With numbers estimated at nearly one and a quarter billion people, the Roman Catholic Church has stood as the organizational center of the Christian religion for almost two thousand years. Its adherents rely on it for spiritual advice, doctrinal enlightenment, and overall religious guidance. Though the vast majority of these faithful Catholics accept the teachings of their Church, there is no denying the existence of Catholic fundamentalism or its impact on the modern Church.
This conflict has resulted in a growing schism within the Roman Church, with many priests and lay people resisting the liberalization of Church Doctrine. These proponents of traditional fundamentalism seek a return to strict doctrinal adherence, and are thus having a powerful influence on debate within Catholicism.
For most conservatives in the Roman Church, the real problem began at Vatican II. That was the point at which many traditionalists believe that the Vatican decided it needed to liberalize its teachings. Fundamentalists see this as a betrayal of classical Christian teachings, and an abandonment of sound doctrine in favor of trendy nuance on important social issues.
Obviously, there are more than just a few minor disagreements involved in this rift. Fundamentalists are opposed to relaxed standards set during Vatican II on issues ranging from birth control to the notion of women as priests. The tradition of celibacy is another important area in which these traditionalists refuse to compromise, instead insisting that the classical Scriptural interpretations remain in place.
In addition, these more conservative Catholics are also opposed to anything other than a Latin Mass, and maintain that Vatican pronouncements are the final say in matters of Scriptural interpretation. They also hold fast to the notion that the Catholic Church is the only true pathway to salvation for Christians and that all other denominations must eventually return to the Roman Church or risk condemnation from God.
The fundamentalists' critics regularly denounce these traditional views as being dates, out of step with the times, and detrimental to every effort to spread the Gospel. According to the more liberal elements, the fundamentalist view of God is that He is a tyrant with unreasonable and exclusionary expectations. They feel that such a view does nothing to appeal to the fallen world.
Most fundamentalist groups, like the Society of Saint Pius X, remain at odds with the Vatican over these issues. The schism is so bad that it has led the Roman Church to declare such groups to be in a state of schism. That means that they are effectively cut off from the Church and will remain so until they renounce their position and reach accord with Rome.
For Catholics of strong faith, there is thought to be much work to be done in this new century. That work is somewhat complicated by the state of disunity the Church now finds itself in. Both sides are convinced that it is a fight worth having, though. For modernists, the work of modernizing the Church to appeal to modern audiences is of critical importance. For traditionalists, however, the compromises made in that quest for modernity do nothing but water down the Gospel message and deny the audience the truth it needs to hear.
This conflict has resulted in a growing schism within the Roman Church, with many priests and lay people resisting the liberalization of Church Doctrine. These proponents of traditional fundamentalism seek a return to strict doctrinal adherence, and are thus having a powerful influence on debate within Catholicism.
For most conservatives in the Roman Church, the real problem began at Vatican II. That was the point at which many traditionalists believe that the Vatican decided it needed to liberalize its teachings. Fundamentalists see this as a betrayal of classical Christian teachings, and an abandonment of sound doctrine in favor of trendy nuance on important social issues.
Obviously, there are more than just a few minor disagreements involved in this rift. Fundamentalists are opposed to relaxed standards set during Vatican II on issues ranging from birth control to the notion of women as priests. The tradition of celibacy is another important area in which these traditionalists refuse to compromise, instead insisting that the classical Scriptural interpretations remain in place.
In addition, these more conservative Catholics are also opposed to anything other than a Latin Mass, and maintain that Vatican pronouncements are the final say in matters of Scriptural interpretation. They also hold fast to the notion that the Catholic Church is the only true pathway to salvation for Christians and that all other denominations must eventually return to the Roman Church or risk condemnation from God.
The fundamentalists' critics regularly denounce these traditional views as being dates, out of step with the times, and detrimental to every effort to spread the Gospel. According to the more liberal elements, the fundamentalist view of God is that He is a tyrant with unreasonable and exclusionary expectations. They feel that such a view does nothing to appeal to the fallen world.
Most fundamentalist groups, like the Society of Saint Pius X, remain at odds with the Vatican over these issues. The schism is so bad that it has led the Roman Church to declare such groups to be in a state of schism. That means that they are effectively cut off from the Church and will remain so until they renounce their position and reach accord with Rome.
For Catholics of strong faith, there is thought to be much work to be done in this new century. That work is somewhat complicated by the state of disunity the Church now finds itself in. Both sides are convinced that it is a fight worth having, though. For modernists, the work of modernizing the Church to appeal to modern audiences is of critical importance. For traditionalists, however, the compromises made in that quest for modernity do nothing but water down the Gospel message and deny the audience the truth it needs to hear.
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