COMMONWEAL has an opinion on St. Blog's Parish. I suppose I should reply to it eventually, since I did get a brief mention. I will say that I have a big issue with those who would attempt to neatly categorize me or my compadres - for the record, I am neither liberal nor conservative as those views are commonly portrayed. I am not a progressive nor a traditionalist. I submit to the Magisterium of the Church because that is what it means to be Catholic! I will argue matters of taste as just that, but not matters of faith and morals.
Thanks to the Summa Mammas for pointing out this article.
It's very frustrating to have assent to teachings of the Church given a political label like "conservatism." The Internet has taught me just how many different people and ways of thinking are within the bounds of orthodox Catholicism.
I tend to be undecided when it comes to those matters of opinion, so within orthodox Catholicism I don't think of myself as liberal, conservative, progressive, traditionalist, or anything of the sort either.
I agree with you, Alicia. I don't think of myself as any of those labels either, I think of myself simply as a Catholic. The Church's teachings are not open to interpretation as some who identify themselves as "progressive" Catholics would have us believe. The Church's teachings are very much spelled out, and we are wrongly labeled as conservatives just for obeying them. On matters of opinion, actually, I tend to be quite liberal. If it were not for the Democrats' support of abortion and same-sex marriage, I would be a Democrat. And so on.
But in all things, I look to the teachings of the Catholic Church, because I believe they are God's teachings. I think it would be arrogant to decide for myself when God Himself has already decided what the best course is to take. When He hasn't, then I decide. God first, then myself, in that order. If that means I'm "conservative," then so be it, I guess.