Puritanical thinking…
And the queering of …
Okay, so you know I know you knew I knew that he knew, the Cafeteria was pretty much always open. Well, at least since the wedding. Because Mrs. N. is a psychologist and she taught Mr. N. about homosexuality; and apparently it isn’t as bad as the Catholic Church says it is if two happening/active SSA people are nice and they happen to be your friends and are kind of married - but stay away from the altar boys or Mr. N. will get really angry.
Traditional Catholics may be Puritans…
Well, I always thought trads were sort of like fundamentalists, but now I hear they may be Puritans. Funny how tolerance can often lead to permissiveness… and how easily one’s faith can be compromised. It is called human respect - people get caught up in that stuff.
Links:
Not Quite So Closed - Wild Reed
Excuse Me While I Whip This Out
You Decide - Is it Open? (This post on Roman Catholic blog is extremely long and detailed.)
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[Tab and Roddy - the perfect couple. Thanks to RC blog.]
May 15th, 2008 at 7:37 am
I can’t follow the logic of the Wild Reed. The only part I could grasp was the absolute (!he uses absolutes!) promotion of sexual license and followed through to its logical conclusion there would be no faithfulness in marriage, no self giving, no sacrifice, no chastity, no love of God, man would be reduced to servitude, to the passions of his body and in the end lose his dignity, his life.
But humor is found in the fact that he accuses faithful Catholics of being Puritans, users of absolutes. He uses his own absolute which is: “it’s okay to act sexually in any way you see fit”–he has created his own “absolute”.
People: listen to good, poor parish priests and read Church teachings.
“There’s nothing as exciting as orthodoxy.” GK Chesterton
May 15th, 2008 at 7:48 am
This topic reminds me of another Chesterton quote:
“The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion, but, on the contrary, of its liberality and humanity. It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted: precisely because most things are permitted, and only a few things are forbidden.” - ILN 1-3-20
May 15th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Sorry, but I must add another Chesterton quote to defend the beauty of the Roman Catholic Church in all of her teachings, which give life:
“And if we took the third chance instance, it would be the same;
the view that priests darken and embitter the world. I look at the world
and simply discover that they don’t. Those countries in Europe
which are still influenced by priests, are exactly the countries
where there is still singing and dancing and coloured dresses and
art in the open-air. Catholic doctrine and discipline may be walls;
but they are the walls of a playground. Christianity is
the only frame which has preserved the pleasure of Paganism.
We might fancy some children playing on the flat grassy top of some
tall island in the sea. So long as there was a wall round
the cliff’s edge they could fling themselves into every frantic game
and make the place the noisiest of nurseries. But the walls
were knocked down, leaving the naked peril of the precipice.
They did not fall over; but when their friends returned to them
they were all huddled in terror in the centre of the island;
and their song had ceased.” GKC, Orthodoxy
May 15th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Well, this is all very scandalous. But where is the Catholic outrage at other assoults on the catholic family and culture? Why are we so tolerant of co-habitating men and women , why the tolerance of contraception among the catholic women in the pews , why do Catholics not raise heck about civil marriages, mixed marriages, and heaven forbid, DIVORCE?
Annulments seem to be dispensed like Valentines and the Catholic faithful appear clueless about the antecedents to all this gay marriage stuff.
The ROOTS of the problem lie among Joe and Jane Catholic in the pew. Where are the BABIES? Why are there so few babies and so many old people at Mass in most places? Something tells me amore han a few are using birth control pills ’cause I just KNOW Joe Catholic ain’t abstaining.
It’s really all about men getting sex and until men learn the value of chastity, this situation ain’t gettin’ better.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:35 am
How do those who deny homosexuality is a disorder and therefore not treatable explain the testimonials of those who had so courageously changed? Are they liars, stupid or just part of big anti-gay conspiracy?
May 15th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I find the debate difficult to follow. Its as if theological considerations stop where political and psychological ideology start. I was hoping for an insightful and reasonable argument and all I found was psychology and libertarianism.
It seems that Gerald is having trouble reconciling his catholicism with his libertariansim. I have always seen this type of individualism as being a subtle problem in Catholics with a strong political opinion. There often seems to be a lack of understanding of the Church’s more communitarian understanding of human nature.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:53 am
No doubt Leo, we have been forced to be okay with cohabitation and that sets a precedent which is now unfolding with homosexuality. Especially if its a relative, people quickly change their opinion, such as Gerald did. It seems that they pressure us to change our beliefs, and too many Catholics cave in to the pressure.
May 15th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
You forgot to include me in the “Pat” category.
I feel like I should take up a donation just to gas up my car to drive to work; much less ask for $ to go to Ireland.
May 15th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Cath - I’m really not against soliciting online anymore. It’s none of my business.
And with the price of gas, I’ve decided it is too expensive to work now days.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Because Mrs. N. is a psychologist and she taught Mr. N. about homosexuality
Isn’t this what happened to Solomon…
1 Kings 11:4 - For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.