I was having a chat with a friend the other night, it started with a joke, about how the only "anti-choice" pro-lifers were Calvinist (with the Calvinist idea of double predestination and denial that we have free will). But, our conversation struck a chord with me, and it has been heavy on my mind lately.
Morally speaking, the Church does demand a lot from us, and I think as far as her teaching is concerned, she should. Jesus was also demanding in the moral teachings he gave, even thinking about someone sexually is adultery and to hate someone is equivalent to killing them, but even with his demanding teachings and ideals, Jesus met people where they were, loved them for who they are, and encouraged them to grow.
In a lot of ways I think the Church, rather some leaders in the Church, have become just a demanding voice saying "Do as I say," and not considering pastoral implications and the hearts of her members. I've heard so many people say you can't be or believe x and a Catholic. When honestly I'd say being a Catholic requires you believe in the Creed, the sanctity of life, and the Real Presence in the Eucharist. Otherwise the Church teaches a lot of stuff, and demands a lot morally speaking, but also, she teaches that we have an obligation to follow our well-formed conscience. The key here is "well-formed." We have the responsibility to educate ourselves about things and think critically about them, but we are never asked to just blindly assent to all statements and teaching of the Church.
This idea of the primacy of conscience, is not new. In the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas claimed that our obligation to follow our conscience is so strong and important that someone should risk excommunication rather than violate their well-formed conscience. He taught that it is always a mortal sin to violate your conscience.
The Church needs to be a little more like Jesus, hold its strict teaching, but also make it clear that dissent is allowed for good, well thought-out, rational reason, and that we have the obligation to obey our conscience. Although, the Church still needs to avoid scandal, and uphold our teachings. That is, conscience decisions are personal as is dissent, neither can be systematic, nor should they be.
Morally speaking, the Church does demand a lot from us, and I think as far as her teaching is concerned, she should. Jesus was also demanding in the moral teachings he gave, even thinking about someone sexually is adultery and to hate someone is equivalent to killing them, but even with his demanding teachings and ideals, Jesus met people where they were, loved them for who they are, and encouraged them to grow.
In a lot of ways I think the Church, rather some leaders in the Church, have become just a demanding voice saying "Do as I say," and not considering pastoral implications and the hearts of her members. I've heard so many people say you can't be or believe x and a Catholic. When honestly I'd say being a Catholic requires you believe in the Creed, the sanctity of life, and the Real Presence in the Eucharist. Otherwise the Church teaches a lot of stuff, and demands a lot morally speaking, but also, she teaches that we have an obligation to follow our well-formed conscience. The key here is "well-formed." We have the responsibility to educate ourselves about things and think critically about them, but we are never asked to just blindly assent to all statements and teaching of the Church.
This idea of the primacy of conscience, is not new. In the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas claimed that our obligation to follow our conscience is so strong and important that someone should risk excommunication rather than violate their well-formed conscience. He taught that it is always a mortal sin to violate your conscience.
The Church needs to be a little more like Jesus, hold its strict teaching, but also make it clear that dissent is allowed for good, well thought-out, rational reason, and that we have the obligation to obey our conscience. Although, the Church still needs to avoid scandal, and uphold our teachings. That is, conscience decisions are personal as is dissent, neither can be systematic, nor should they be.
