November 13 AOTM will be hosting a panel debate on the "phantom" heresy of Americanism. Americanism, which some disputed was an actual heresy (hence the term "phantom"), encompasses several beliefs about how the Catholic faith should be combined with secular American culture. Opponents of Americanism allege this outlook has led to an absorption of the Catholic faith by the secular culture. One recent critic puts it, "There's not a dime's worth of difference between Catholics and their fellow Americans now in moral outlook or religious practice. We fornicate at the same rate. We divorce at the same rate. We abort our children at the same rate. We are materially rich and so, in true chauvinistic fashion, we claim favored-nation status before the Lord."
It is clear that the Catholic faith in America is in decline. We've found three men (two veterans and one newcomer) who don't at all agree on whether Americanism is to blame. David Deavel, Michael Matt and Ed Hester will bring their varying perspectives to the table in an effort to understand how we've degenerated from a nation with a growing Catholic faith to one where diocese struggle to remain viable amidst shrinking mass attendance and mass apostasy.
For more information (including directions, menu and schedule for the evening) please visit our web site where we'll be posting additional reference material on Americanism for those who want to study up prior to November 13:http://aotmclub.com/index.asp?pageID=9&EID=58
What's interesting is that the patriarch of Minneapolis/St. Paul
Archbishop John Ireland was a big proponent of Americanism.
1 comment:
I confess to being a little confused here. There is no debate about this; Americanism is clearly wrong and has been clearly condemned. Anyone who wishes to defend this indefensible heresy is whistling past the graveyard. And for anyone, anyone at all, to dispute the truth about Americanism in this day and age in America would surely indicate a level of self-delusion that would be amazing.
If there actually is someone out there who would call this a "phantom heresy" (the favorite phrase of the uberpatriotic Americanists) let him read Testem Benevolentiae first. If he wants to defend Americanism after reading that, and after looking around the American landscape today - particularly around the American Catholic landscape, then he is in need not only of prayers but an education.
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