Citizenship, being Catholic, and the Rules of Polite Society

Here in America, one of the rules of 'polite society,' sometimes, is that you're not supposed to discuss politics or religion.

I can see reasons for that. Both topics tend to involve emotions - and otherwise-reasonable folks can get a bit crazy when elections or what we do on Sunday come up.

In a blog like this, I'm doomed, sort of.

Something called A Catholic Citizen in America can't very well avoid discussing - you know, the "R" word.

Of course, I could keep all the "R" stuff nice and vague: dreamy, 'spiritual' in a groovy '60s sort of way.

Not gonna happen. I spent my teens in the '60s. I have some good memories, and I still like quite a lot of the music. But I don't intend to plan my life around the era of Timothy "turn on" Leary. Remember Jimi Hendrix?

Still, I could try writing about "religion," carefully concentrating on stuff like the history of nativity scenes and what color the vestments are. (done that: (December 24, 2009, July 22, 2010)) And, maybe, part of what happens during one hour on Sunday morning.

That's not an option. The Catholic Church doesn't have an eleventh commandment: "Thou shalt not maketh waves." We're supposed to "contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2239)

Man! The Catholic Church has rules about everything?!

Related posts:

• "Is Government Really Necessary?"
  (March 12, 2011)
  • Short version -
    • Yes
    • And there are rules about it
• "Citizenship, Rules, Marriage, and Not Being Decently Quiet"
  (March 5, 2011)
• "American Elections are Coming: What's a Catholic to Do?"
  (October 25, 2010)
• "Apathy is Rampant, But Who Cares?"
  (October 4, 2010)
• "Elections and Citizenship, Catholic Style"
  (September 24, 2008)

Background:

• Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • Government of human communities
    • 1883-1885
    • 1898
    • 19011904
    • 1919
    • 2213
  • Political community and the
    
    • Church
      • 2244-2246
    • Family
      • 2209-2211
    • Rights and duties of citizens
      • 2239-2242
    • Armed resistance to political authority
      • 2243
• United States Council of Catholic Bishops
  • Faithful Citizenship (faithfulcitizenship.org)
  • "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" (.pdf)
• And there's even more
  • There always seems to be more

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This post is one of a series being written today:

• "My Take on Libya, War, and Getting a Grip; Mostly Links"
  (March 22, 2011 5:49 p.m. Central, 22:49 UTC)
• "Pacifism?"
  (March 22, 2011 6:02 p.m. Central, 23:02 UTC)
• "'Jesus was a Pacifist/American/Vagrant'?!"
  (March 22, 2011 6:36 p.m. Central, 23:36 UTC)
• "Assumptions, Making Sense, and Politics "
  (March 22, 2011 6:45 p.m. Central, 23:45 UTC)
• " 'Just War:' Unpleasant, but Not a Contradiction in Terms "
  (March 22, 2011 6:49 p.m. Central, 23:49 UTC)