# AmChurch



## Scott (Jan 23, 2006)

The mainstream Catholic Church in America is essentially a mainline liberal church, divorced from many traditional Catholic doctrines. Traditional and conservative Catholics often refer to this as "AmChurch," meaning American Church. Here is a short description of the distinctives of AmChurch. 

It is always interesting how protestant converts to Catholicism (that convert for religious reasons, as opposed to marriage or similar motivating factors) often picture RC as a defender of some ancient orthodoxy. In reality, what you get in AmChurch you can get in most any mainline liberal protestant SOS.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 23, 2006)

Yes, this is what I came out of, by God's grace. I can recall going to a very liberal, hippie-style, pro-abortion Roman Catholic church where guitar-playing lay worship leaders led us in the singing of songs from _Godspell_. Ugh. Bad memories.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Jan 23, 2006)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> Yes, this is what I came out of, by God's grace. I can recall going to a very liberal, hippie-style, pro-abortion Roman Catholic church where guitar-playing lay worship leaders led us in the singing of songs from _Godspell_. Ugh. Bad memories.



Sounds like an Acid Trip I was on once and again until I was saved.


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## historyb (Jan 23, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> The mainstream Catholic Church in America is essentially a mainline liberal church, divorced from many traditional Catholic doctrines. Traditional and conservative Catholics often refer to this as "AmChurch," meaning American Church. Here is a short description of the distinctives of AmChurch.
> 
> It is always interesting how protestant converts to Catholicism (that convert for religious reasons, as opposed to marriage or similar motivating factors) often picture RC as a defender of some ancient orthodoxy. In reality, what you get in AmChurch you can get in most any mainline liberal protestant SOS.



I can identfiy with that, when I converted into that's what I thought. When I got into it I found something totally different. I'm just glad I'm not there anymore.


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## Scott (Jan 23, 2006)

Doug: That is fascinating. Please tell me what happened if you don't mind. Thanks


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## Scott (Jan 23, 2006)

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Seems like an important point to bring up with any protestant thinking about converting. If one spends time arguing with Catholics on the internet, one will come away with a view of the Catholic church that is very different from reality.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 23, 2006)

When I was in Germany I encountered a tremendous difference between Old World and New World Roman Catholicism. Vatican II innovations and "democratic reform movements" are very popular in America, but not as much overseas, at least in my experience.


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## historyb (Jan 23, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> Doug: That is fascinating. Please tell me what happened if you don't mind. Thanks



No I don't mind. What part would you like to know about? The whole thing about my converting and come back or my impressions?


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## cupotea (Jan 24, 2006)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> Yes, this is what I came out of, by God's grace. I can recall going to a very liberal, hippie-style, pro-abortion Roman Catholic church where guitar-playing lay worship leaders led us in the singing of songs from _Godspell_. Ugh. Bad memories.



At St. Mary's Seminary & University we were repeatedly bombarded with shallow, leftist politics posing as theology. (How could someone NOT support Jimmy Carter, the Sandanistas, and the teacher's union?) The masses were mostly a poor imitation of Joan Baez music with a mixture of Caesar Chavez and Michael Moore-like homilies. 

But the worst were the "Jazz Masses" and "Clown Masses." 

This was back in the '80s when these seminary professors considered Reagan the political enemy and Ratzinger the next thing to the antichrist. That's why I howled with laughter when Ratzinger was elected pope. I could only imagine the looks on the aging, embittered hippies when they heard the news.


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## Scott (Jan 24, 2006)

Doug: I would like to hear as much as you are willing to discuss. Thanks


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## Scott (Jan 24, 2006)

Any protestant considering converting to the "ancient" unchangeable faith should first visit a polka mass with music led by a bitter feminist nun.


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## crhoades (Jan 24, 2006)

I'm waiting for the AM church to catch on...

The Popish Driven Life


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## RamistThomist (Jan 24, 2006)

If you are ever bored and need a sick laugh, go to some Roman Catholic blogrings. The modern day Roman apologist is so not in touch with the American Roman Church. Its fun to point out the discrepancies to them.


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## cupotea (Jan 24, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> Any protestant considering converting to the "ancient" unchangeable faith should first visit a polka mass with music led by a bitter feminist nun.



 The horror! The horror!


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## Scott (Jan 24, 2006)

"If you are ever bored and need a sick laugh, go to some Roman Catholic blogrings. The modern day Roman apologist is so not in touch with the American Roman Church. Its fun to point out the discrepancies to them."

A good resource for this is the book Goodbye, Good Men : How Liberals Brought Corruption Into the Catholic Church  by Michael Rose. It is an eye-opening expose by a conservative Catholic reporter. This focuses on Catholic clergy. There are other books that focus on problems of liberalism in the RC Church in general.


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## Scott (Jan 24, 2006)

"The Popish Driven Life"


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## Scott (Jan 24, 2006)

Of course, a potential convert to RC could meet his future priest at the local Hooters to discuss theological issues.


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