Will The Mainline Protestant Churches Become the New Anti Catholics

MCJ has an interesting post at CIRCUMLOCUTION BLUES which deals with the Episcopal Bishop of New York remarks on religious freedom.

Underneath all theHHS Birth Control mandate controversy we are seeing signs of a more and more antagonistic relationship between the Catholic Church and the some of the mainline Churches.

The Bishop of New York said:

Analogously, when a religious community engages the general public, an extraordinarily delicate balancing act is required. The exercise of government power needs to be wielded with great care so as to avoid muffling the freedom of religious speech. At the same time the religious community itself must guard against seeking a privileged place either in the court of public debate or with regard to its activities in the world.

What is not mentioned in all that is the Episcopal Church , along with the involvement of two other major mainline bodies, pretty much lobbied!! for this change and if fact do not think it will far enough.

The question becomes what is next. In the old days things like the Papacy, "Mary Worship" , and Catholic views on salvation were the evils.

The new evils that cry out to Heaven to be corrected will be such things as the right to "blessings of abortion" , ,and social evils that teach various sexual arrangements are not on equal par with heterosexual arrangements.

I contend that these will largely overwhelm any shared position we have on other social issues such as poverty issues or the poor. In fact we see that now as to Catholic Charities and requirement that might be forced upon it.

Further the theological "errors" of Catholicism will no doubt be highlighted. The Church shall be the new "Fundamentalists" . Fundamentalists whose reading of scripture plays a part in the oppression of part of God's people. Especially as to people of certain genders and sexual preferences. Make no doubt many view these as social sins crying to Heaven for vengeance. Accommodation is out and error that must be proscribed is in.

The media has not realized this seismic shift in developments , but as the years pass it will become more apparent. The actions as to the HHS mandate though represent a important development.

Now not all mainline Churches are at the same position on this Path. I would submit the Episcopal Church is further along than the Presbyterians. Whom both are a tad further along than the Methodists.

But soon more not so diplomatic ranks of the clergy about this matters will replace in greater number the Bishops and other leaders. In the mean time on blogs, in the academy, in publications the "evils" of Catholicism will be discussed more and more.

The HHS Mandate and other battles we have had just gives us a preview of coming attractions.

Update- On a more postive note see New Catholic Mass Translations Means We Praying More With Anglicans and Episcopalians