U.S. Catholics likely to follow 'conscience'

[Fidei Defensor]

[url="http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/20/us.catholics.poll/index.html"]http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/20/us.cathol...poll/index.html[/url]

[b]ATLANTA (CNN) -- Nearly three-quarters of American Catholics say they are more likely to follow their own conscience on "difficult moral questions," rather than the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.[/b]

At the same time, most of those polled said they did not know enough about the new pope to form an opinion about him.

The poll was conducted with 616 U.S. Catholics, hours after Pope Benedict XVI was named the successor to Pope John Paul II. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Seventy-four percent of the respondents said they were more likely to follow their own conscience on tough moral questions, while 20 percent said they were more likely to "follow the teachings" of the new pope.

About two-thirds of those polled, 65 percent, expressed confidence in Pope Benedict XVI's potential ability to handle sexual abuse scandals, although 26 percent said they didn't have much confidence in him on that issue.

In addition, more than half of those polled, 56 percent, said they were bothered by the pope's opposition to birth control. Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters, 72 percent, said the age of the 78-year-old pope didn't bother them.

Asked their opinion about the new pope, 60 percent said they did not know enough about him, while 31 percent said they had a "favorable" opinion and 9 percent said they had an "unfavorable" opinion.

Nearly half of those polled, 48 percent, said they were unsure what direction he would lead the Church. Thirty-nine percent said they felt he would move the Church in the right direction, compared to 13 percent who said he would take it in the wrong direction.

Sixty-one percent said they felt he would "unite the Church," while 19 percent said they felt he would "divide the Church."

[MC Just]

I say all we Orthodox Catholics "get out of her" (america) and go home to Rome. The attitude of american Catholics makes me want to barf. They expect the Church to just abdandone it's moral mission and give in to the culture of death. How sad.

Edited April 20, 2005 by MC Just

[immaculata]

[quote]Seventy-four percent of the respondents said they were more likely to follow their own conscience on tough moral questions, while 20 percent said they were more likely to "follow the teachings" of the new pope.[/quote]

Those 74 percent can go jump in a lake and then we'd have a hundred percent on our side.

[stargirl3:16]

"Follow their own consciences"? Bah.

Since when do people ever know what they want?

[Myles Domini]

In the words of the Catechism:

[quote]IV. Erroneous Judgment

1790 A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself. Yet it can happen that moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous judgments about acts to be performed or already committed.

1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin."59 In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

[b]1792 Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one's passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church's authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.[/b]

1793 If - on the contrary - the ignorance is invincible, or the moral subject is not responsible for his erroneous judgment, the evil committed by the person cannot be imputed to him. It remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience..

1794 A good and pure conscience is enlightened by true faith, for charity proceeds at the same time "from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith."60

The more a correct conscience prevails, the more do persons and groups turn aside from blind choice and try to be guided by objective standards of moral conduct.[/quote]

How many Catholics in the West have been wrongly informed that Vatican II taught that conscience is the only guide in moral matters? These people, I think, honestly believe that they are being faithful Catholics 'in the spirit of Vatican II'. Its the same the Western world over. 'Immoral theology' as Fr John Corapi calls it has been so widely disseminated that people cant even distinguish the difference between orthodoxy and heterodoxy

[Paladin D]

Polls are not scientific, especially with only 616 U.S. Catholics voting. For all we know, most of them can be heterodox anyway. If this poll held a nation-wide poll, I believe we would be more around 50/50 or possibly 60/40 (60 in favor for Pope Benedict XVI).

[Kilroy the Ninja]

[quote name='Paladin D' date='Apr 20 2005, 06:27 AM'] Polls are not scientific, especially with only 616 U.S. Catholics voting. For all we know, most of them can be heterodox anyway. If this poll held a nation-wide poll, I believe we would be more around 50/50 or possibly 60/40 (60 in favor for Pope Benedict XVI). [/quote]
That's a good point.


But I also like the idea that the dissenters can jump in a lake.


