From time to time, since its institution in 325 A D, the Catholic church has convened councils or synods in an effort to address perceived problems. Most councils involve only church hierarchy, but synods may involve both hierarchy and laity. Recently, Pope Francis called a worldwide synod to specifically address a major concern—dramatic loss of both membership and church attendance. He has asked each Bishop to gather information and suggestions from his constituents through meetings in each parish where suggestions are delivered. This two-year synod was prompted by the dramatic loss of church membership and church service attendance.
Once upon a time, Catholic Church affiliation and attendance was at its highest level in Europe and North America. However, since WW2, that designation has dramatically shifted to Africa and South America. The United States, specifically for the last seventy years, has seen a steady decline in attendance at services which translates into an alarming drop in income. The result has been almost a total wipeout of Catholic school (K-12) education. Many of the larger, more famous names still operate but, instead of being church owned and operated, they are now private institutions which charge a rather hefty tuition—rich people schools.
The problem with Catholic school education is multifaceted but the main culprit seems to be empty convents —cumulative salaries for qualified teachers is way too expensive. Too many people, recognizing that they are already supporting a public school system through taxes, are either unable, unwilling, or both, to pay a high tuition for private school education. The relative few remaining church supported schools have seen a dramatic decline in enrollment numbers just in the last forty years.
Mind you, not too long ago, parents would be excommunicated from the Catholic Church for sending their child to a public school. There are some of us still alive today who remember that. I have no quarrel with Catholic School education— I, myself, am the product of nineteen years of it. The teachers were highly educated and skilled. The problem was the teaching of Catholic Catechism as though it were mathematics—that dog simply won’t hunt anymore.
More and more, people are finding the Church’s mandates about anything sexual, particularly regarding marriage, birth control, and divorce, to be irrelevant. The Church has always used those ‘tools’ to control people. However, many have become disenchanted with such rules which are increasingly becoming meaningless in their lives. So, the obvious happens—they drop out of Church.
I perceive this synod as a desperation attempt by the Church to right its ship on the shoulders of its constituents—I’m skeptical. It likely is just another flavor added to the ‘castor oil’ to make it more palatable—it will still be the same ‘castor oil’ no matter how it’s camouflaged—just kicking the can a little farther down the road waiting for the inevitable—total collapse—all because of refusal to honor Jesus’ teaching—love of God and love of neighbor.
On another front, the Catholic Church in the USA continues to bolster its ranks by aiding and abetting the flow of illegal immigrants across out southern border—most of them identify as Catholic. That illegal activity is promoted and assisted by Catholic Charities which provides them with false documents—the Biden administration is complicit by its failure to control that border. Seems like I vaguely remember Mr. Biden visiting the Vatican shortly after taking office—I wonder why? —I think I know—make your guess.
It is not only the Catholic Church which is bleeding membership. My understanding from various sources is that all religions are seeing a drop in membership and service attendance. Without any slightest doubt, I think I know why. All, so called Christianity is based on mythology, astrology, superstition, ignorance, witchcraft, and unsupported imagination. All of them preach about a Supreme Being who they call God, but not one of them has defined their God’s essence.
In this modern day of scientific knowledge and understanding, it seems totally irrational that not one of them is able to define God’s essence. I am certain many can—they are afraid to. Proclaiming God’s essence as ‘A Perfect Rational Being’, as I have done, would instantly obviate any need for their existence in their current capacities.
Yes, we need God. Yes, we desperately need God. Every human needs a clear picture and understanding of the ‘real God’—the God who resides everywhere in everything in existence—the God who created everything to be perfect and to function perfectly at all times—the God who is Perfect Love—the God who cannot possibly change his own Perfect Nature—the God who cannot possibly be pleased or displeased—the God who cannot possibly be helped or hurt —the God who cannot possibly reject himself or any part of his creation—the God who encompasses all truth, and outside of whom, there is no truth—the God in whom all power exists through his Perfect Truth System.
Yes, we could then assemble to further explore and examine the endless ramifications of such a perfect, loving, powerful Being. That should be No1 in our public schools’ curriculum—it’s not religion—it’s science—it’s God—it’s knowledge—it’s truth.
Of course, none of that will happen because of one simple reason—loss of power and control over people, but, more importantly, loss of control of their pocketbooks. In the meantime, the ‘castor oil ’they dish out will be flavored somewhat differently in hopes of making it more palatable—we’ll see—I’m skeptical.
In the meantime, all I can do is wait, watch, hope, and write what I know to be the truth. There’s no place to go—certainly not to another denomination—they’re all drinking ‘castor oil’, albeit each flavored slightly differently.
All the problems exist because of the direct failure of the framers of Catholicism to heed Jesus’ advice. The Jews had Jesus Crucified because he openly told them they were worshiping a ‘false god’. Not only that, but he openly criticized them for dishonoring God by fleecing his children of their hard-earned money. Two hundred seventy-five years later, the framers of Roman Catholicism did exactly as the Jews had done. They threw that blanket of guilt over everyone. Jesus only effort was to liberate his brethren from the terrible persecuting blanket of guilt which the Jewish hierarchy had cast over them, all for power, control, and money. The bishops clandestinely using Jesus’ name, put into his mouth words which he never said, and built a kingdom for themselves just as the Jewish King, High Priest, and Sanhedrin had done before them. They have been ‘dancing’ all these years, sweeping scandal after scandal under the carpet while pretending to later generations that those scandals never happened— now they ‘must pay the fiddler’.
Sad to say, I made this prediction almost six years ago when I published my little masterpiece, Wilderness Cry—one to five hundred years before extinction of Christianity depending on wars, wars, and more wars. Recently I Published a sequel, Provocative Catholic, which, not only explains in detail the causes of our problems, but more importantly, offers a foolproof plan for permanent peace. Everything I have to say is based on irrefutable scientific and philosophical truth.
In addition, I noted the endeavors of the Hindu’s and Buddhists to understand the nature of their god—had they known science, I am convinced they would have succeeded.
Three years ago. I published a semi historical, semiautobiographical book, Growing Up in Fancy Farm Kentucky. A few months ago, I republished it with many enhancement photos pertinent to the subjects of their time. All are available Amazon-Kindle.
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WILDERNESS CRY by Hilary L Hunt MD 