A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy
exert enormous influence.
Current Issues in Catholicism
Today there is probably as much theological diversity
within the Roman Catholic Church as there is within
mainstream Protestantism. There are liberal Catholic theologians
who question the basic doctrines of Scripture
and Catholic tradition and who question historic moral
and social stands. There are also conservatives who
uphold the inerrancy or at least the infallibility of
Scripture and who advocate strict morality. Just as in
Protestantism, there are many proponents of modern
approaches such as historical criticism, situation ethics,
liberation theology, and feminist theology.
Under the leadership of Pope John Paul II, the Roman
Catholic Church has remained officially conservative on
moral issues, standing firm against artificial birth control,
abortion, divorce, extramarital sex, and homosexuality.
It opposes women in the priesthood, and it insists on
celibacy of the priesthood. Catholic laity, however, have
abandoned many of these moral stands, particularly in
the West. For example, almost all Catholics in the West
practice some form of birth control, and the rates of
divorce, premarital sex, and abortion are about the same
for Catholics as for the general population. Moreover,
many bishops in Europe and the U.S. are working toward
changes in some of these areas, although they remain in
submission to the pope.
In particular, there is pressure to rethink the rules
regarding the priesthood, due to a severe shortage of
priests in the U.S. and Europe. In some cases, parishes
have been consolidated, and in others, lay persons have
had to take over many functions that were traditionally
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