The Church

One question I've had lately is whether or not the Catholic church is a religious organization, a political one, or both. I mean to some extent recently it has behaved as a political organization. And I'm not sure what I should think about that. On the one hand, its not like religious authorities assuming political role is without precedent. Religion and politics have been inseperable in many Islamic nations, and has been important in Christian ones in distant memory. And some religious matters are inherently political, so the cross over might be warranted.

Still, I'm uncomfortable with a political role for Christian religious institutions. I think anyone would be hard pressed to find me word or deeds of Jesus that imply that The Faithful should work through established political channels as a means to influence human life. Most of what I've read makes me think that Jesus Chris was decidedly apolitical.

I guess that's something for the Catholic Church to think about. In this recent outbreak of sex abuse accusations, the most surprising thing to me is how the church has lashed out at its critics. The liberal media is out to get the church...or most recently, that the attacks on Catholicism are no different than anti-Semitism. Lashing out in an insecure way to me is the desperate reaction of a political entity, not of a confident religious one.
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