What's in a Name?

When President-Elect Joe Biden is sworn in next month, he will become just the second Catholic Commander-in-Chief to serve our nation.

Of course, plenty of individuals argue that Mr. Biden is not "truly" Catholic because parts of his platform do not align with official Church teaching. This is reflective of a broader debate within Catholicism: under what conditions may a person use the name "Catholic?"

Despite the fact that Catholic means "universal," many advocate for a strict interpretation of the label. You should only be able to call yourself a Catholic if you believe in all of the teachings and sincerely try to adhere to them in all facets of your life. These are the purists, and they believe the Church is weakened by not calling out the sinners within their pews. 

In the other camp are the generalists, those who believe individuals have a right to determine their religious affiliation for themselves. Sure, they may wonder why you would call yourself Catholic if you don't agree with every last bit of doctrine, but if you choose to use the name anyway, why not? 

There are valid points raised on both sides of the issue, and I don't pretend to have the answers. Two things do come to mind, however.

First, you probably won't be very successful converting souls if you keep kicking them out. If the lost sheep are in your churches, they will continue to hear your truth. Perhaps over time their hearts will change; maybe they never will. Either way, if they go somewhere else, you lose the chance to have any influence at all.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Jesus never told people "you can't sit here." In fact, He did the opposite; He regularly socialized with sinners. He still called them to conversion, which is important to note, but He walked beside them on their journeys instead of abandoning them.

Let's be honest, following the example of Jesus should be the simplest teaching of all.


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