The Sacred Priesthood and its Servants.

I have had "comment moderation" for a few days while I think through for myself a couple of matters. Let me start with my church,Catholicism, and the struggle going on in the church today.

The problem is not about sex. I think it is clear to anyone that the hierarchy of the Church is totally and completely against the exercise of ANY form of human sexuality. Yes, even the last finger hold by Catholic liberals abortion, is just a sub topic under the church's anti sex attitude. After all abortion, to the hierarchy is is just the extreme form of birth control. Sex must have consequences, the Church clearly teaches, and abortion is just a way around the consequences to church leaders. I have argued this before many times on my blog. I'm tempted but will not repeat the argument that abortion is bad in all cases is nonsense.

The real'battle' in the Church today is between the laity and the priesthood. Ever since Vatican2 when the laity was given some recognition, the clergy, all the way from the pope to the bishops, has been in a desparate struggle to retain their supremacy and to place the laity back in its place as non-essential element of the Church. The laity in the Church today have no function other than to support the priesthood. This is harsh. But the Church is nothing other than a concord between priest and God, with the laity allowed to fight for a few crumbs from the table. Does anyone really believe B16 or Chaput and a large number of the American bishops, at least, have even the vaguest regard for the flock. Or is the 'flock' simply to be used as the foot soldiers of the 'shepherd'? No, the 'shepherd' has always been the essence of the Church and the 'sheep' are left to receive what largesse the "shepherd' can spare.

Why does the Church concentrate, with considerable success on the abortion issue, the only issue the church shows any interest in today. Quite simple. The hierarchy portrays all who oppose its position on this issue as co-conspirators in murder. You can see the ploy. We. the Church leaders, are against murder. Those who do not follow us on this issue are co-conspirators in murder. The Church then is sacred; all others are evil doers, except for those who follow the totally strict Catholic, priestly, position on abortion. After all the Church alone offers the "intellectual" undergirding of the anti-abortion movement.

So the question today for any Catholic is simply: Shall I remain loyal in some way, or by some semi=rational argument, such as the Church is not the priesthood, to the Church's clear teaching than only those who totally abstain from sexual thought or activity can have any role, except as servants to a celibate priesthood.

The point is obviously clear. The priesthood must maintain control; and one of the easiest way to do this is to insist that only total celibacy allows one to know God in the fullest. Those who engage in any sexual thought or activity are, by those very thoughts and acts, inferior to the sacred priesthood.