Beliefs - Roman Catholics’ War Over Abortion - NYTimes.com

Beliefs - Roman Catholics’ War Over Abortion - NYTimes.com

This was an interesting op-ed in the NYTs yesterday. Most people don't think of the catholic church as a business or as a brand. But it is both. And I think the "business model" (if I can say that without getting in trouble) is under attack from scrappy start ups (evangelical churches) that are more nimble and hungrier for success as well as from a sect of brand loyalists (conservative catholics) who seek to define the brand.

The church in the U.S. has been losing more people than it has been gaining for a while. You would think that an organization that has lost as many as half of its customers/clients/members would try to understand the market and figure out why it is not meeting their needs. I fear the Catholic Church has done what many good, but mistaken, companies have done. They have blamed the member..."they don't like to follow the rules; they don't understand; we aren't going to change, they must."

A brand is owned by the customers. It feels to me like the Catholic brand in the U.S. is now being controlled by the most conservative members of the church. I think that the Catholic church, at least in the U.S., is at risk of making some members feel unwelcome. Look at what the pro-life Christians are doing at Notre Dame. I mean, can you find a more conservative, religiously pious community than Notre Dame?

I respect the conservative Catholics' views and their faith, but I fear that I do not fit into their church....nor do I want to. The most conservative are trying to define what it means to be catholic in the U.S. They want stict adherence to church teaching. While I accept the teachings of the church, I do not agree with all of them. So I ask you, should I be allowed to remain in the church?

I am not saying that the Church needs to abandon or compromise on its teachings. But any large organization that has unanimity of opinion on such important issues can not be an intelligent, organic organization. That would be a cult where all personal opinion and reason is taken away.

I like to think that the Church is a big tent organization, not a narrow one with strict rules of who gets in and how they stay there. The current situation in the Catholic Church feels an awful lot like what is happening in the Republican party. It seems, the most worthy and righteous have decided that their organizations are better off being smaller and purer, than larger, more open minded and, yes, a bit messy.

My God is benevolent and tolerant one. That is the church I seek.

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