The 'Nones' and the Areopagus | National Catholic Reporter

The 'Nones' and the Areopagus | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: I suspect that the rise of the nones has to do with an end of the belief that you miss the Sunday obligation under pain of mortal sin.  Indeed, missing Mass one week, or even multiple weeks does not seem to keep people from the Communion line, nor from experiencing Christ in Communion when that occurs.  Every dirty thought is also not confessed with no dire consequences.  Of course, there are others who are away from Church because they feel they have broken the rules and it is a mortally sinful matter - and the fact that they stay away is sad.  Maybe the debate on Communion by the remarried will resonate with them and they will come back to Christ.



The Spiritual but Not Religious is shorthand for being in recovery, although yogic practitioners have taken up that phrase as well.  It refers to the fact that to recover one must find a compassionate rather than a punishing God.  See the prior paragraph.



Does this have to do with politics?  I suspect that some people hear a particularly skewed homily or bishop's letter on Faithful Citizenship and go away for that reason.  The Church should survey that, although I don't think it has the courage to.  It should examine the difference between religous freedom and the desire for religous power.  Again, I doubt the USCCB has the courage to go there either.



Washington was throwing religious people a bone in his farewell address. He himself was a Mason and that would color his outlook on this question and that of all the founding fathers.



On the other hand, Pope Benedict would of course consider encounter with Christ as the important thing.  So should every priest.  Hopefully the current pope and the bishops he appoints (I would still prefer the ancient practice of local election) will highlight the more humanistic character of the encounter with Christ, as this makes it possible to be Spiritual AND Religious.  Of course, there is a term of art for those who profess such beliefs.  Illuminati.