As many of you know, I have a great deal of respect for the work of Jonah Goldberg at National Review. His mother is minor-league famous from Clinton baiting days (Lucianne Goldberg), but he writes more often of his quiet, but immensely deep father. Goldberg remembers his father this week in the context of the recent papal pronouncement on condom use--a subject with which I will not treat here.
Goldberg talks of the 2005 election of Pope Benedict and investiture, the ceremonies of which his father (a Jew) watched in rapt attention (the Vatican was the last institution that "really knows how to dress"). Apparently, Goldberg's Dad took a shine to the new Pope, and to the role of the Catholic Church in general--that of timeless adherence to principle and resistance to change simply because of its popularity. Truth is Truth, and from the Catholic perspective, why would one change it. Goldberg's Dad said "we need more rocks in the river" as a way of stating positively that the society benefited from ideas, people, institutions that slowed the rapid pace of change, of modern life, so that evidence might accumulate and better decisions might be made.
I like the analogy.
The Catholic Church along with us 'bark at the moon' Redneck, evangelistic, charismatic, anti-drinking, anti-smoking, anti-dancing, anti-just about anything that's fun, Southern Protestants have resisted compromising their dogma and consequently have survived in this increasingly Godless World. The Lutherans, the Church of England (Episcopalians) and countless other sects are as dead as Zarathustrianism.
ReplyDeleteI'm not that crazy about this Pope but the Catholic Church as an institution MUST survive. I believe Western civilization depends upon it. So you Catholics, get your lazy asses out of bed and go to Mass Sunday! No excuses.
I'm thinking of a new marketing scheme: "Pope-a-Lactics"--anyone want in?
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