A Great Perspective

[jamiche]

Particularly the second half of the column.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/opinion/18kristof.html?hp

[bigtenchamps1899]

i don't usually look to the NYtimes for good perspectives. and indeed the first part was horrible, the gnostics who wrote the 'gospel' of philip and the 'proto-feminist wing' were not christians, they were heretics. but that doesn't usually stand in the way of most pseudo-intellectuals from learning that the early church, because of the gospels, was incredibly popular among women (as well as th lower classes and slaves) and didn't need to be 'proto-feminist.'

i will say, though, that i pretty much agree with you that the second part is a pretty good perspective. the catholic church has been weighted down with a millennium of extra-biblical dogma and it has created a lumbering behemoth that doesn't react well to societies changes. i am not advocating the catholic church change to meet the whims of pop culture, but it needs to be more open to reform (not all reform is liberal).

the catholic church has been tainted from centuries in which it put earthly aspirations above godly aspirations. the church was competing with earthly potentates for power and because of the sins of simony and greed it was at least as interested in political power as much as the kingdom of god. catholic dogma started, ironically enough, to mirror 'secular' institutions or at least give the church ammunition against them.

one of my biggest problems with catholicism (although i admire the faith a lot as well) is the inability to reform its unwieldy and cumbersome traditions.

[bga1]

i don't usually look to the NYtimes for good perspectives. and indeed the first part was horrible, the gnostics who wrote the 'gospel' of philip and the 'proto-feminist wing' were not christians, they were heretics. but that doesn't usually stand in the way of most pseudo-intellectuals from learning that the early church, because of the gospels, was incredibly popular among women (as well as th lower classes and slaves) and didn't need to be 'proto-feminist.'

i will say, though, that i pretty much agree with you that the second part is a pretty good perspective. the catholic church has been weighted down with a millennium of extra-biblical dogma and it has created a lumbering behemoth that doesn't react well to societies changes. i am not advocating the catholic church change to meet the whims of pop culture, but it needs to be more open to reform (not all reform is liberal).

the catholic church has been tainted from centuries in which it put earthly aspirations above godly aspirations. the church was competing with earthly potentates for power and because of the sins of simony and greed it was at least as interested in political power as much as the kingdom of god. catholic dogma started, ironically enough, to mirror 'secular' institutions or at least give the church ammunition against them.

one of my biggest problems with catholicism (although i admire the faith a lot as well) is the inability to reform its unwieldy and cumbersome traditions.

I'm not a fan of the Catholic Church and I agree with most everything you say there. One thing the Catholic Church has done well is minister to the needy- and that's a good thing.