"Cafeteria Catholics"

I read an article on Huffington Post that sparked my interest. It's an article about old religions in the new age; specifically, it's about the Catholic church and dissent among followers regarding age-old Catholic customs such as contraception and refusing to ordain female priests. Apparently, a lot of people within the Catholic church have begun removing themselves from the religion, only attending Mass on certain holidays such as Christmas. Some believe that the church must reform in the new age in order to follow its original purpose if there is any hope for keeping it from getting lost in new political and social systems. It's interesting because this new balancing act --- new versus old --- seems to be becoming more prevalent in the "classic" religions that have been around for centuries upon centuries. People of the new generation are uncomfortable with following all of the old religious customs, and religions that don't bend to the flux of time are losing out to NRMs.

Anyways, here's an excerpt from the article:

"For the most devoted Catholics, the recent holiday season was a time to reflect more fervently on spiritual endeavors, a time celebrate their faith in its fullest terms.

For many, however, Christmas marked the first time they attended Mass in months. Some cite a growing personal conflict with Church practices as reason for abandoning a regular Mass-going schedule; remaining Catholic in name, yet disagreeing with the Church on certain principals, such as abortion, birth control or gay rights.

"Cafeteria Catholics," some call us (yes, I count include myself in this group) -- namely, those among the clergy and laity who consider dissent from Church beliefs unforgivable -- referring to the "picking and choosing" aspect of this religious lifestyle. It's not a complement.

But Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC, author of "Flying in the Face of Tradition" (released in 2012), has decided to turn the term on its head.

"They're the cafeteria Catholics," he says to me, during an interview about his book, of the ultra-conservative individuals not willing to recognize that the Church has changed. "You've got to fight them on their own terms. They're not seeing Vatican II as legitimate. The windows that Vatican II opened are being closed."

This is far from the most radical thing that De Thomasis states in his incredibly frank assessment of the modern-day Catholic Church, which is sure to anger many who view these traditional beliefs as unchangeable.

To others (like me) his book is a crucial -- and refreshing -- step in the right direction.

DeThomasis, even considering his position as a De LaSalle Brother, is willing to speak out against what he describes as an increasingly inflexible hierarchy, unwilling to bend or even discuss such issues as the droves of young people fleeing the Catholic Church, the difficult questions surrounding sex abuse scandals or the question of ordaining women priests.

"I look at the way the church is treating women ... in this day and age, come on," he says. "You just cannot give any credence to the fact that women shouldn't be equal to men in all things, including ordination."

In this concise, easily digestible yet thought-provoking 10-chapter book, DeThomasis explores conflict within the Church and the resulting mass exodus of Catholics frustrated with an increasingly unbending hierarchy. There volatile subjects are usually reserved for private conversations, but discussing these matters out loud is now crucial, he says; discussion is, in fact, the Christian thing to do...."