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For A Holy Man, He Sure Likes to Lie A Lot
Published: Friday 22 July 2011
“I don’t think we’ve lost the marriage issue at all. Even framing the question that way shapes the answer in a wrong direction, because the language of a debate conditions how we think. If we concede the language, we concede the issue. I do think we’ve been allowing ourselves to lose the marriage debate for years, rooted in our confusion about individual and community rights, and our fear of being portrayed as “against” other people. Catholic teaching on sexuality and marriage is for human dignity; it is for human happiness and the virtuous development of family and society. It is “against” only those behaviors that undermine those goals. When people try to frame Catholic belief as an intrinsic hostility for individual persons or groups, they are not being honest.”—Archbishop Charles Chaput (Philadelphia-designate)
If the church’s teachings were really for “human happiness and the virtuous development of family and society,” they wouldn’t be against homosexuality. Nothing about loving someone of the same sex precludes a person from being happy (in fact it often goes hand in hand), and certainly nothing about it stops familial development. It is the height of hypocritical deception to say that people pointing this out are the dishonest ones- shame on you, Archbishop Charles Chaput. I’m glad you’re out of Denver- don’t come back.
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4 comments on "For A Holy Man, He Sure Likes to Lie A Lot"
August 10, 2011 9:13pm
I believe Jonathan is within bounds on this one. The RCC has been very clear in telling society what we all must do, be, and legislate, and the Bishop enjoys the privilege of representing the Church. I don't agree that the Christian Church itself represents an "outmoded mythology"--many in the RCC and outside it find a living faith in following Jesus--but God's appeal and faith can adapt to changing times much more readily than unwieldy bureaucracy can.
July 30, 2011 8:34am
I don't believe it is helpful or progressive to shame the bishop, call him a conscious liar or interject more and more inflammatory language. Merely venting contempt does not support any of the grand objectives of this new organization; it defeats them. Please consider blogs and comments relative to the core values or don't put them here. What's the impact of flaming accusations, particularly without owning your judgments? What's the contribution?
I believe it is more accurate to say that representatives of the Catholic church tend hold unconscious or shadowed rationalizations to reconcile countervailing ethics as though blindsided moral axioms are even useful. Clinging to an outmoded mythology that's increasingly untenable in a contemporary context is doing us in. I have some compassion about Catholic conundrums or dilemmas even though the church is one of the most destructive forces on the planet in so many regards. I don't think they are liars. We all tend to carry some measure of shadow; i.e., what we tend to hide, deny and avoid even from ourselves.
August 01, 2011 1:20pm
Daniel, maybe I've missed your point. But, are the flagrant and widespread attemts to hide the rampant sexual abuse of children by priests, simply an outmoded mythology? Moving an abusive priest around the diocese, or around the country, or even around the world to avoid revelations the college of cardinals might find embarassing, is that an example of the countervailing ethics? When a Catholic Bishop in California moves a priest almost exactly fifty miles from his last offense, four or five times, providing fresh targets in each new assignment for the evil predator in the roman collar, is that your claim of unconcious or shadowed rationalizations?
Based on 20 years of case evidence and the blind eye many Catholics turned toward the horrific destruction of thousands of childrens' lives, people like you lack the credibility to be suggesting a 'more accurate' way to describe how others should look at the churh and the club that runs it.
July 26, 2011 12:21pm
Greed and power promote "confusion about individual and community rights" as the bishop said. There is nothing more greedy and powerful than the large, organized religions of the world. War, hatred, and fear are the actions, regardless of the words used.