Catholic Monarchy - Thought Experiment (atheist, priests, gospel, protestants)

[mordant]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

The founding of our country was a big move away from kings and royalty, and this would be going beyond that, way farther into nonsense.

It'd be an exceedingly dumb idea that thankfully will never happen.

Nah, we prefer our authoritarianism in the form of fascism. Although I'm hard pressed to say a fascist dictator will be better than a monarch, unfortunately I do not think such a dictatorship will "never happen". In fact it may be just a few years away.

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by mensaguy

The OP wants the monarch to rule over North America. I believe that includes Canada.

Originally Posted by cb2008

That is not what he said.
“ The scenario is that the national government of the USA has peacefully been replaced by a Catholic monarchy. A Catholic King is now ruling the continent from Washington DC.”
Canada is not in the USA last time I checked. He does say continent and i am not sure if it was an error. He does not mention Canada.
How did you read North America into it?

Sorry for the confusion. I meant just the USA. When I said "continent", I was just speaking generally as in from coast to coast. It was a poor word choice.

[Michael Way]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

I want to run a little thought experiment.

The scenario is that the national government of the USA has peacefully been replaced by a Catholic monarchy. A Catholic King is now ruling the continent from Washington DC.

Under this scenario, revolution or overthrowing the monarchy within your lifetime is not feasible. It's something that you are just going to have to live under for the foreseeable future.

Since I recognize that probably not a single poster here would view this change as a good thing, what I want to know is:

What exactly are you afraid of?

What changes do you envision will take place?

How will your day to day life change?

What will you no longer be allowed to do that you can do now? What will you now be allowed to do that you couldn't before?

How will this affect your life?

Be as specific as you want and use your imagination!

Thanks in advance for any responses, as I don't really want to personally debate anything in this thread (though you are all free to debate, of course); I just want to get your thoughts.

The damned Roman Catholic Church's Inquisition in which the Catholic church killed thousands. Nuff said.

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by Tzaphkiel

and regarding bold above, why bother introducing a topic if you're not wanting to personally discuss it? i don't trust people who put forth a topic and then don't participate in discussing the very topic they put forth. it's like serving a meal to guests, but declining to eat the food yourself that is served to others.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have shared my personal views on this a little bit in other threads and would be happy to go more in depth elsewhere. If my refraining from debate in this thread bothers you, you are free to refrain from commenting further; though I would appreciate anything else you may have to contribute.

[Tzaphkiel]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have shared my personal views on this a little bit in other threads and would be happy to go more in depth elsewhere. If my refraining from debate in this thread bothers you, you are free to refrain from commenting further; though I would appreciate anything else you may have to contribute.

i think a legitimate question for you, that is reasonable to have you answer in this thread, because it IS related, asking you "how do you feel about a Muslim monarchy in the USA." After all, Catholics are only 17% of the world population, and Muslims are 24% of the world population.

So answer your own questions you asked in the OP regarding a Muslim monarchy. That IS relevant to the thread. Because then look at your own answers why you "think that's a bad idea" and then you will begin to have a sense of why people feel the way they do, because it is likely the same reasons why having a Catholic monarchy is "a bad idea."

i am not asking for a debate. i am asking for you to engage in discussion. in particular saying your feelings about having a "Muslim monarchy."

[Tzaphkiel]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

No need to go through all that yet one more time. Unless you don't know history. Let's just flip it 180 degrees. Why not make this a Buddhist nation? There are such places, and I've lived in one. Why not make this a Muslim nation?

yes. excellent question. the OP needs to answer this.

[cb2008]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Sorry for the confusion. I meant just the USA. When I said "continent", I was just speaking generally as in from coast to coast. It was a poor word choice.

99% of posters understood just fine.

[Tzaphkiel]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Thanks for sharing what you have so far. I'm not interested in sharing my thoughts in this thread, I just want to hear specifically why people are averse to the idea.

and that is an example of lack of transparency, which naturally spawns lack of trust.
that holds true for the Catholic church as well.

again, it's like not eating the food you serve to guests, but you expect them to eat it.

[Tzaphkiel]

Catholicism is on the decline. It is shrinking. It's members are leaving.
If people who are already Catholic are leaving the fold, then that is very very telling.
Clearly they have strong reasons for leaving.

Here is link to 2020 article from a Catholic source, The Catholic Church in Decline in the Western World

• The number of Catholics in Pope Francis’ home country fell by 13% between 2008 and 2019 [down to 63% from 76% in Argentina]

• Catholics are also on the decline in Italy. Data from 2019 shows the number of practicing Catholics has dropped from 21% to 14% of the population in 10 years.

• In Switzerland, 2018 data notes a significant increase in the number of those leaving the Church: in 2018, 25% more people left the church than in 2017. Since the 1990s, there has been a drop in the number of Catholic marriages, declining 20% in the past five years. Since 2013, the number of Catholic baptisms has decreased by 11%. In some areas the decrease is even more widespread, with only 50% of children born into Catholic families baptized in 2018.

and this 2021 article, again from a Catholic source, the National Catholic Reporter, Church membership continues to decline in 21st century

• Catholic membership is falling faster than Protestant membership in the USA

• The number of Catholics belonging to a parish in the USA dropped to 58% in 2020, from 76% in 2000 .

• The poll showed the Catholic falloff in membership in the USA has accelerated since 2010, when 73% of Catholics said they still belonged to a parish.

[Tzaphkiel]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Thanks for sharing what you have so far. I'm not interested in sharing my thoughts in this thread, I just want to hear specifically why people are averse to the idea.

so then, question for the OP (who thus far declines to discuss his own topic):

Given that Catholics are leaving Catholicism, and recent data shows that Catholicism is on the decline.
Question for the OP is: What is your understanding, and please share with readers, the specific reasons so many Catholics are leaving Catholocism. In droves.

This is relevant because that would be Catholics themselves expressing what their disenchantment with Catholicism is. Which would be an insider look from actual subject matter experts with regard to the questions asked in the OP about "why it's a bad idea"

And by all means when you share with readers the list of why Catholics are leaving the fold, please to quote the OP "be specific and use your imagination!"

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Since I recognize that probably not a single poster here would view this change as a good thing, what I want to know is.......Be as specific as you want and use your imagination!