Catholic Church Research Paper

This essay does not intend to cause offence, come across as heretical or blasphemous in any way.
Obviously, every single view the Roman Catholic Church holds are not out of touch with modern day attitudes, but this essay focuses on the views of the Church which are currently discussed most frequently.
The controversy and criticism surrounding the Catholic Church in this day and age is of staggering proportions. It would be very difficult to pick up the same newspaper every day for a year and not at least once read a headline like ‘Catholic Bishop Denounces Gay Couples’ Right to Marriage’ or ‘Catholic Church Once Again Speaks Out Against Contraception Use’. It’s clear that some of the views of the Catholic Church can discriminate, intimidate,
But these views are based on beliefs that date back thousands of years. You might argue that, to keep up with today’s open and ever-changing society, the Catholic Church should allow room for adjustments to their views that they hold so firmly. However, some find it quite arrogant that people could be so bold as to suggest such a thing, considering these views are millennia old. Certain theories (and I stress the word ‘theories’) about some issues, such as the idea that homosexuality is acceptable, have been around for merely decades. Why should Catholics change their belief system, which is based on the near-on two thousand year old scriptures and the teachings of their current church, just because widely popular but relatively new ‘theories’ about matters that they deem sinful are becoming commonly accepted among many different cultures? It would be like demolishing the Sistine Chapel and rebuilding it but with galvanised steel and glass, just because those materials are popular choices for many large buildings these days. We cannot simply get rid of some beliefs that date back two millennia because of the opposing beliefs of popular
Although not the only Church that does so, the Roman Catholic Church is possibly the most vocal of Christian churches to denounce the right for women to be ordained. In fact, in 2007 the Holy See issued a decree stating that the attempted ordination of women would result in automatic excommunication for the women and priests trying to ordain them. Once again, here we see an example where the Roman Catholic Church is lagging behind the fast moving modern day. The idea that only a man should be allowed to become a priest is, many believe, sexist. Granted, other Churches, such as the Orthodox Church, take the same view on such matters, but it’s not a case of ‘everybody does it, so it’s fine’. If the Catholic Church wants to seem less repellent towards the modern day man or (in this case in particular) woman, it needs to adapt itself. A survey carried out by the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) showed that 77% of Irish Catholics wanted women priests. With figures such as these, it’s clear that an update of the views of the Roman Catholic Church is very much in demand.
The subject of abortion is one of great debate and controversy. Not everybody agrees with abortion, but if women choses to abort an unborn baby, for whatever