Quote:
Originally Posted by jammies
Back in the Middle Ages, the Church used to call people that didn't adhere to ALL the dogma "heretics" and encourage them to recant their heresy with all kinds of unpleasant and violent methods. Nowadays I imagine you'd just call them "hypocrites", for saying one thing (I'm Catholic!) while believing another, while the Church ignores their heresy because kicking all the heretics out would leave the priests preaching to empty buildings.
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You would just call them dissident Catholics. If someone has gone through certain rites, then they are a Catholic unless the church excommunicates them or they renounce their faith. Daradon is correct too that hypocrisy is a human quality. It doesn't matter if it is religion, politics, business, philosophy, justice... whatever. Everyone has things that they are conflicted with and cannot reconcile. Only the most ardent and stubborn extremists wouldn't.
Contrary to popular belief, the church does accept some level of dissident behavior and is willing to debate it within their circles. You are correct to that they are a lot more apprehensive to drop the hammer these days though as dissidents are becoming more powerful. I think this is part of the reason the new pope was chosen. He himself is considered somewhat dissident on some issues.
I think the attitude is funny though. People complain that Catholics are archaic and need to change and need to align with a more modern world. Then when Catholics do change, they get labeled hypocrites by many of the same people for not just falling in line with the Church. If the Church is ever going to change, it needs to happen among the members first. Any liberalization from the members should be encouraged.