Religious Terms

Some topical religious terms which may be helpful to readers of this blog.

Abortion grays: This is a term used to refer to those adults who are not strongly pro-life or pro-choice. They have reservations about abortion but do not wish to see it criminalized. They may well form the majority of adults. They are as opposed to enforced childbirth for every pregnant woman as they are to completely free access to abortion at any stage of pregnancy for any reason.

ABSOLUTISM:  The belief that absolute truths exist in the field of ethics and morality.  Typically, these truths are extracted from a holy text.  The term is analogous with the old concept that a monarchy held the ultimate authority in a state.  This was typically a king who claimed to rule by divine right. The opposite of ABSOLUTISM is RELATiVISM

Concordats: are international treaties with the Vatican that may range from granting little more than diplomatic recognition to a legally binding commitment to observe key aspects of Vatican doctrine and to have taxpayers subsidise the Church. Because the state may be put under pressure to enforce these Vatican policies.

DUALISM: The view that there are only two fundamental principles in the universe, such as good and evil or spirit and matter. They are generally opposites.  Under this concept there are no gray areas and everything is divided into pairs.  Such a belief implies the existence of two equal gods that are in conflict with each other rather than a compassionate and forgiving Creator who meets us where we are not where others would have us be.    

FAITH:  A system of religious belief.  There are many and they conflict with each other, but ultimately a gift from God.

FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE:  The question of religious liberty or conscience was one of the hottest contested issues fought during Vatican II between liberals and conservatives. Its intent was to give individuals (People of God) their God given right to claim primacy over Church teachings. The debate ended in the now familiar constitution which reads:

“Deep within their consciences men and women discover a law that they have not laid upon themselves but which they must obey. Its voice, ever calling them to love and to do what is good and to avoid what is evil, tells them inwardly at the right moment: do this, shun that. For they have in their hearts a law inscribed by God. Their dignity lies in observing this law, and by it they will be judged . . . By conscience that law is made known in a wonderful way that is fulfilled in love for God and for one's neighbour. Through loyalty to conscience Christians are joined to others in the search for truth and for the right solution to so many moral problems that arise both in the lives of individuals and in social relationships.” - Pastoral Constitution on the Modern World

Today Traditional Catholics are again challenging this ruling from Vatican II especially in such areas as abortion, the use of condoms, homosexuality, contraception, treatment of HIV/aids.  In some extreme cases some Traditional bishops have threatened or applied sanctions on laity who challenged Church teachings by applying  such measures as excommunication or access to communion.  

FREEDOM OF RELIGION:  Individuals in North American and most European countries  are guaranteed a freedom to practise their faith without any interference from the state.  This same right is not however extended to religious institutions when they seek to impose their beliefs onto the rest of the nation – see SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

FUNDAMENTALISTS: Within Christianity, this is a term used since the 1920's to refer to the most religiously conservative groups within Protestant Christianity. Within Judaism, Islam and other religions, the term is used to refer to the extreme conservative wing who Karen Armstrong defines as "embattled forms of spirituality, which have emerged as a response to a perceived crisis" namely the fear that modernity will erode or even eradicate their faith and morality.

HOMOSEXUALITY: In all its forms lesbian, trans-sexual, etc. Human sexuality researchers and therapists have reached a near consensus that homosexuality is a minority sexual orientation, one of three natural, normal orientations, mainly caused by variation in one's hormones. see here. It is unchosen and unchangeable. Many religious conservatives believe that it is an unnatural, abnormal lifestyle, mainly caused by inadequate parenting. Some think it is chosen, and can be changed. Traditional Catholics such as Pope Benedict XVI continue to oppose scientific and medical evidence to the contrary.

    

RELATIVISM: A philosophical belief that many forms of "truth" -- particularly in the area of morals and ethics are relative and not absolute. That is, it varies from time to time and culture to culture. Antonym: absolutism.

SECULARISM: the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries(see Wikipedia).  Being SECULAR  does not necessarily imply hostility to God or religion, though some use the term this way Martin Luther used to speak of "secular work" as a vocation from God for most Christians
When Pope Benedict XVI speaks of SECULARISM he means anyone who does not belong to the one and only TRUE Church and are therefore not Roman Catholic. Some opponents of church-state separation redefine “secularism” as “state neutrality” to allow their group (among others) to get state funding. Others try to discredit it by confusing “secularism” with “atheism”. But it's a political, rather than a religious doctrine and its purpose is to help level the playing field in order to give a better chance for human rights. See also: TEMPORAL

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE:   In the Western world most countries have adopted the ‘separation of State and church or religion’. While such separation prevents the State from supporting any religion or from interfering with it also obliges religion to leave the public sphere open to all. When both sides respect the boundaries, secularism provides a framework for freedom of conscience, tolerance and democracy. Secularism does not guarantee human rights but it helps make them possible.

