...tidbits and spiritual candy...

Mostly people want from priests some practical tidbits and spiritual candy. They want the take-home, not even caring about how you get there. Whether you are neo-Thomist, neo-orthodox or radical orthodox doesn't matter. Tell me what to think/believe/do (or at least what you think/believe/do so that I know whether or not to pay any attention to you).

That's not even what I mean, really...

Mostly, people aren't interested in the substance. It is seen as extra and the 'what do we do' is what they want to hear. But the reality is the opposite.

To most people, how one gets to the stance for or against same-sex unions (for example) isn't important. Just YES or NO. But that's backwards. And dangerous. So, my frustration (why are people NOT interested in the theology of marriage/sexuality, etc., that leads to my answer about same-sex unions (again, as an example), but instead just want to get to my answer?) is about something more, I think:

1. The reduction of the theological to the political or moral.
2. The loss of even the desire for a common (theological?) language.