Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzz
I guess that should maybe be a concern if you are running a business, not dealing with human decency.
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I can't say I disagree. There is an undeniable hypocrisy with the Church being both a religion and a business.
I think Francis has the right ideas from the religious perspective, but the bureaucracy prevents real change. There is a strong influence from outside of Rome.
While Francis's more liberal initiatives were good at satisfying dissident Catholics in the West, they alienated conservative Catholics. In the U.S., Catholics used to overwhelmingly vote for Democrats because of their belief in social contracts and responsibility. Now it is roughly 50-50 as some people feel the Church slipped too far left, they look to secular institutions.
It's feedback loop. The Church influences secular society, but secular society influences the Church. I just hope the more liberal component keeps chipping away, but it's a really slow battle. It turns out that if the Church doesn't promote what people want, they will convert to find other methods to get what they want. The religion is far less influential than it was in the past IMO. They are now adapting to local customs and are finding they can't pull the strings like they used to.