What was it Benedict XVI implied recently.... better a smaller church....

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Paladin D' date='Apr 20 2005, 08:27 AM'] Polls are not scientific, especially with only 616 U.S. Catholics voting. For all we know, most of them can be heterodox anyway. If this poll held a nation-wide poll, I believe we would be more around 50/50 or possibly 60/40 (60 in favor for Pope Benedict XVI). [/quote]
Remember anyone baptised Catholic still considers himself catholic whether he has been to church in 20 years or not. Thats why these polls are misleading.

[St. Catherine]

[quote]ATLANTA (CNN) -- Nearly three-quarters of American Catholics say they are more likely to follow their own conscience on "difficult moral questions," rather than the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.
[/quote]

They were probably following their conscience in the first place. SO not much is really going to change for them.

What is so difficult about these moral questions?

[StMichael]

Isn't it ironic how the devil works to divide and conquer?

The Holy Spirit sends a new Pope and the devil has a poll ready the same day.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='fidei defensor' date='Apr 20 2005, 05:44 AM'] The poll was conducted with 616 U.S. Catholics [/quote]
I find the sample size interesting - it is used instead of "666" - the "number of the beast" - in some MSS of Revelations.

[RemnantRules]

It'll be alright. We need strong Catholics to help other Catholics understand WHY we follow Vatican law...remember Archbishop Fulton Sheen


"Not a hundred people hate the Catholic Faith, but millions hate what they precieve to be the Catholic Faith."

Much prayers and big ups!

God Bless
Jason Gregory

[aloha918]

i just love how the media thinks that U.S. catholics are the only catholics in the world.......America: the Egotism capital of the world

[thicke]

[quote name='stargirl3:16' date='Apr 20 2005, 06:20 AM'] "Follow their own consciences"? Bah.

Since when do people ever know what they want? [/quote]
I do! I want to follow my new papa!

[Catholictothecore]

I think that the wisdom of the Holy Spirit is very obvious in this choice....we already know that what is good he will carry out.

I think it will result in a leaner, cleaner Catholicism.


(this is my 999th post)

Edited April 20, 2005 by Catholictothecore

[AndreaMercer]

What I find really sad is that people don't even take a chance to find out WHY the church believes what it believes on moral issues. You see it all the time...people are misinformed by the media. We (the church) obviously want to 'oppress' women by not allowing them to take birth control for example. Look at the tragedies that are the outcome of birth control! Not only does it exclude God from an institution that He created, not only does it potentially murder the concieved child...it also creates a culture of disrespect of women! I really struggled with these issues when I was engaged, and then when we got married I can clearly see how my husband respects the whole me. He doesn't use me as a sexual object. And it only starts with being seen as an object for pleasure....from there it gets worse!

It just breaks my heart that people don't even TRY to find out the truth as to why the Church teaches what it does... Maybe if they did, and actually had a bit of faith in CHRIST'S Church, they would find what they're looking for!

Just as our holy father said while he was cardinal ratzinger - very few actually hate the church who understand what it truly is.

[Catholictothecore]

How can anyone who knows what the Church is do anything but hate it? It is the mystical body of Christ!

AndreaMercer, I think people are "content" with the media's version because that's the version they want to hear. All of us in some way or antoher don't want to be told that we are lacking faith. And those who do have faith in some extent want to believe that it is easy and won't involve self-sacrifice. But it does. We know that, and deep inside, they know it as well. We are the Mystical Body of Christ, and so with Him, I do believe that we are "a sign to be contradicted." The Papa most of all. The best we can do is pray, I guess.

[the_rev]

you can't believe these polls anybody can vote.

[thicke]

[quote name='Catholictothecore' date='Apr 20 2005, 03:43 PM'] How can anyone who knows what the Church is do anything but hate it? [/quote]
I don't think you said what you meant to say.....

[Catholictothecore]

No, I didn't...you will all swear to forget that I printed that...I had started to write one thing and obviously didn't delete all of it.


I meant, how can anyone who knows that the church is hate it.