Posted on 09/29/2005 8:45:53 AM PDT by marshmallow
On the day that the Vatican's gay-hunters began their work here in St. Louis, I received a letter from a priest I admire.
"I am a Roman Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of St. Louis who happens to be gay," he wrote. "When it comes to my Church and her teachings on homosexuality, I cannot help but find myself both hurt and ashamed. I, like so many theologians, fellow priests, sisters, and Americans, find the Church's teaching regarding homosexuality inconsistent with the broader understanding of human dignity, respect and equality.
"The Church chooses in matters of sexuality to bring very literal interpretations to isolated passages of Scripture as a proof-text for a static, narrow interpretation of natural law. Any point of view that slightly differs or is critical of the current teaching on homosexuality is automatically excluded from discussion. Thus the teaching on homosexuality grows more and more insulated and isolated from the actual experience of human life and the moral reflections of other serious persons of faith and good will. Every day, the Church, which I love so much, appears in her words and actions more prejudiced, violent and evil toward gay persons.
To add insult to injury, the Church masks its own violence against gay persons in the language of 'love,' maintaining that by boldly proclaiming timeless truth to a relativistic world, she is remaining faithful to the Gospel and showing true compassion to persons with homosexual tendencies.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Whatever will we do?
There's half the reason this guy should be defrocked. The other half is the harm his ilk do to children.
Don't let the door hit you on your keister on the way out.
Unless you really enjoy it.
Gay Hunters?? I didn't know hunting vests came in mauve.
Proof enough that homosexuals are unfit for Holy Orders.
To add insult to injury, the Church masks its own VIOLENCE against gay persons in the language of 'love,' maintaining that by boldly proclaiming timeless truth to a relativistic world, she is remaining faithful to the Gospel and showing true compassion to persons with homosexual tendencies.
Since when did God start taking polls? I always thought man was to deny himself and follow God...even when it wasn't popular.
When this man faces his creator, I wonder who his maker will be hurt and ashamed by?
Hmmm... God gave us a set of rules to live by. He did not expect us to do a particularly good job following them, but we were/are certainly supposed to try.
However, according to this priest, if we do not consider God's rules consistent with our personal "broader understanding", then we should throw out God's rules. Seems to me this Priest has decided his "broader understanding" trumps God.
I would hate to be this priest when he meets his maker...
"The LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: "Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army. One man from each tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you. These are the names of the men who are to assist ..."
Numbers 1:1-5
There you have it. This 'priest' is attempting to rationalize his unholy behavior by proclaiming that times change and the bible needs to get with the program. As usual, a gay man is claiming that there can be no moral absolutes when they interfere with his pleasure.
He's either a Roman Catholic priest, or he's a homosexual. That he doesn't make his choice is proof that his purpose for being in the Church is to undermine it from within.
How can he function as a priest if he isn't in communion with the Church? How can he baptize, give communion or hear confessions when he's in a state of obstinant mortal sin? He's identifying himself first as gay, second as a persecuted human and third as a Catholic. He doesn't appear to be living celibate since he states: "The Church chooses in matters of sexuality to bring very literal interpretations to isolated passages of Scripture as a proof-text for a static, narrow interpretation of natural law."
Why this man would want to be a priest is an utter mystery. He should live his lifesyle and promulgate his self-spirituality at an ashram or apply for a teaching post at Matthew Fox's Wisdom University.
I love how moral relativists act as if their principle of moral relativism is absolute. What hypocrites.
It seems that since he did function as a priest prior to anyone knowing he was gay, then perhaps what many currently believe as necessary to function as a priest, isn't completely accurate.
We are ALL oriented one way or the other sexually. There is NO SUCH THING as an "asexual" human being.
seems to have a problem with obedience.
Bill McClellan is a regular columnist for the St. Louis Post, and longtime foaming-at-the-mouth liberal....this drivel doesn't surprise me in the least.
IIRC he's not Catholic, either. I think his wife and kids are, but he's not. (based on a column he wrote a while back complaining about Bishop Braxton...when he was an auxiliary in St. L.)
If they were authentic Catholics, they'd not be employed by large newspapers.
I hope they enjoy the fruits of their labor right now because they can't take that filthy lucre with them to their particular judgement where they will have an opportunity to explain to Jesus why it was a good idea to accept a job with the media and publicly lie about the Doctrine of the Church He established.
