Posted by
Republiservative on Monday, February 25, 2008 2:41:01 PM
I keep hearing from theologians, clergy, and laity that there is such a huge crisis in Western religious faiths, over 100 million people in the USA alone are "unchurched" at present; yet, most polls say around 80% of people in the USA have SOME religious faith or vision of relationship to God.
To be sure, there are a few modern Gnosticisms out there, all "self help" that tell you to "find the god inside you"; also, many Churches and such permanently close, as to monasteries, convents, and such. Combined, of course such things have an effect on attendance in houses of worship.
Then there's a large dynamic afoot wherein some major Western faiths meet newcomers at the door with words as or in the nature of: "We have a special, special, special relationship with God, you know nothing, and can only truly perfect your communion with God through obeying whatever we direct of you, even if you have a good heart, love of God, and do good works. Indeed, it is a privilige just to be admitted to our membership rolls".
Such houses then set about, to a large extent, an almost complete fixation on "helping the poor", exhorting their members that no matter how much it hurts, keep giving to your last cent...some say to remember the Bible and the beggar woman who gave a copper penny, and who are you to complain? But what often happens is "the poor" are said to be drug people and limitless non-English speaking waifs always in the ubiquitous and vaguely described "inner city" near you, yet far enough you wouldn't know what New Urban redevelopment has gone on. Then, houses A, B, C, D are mostly the providers of such funds, which are sent to "sharing or sister houses" E, F and such...the latter never really contributing but not through fault of their own, as most attendees don't know that the folks providing the extra bill cash, food, and so on have the same lifestyles they do, and are just in the same work/foreclosure situations they are...sort of like a taking from one person and giving it all to an exact non-national person.
One wouldn't imagine non-national charity recipients enjoy all being referred to as "inner city junkies" or "sombrero toting peons swimming the Rio Grand" to get to charity. Then you've got those original donors, who, when they fall financially, are told even by their own houses of worship things like "maybe God wants you to be homeless", or "we have to priortize what bills we pay better, don't we?", or "only the defective have problems, go to the State", or whatever similar...no copper pennies for them, and who needs a follower who can't toss them into the box or basket? Certainly, that would contribute to a fair share of folks being disillusioned with not so much faith, but those relied upon for its practice and guidance.
Now, some clergy resist silently such abuse, hoping to drive away members with outrageous diversions from liturgies; 80% of Catholic priests, for example, now say they believe Christ is NEVER present in any Eucharist, Communion being just symbolism in a mere fertility cult; I've heard of priests who on one hand exhort Reconciliation(Confession) throughout Lent, then have zero to six penitents weekly, as they are individually told only to come if some major sin occurred...not even a St. Augustine-like confession of sins that would have been committed but for God's grace need be made, not even in Lent. Things like that can keep many out of attendance, and thus undercut funds raised at an A, B, C, or D.
The genesis of such activities seems to be a real, imagined, or to some degree both circumstance in some clergy that they will be spared lawsuits, eminent domain, or whatever if they pick up slack for this or that politician in any or no party, or for whatever governmental unit(s), in providing cash to immigrants where it would not otherwise exist, then further treat any donors as trash who "don't want to work" or "can't". And yet, where is such politician(s) or official(s) saying that? If anything, pols at best don't cause it, but hey if the impression's there milk it, like with everything else traditionally taken credit for or avoided if unpopular.
Rather than run and hide or stew, people of disillusioned Western faiths should return as they can to their faith of choice; and rather than lambaste their clergy, forgive them. The disillusioned should also withhold funds if they can see they are not properly applied, as the object is worship of God and no one or anything else, God Himself rarely if ever requiring as much as one red copper cent to speak with Him.
Lastly, as the Pope prays for conversions of so many diverse peoples back to faith, so should the currently disillusioned include in their prayers ceaseless petitions for a conversion of their clergy to faith in God and not temptation of real or largely imagined fear(s).