To all the Catholics on my f-list - Non-Catholics, stay the Hell away or you WILL be offended

[fpb]

There is a priest in Boulder, Colorado, who is under vicious, systematic, directed attack because he is keeping the teachings of the Church and the orders of his Bishop. I have some experience of how it feels like to be at the wrong (or is it?) end of the kind of vile hatred that is being directed at this man. So I tell the Catholics and Christians on my f-list: follow this link and do what it says - http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/03/to-arms-denver-priest-attacked-for-being-obedient-poll-alert/ - and then go to the priest's own blog and register a personal message of support. While a good man has enough in himself to stand up for the Church even to martyrdom - and to be fair, that does not yet seem to be the case here - anyone who is subjected to hundreds of direct sexually explicit threats can do with kind words from a distant country.

Comments

[stigandnasty919.livejournal.com]

Nope, not offended.

Do I disagree with the Church's position towards homosexuality - yes.

Do I dislike the division of schools by religion - yes.

Do I think this rule is not in keeping with what I believed Christianity to be? - yes, I do.

But do I also accept that others may not ahare my view and have an absolute right not to share my views? - yes. I cannot profess to believe in freedom of speach and then deny the legitimacy of someone's else's view because they are not mine. Indeed I even have mixed feeling about banning expression of some of the 'isms' than we worry so much about today. Racial hatred, or sexual discrimination do not go away because we don't talk about them in polite company.

Indeed they may fester and develop becuase unless they are expressed, they cannot be challanged.

I also have little sympathy for anyone who goes out of their way to be offended, for then the offense they feel can only be described as self-inflicted. It a common occurance in Northern Ireland for people to travel many miles or have to set their alarm clocks to be up in time to be offended at an Orange Parade, or a St Patrick's day march or some other sectarian display.

But a line is crossed when freedom of expression and the right to protest turns into threats of violence or raw intimidation. It does not matter what I feel about the person under threat or their views it is the protestor who is in the wrong.

I hate the idea that a child can be excluded from a school because of their parents lifestyle, and if that were the only school in town, or the only good school in town, then I would regard the rule as petty and vindictive. I might even join the protests if there was evidence that children would be substantionally disadvantaged by the rule.

But if that were not the case and, as implied, the attempt to enrole the child was simply to test the policy, then I would regard that with equal distaste.

Update: I've just read the story in the Boulder newspaper. Seems the kid in question is already in the school, in the pre-school class. Have to say that makes a difference to me. I would have thought that a policy which allowed kids already in the school to stay would have been more charitable

[expectare.livejournal.com]

Okay, here is what I do not understand. All people are sinners. Homosexuality is a sin. Sins, including homosexuality, are against the teachings of the Catholic Church. So, homosexuality disqualifies you from sending your children to this schools. Granted, yes?

So why do they accept any students? All parents are human, so by definition they are living in discord with Catholic teaching.

[capnflynn.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link; I wasn't previously aware that any of this was going on. We shouldn't have to say that someone is being "brave" or "courageous" for abiding by the precepts of his faith (i.e., obeying his superiors), and yet...

[affablestranger.livejournal.com]

It blows my mind at how those who preach tolerance for the views and beliefs of others will stop at nothing to deprive others of the ability to adhere faithfully to their own long-held beliefs. The hypocrisy hits me in the face like a skillet and actually pisses me off.

And the very notion of using a child as a political tool is repugnant, though I know it seems it's done quite often in the name of "progress".

Ugh.

[un-crayon-rouge.livejournal.com]

Basically, I agree with stigandnasty. The least the parents of this kid could do would be to admit they wanted to send their kid to that school just to stir up trouble and get into the papers. In any other case, wanting to send your kid coming from a lesbian family to a catholic school is just plain dumb.

When I clicked on the link (because of course, nothing like a KEEP OFF DON'T CLICK HERE warning to make me click :P) the page wouldn't show up at me at first, even though internet was working fine. My first thought was: "How do they know I'm not a catholic?" :-)

[panobjecticon.livejournal.com]

ummm, these 22 as far as i could count, people and their one or two placards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-hOM2p4r4 don't seem to be particularly vicious or demonically ferocious really, do they?

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I disagree with the school/diocese's policy. In my opinion a school ought to accept anyone and then clearly and uncompromisingly teach what the Church teaches in its religion classes. The example of the teachers should also be fully consistent with the Church. But I cannot like turning away students because of their backgrounds or parents. I cannot help but think of past treatment of another class of sexual sinners, prostitutes. I remember reading the biography of Edith Piaf and how her grandmother's prostitutes pooled their money to send her on a pilgrimage to St. Therese of Lisieux, and the result was that the little child's vision was healed. Should the child have been barred from Catholic things, because her parents were unmarried and the money for the trip came from a brothel? Did St. John Bosco and the other saints who taught poor children vet them to make sure their parents were married and earning money in a Church-sanctioned way? Should the children of notorious Mafia members be barred from Catholic schools as well?

I'm not denying that in Catholic thought there is such as a thing as a notorious sinner, the kind of person who the Church teaches should be denied a funeral. And I do support things like Mafia dons not receiving funeral Masses; I think that is just and avoids scandal. But barring their children from receiving Catholic education?

I just can't agree with it.