The noise-to-signal ratio at the USCCB
The noise-to-signal ratio at the USCCB During the past several weeks the US bishops have been engaged in a critical political battle over the HHS contraceptive mandate, and the USCCB has issued a series …More
The noise-to-signal ratio at the USCCB
During the past several weeks the US bishops have been engaged in a critical political battle over the HHS contraceptive mandate, and the USCCB has issued a series of strong statements on that subject. Good.
During those same weeks, however, the USCCB has also issued statements on tax cuts and unemployment benefits, the consumer bill of rights, US policy in the Middle East, nuclear weapons, and now agricultural policy.
Here I am including only statements released by the episcopal conference. Individual bishops have added their own opinions on public-policy matters ranging from immigration to climate change.
It is not obvious why the bishops feel obliged to speak on all those subjects. Is there a clear “Catholic” position on agricultural policy?
No.
Are American Catholics united in their views on agricultural policy?
No. Do bishops have any special teaching authority regarding agricultural policy? Again, no. But because the USCCB keeps cranking …More
During the past several weeks the US bishops have been engaged in a critical political battle over the HHS contraceptive mandate, and the USCCB has issued a series of strong statements on that subject. Good.
During those same weeks, however, the USCCB has also issued statements on tax cuts and unemployment benefits, the consumer bill of rights, US policy in the Middle East, nuclear weapons, and now agricultural policy.
Here I am including only statements released by the episcopal conference. Individual bishops have added their own opinions on public-policy matters ranging from immigration to climate change.
It is not obvious why the bishops feel obliged to speak on all those subjects. Is there a clear “Catholic” position on agricultural policy?
No.
Are American Catholics united in their views on agricultural policy?
No. Do bishops have any special teaching authority regarding agricultural policy? Again, no. But because the USCCB keeps cranking …More
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By speaking so often, on such a wide variety of public issues, the American bishops are watering down their own teaching authority. If they issued public statements less frequently, and confined themselves to important issues on which they could speak with clarity and authority, they would have far more impact.
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They got into this stuff …More
Comments:
By speaking so often, on such a wide variety of public issues, the American bishops are watering down their own teaching authority. If they issued public statements less frequently, and confined themselves to important issues on which they could speak with clarity and authority, they would have far more impact.
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They got into this stuff back in the heyday of “peace and justice,” when they were praised by the left for bloviating about nuclear war and parroting leftist social positions. Meanwhile, terrible things were happening in their dioceses and in the Church as a whole because they had failed to teach - or had even taught falsely - on matters of faith and morals and Church doctrine, which is where their teaching authority lies.
Many of the old crop of lefty bishops have passed on to their reward, and the newer ones are better, but there’s still enough of the old guard remaining who remember their glory days as the best friend of the left.
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By speaking so often, on such a wide variety of public issues, the American bishops are watering down their own teaching authority. If they issued public statements less frequently, and confined themselves to important issues on which they could speak with clarity and authority, they would have far more impact.
---------------------------------------------------
They got into this stuff back in the heyday of “peace and justice,” when they were praised by the left for bloviating about nuclear war and parroting leftist social positions. Meanwhile, terrible things were happening in their dioceses and in the Church as a whole because they had failed to teach - or had even taught falsely - on matters of faith and morals and Church doctrine, which is where their teaching authority lies.
Many of the old crop of lefty bishops have passed on to their reward, and the newer ones are better, but there’s still enough of the old guard remaining who remember their glory days as the best friend of the left.
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