  On Sunday the pope issued a strong signal of support for reform of the approach to marriage, cohabitation and divorce, suggesting that the Church address the present gulf between what it currently says on these issues and what tens of millions of believers actually do.

The reader comments are interesting.  I didn't read all of them, and perhaps I just read a clump of comments from Catholics that don't want the church to change, even though the Pope says the Church should change to keep up with society.  The Church seems caught between a rock and a hard place. 

It stands to reason that its most ardent supporters like it the way it is, but that group is dwindling, even though the comments against change make a good case.  At least, it's a good case if you assume there is a god, and the Church has been reflecting his will for the last 2000 years.  Of course maybe God is changing his mind.  What then?  Oh my!

One thing this suggests is that the Church is as much of a political as it is spiritual.  Can you even mix spiritual and political?  If:
spiritual = God's will and
political = pleasing groups

then what is the Church representing?  God?  A bunch of sinners?  Logically, the whole thing is a house of cards.  I can't believe it's still standing.

[stromboli]

http://news.yahoo.com/catholic-church-scrap-phrase-living-sin-cardinal-191231402.html


The reader comments are interesting.  I didn't read all of them, and perhaps I just read a clump of comments from Catholics that don't want the church to change, even though the Pope says the Church should change to keep up with society.  The Church seems caught between a rock and a hard place. 

It stands to reason that its most ardent supporters like it the way it is, but that group is dwindling, even though the comments against change make a good case.  At least, it's a good case if you assume there is a god, and the Church has been reflecting his will for the last 2000 years.  Of course maybe God is changing his mind.  What then?  Oh my!

One thing this suggests is that the Church is as much of a political as it is spiritual.  Can you even mix spiritual and political?  If:
spiritual = God's will and
political = pleasing groups

then what is the Church representing?  God?  A bunch of sinners?  Logically, the whole thing is a house of cards.  I can't believe it's still standing.

Interesting because it shows the similarities between Mormonism and Catholicism, two authoritarian belief institutions stuck with their antiquated belief systems and now facing modern reality. And the same problems, spiritual vs political. Love it.

[aitm]

Those that wish the church to "remain the same" are so woefully ignorant of the hundreds of changes the church already made to appease the masses. They stand on the bodies of those who resisted the changes that today would have made them part of a different religion.

[SGOS]

Those that wish the church to "remain the same" are so woefully ignorant of the hundreds of changes the church already made to appease the masses. They stand on the bodies of those who resisted the changes that today would have made them part of a different religion.

LOL  I know.  I know!  That crossed my mind, too.   I would have posted it had I articulated it in my head as cleverly as you did.

[SGOS]

Interesting because it shows the similarities between Mormonism and Catholicism, two authoritarian belief institutions stuck with their antiquated belief systems and now facing modern reality. And the same problems, spiritual vs political. Love it.

That's what happens with any religion.  They have got to change or they eventually die.  So much for the word of God.

[Jason78]

Is it going to change from existing, to not existing?

[AllPurposeAtheist]

What? You mean they stopped using the iron maiden on heritics?  When did that shit stop?

[stromboli]

What? You mean they stopped using the iron maiden on heritics?  When did that shit stop?

Never say never. They long for the good ol' days when priests were men and boys were bent over. I'd be willing to bet they have a few Iron Maidens in the Vatican basement.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Never say never. They long for the good ol' days when priests were men and boys were bent over. I'd be willing to bet they have a few Iron Maidens in the Vatican basement.

The Catholics, The forerunners of modern BDSM.. 

[Munch]

I always thought the trunchbull was a female mel gibson somehow..