SLIPPERY SLOPE:  In logic and critical thinking, a slippery slope is a logical device, but is usually known under its fallacious form in which a person asserts that some event must inevitably follow from another without any rational argument or demonstrable mechanism for the inevitability of the event in question. A slippery slope argument states that a relatively small first step leads to a chain of related events culminating in some significant effect, much like an object given a small push over the edge of a slope sliding all the way to the bottom. The strength of such an argument depends on the, i.e. whether or not one can demonstrate a process which leads to the significant effect. The fallacious sense of "slippery slope" is often used synonymously with continuum fallacy, in that it ignores the possibility of middle ground and assumes a discrete transition from category A to category B. Modern usage avoids the fallacy by acknowledging the possibility of this middle ground. - Wikipedia

TEMPORAL: Of or relating to the material world; worldly: the temporal possessions of the Church.

THEOCRACY: The opposite of secularism can be found in a theocratic nation which is run under the direct control or of a particular or chosen religious institution. Theocracy exists in many countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. It is well known that many of these theocratic nations are found to be responsible for many horrific human abuses. However, that is not to say that a theocratic State could not be run free of such abuses.

Theology VS Mysticism
      Theology: The art of telling stories about the Divine. Also the art of listening to them.
      Mysticism: The art of tasting and feeling in your heart the inner meaning of such stories to the point that they transform you.  

Current high profile topics in the U.S. -- with a religious component:

Of the hundreds of religious topics saturating the news, the following appear to have the highest profile right now. It is interesting that 5 of the 7 topics are related to human sexuality and/or gender. The following seem to be the most important current topics of concern to many faith groups:

	Same-sex marriage: What rights and protections should same-sex couples and their children have? Should they be allowed to marry, or be only registered in civil unions, or be allowed only to enter domestic partnerships, or be legally considered "legal strangers" -- merely as roommates? In mid-2013, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially overturned Proposition 8: a California referendum in 2008 that banned same-sex marriages in the state. Marriages are now available to same-sex couples in that state, in 12 other states and in the District of Columbia.
	Abortion access: In what situations should informed women be free to choose to have an abortion: all, none, or some? What are the best ways to reduce abortions: by restricting access or by making childbirth more feasible, or by increasing contraceptive usage. Would educating sexually active youth in how to prevent pregnancy and STIs help or hinder?
	Islamophobia: This involves fear, anger, hatred, discomfort, and/or discrimination directed against Muslims. Some target the 19 perpetrators of 9/11; some a group of violent radicals within Islam; some against all of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims.
	Religious freedom:  This term has two very different meanings. In the past it referred to people being free to believe as they wish, assemble with others of the same religious tradition, engage in different religious practices, proselytize freely, etc. However, it is now often used to mean something very different: to use religious freedom to oppress, denigrate, and attack women and minorities -- particularly sexual minorities.
	The fight against the HHS birth control mandate: A recent Health and Human Services mandate requires most employee health insurance policies -- including those used by Catholic hospitals, universities, agencies, etc. -- to offer free access to birth control to the employees.  The church feels that it is their religious right to fight its employees' access to contraception. Many of their Catholic and non-Catholic employees beg to differ. Numerous court cases are being fought. If the mandate survives, then there is likely to be a drastic reduction in unexpected, unwanted pregnancies, and thus a massive drop in the number of abortions.
	"Federal Defense of Marriage act (DOMA):" This law originally prevented legally married same-sex couples and their children from obtaining any of the approximately 1,138 federal benefits, protections, and rights that were automatically given as special privileges only to opposite-sex married couples. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on 2013-JUN-26 that Section 3 of the law was unconstitutional. Same-sex married couples now have the same rights as opposite-married couples subject to some limitations. This ruling is expected to have a major long term impact on LGBT equality because of the majority opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy.
	"Boy Scouts of America" (BSA): The BSA prohibited LGBT youth and adults from joining, and expelled any such persons when they were discovered within the organization. Delegates to their annual meeting voted to allow LGBT youths to join, but to expell them at age 18. Conservative religious denominations and para church groups are outraged that LGBT youths are allowed to join; some are organizing groups in competition to the BSA. Source: http://www.religioustolerance.org/

What are my legal rights as a Catholic?

Have you ever wondered what your legal rights are as a lay member of the Roman Catholic Church are? The following is intended to provide the reader with a quick summary of their legal rights and liabilities according to Canon Law as well as a relatively unknown legal agreement between the Vatican and other countries known as a 'concordat' that directly affect laity and/or clergy.

CONCORDATS

Concordats are legal agreements (often secret) between state and the Catholic Church that give the Church massive state subsidies and other privileges. They can effectively force liberal Catholics to observe orthodoxy, and can disadvantage non Catholics as well.

Concordat Watch is a website dedicated to ensuring that these agreements are made public and to protect the individual under civil law. A recent article by this group highlited how Canon Law can trump clerics' civil right.

"A Swiss priest was forbidden to research or publish anything about Opus Dei until its founder was safely canonised. A Polish priest was banned from investigating or writing anything about clerical complicity with the Communist Secret Service. And countless others who never make it into the newspapers suffer the same fate. For they are bound by Canon Law, the Church regulations whose jurisdiction is guaranteed by concordats — often in the very first article.

