Just wait till you get older...

[muckefuck]

I've frequently wondered if the oft-noted trend of young people to get "more conservative" as they age was as universal as all that. Now at last some clear evidence that it isn't. It will be interesting to see what sociologists turn up as they go about investigating the causes. In particular, I'll be interested in seeing the role ascribed to childlessness (which is double for our generation what it was for our parents), since many people I know personally have identified this as a driver of returns to the fold. How many of us, on articulating our liberal views to our elders, have heard the words, "You'll feel different when you have kids." I didn't have kids and I don't feel different, but I'm not sure what connexion there might be between those two things, if any. It is worth noting, however, that of us four kids, the only one who's still a practicing Catholic is also the only one with any offspring.

An interesting side note on that: my generation was also the "most Catholic" in USA history, with a fully a third identified with the religion in the 70s. Now it's down to a quarter and still dropping, something conservative pundits are ascribing to "confusion" about what the RCC actually teaches as a result of Vatican II. Hate to break it to you, guys, but I know in pretty thorough detail what the RCC actually teaches and that's precisely why I could never again be a practicing Catholic.

Comments

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

It's impossible to prove given the unreliability of the evidence, but I've always suspected that the percentage of homosexual clergy in the RCC has actually dropped over time due to the effect of the LGBT rights movement. I look back over all my own trajectory and strongly suspect that, had I been born a generation earlier, I might well have decided to go into the priesthood rather than marry a beard or attempt life as a "confirmed bachelor".

I am interested in the role of the catastrophic decline in vocations in all of this. They must be scraping the bottom of the talent pool these days, and that naturally increases the chances of further scandals, which further depresses the prestige of the occupation, making it even harder to recruit. And it makes the hierarchy more defensive, leading them to reiterate the indispensability of the clergy and further emphasise doctrinal purity over pastoral ministry. It's a vicious circle the RCC has got itself in and I really see no way out.