Drop Bishop Morlino a note, rmorlino@straphael.org Based on his CV I'm sure he'd gladly assist in your edification in a most charitable way.
Bishop Robert C. Morlino
Posted on 12/13/2005 1:10:42 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree, Madison, WI Bishop Robert Morlino insists.
"Historically, that's what it is. I don't think we want to call a menorah a candlestick," Morlino told reporters Monday at a news conference.
The bishop called the news conference to respond to questions about his role on an advisory board to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation - formerly the notorious School of the Americas.
But it was in protection of Christmas and its customs from the politically correct trend of watering them down to vague "holiday" references that aroused Morlino's first - and most impassioned - remarks.
"People who try to exorcise religion - especially Christianity - from the public arena at Christmas are unintentionally doing away with the separation of church and state," he said.
The bishop is not alone in his protestations that enough is enough - leave Christmas alone.
A group of state lawmakers wants the 35-foot-tall balsam fir in the Capitol rotunda to be called the state Christmas tree, rather than using "holidaytree," which was adopted in 1985.
Two Wisconsin school districts have been threatened with lawsuits by conservative groups for holiday programs they say discriminate against Christmas.
The separation of church and state enshrined in the U.S. Constitution welcomes free expression of every religion, Morlino said.
And expression of religion - any religion - is good for democracy because the people doing it need less control by the state, he said.
"There are forces in this country that are trying to make secularism - anti-God - the state religion," Morlino said. "They are the ones violating the separation of church and state.
"I will fight the imposition of secularism as a state religion to the last breath," Morlino said.
"And in that spirit, I say: Merry Christmas."
No. We shall call it a 'holiday candlestick'.
"There are forces in this country that are trying to make secularism - anti-God - the state religion,"
Secularism is the philosophy that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education.
It is NOT 'anti-God', anymore than people calling for the Catholic Church to crack down on pervert priests are anti-Catholic or anti-religion.
Keep Christmas trees as 'Christmas trees'. That way, I don't have to read where some bishop like this continues to butcher the English language.
secularism
n : a doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations.
In the contect used the bishop was quite right when referring to secularism as 'anti-God' because that's exactly what it is. Arrogantly, aggressively and relentlessly anti-God.
Refreshing to hear a Jesuit speak lucidly.
Drop Bishop Morlino a note, rmorlino@straphael.org Based on his CV I'm sure he'd gladly assist in your edification in a most charitable way.
Bishop Robert C. Morlino
AMEN!
Is this one to smile about?
Bless him! Merry Christmas, Bishop!
Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Is this your only beef with the Christmas celebration? Or is just you nit picking the butcherin' of the so precious English Lingo by the good Bishop!
Get over yourself, bubba.
Merry Christmas to the Bishop.
God sustains the universe, including the government, in existence, so this position seems a bit unrealistic, to say the least.
"I seriously doubt that your problem is with how the Bishop said what he said. Rather, it appears that your problem with the Bishop is that he is Catholic.
Get over yourself, bubba."
That's interesting, considering that I'm a confirmed Catholic. I love it when people make a$$es of themselves with stupid assumptions like yours - it saves me the time of pointing it out to you.
BUMP!!!
Confirmed, but obnoxiously against your own faith makes you the only donkey here.
"Confirmed, but obnoxiously against your own faith makes you the only donkey here."
Some of us prefer walking styles other than 'lockstep'.
Part of being Catholic is following the precepts of the Church...and respecting our clergy. You should have learned that in Confirmation class.
"Part of being Catholic is following the precepts of the Church...and respecting our clergy."
I can respect the clergy without always agreeing with the clergy. Part of being human is possessing the ability to think for oneself.
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