Bóg, Kościół, teologia a problem manipulacji

Manipulation can be a sinful act, or it can simply be the result of the narrowness of man, who is not always able to respond with full awareness to the information and messages that reach him. The development of Catholic doctrine, which takes place, among other things, through theological reflection and the decisions of the Church’s Magisterium, is not free from manipulation in both these senses. Sometimes manipulation occurs as a result of socalled good intentions, which can flow from both the “conservative” and “progressive” visions of Catholicism. In each such case, at the root of the manipulation is some kind of suspicion that leaving people free may lead them in a wrong direction and lead them away from the truth. However, by inviting man into a relationship of love, God appeals to his freedom. For this reason, he acts in a kenotic way, as we see most clearly in the Paschal Mystery.