Asymmetric Religion and Philosophy

Story here.

Alberto Cutie joined the Anglican Church today. My question is: Why not one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches? If Cutie knows anything about religion, he knows that the schismatic, as opposed to heretical, Orthodox Churches have valid ordinations and believe as Catholics do on the Eucharist, the dispensing of which is a priest's most important function. The Orthodox Churches allow priests to marry. I recommend Eastern Orthodoxy to friends who have some historical problem with Catholicism.

The Anglican Church started as a political response to the Catholic Church and is now known as a very liberal association. I suspect that politics is why Cutie made his choice.

Update: I find it hard to believe that Cutie gave communion for all of these years and then just didn't believe in it.

This story preoccupied me yesterday, ruined it, really, as much as a news story that doesn't directly involve me can.

Of course, enemies pounce, supporters defend and give perspective. Apologies. I don't know the extent of the abuse and wherever kids are vulnerable, there will be abuse, but the Catholic Church should have a higher standard, much higher. It's fruits should be much more nourishing than its secular counterparts.

A lesson to be learned is that every human institution requires scrutiny, not because an institution needs a dialectic opposite to reach a truth, but because even severe spiritual consequences aren't enough prevent immorality, and the temptation to collude and protect is very strong within all-powerful institutions. Organizations get lazy, comfort and easy power dulls the mind.

Society should, therefore, always allow for alternatives, whether is be in health care, education, or spirituality.

It wouldn't surprise me if many Irishmen take one of those alternatives today.

I've seen this guy. In fact, his book is in my bookcase (my wife's). Nobody was hurt directly by Fr. Cutie's actions, but he damaged the Church. Every time a leader of any organization goes against its tenets, it demoralizes his followers.

Ama De Verdad, Vive De Verdad by Padre Alberto Cutie

The Church has hurt itself greatly through recent scandals. Influential people in the media like LA Times reporter William Lobdell specifically cite the sex abuse scandal as the reason he left the Church. "Crunchy Con Rod Dreher left Catholicism for Orthodoxy, as he recounts in this well-written essay. God knows how many more people have left the Church or have been afraid to approach it because of scandal.

Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America-and Found Unexpected Peace by William Lobdell

Going way back, the scandalous behavior of many in the Renaissance Church inspired Erasmus to write In Praise of Folly and Luther to hammer his 95 Thesis on the Wittenberg Church door, starting the Reformation which has separated Christians in the West for 500 years.

Of course, many artists over the years have commented on the poor behavior of Church officials, even faithful Catholics like Erasmus and Dante.

In Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus

Christian Classics: Works of Martin Luther, in a single file, with active table of contents by Martin Luther

The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso) by Dante Alighieri

The Church's enemies have also exaggerated Church scandals to a great degree, from Fox's Book of Martyrs to the Nazi effort to discredit the Church through show trials of clergy, to Chick comics, to modern media attempts to paint the Church as some sex molestation cult.

Fox's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe

So, how to react to scandal? First, we have to keep things in perspective. Only a small percentage of modern priests have ever hurt children or had mistresses. It should be 0% of course, but with the unique nature of the priesthood, some might be impressed that it's as low as it is (1-6%).

Second, we should push the Church to lessen the chances of abuse. Why not lie detector tests? The Church would give its flock confidence as well as root out those despicable, Hellbound priests who continue to hurt the innocent.

Despite all of its self-inflicted wounds, the Church has persevered. Shortly after the Reformation, the Lady appeared in Mexico and converted a continent.

As to the celibate question: I think the Church should allow priests to marry. My reasons here.

The pope's in Jordan today with the brave Christians who've kept their near 2000-year tradition alive. Some people don't realize that Christianity is older than Islam and that the Middle East and Africa, including Egypt, of course, was a Christian stronghold.

I watched some TV news today and all of them focused on how the pope's angered Muslims or Jews. I understand that news has to have some sort of angle and that controversy is more interesting, but one has to wonder how any leader can make everybody happy all of the time while being committed to the truth.

From here.

Washington D.C., May 6, 2009 / 07:06 am (CNA).- The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baghdad Jean Benjamin Sleiman will attend the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Friday as part of his week-long visit to the United States. He will be joined by over 1,300 attendees including Catholic congressmen and other leaders.

On Sunday Archbishop Sleiman said Mass in an outdoor service for a group of 100 at the St. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, the Nashua Telegraph reports. He spoke about the persecution of Christians in Iraq, including kidnappings, which he said are underreported and under-investigated.The archbishop asked for special prayers for him and other religious leaders of the Church in Iraq.

"Without shepherds, the sheep become scattered," he said. "We have to take care of our people. We are weak. We have fear in difficult situations. We have to be able to deliver our flock from fear."

Archbishop Sleiman plans to attend Friday’s National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington and meet with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, members of the State Department and congressional leaders, according to the Nashua Telegraph.

Sounds like a valuable skill to have.