Concordat Watch also reported:

Gay Catholic group Acceptance had planned a forum to be held during the Pope's World Youth Day celebrations in Australia in July 2008. It was to be called "Living a Christian Commitment: Different Sexualities Among Catholic Youth". However, after pressure from the Vatican, the Jesuits withdrew their offer to host the gay young people, who are now forced to look for a non-Church venue.

Other concordat clauses enforce Canon Law on the employees of Church-run institutions, even though these are funded by the state. For example, the concordat with Hitler (1933, Article 24) is used to this day to fire teachers in Catholic schools if they remarry after a civil divorce.

European Union Lawyers have warned that Concordats endanger human freedom.

CANON LAW

Several years ago Catholic New Times ran an article 'Know your basic rights in Canon Law' that should be required reading for all Catholic parishioners. Perhaps it should even be posted before they enter the church or attend any church function. Here's follows the article as it originally appeared in January 2006.

• All Catholics have the right to follow their informed consciences in all matters (Canon 748,1).

• Officers of the church have the right to teach on all matters both of private and public morality only after wide consultation with the faithful prior to the formulation (C.212,C747,C749,C752,C774.1).

• All Catholics have the right to engage in any activity that does not infringe on the rights of others: e.g. they have the right to freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of association (C.212,C.215,C.223)

• All Catholics have the right of access to all information possessed by Church authorities concerning the former's spiritual and temporal welfare, provided such access does not infringe on the rights of others (C.218,C.221,C.223,C.1287).

• All Catholics have the right in a voice in all decisions that affect hem including the choosing of their leaders. All Catholics have the right to have their leaders accountable to them. (C492,C.1287).
  
  
• All Catholics have the right to form voluntary associations to pursue Catholic aims, including the right to worship together, such associations have the right to decide on their own rules of governance (C.215, C.299,C.300,C.305,C.309).
• All Catholics have the right to express publicly their dissent in regard to decisions made by church authorities (C212,C.218,C.753).
• All Catholics have the right while being mindful of Gospel norms to follow whatever paths will enhance their life in Christ; that is their self-realization as unique human beings created by God. They also have the right to guidance that will foster authentic human living both on a personal level and in relation to their communities and the world (C.213).

• All Catholics regardless of race, age, nationality or sex and sexual orientation, state of life or social position have the right to receive all the sacraments for which they are adequately prepared (C.213, C.843).
• All Catholics have the right to have church office holders foster a sense of community. (C.369).

That same year (2006) Kevin E. McKenna published 'a concise guide to Your Rights in the Catholic Church. In his introduction the author explains the intent behind this book as follows: "In the midst of [sexual abuse] crisis, some lay people, fearing they had no rights or that their rights were woefully ignored, turned to civil authorities to prosecute allegations of sexual misconduct against clerics. At the same time this book is also aimed at protecting innocently accused clerics and their rights within the church.

For the purpose of this blog I have listed a summary of the 'Rights of the Laity' as provided in the same book as follows:

1. Married Christians have the right to imbue the world with their charisms and spirituality (CIC 226, Par. 1:CCEO 400)
   


2. The lay Christian faithful have the right to educate their children (CIC) 226, CCEO 627, Par. 1, CCEO 627, Par. 3)
   


3. The lay Christian faithful have the right to freedom as citizens (CIC 227; CCEO 402)
   


4. The Lay Christian faithful have the right to assume ecclesiastical offices when qualified (CIC 228, Par.1, CCEO 408, Par.2)
   


5. The lay Christian faithful have the right to act as advisors to pastors (CIC 228, Par 2. CCEO 408, Par. 2)
   


6. Lay Christian faithful have the right to acquire knowledge of Christian doctrine (CIC 229, Par 1, CCEO 404, Par. 1). They also possess the right to acquire the fuller knowledge of the sacred sciences taught in ecclesiastical universities and to obtain appropriate degrees (CIC 229, Par. 2; CCEO 404, Par. 2) They also have the right, when properly qualified and with requisite suitability, to receive a mandate from ecclesiastical authority to teach the sacred sciences (CIC 229, Par.3; CCEO 404, Par.3)
   


7. Laypersons have the right to decent remuneration when employed by the Church (CIC 231, Par.2; CCEO 409, Par. 2)
   

If after reading all this you still have doubts about your rights in the Catholic Church, particularly as it affects your conscience, please read again what the Vatican II fathers said about that in an earlier blog http://whenreligionfails.blogspot.com/search/laber/conscience
Abbreviations
CIC Code of Canon Law, Codex Iuris Canoici
CCEO Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium

NOTE: Since the Renaissance Justitia (pictured above) is most often depicted with a set of scales typically suspended from her left hand, upon which she measures the strenghts of a case's support and opposition. She is also often seen carrying a double-edged sword in her right hand, symbolizing the power of Reason and Justice, which may be wielded either for or against any party. The blindfold is intended to indicate that justice is (or should be) meted our objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of identiy, money, power, or weakness: blind justice and blind impartiality. Source: Wikipedia