Does Waldman cite the influence of Freemasonry and Quakerism on religious tolerance? What about the vocal opposition of the Popes to the concept? There is a reason the Founders and original settlers disliked the Catholic Church. Such an analysis is better explained by the cultural theory of Douglass and Wildavsky than theology.
New book on US religious liberty fails to make a crucial distinction
Lingering bigotry is also sometimes deserved. Religious power, either in society or in Catholic institutions, is hypocrisy, not liberty. Firing teachers who are gay and/or married is likely soon to be illegal and is sour grapes. The Bishops went all in on funding opposition to marriage equality, resisting Obama care and imposing limits on contraception by employees. So was being a part of censorship in the halcyon 1950s or resisting the empowerment of women (and refusing ordination). Hitting back after losing is organizational pathology, not freedom. It is also going all in with the Republicans. It is acting as master rather than servant, which Christ condemned. Bigotry in the Church is answered by resentment from within and in culture. The Bishops had it coming.
Note that trying to baptize Independence Day as an anti-contraception is on par with baptizing Saturnalia as Christmas and fertility rites as Easter (although the Jews started that one - no one heads for the desert just before Summer - just as no one pastures lambs in the dead of winter).
ReplyDelete