NPR referring to "cafeteria Catholics"

[MetaTrope]

WTF? Is it just me, or is this like a news report referencing pro-choice people with "also called baby-killers"?

[SCDem]

1. "cafeteria catholics"

Are they saying we pick and choose what we want? Just asking because I'm not listening to NPR at the moment.

[bleedingheart]

2. I am one of those cafeteria catholics...a more apt title would be

"Think for myself" catholic...but it's not as catchy...

As I have said time and time again...the church doesn't turn away the checks I give them...so I can't see how they can turn me away from receiving communion.

I have even confessed in confession that I don't agree with the church on abortion and birth control...and aside from being asked to think about it...no big deal...

[Tina H]

6. "Think For Yourself" Catholic

I thought that was what the Protestant Reformation was basically about. Are you sure you aren't a closet Lutheran?

[bleedingheart]

7. nah...I like all the gaudy finery of the catholic church...

:-)

[markus]

12. I used to live next to a high Episcopalian church

that my sister and nephew attended.

If you don't have a woman priest, you could be fooled (right down to confession).

I am giving serious consideration to switching after my kids are confirmed, after duly completing my promise to raise them as Catholic.

I figure, if the Arch-B thinks that 10 and 13 years old are adults in the Church, they can handle Dad leaving their church.

[bleedingheart]

14. hey my son gets communion and confirmation

at the age of 8...so your church is still holding off on confirmation???

In fact I gotta call a caterer to get some food for the big event...

[cheezus]

16. my 12 yo sis-in-law just got confirmed

with a group of kids from 8-18. They moving it to 3rd grade with first communion.

got to CONFIRM what they beleive before they're old enough to think for themselves.

I had to sit through confirmation. I wanted to scream at some of the stuff they were telling these kids. It was terrible. I hadn't realized that it was a cult until then.

[markus]

24. I was so ticked off at this decision

I was confirmed in fourth grade at about age 10.

I think the Lutherans have it right. If you're going to confirm someone, they should in their mid-teens at least, and cognizant of what they're doing.

I thought this was just in North Dakota. Interesting to here it's elsewhere. Some of it's excused so the Bishop won't have to go to so many confirmations. Key-riste! Isn't that his job?

I've always been mostly a secular Catholic (c.f. "secular Jew") having been raised in Catholic N'wawlins, attending twelve years of parochial school, etc. It's in me to the bone, in some sense, but not in my heart.

[cheezus]

25. no, this was in nd

[markus]

28. Sorry, cheezuz

I didn't notice the poster name. Yep, all of the kids in the Fargo Diocese are going to get confirmed like some Big Moonie Wedding. Maybe the B is planning on taking year after next easy.

I think it's silly to the point of being ridiculous, and thought about moving to a church in Minnesota becuase of it.

[Bunny]

29. Is it this Sunday?

My daughter's getting First Communion and Confirmation Sunday. Gotta love that Greensburg Diocese! All the necessary Catholic sacraments by age 8!

The food's ordered. The dress, veil, and shoes are ready. Taking her for a haircut after school today. And tomorrow is, of course, the big cleaning day at bunnyj manor. Can't have the relatives seeing what a slob I truly am!

Did I mention that the veil she'll be wearing was worn by me, my sister, her daughter, my older daughter, and now my youngest girl? A family tradition!

[powergirl]

31. My church puts off confirmation until age 13

My son got his communion and reconciliation (confession) last year at the age of 8. I wasn't confirmed until I was 14. I guess there are no uniform rules about this. Congratulations and have a good party!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. Wow. How retro. Persecution of Catholics is back in?

Though long ago lapsed and now an aetheist, this is still pretty annoying to me.

[illini]

4. It seems to me anti-abortion Catholics can also be called......

"cafeteria catholics". The Pope made a statement not to long ago that Sunday should be a time for prayer and meditation. It should not be a time for sports. How many anti-abortion catholics hold themselves to that standard. :smoke:

[LittleApple81]

8. I am sorry. The Catholic church has lost so much authority and

credibility. But I think these statements are coming from the ultra-conservatives inside the church who are helping continue with this witch-hunt.
If they were true catholics, they would deny communion to themselves for the rapes of children they covered up, for supporting criminal regimes all over Latin America, for not ex-communicating politicians who support the death penalty, for discriminating against women who desire more participation in the priesthood just because of dogma created by MEN.... and we could go on and on.
I am not anti-Catholic. I just cannot respect most ORGANIZED religions because they worry more about power than the good of humankind.

