"Conservatism" vs. (small 'o') orthodoxy

 

I caught a little of the interview Matt Fradd had with Dennis Prager on Pints With Aquinas the other day. It was a bizarre exchange, I thought, in which Mr. Prager was purporting the "conservative" position on pornography through a Jewish lens (which, albeit, was uniquely his), and Matt was defending the orthodox Catholic position. I noticed Ben Shapiro has been trying to enlighten the Daily Wire audience on Jewish belief and thought in recent weeks, and it is, as Mr Prager reiterates, distinctly different from that of Christianity. A.J. Jacob in his book, The Year of Living Biblically lays it out well: 

"Judaism has a slogan:," he writes, "'deed over creed.' There's an emphasis on behavior; follow the rules of the Torah, and you'll eventually come to believe." 

(see my post The Wager for more insight, here)

Prager puts forth the same maxim, downplaying the words of Jesus concerning "lusting with the heart" in Mt 5:28 and saying as a Jew he is more concerned with actions/deeds over thoughts/creeds. Matt seemed to do a good job of upholding the Catholic understanding of correct (orthodox) teaching on sexual morality. 

As Catholics, we find ourselves among various allies in the culture war: fervent Protestants who may not have an issue with contraception but who are staunchly anti-abortion; Libertarians, who advocate for minimal government interference in the lives of Americans; Muslim parents who push back forcefully against LGBT indoctrination at schools. While differing with these populations on the nuances of theological matters, we can nonetheless find common ground on the 'big stones'. In our own 'camp,' though, we can often be our own worst enemy.

In "Navigating the Catholic Culture War," I wrote:

Somewhere along the line, the whole COVID anti-masking thing became conflated with traditionalism, and the social media conjecturing became for some a parrot of leftist virtue signaling (posting photos in masks, photos of one getting the vaccine, etc). Which gets a little confusing I imagine if your in that Venn-intersection of points. Most of the traditionalists I know are also staunchly against masking as a matter of principal. It would be strange, really, at least in my sphere, if someone was adamantly pro-mask and a traditional Catholic, kind of like a non-sequitur. This may tie in with the idea of a globalist New World Order in which mandatory masking is part of the overall global agenda to vaccinate and depopulate, and that to participate in it makes one complicit in ultimately undermining liberty and personal autonomy.

Once again, I find myself just right of center on the issue: I reluctantly mask when I have to (though using it as a chin cup whenever I can) because I think they are disgusting and for the most part ineffective, and never really for extended periods of time thankfully. I hate that I can't see people's smiles or expressions. Am I willing to go to jail over it? Probably not. Call me unprincipled. 

But does it undermine my Catholicism? Not that I was ever in da club the first place, but does traditionalism extend beyond the liturgy into these peripheral spheres, I wonder. Does one gain something from a traditionalist's standpoint for not wearing a mask or choosing not to get vaccinated? Or if something the Pope does is given a sympathetic gesture, does it undermine their street-cred? Is traditionalism about traditional worship and living out the virtues, or the principled peripheral items that determine one's standing? How does one make these determinations for themselves, and what if they come to a conclusion that goes against these cultural norms?

The thing is, even though I probably am one, I never really refer to myself as a "conservative" American or a "conservative" Catholic. I compost and drive a Prius because it's a good cheap car and I don't care what people think of me. I reluctantly register/vote as a Republican, though I could care less about politics. I don't fit well in a pre-assigned box. But I uphold and live everything the Church teaches.

"Conservative Catholic" is a redundant term. True Catholicism is, by nature, inherently conservative--slow to change, founded on traditional moral norms, wedded to deference to rightful authority.  Sure, there are so-called "progressive" Catholics who seek to undermine these values, but they are dissidents rather than an equally weighted faction of Catholicism. If you are a true Catholic, you are de-facto "conservative" by nature. 

We cannot divest ourselves as Catholics from participation in the political process. But we should also resist the temptation to hitch our wagon to political parties or nationalistic ideologies. In the Venn diagram of "conservatism" you could be, say, a gay pro-2A MAGA Catholic, or some other combination of seemingly conflicting ideologies. 

Unfortunately, we need qualifiers such as 'orthodox' these days because of the legion of James Martin-type Catholics who obfuscate what it means to be Catholic in belief and practice. We often do this subtly through tribal feelers like when we meet a new believer by dropping little breadcrumbs indicating 'where we stand' on moral, political, or social matters. It's unfortunate, because today just because you identify as Catholic that doesn't mean you believe in what the Church teaches, and just because you are a "conservative" doesn't mean you assent to faith or Judeo-Christian belief. 

I find it more helpful when it comes to matters of faith and in talking with new believers to stay focused in the realm of religious orthodoxy rather than conflating faith with politics, vax-status, or levels of patriotism. "Orthodox" means "right belief" and that is what we should be concerning ourselves with as Catholics, because unlike "deed over creed" Judaism, for instance, what we believe determines how we act; it's important. As Christians, right belief feeds right worship, and right worship leads to right action. Being politically, economically, or socially "conservative" is a secondary concern, and not part and parcel necessary to being a good Catholic unless aligning oneself otherwise puts you at odds with Church teaching. 

So, as much as it is unfortunate we need qualifying labels on what should be stand-alone Catholicism, let's concern ourselves more with right belief (orthodoxy) than being "on the Right" as a matter of identity. Our identify is in Christ, who is timeless and the model of integrity, and who leaves to Caesar what is Caesar's.