Posted on 12/16/2005 2:00:45 PM PST by nickcarraway
CARICATURES OF CATHOLIC belief have been a staple of American life since the Colonial period. Once upon a time, the cartoons were drawn and the caricatures were promoted by Protestant bigots. That's rarely the case anymore, except on the fringes of the religious fever swamps (and, to be sure, among certain devout secularists). In an odd historical twist, cartoon Catholicism and the crudest caricatures of Catholic belief are often promoted today by Catholic political leaders. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino is a case in point.
In the course of his recent remarks to the Catholic Charities Greater Boston Christmas dinner, the mayor confessed that ''what moves me about being a Christian is what Jesus taught us about being religious. He did not give priority to piety. He didn't make holiness the big thing. And he did not tell us to go around talking up God, either."
Really? One wonders what Menino makes of the last two verses of the Gospel of St. Matthew: ''Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." It is not, shall we say, self-evidently clear how that ''Great Commission" can be fulfilled without ''talking up God."
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Catholic ping.
The ONLY WAY to solve this mess is to kick a few of the more prominent of these people out of the Catholic Church--bell, book and candle . . . on national TV at prime time, preferably with Pope Benedict officiating. Til then, the typical American Catholic will remain befuddled.
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray - Luke 18:1
He didn't make holiness the big thing.
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. - Matthew 5:48
And he did not tell us to go around talking up God, either
And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. - Luke 4:43
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. - Luke 9:60
Lying is to politicians as air is to productive citizens.
I take it this creep is no doubt elected by Boston's Cafeteria Catholics.
There aren't too many actual Catholics left in Sodom on the Charles.
Not only does he have no idea what he's talking about, he doesn't even know the language.
I think you Catholics need to straighten him out pronto.
"Moreover, that teaching [that abortion is evil] is not going to change, because it is rooted in the facts of embryology and in elementary principles of justice. To suggest otherwise is either culpable ignorance or willful misrepresentation."
Exactly. As I said to my left wing friend once, I don't believe abortion is wrong because of religion, but because of science, and that if the Pope came out tomorrow and said it was OK, I still would think it was just as wrong as I ever had.
Unforutnately, you will find a fair number of 'Catholics' in New England that embrace the 'theology' of Menino, Kennedy, and Kerry as absolute gospel. They even have their own chapel run by the Paulists in the Prudential center - I think. Their doctrine adheres strictly to Unitarian/Universalist 'principles' i.e. there is virtually nothing biblical, Christian or moral absolute in their 'principles' - it's simply 'feel-goodism' with each individual a 'god' in their own right - in that they determine 'good and evil' for themselves.
For amusement, you might try listening to Howie Carr (www.howiecarr.com) - he regularly runs features on Menino's mangled statements - he makes Kerry sound like a paragon of clarity and a really deep thinker!
I agree. What an absolute dingbat!
George Weigel bump.
Menino further muddied the waters by commenting that: ''When the pope speaks on doctrine, that's absolute. I don't think choice and gay marriage are doctrine."
Where on Earth has Mumbles been???
As bad as the USCCB is, and as left-wing as Boston is, I would think it would be difficult for even a cafeteria catholic in MA to believe that the Church is flexible on abortion and gay marriage. There are priests here who address traditional marriage and the sanctity of life in their sermons, and one can pick up the the Pilot and read the latest pro-life/pro-family statement made by the aforementioned pope. The Archbishop of Boston addressed the largely Catholic crowd at the Respect Life march at Boston Common, and as do The Pilot and pro-family sermons, he rooted many of his remarks in the Church's immutable teaching.
"I don't believe abortion is wrong because of religion, but because of science, and that if the Pope came out tomorrow and said it was OK, I still would think it was just as wrong as I ever had."
Me too. I am a convert to Catholicism and a life-long pro-lifer. My views on the sanctity of life were what led me to the Church; it was science rather than a church that led me to become pro-life.
If Menino, Kennedy and Kerry are examples of the Best and the Brightest, God save the Commonwealth!!!!
They more remind me of Moe , Larry and Curly, only a dumb version.
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