can't we all just get along?

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Apr 11, 2006

One sure-fire hallmark of conservatives is their contempt for unity where inclusiveness might jeopardize doctrinal uniformity. They're always keen to exclude, right? Check out the language of this recent editorial:

Though unity is always a good thing, it must not come at the expense of clarity about what we believe ...

See what I mean? That constant harping on doctrinal clarity, as if God's revelation took the form of deniable propositions. And of course, this obsession means they're always on the hunt for "enemies" of the faith. The same editorial stigmatizes sincere but questioning Catholics as dissenters, in this wise:

Theirs is a full frontal challenge to the teaching of an ecumenical council, which has traditionally been understood as the most formal and binding expression of the Church's Magisterium.

So, which right wing throw-away rag penned this defense of Magisterial discipline? The National Catholic Reporter (subscriber-only content,regrettably). The bad guys threatening the unity of faith are the Lefebvrists. OK, I fiddled with the text to the extent of capitalizing the initial letters of "Church" and "Magisterium" -- the NCR hasn't abandoned all its principles, after all -- but the rest is verbatim.