I'm sure the Episcobaalians would welcome more rump rangers into their ministry since they don't pay attention to anything in the Bible they disagree with anyway.
Any point of view that slightly differs or is critical of the current teaching on homosexuality is automatically excluded from discussion.The cafeteria is closed.
Oh, McClellan isn't the religion writer....that's Tim Townsend and he's really not too bad. McClellan simply never passes up an opportunity to use his column to bash the Catholic Church.
A census is not a poll.
Homosexual Agenda Ping.
A poster child of exactly why homosexual priests should be eliminated from the priesthood and indeed, any official position within the Catholic Church. He claims to "love" the Catholic Church. Well, he doesn't love the teachings of God in the Bible, he doesn't love the Pope, he doesn't love the traditional moral guidelines, what does he "love"?
The cushy job, the comfort of being the "spiritual authority", lifelong financial support, a brotherhood of similar homosexual men, and the rest - one doesn't want to know.
This is a large problem...These people must see that Homosexuality is a sin along with all the others and they are not above the standard. People and they're insane rationalization.
Exactly!!
Cuz, see, here's what bugs me: there is NOTHING stopping the hopefully-soon-to-be ousted gay seminarians from serving Our Lord. Nothing. Millions of people everywhere serve Christ quietly, obscurely, in their lives. WHY do these guys act like they can't be followers of Christ if they aren't allowed to be priests?
If you can't be a seminarian and you are gay...you are still welcome in the Church. Live chastely like all the rest of us are commanded to do...all of us. (NB to non-Catholics and others who don't know: under Church teaching, NO ONE is to be sexually active except those who have partaken of the Sacrament of Marriage. NO one.) Serve the poor, feed the hungry, care for the sick...just do it!!
The reason the gay seminarians are so unhappy is exactly what you pointed out.....if they can't be priests, there goes the guaranteed lifetime of being taken care of by the church: pay, benefits, pension, health care, retirement. And the power, the authority.
If they want only to serve Christ, are willing to dedicate their lives to Him, let them do it. That's wonderful! But very few are called to the priesthood, and that's as it should be.
In our egalitarian new world it is often accepted that every one has the right to their opinion and further,that all these opinions have equal status in the market place. Fortunately that is not true but unfortunately,most people don't realize that. The fact is,only those opinions based on facts and knowledge,in other words truth,have any value.
I,on the other hand cannot state that "there are many who are asexual". Nonetheless,I think it is an issue worth studying.The answer might shine much light on an several important matters in the Church and in society.
I cannot but ponder how many you have led astray -blinded by your disorder. One who claims disordered sexuality is claimed by it regardless the activity...
From my own observations,I agree with you and your husbands statements. But as I said to Clemenza in a previous post,it is well worth taking the time to study this. If our obervations are confirmed,and there are indeed a number of persons without sexual inclinations,it would free a lot of "asexuals" from the box society has placed them in.
Those people are utterly committed and believing enemies of the Church. The "ruin of souls". Absolutely.
Their lies had me in their grip for more than half of my life, and only rude reality has opened my eyes.
I would not be surprised if the letter to which this writer refers is fiction.
Aah, the missing 11th commandment. "All other rules, commandments, ethics, and morals don't apply when faced with a broad understanding of human dignity".
Benedict will bring the hammer down... he has no choice.
They have no clue what 'Religious Life' means... or the scriptures for that matter. It's giving up everything...everything, it's not what you want... but what God wants; Either you can deal with that or walk.
Time to clean house... when we have to share one good priest and we can't have mass until Sundays, when we have to walk for miles (like those in other countries), to go to Mass... maybe we will take our faith more seriously.
If anything goes... what's the point.
Does anyone actually take Bill McClellan seriously anymore?
I thought it sounded like a form letter myself (possibly a fund-raising letter): "I am a Roman Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of St. Louis who happens to be gay," he wrote. Who introduces himself with a description in a regular letter (if anyone writes regular letters anymore!)?
So get out of the prejudiced, violent, evil thing, "Father." The Episcopal Church can always use some ex-Catholic priests. In fact, you can even be a bishop!
It looks like the word dignity has been hijacked. As if that word will sanctify anything.
Death with dignity
Adultery with dignity
Note that they assume that gays ARE the Church. Now it may be true that in some areas gay priests actually are in control. But, even so, priests do not constitute the Church.
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