[Caution]

5. What is a "cafeteria catholic" ?

I don't get the reference? From other posts this seems like a reference to catholics who don't follow the edicts from the papacy exactly? IS this accurate? Is it a slur? I've never heard this before.

[SCDem]

9. Exactly my question (the first response post)

I mean to say Catholics pick and choose.... hell all Christians do. The Bible itself is full of contradictions and anyone can justify anything by reading the Bible. So are Southern Baptists "cafeteria christians" because they do not love there neighbor (who is gay) as thyself.

[bleedingheart]

11. I agree with you

we catholics aren't the only ones who don't always agree with a church.

[bloom]

30. Cefeteria Christians

IOW _all_ Christians.

If they could all be made to see that, THAT would be an accomplishment.

[k in IA]

10. It is a Catholic that picks and chooses which parts you believe in and

seems to usually mean more liberal Catholics that are pro-choice, pro-birth control (shocking!), etc. but this can just as equally be applied to conservative Catholics who support the death penalty, don't seem to care about helping the poor, supported the Iraq war which the church was against, etc.

Most American Catholics are cafeteria Catholics.

On Hardball a week or two ago, Father Andrew Greeley was talking about this and he said it is only about 6% of Catholics that are both anti-abortion and against the Iraq war. Few people actually follow or believe everything.

[Supormom]

17. Yes, I wonder what would happen if

the Catholic church refused communion to all those Americans who supported the Iraq war. Can the church really afford to lose any more members?

[k in IA]

21. I'd like to see how many Catholics agree with the church on birth control.

That has to be the most ridiculous thing they advocate. People are not having 12 kids anymore even if they are conservative Catholics.

[Tina H]

15. As I understand it:

It is a Catholic who picks and chooses what Church teachings they want to believe and follow. "Buffet Catholic" would have been a more accurate metaphor, but just doesn't have that catchy alliteration.

As I further understand it, it is a substantive criticism, and therefore not a slur.

The term used to be hurled by old-fashioned Catholics at more modern Catholics, often because of differences on questions of sexual morality. However, now there is some blowback because many of these old-fashioned Catholics disagree with the Pope about the war in Iraq and they find themselves being called Cafeteria Catholics.

[JayS]

18. It is a Catholic...

...that goes to Lubys a lot. :)

[NormanConquest]

13. Didn't the know-nothings raise a fuss about Kennedy

taking orders from the Vatican? Didn't he have to publicly aver that the pope wouldn't be appointed to his cabinet?

And now they're making an issue of Kerry NOT toeing the RC line?

:mad:

[Jacobin]

19. What do you call a drunk Baptist?

George Bush*.

WTF is going on with the catholic bashing?

Oh, nevermind. Kerry is the dem nominee.

[Az]

20. Not convinced it was meant as a epithet

It is a known issue within the US Catholic ranks that adhering to the word of the Pope is problematic. I have heard from more than one Catholic that the Pope has his opinion and they have theirs. It is these Catholics that the phrase refers to. The ones that follow their own understanding of the doctrine. Which at one time would have been an act punishible by death.

[skippysmom]

22. I heard that too

It's a term I don't like much, but I guess I would be considered one because I was raised Catholic, but I don't go the Mass regularly, am pro-choice, use birth control, or follow all of the Pope's pronouncements.

I hate hearing about Catholics siding with fundies and evangelicals. They seem to forget the social justice aspect of Christianity -- and they are siding with people who think Catholicism is quite suspect and will dump them (or try to convert them) as soon as they don't need them any more.

[BabsSong]

23. How about the Cafeteria CHRISTIANS??

Born raised and practicing Christian. I'm Lutheran; husband if Catholic. In fact the area I was born and raised was 98% Catholics and I probably knew the Catholic religion better than they did---I still keep filling my husband in!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, the real bad news bears in this country are these rightwing protestant nutso churches that have bastersized and Americanized Christ. I call it "Jesus the Lucky Rabbit's Foot". They have so distorted the Bible---it makes a little picking and choosing within the Catholic parishoners look like nothing. Man, the Catholics I grew up with and were my close friends, etc. were all doing this kind of choosing back in the early 60's!! That's why this is definitely a witch hunt.

[mmonk]

26. most people are

"cafeteria" whatever their religious preference is but its only a term applied to Catholics. Anyone find that interesting?

[MurrayDelph]

27. I am a Kafeteria Jew

I find it insulting that we are supposedly given free will by God, and then are expected to blindly follow the dictums of appointed leaders.

Rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach, I believe one should treat the whole thing like an optometrist visit; I try a little of this, and a little of that, to help find out what improves the way I see things. I am sure not going to wear anyone else's glasses!

Murray