twfowler, keep denying the connective trend:
The facts show this, "Mass attendance in the United States fell during John Paul's papacy. The church faces an acute shortage of priests. And the sexual abuse scandal continues to roil dioceses across the country. ""It needs not to be so sexist and patriarchal."
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How about a one line post that acknowledges this is the trend?
I'm curious if you can acknowledge this trend, without the buts. i.e. your style is not to avoid the forest (big picture trend), but instead you focus on the tree (your issue with how something is communicated rather then getting to a higher level and looking at the big picture trend.)
Can you acknowledge this is the trend (without your dilutive how-it-was-said comments)?
edit: it just dawned on me you don't have the ability to connect these two dots (truly amazing, actually that you don't, but then again, it probably figures you wouldn't):
You do realize you claimed, "I don't know why you would even consider it doubtful that the church does have relevance to many American woman. Tens of millions of them are Catholic, and at least millions of those are devoted Catholics."
Um, having tens of millions of Catholics is irrelevant to saying that the church has relevance to many American woman. Is your definition of American woman only tens of millions? Is your definition of American woman only those that have a derogatory attitude about themselves ("women aren't equal" belief) or maybe you only include women that are hypocritical ("women are equal, but I belong to the Catholic church because I'm a hypocrit)? You can't be catholic without being hypocritical, if you believe women have equality. Connect the dots between the "DROP IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE" directly reflecting the FLEE of women (and men) away from an outdated concept of inequality. And yes, that is directly related to how the church doesn't give women reverence. Women and just to be real clear, that includes women that have great confidence and believe in equality and are not hypocritical to belong to a church that supports inequality, they and their relatives indeed are leaving the Catholic church in volumes due to its inequality. That's what the data suggests. Connect the dots. And move on.
And with the new fanatical Pope learder, you've got a great situation where people will flee the church - but this new Catholism this new fanatical Pope might preach could be a good competitor to some of the more fanatical religions out there.
Enjoy watching Catholism grow in countries that are not educated.
Regards,
Amy J |
